(Archived) Feature Request - Annotate Podcasts/Audiobooks

[jmichl 0]

I don't have an iPhone yet but if I found that Evernote could do the following, I'd jump the Verizon ship immediately and buy an iPhone. I use my iPod primarily for listening to tech podcasts and business-related audiobooks. Typically, I'm driving or otherwise do not have access to a computer or paper and pencil. I would like to be listening to podcast, hear something I want to remember then be able to tap by bluetooth phone and annotate a quick message to myself. Later upon sync, I'd love to be able to retrieve a list of annotations including the podcast (or audiobook), the place in the file (e.g. 1 hr 2 min 45 sec) and the annotation. I'd love to also be able to do this by adding text (on Mac or PC) if I'm listening via iTunes or directly into the iPhone (or iTouch) if not driving. To me, this is the killer app and one I'd gladly pay for.

So...any chance Evernote can already do some or all of this? If not, could it be on the horizon?

Thanks.

- John

[engberg 89]

Parts of this may work, but you may hit barriers to the entire workflow.

You can store audio files (WAV, MP3) of up to 25MB into an Evernote account. You can also add text annotations into these notes (or vice versa).

You can also record voice notes via our iPhone application, and then listen to these from your desktop computer.

The iPhone will only let you run one application at at time, so you may not be able to switch from the podcast application to ours without stopping the audio. This is a fundamental restriction of the iPhone OS, unfortunately.

[jmichl 0]

Thanks for the response Dave.

Storing the audio files is probably not the solution. I listen a dozen or so per day and as you imply, I have a pretty defined workflow.

However, stopping the audio on the iPhone may not be an issue. Is there a way to quickly switch from one app to another? I wouldn't expect (nor want) the podcast or audiobook to keep playing while leaving a voice or text note in Evernote. But I would want to quickly leave that note, then pop right back into playback mode.

Better yet, Evernote would keep track of my place in that podcast or audiobook (sort of a bookmark) so when I accessed the note later, it would indicate what file I was listening to and the place in that file where I made each note.

Thanks again.

- John

[engberg 89]

Is there a way to quickly switch from one app to another? I wouldn't expect (nor want) the podcast or audiobook to keep playing while leaving a voice or text note in Evernote. But I would want to quickly leave that note, then pop right back into playback mode.

The problem is that in the iPhone, you wouldn't be switching from one app to the other, you'd be completely quitting one app and then starting another. Unless an application does a lot of work to maintain information about "where you left off", you're going to start from scratch when you re-launch. I'd suspect that your podcast player wouldn't work as smoothly as you'd like.