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It wasn’t long ago that finding and tuning into content from National Public Radio on your iPhone or iPod touch was much more than a chore and just shy of a nightmare. The most recent release of the broadcaster’s app for Apple handhelds has a lot to offer in terms of features and, best of all, the awesome programming and shows.

NPR News 1.1 (free, iTunes) pulls together the organization’s audio and print, as well as the most comprehensive station listing I’ve seen. Also, the application brings forward Twitter and Facebook integration, which might be the cat’s meow for some, but I increasingly see social networking features as derivate and just so much “me too” posturing.

Features in NPR News 1.1
• Hear, read and share NPR News stories
• Keep up with the news via our hourly five-minute newscasts
• Listen live to your favorite NPR program wherever it’s on air, or listen to the most recent show on demand
• Bookmark your NPR station(s)
• Use audio controls to pause or skip forward in any story or program
• Create a playlist of stories to hear in any order – right away or later on
• Listen to audio while browsing text stories
• Cache text and photos for viewing offline

Those features are all good and appreciated, especially the ability to queue up a long program list and listen to them in order. Still I wish this feature could be distilled down to “Listen to All Things Considered” and get the news program and its segments delivered in order without further prompting.

The crown jewels in NPR News 1.1 is, of course, the content and the broadcaster’s most popular programming is available: All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition Saturday, Weekend Edition Sunday, Car Talk, Fresh Air, All Songs Considered, Talk of the Nation, Science Friday, Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, It’s All Politics, and many, many more.

The stream, the whole stream and nothing but the stream

Again, I’d like NPR News, not to mention AP Mobile, Wall Street Journal and ABC News, to deliver continuously streamed content.

Honestly, I would be willing to be pay, say $4.95 a month, to enjoy that level of service.

Nevertheless NPR News 1.1 is orders of magnitude better than other public radio applications and tuners, and I’m truly enjoying this much improved and still free app…

What’s your take?

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Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod