A few months ago when the new iPhone 3g came out (and with that the new 3.0 operating system) Steve Jobs promised there were over 100 new features, but they did not take the time to document them all. Thanks to the team at CrunchGear as well as users across the country, we have started to find some of the new podcast related features on the new iPhone.
Now before you get all snarky and start complaining that some of these existed before, I will say that not ALL of these are new features… but some of these have been brought to light due to the other new features being added.
Below is a list of the top podcasting related features from the new iPhone and the iPhone 3.0 software upgrade. Do you know of some cool new features that we have overlooked? Leave a comment below and we will update this post to show the updated information. With over 100 new features added, this list can not possible be exhaustive of all the podcasting features.
New Features:
- Variable Speed Playback
Clicking this icon you can change the speed of the podcast playback (audio only) from regular speed, 1/2 speed and 2x speed. - Chapter Browsing/Skipping
In a lot of the audio podcasts out there, the producers create chapters. These chapters work well for podio books (where the authors read chapters of the books) and with music podcasts (where the dj plays multiple tracks). If you don’t like something, you can skip ahead! - Send to a Friend
This feature allows you send a link to the podcast you are listening to so your friend can subscribe to the show from iTunes. - Instant 30 Second Rewind
This is a great addition for podcasting. If you find you zone out for a second doing work while listening to an episode and something catches your ear, you can do an instant 30 second rewind to listen to a segment again. - Date and Length of Episode
This information helps you know a) how old the episode is and b) if you have time to enjoy it all. - Time Remaining Left to Play
If you stop playing an episode somewhere in the middle, your iPhone remembers that. This indicator lets you know how much time is remaining until the end of the episode. - Indicator of New Episodes Not yet Downloaded
Sometimes you don’t get a chance to sync your iPhone with your computer… and for that reason your shows can get out of sync. This indicator lets you know how many additional episodes are in the feed, and lets you choose to download them to your phone to enjoy.
Screen Shots:
Below are a selection of screenshots from my first generation iPhone running the 3.0 software. And yes, I do maintain my own music channel on Mevio with awesome music in it 🙂