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New iPhone app for audio playback / FSI

 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes Post Reply
DavidW
Hexaglot
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 6527 days ago

318 posts - 458 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French, Italian, Persian, Malay
Studies: Russian, Arabic (Written), Portuguese, German, Urdu

 
 Message 1 of 5
09 February 2011 at 3:01pm | IP Logged 
The device you use to listen to your audio materials is quite important. I used to use
a portable sony dictaphone (model TCM-200DV), which had several advantages over a
regular cassette player. It had a slider you could use with your thumb to pause the
audio, it had cue/review, that meant you could hear the audio as you rewinded/ff, and
you could adjust the playback speed. All the important controls could be operated by
feel, without looking at the unit. Still, during the time I spent in Malaysia, the
cassettes did not fare well in the humidity, and I switched to an mp3 player.

I used various small devices by creative, before moving on to the Rio Karma. This
allowed better navigation in large files (you could scroll your position in a file with
a wheel), above average controls, and a larger capacity. It also has its weaknesses. It
crashes from time to time and needs restarting, it needs special software to load
audio, it is a little fragile, and it's long out of production (since 2005).

When using an FSI or other audio-lingual courses, I usually use a computer with audio
editing software (audacity or adobe audition) to play back the audio files. I remap the
keyboard controls (pause, FF and RW) to allow me to use the software like my
dictaphone, but with the advantage of having a waveform display of the file that helps
in navigating the file.

I have gotten quotes from a number of companies to develop an iPhone application that
would combine the best qualities from all these systems. The app would provide controls
that can be easily used without looking at the player, cue/review, a dragable waveform
with intelligent zooming behaviour, bookmarks, and the ability to download FSI
materials by chapter without leaving the app or connecting to a computer.

The development costs for this app are quite substantial, so I'd like to know that I'm
not alone here. It would be sold on the App store for around $10 USD. Is this something
you would buy? If so, please make a post, and leave a comment if you like (any
suggestions for a name?). If I get fifty responses, I will start development of the
app.

Regards

David

1 person has voted this message useful



dleewo
Groupie
United States
Joined 5819 days ago

95 posts - 131 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: German, Mandarin

 
 Message 2 of 5
10 February 2011 at 2:04pm | IP Logged 
I know this is for the iPhone, but you ever decide to make an Android app, I would buy it for $10.

1 person has voted this message useful



msherl
Newbie
United Kingdom
Joined 7232 days ago

14 posts - 14 votes
Studies: Serbo-Croatian

 
 Message 3 of 5
26 February 2011 at 3:27pm | IP Logged 
I would buy it. But doesn't look like there's much interest form others on this site...
1 person has voted this message useful



parasitius
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5999 days ago

220 posts - 323 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin
Studies: Cantonese, Polish, Spanish, French

 
 Message 4 of 5
26 February 2011 at 10:12pm | IP Logged 
For $1 (as most apps are) I would buy it quite without hesitation just to experiment
with it.

Unfortunately once you move up to the $10 price point (actually anything beyond $2) I
start to hesitate unless I am absolutely sure of what it is and that it is a perfect
solution to what I am looking for. (You can't please all of the people all of the time,
even if it is 'perfection' to you.)

An example of an expensive program I would pay for on iPhone: Anki. Don't actually have
it yet though.

I do know exactly what you are talking about in your description though -- technology
sometimes moves backwards more than it moves forwards. There is no modern device that
has a good 'tactical' control of audio as is ideal for language learning and reviewing
audio segments.
1 person has voted this message useful



akprocks
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5287 days ago

178 posts - 258 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: German

 
 Message 5 of 5
26 February 2011 at 10:47pm | IP Logged 
It'll download FSI straight from the app?! I'd buy it.


1 person has voted this message useful



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