Filed under: Odds and ends
Experimental BBC Radio widget released, works with Radio Pop
You may already use one of several different Dashboard widgets for listening to BBC radio programmes over the net; but the team at BBC Labs has just released a new one that offers something a bit different.
It's part of a wider project called Radio Pop that turns radio listening into a social activity. As long as you're listening to your BBC programmes via the Radio Pop player (available in-browser or, as I said at the start, as a widget), you can "Pop" your favourites - in other words, flag them.
Your Radio Pop profile page shows what you've been listening to. Your Pops show the things you liked most, and give you quick access to programme information pages. Right now it's limited to live radio streams, but plans are underway to add the BBC's Listen Again output as well, which will make it much more interesting. (Developers: there's an API for you to play with, too.)
Since I'm in the UK, I haven't been able to confirm that this works elsewhere; YMMV. One additional requirement for making it work is a copy of Real Player, which the BBC uses for all its radio streams. Download it via the links on this BBC help page and you'll get a version that doesn't come laden with ads.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BuiltByBen said 10:41AM on 9-04-2008
I've been waiting for a BBC Radio widget that actually works for ages and this is pretty good. I just wished it continued to play once I close dashboard instead of me having to drag them to the desktop using Devmode.
A very good start tho
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eddyb64 said 11:15AM on 9-04-2008
Yep, the widget is thus rendered useless. Also, if listening through a browser window the stream stops when you minimise to the Dock. EyeTV works OK minimised so I assume this isn't a Mac OS issue.
Have given the Beeb some feedback on these - might help if someone else reinforces it by reporting it as well.
But well done BBC, a step in the ight direction. Just a shame the widget looks like it was designed for Vista - it looks pants.
Hawkman said 1:01PM on 9-04-2008
The audio stopping isn't a problem with the widget - it's a really irritating bug in RealPlayer, which has gone unfixed for a long time. Any widget which has to use RealPlayer for audio will suffer from it.
BuiltByBen said 1:59PM on 9-04-2008
The real player has fixed the stop playing gripe with this widget...now to make it look a bit prettier
Green Gordon said 11:49AM on 9-04-2008
For the widget to work when your dashboard is away, you need to use Realplayer 10 not Realplayer 11. Ths goes for other BBC radio widgets too.
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Christian said 11:50AM on 9-04-2008
The problem of the BBC radio widget(s) (there are several of them) not continuing to play after Dashboard is closed on Leopard is a problem with RealPlayer 11. If you downgrade RealPlayer to version 10, the BBC radio widgets work fine.
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netgem21 said 12:41PM on 9-04-2008
Can we please have a live BBC radio app for the iPhone now?
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nmec0 said 1:32PM on 9-04-2008
You can downgrade to Realplayer 10 here:
http://www.real.com/products/player/bbc_mac.html
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Jon said 6:20PM on 9-04-2008
Ugh... I don't know why the BBC continues to use RealPlayer. I have not met a single person that likes it.
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Gary said 6:06AM on 9-08-2008
That the BBC continues to promote the use of borderline spyware like RealPlayer is ridiculous. The corporation invests in a proprietary streaming video player and yet can't offer basic audio streams without relying on dubious middle-ware.
I refuse to use software like Real Player, so I lose out on the radio I pay my licence fee for.
Tor said 6:53PM on 9-04-2008
It is completely beyond me why the BBC can't provide simple mp3 streams like most online radio stations in the world. I've seen people trying to make online BBC channels work on small devices like the squeezebox, using all sorts of trickery and conversion programs.
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samuel said 10:03PM on 9-12-2008
Its good to see treatment aimed at Mac, I don't know what it looks like but hear its an awful port. I think the BBC needs to make a choice; do or dont, not just half-bake, support for Apple OS X.
I personally was interested in that rumor of iTunes allowing for music played on radio to be purchased live: so when listening to a song I could save it to a wishlist or instantly buy the track, why cant this widget be something like that.
I have a widget that plays when the dashboard is not visible, sorry this is not my computer and I cannot get the details but will post another time.
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Samuel said 10:09PM on 9-12-2008
I find it encouraging that a partner on the Radio Pop website is that of the OpenID forum, well done BBC.
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