Back when we looked at Radar, a photosharing site with an accompanying iPhone app, I mentioned that while Twitter had monopolized the "text exporting" function from your iPhone, there would be a slew of companies to try and grab the rest of the media you want to broadcast. Radar, I said, wanted to be the photo app. And AudioBoo, it appears, wants to be the audio app (we've yet to see a strong video contender pop up with the 3GS, though YouTube is certainly serving for now).

I've been using AudioBoo (iTunes link) for a few weeks now, and I have to say, it definitely does what it says on the box: after a short signup session and the installation of the app to your iPhone, you can record and upload (and almost more interesting, listen back to others') audio quickly and easily.

You hit record, can talk for a while (i haven't hit a limit yet, though three minutes is what I originally heard, and that tends to be about right for these little mini-podcasts), then hit stop and upload, add a picture, title, and tags, and a few minutes later, your audio is right there on the web for everyone to hear. I've used it on my EDGE phone and my friend's 3G, and I have to say the experience is better on the 3G -- the upload speeds are much better (I generally have to wait on my iPhone until I get on Wi-Fi to upload the audio), and to my ears, the audio sounds better. Here's a recording I made at a Cubs game on my 1G with a few friends, and a recording my friend made on his 3G at a restaurant. Edge works, obviously, but the 3G seems to work better.

I was just listening to the great Sound Opinions music podcast the other day, and they had a woman on who was campaigning against hearing damage. In fact, she actually called out iPod headphones (as I was listening to the show on my iPhone) as one of today's leading causes of hearing damage -- too many people are listening to music through those headphones way too loud.

Unfortunately, the iPhone can't fix your ears (yet), but it can help you figure out if there's a problem: Audiometry is a 99 cent app that will test your hearing for you through a range of frequencies, and let you know whether your ears are blown out or whether you've still got some good vibrations left. The app plays a tone at each frequency, asks you whether or not you heard it (though you've got to be honest -- there were a few times I could hear the tone stopping and starting but not the tone itself), and then gives you a results list on how you did.

Future versions of the app will include a dB test (for loudness rather than just frequency), and the ability to save and share tests with others. It's hardly a substitute for going to a real ear doctor (if you have serious issues, you should definitely do that), but considering all the damage your iPhone may have done to your ears, the least it could do is help you figure out how much.

While you're at it, review this article from Apple on setting the maximum volume limit on an iPod.

[via textually.org]

Pandora's app was one of the iPhone's best of 2008 on iTunes, and while I've only recently started using it, I have to agree: even over EDGE, it's a great way to get some music you've never heard on the iPhone. And they aren't sitting on their laurels, either -- they've just updated the app to version 2.0, and it's better than ever.

New in this version is the ability to access a progress bar for the songs you're listening to, and the option to create new stations from songs or artists right there in the app itself. It's definitely worth a look [iTunes link], and you can't beat the price of admission (still completely free).

I've followed Pandora from the beginning, and they've constantly updated both their website and their features since they first released -- it's all developed into a really impressive set of functionality for listening to and finding new music. They have suffered some rumors of shutdowns, but hopefully those rumors are just that. Between the remarkable set of functions on their website and this iPhone app, they're becoming more and more invaluable for serious music listeners.

More hours of podcasts in your feed bin than hours in the day? Phil Windley feels your pain. He's even figured out how to speed things up a bit without converting all his podcasts to audiobooks:

1. Right-click the show in iTunes and choose "Show song file."
2. Open the selected song file with Quicktime (right-click again and select Quicktime).
3. Choose "Show A/V Controls."
4. Move the "Playback Speed" slider at the bottom of the window to your preferred speed.

His method seems to work pretty well, and most podcasts are remarkably listenable at speeds up to about 1.5x. Much beyond that, though, and you start expecting someone to scream "Alvin!" in the background. Whether it's worth the effort, though, is a different matter. If you routinely listen to many podcasts, the time it takes to modify the files will become an issue in its own right. Sounds to me like a job for Automator.

It's great to see that when the Peppers (finally) decide to commit to something, they really dive in: iLounge is reporting that on May 2nd at 6:30 pm local time, Apple Stores in the U.S., Canada and UK will hold listening parties for the band's new album, Stadium Arcadium, set to land on May 9th. The stores will play all 28 songs from the new album and will be giving away a limited number of iTunes cards so fans can download the new single, "Dani California" (iTMS link). Let's also not forget that pre-ordering the new album enters you into a contest for a logo-engraved, 60 GB Chili Peppers iPod, and gives you access to a Ticketmaster pre-sale for the band's North American tour.