So i thought that I would take a few minutes out of my lunch today and post a review of blackberry podcast reader app, Podtrapper by
VersatileMonkey.com - Podtrapper blackberry podcatcher and podcast player.
First I just wanted to say that I am a huge podcast fan. My favorites include the CrackBerry, diggnation, engadget and much more. My commute to work is usually just over an hour and there is nothing I love more than listening to gadget and blackberry news on my Storm via my car stereo. The only problem is I don't always have the time to download new episodes so I'm usually about a week behind. For a while I was using another app that streams the podcast but if there was an interruption in a hour long show like a pesky phone call, then I'd have to start again. Which usually means I don't bother listening to the whole show. So you can see how having a program that will automatically download the latest podcast episodes to my Blackberry without my intervention would be very useful to me.
Enter Podtrapper, a MP3 player crossed with a RSS feed aggregator. Podtrapper isn't really pretty. The newest version looks like this.
and it's as plain looking as Blackberry apps come these days. But don't let that fool you read on...
Here is a list of my favorite features;
- Download your podcasts from a RSS feed without prompting it too. You don't even have to start it up after a reboot like you do other RSS apps.
- Podtrapper will automatically download older episodes if you delete a new one from this list. This is a great way to catch up on your older CrackBerry Episodes. It's fun to listen to Kevin's successful and failed gadget predictions.
- Listen to many podcasts in parts. So if you flip between different podcasts or even episodes in a podcast feed you can always return to where you left off later. This is great if you get pesky phone calls on the way home. *cough* *cough*
- Skip to different parts of the podcast with the control buttons (see images below)
- There is a desktop downloader if you don't have a unlimited data plan. I haven't tried it yet but I think that the extra step of syncing you BB up would not kill you if your too cheap to pay $25 for unlimited data. Geese.
- If you don't listen to Podcasts or know what a RSS feed is then Podtrapper will let you search their list of podcasts from your Blackberry and then add it to your list.
- And now for all you die hard fans of the Blackberry media player, you can also launch any episode in the Blackberry media player. Two things with this... 1) you can disable the podcasts from showing up as songs in the media player (**** yeah!) and 2) if you do this, you don't have to re-enable it back again to play them from the media player, just launch it.
- Bonus: You can try it for 30 Days before buying! and then it's only $9.99. VersatileMonkey.com - Podtrapper blackberry podcatcher
My list of things I wish were different.
- What is with the icon? It sucks.
- I don't need it to be pretty but the Orange icons are kinda BLAH.
- As a storm user, I have to very carefully click the play button with my fat thumb. I wish they just had one big play/pause button and the controls under it.
- No volume control outside of the app but then again, I don't think you can do it
Here are some more screen shots.
Conclusion:
I would recommend this as a must have application along side your other RSS apps. The developer is very approachable and answers email the same day. They are also updating to new versions (which the app will tell you about) regularly so it's only going to get better. I'd say buy it now before the developer realizes he's selling it for tooo little.
Comments and Questions are welcome below.
Cheers, Paul
BTW- I contacted the developer about making a seperate program that has been on my wish list for ever. Please make me a LARGE file downloader.
*UPDATED* - The new version allows you to do Video podcasts. I downloaded Diggnation and it was fantastic! Amazing this works so well.
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