Super Bowl listening guide

Sometimes you're just anywhere near a 52 inch surround sound uber media extravaganza. So how can Pocket Tunes Radio help you to keep up with the game?

Well we made it easy to connect to stations that may carry the game. We say "may" because even if a station has the broadcast rights , they may not have the streaming rights for Internet Radio.

So what we have done is added tags for all the Saints and Colts affiliates that stream on the Internet. We have also added a tag "Super Bowl". In addition, Westwood One is the radio network carrying the Super Bowl radio broadcast so we added a tag to the Westwood One stations that we know of. S

Here is how to access those stations. But first we have to emphasize that not all stations will have the streaming rights even when they have the broadcast rights. So you may have to try a few stations before you find one that is streaming the game. That is something beyond our control as it is each individual station that determines whether it will be blacking out the game on the Internet or not.

So first update your catalog: http://bit.ly/eA5vu .

That will ensure you have the additions we made.

Now go to the search tab and enter whichever of the following search terms suits you, you can include the quotes or not, it won't matter unless noted.

Enter "Saints", you will get all the stations that are listed as affiliate stations for the Saints broadcast

Enter "Colts" to get the Colts affiliates.

Enter "Super Bowl" (in quotes) to get all stations that are affiliates of either Super Bowl team

Enter "Westwood One" (in quotes) to get all Westwood One stations.

We recommend starting with the stations in the Sports or Talk groups so scroll down your results to that area and pick a station. If it plays the broadcast, you're set, if it doesn't, go to the next station and repeat until you find a station that plays the game on the net.

Feel free to tweet us (@PocketTunes) if you find a station that works, we will also send a tweet out when we find stations that are streaming the game.

Follow us on Twitter to get the Tweet updates on stations playing the game: http://twitter.com/PocketTunes

Enjoy the game!!

-Dave

Grammy Radio 2010: Hear the winners (and the not winners too)

We just wanted to point you to Grammy Radio 2010. They're playing (as is pretty obvious from the station names) all the nominees and winners of the 2010 Grammys.

So if you didn't get enough Grammy last night, check it out in the Featured and/or Pop/Rock sections of all version of Pocket Tunes that support Internet Radio.

**Make sure that your catalog is up to date in order to see the station:

For iPhone/touch see this Knowledge Base article: http://bit.ly/eA5vu

For Palm/Windows Mobile see this Knowledge Base article: http://bit.ly/7E02C7

- Dave

Major update to scanner feeds

We just wanted to let our iPhone/touch customers know that we have updated the way our catalog works with Radio Reference, the largest scanner site on the net. We have tightened our integration with their catalog to allow for daily updates from their servers.

What this means for Pocket Tunes Radio and Pocket Tunes Scanner customers is faster updates when new feeds are added or exiting feeds are updated. And there isn't anything you need to do other than open Pocket Tunes. It will update your catalog with any changes the first time you open it every day.

We just updated the server so you may find your next (or most recent) update to be a little longer than usual. There was a lot of information changed. Going forward there will not be nearly so many changes each day, so updates will not take as long.

Make sure you update the catalog (http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/) and then check the scanner feeds. You just may find something there that you hadn't seen before.

Dave, NormSoft Inc.

2009 was WQHT HOT! Top 20 stations of 2009

Seems like everyone is putting out a top X of whatever for 2009....so one more won't hurt will it?

Here are the stations that people were listening to in Pocket Tunes Radio. Of course there were thousands of stations that people were listening to on Pocket Tunes in 2009, but let's just look at the top 20.

Without further rambling on my part..the Top 20:

1) Hot 97 (WQHT) New York
2) 181.FM - The Beat (HipHop/R&B)
3) AOL: Top Hip-Hop
4) AOL: New Hip-Hop First
5) 66 WFAN
6) .977 The Comedy Channel
7) 610 WIP
8) 1.FM - Jamz
9) BBC Radio 4
10) 1.FM - Dance Hits
11) 1.FM - Top 40
12) BBC Radio 1
13) DI.fm Vocal Trance
14) The Alex Jones Show
15) Fox Sports Radio
16) BBC World 24 Hour Live News
17) BBC Radio 5 Live
18) Yahoo! Naughty Comedy
19) 1.FM - The Chill Out Lounge
20) AOL: Reggaeton/Urbano

So there you go. Was your favorite in there? Maybe there is a station in there you didn't know about.

We've add a new group to the catalog called "Top 20 of 2009" so update your catalog and check out the top stations of 2009. All version of Pocket Tunes will have this group added.

If you are using a Palm or Windows Mobile device, run "Check for updates" from the Pocket Tunes Help menu to update the catalog.

If you are using an iPhone/iPod touch, follow these steps to update the catalog, http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/ .

Dave, Happy New Year everyone, now let's get started on 2010

Station(s) Of The Week: T'is the musical season

For this installment of Station Of The Week and in keeping with the holiday season, a few holiday stations to consider:

1.FM - Always Christmas - This is the most popular station on Pocket Tunes right now. They play all the classics, new to old, Bing to Barbara and more. This is the kind of station you put on after puling on that Christmas sweater and grabbing a little warm apple cider. then go shake your presents to figure out what's inside.

Holiday Jazz - Want your Christmas to be a little on the Jazzy side? This is a great station for some great Jazz takes on the holiday classics both old and new.

Christmas Lounge - There's nothing better than lounging at Christmas time and here's the station that's got the Christmas Lounge music to do it with.

Yahoo! Classical Christmas - Sometimes it's nice to hear lilting violins and silver bells.

New Age Christmas Radio - Meditative, soothing, relaxing....just the kind of thing you might need during a hectic holiday season.

ORS Radio - Christmas Latino - How about a little Latin spice with your eggnog. Holiday songs with a Spanish flair.

WUMB - Happy Chanukah Hanukkah began last night and we have a station spin dreidels and eat latkes by.

AOL: R&B Holiday Christmas with a beat. this station will get you in the mood to groove for the holidays.

Xmas in Frisko (NC17) by SomaFM This is definitely NOT for children. But it is for you if you want holiday music with a twist....or should i say twisted. they took the nice and left the naughty on this station but hey, it's the holidays and sometimes you need a little change of pace....but please make sure the kids are not in earshot.

So there you go, a holiday sampler of a few stations from our Holiday group in Pocket Tunes.

All stations are available in the Holiday group of Pocket Tunes 5. So whether you are using a Palm, Windows Mobile or iPhone/touch device, give them a listen.

Make sure your catalog is up to date!

If you are using a Palm or Windows Mobile device, run "Check for updates" from the Pocket Tunes Help menu.

If you are using an iPhone/iPod touch, follow these steps to update the catalog, http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/ .

-Dave, wishing everyone a happy holiday season

SALE!! Pocket Tunes for Palm or Windows Mobile is 47-50% off right now!!

Right Now! Pocket Tunes is on sale for between 47-50% off!!

Pocket Tunes Deluxe is now $19.95 (regular price is $37.95)

Upgrade from Pocket Tunes 3 or 4 to Pocket Tunes 5 Deluxe, pay only $9.95 (regular price $19.95)!!

Crossgrade from Palm to Windows Mobile (or Windows Mobile to Palm) for $9.95 (regular price $19.95)!!

So grab it while you can at the lowest price ever! For more information please go to http://www.pocket-tunes.com/ .

To buy right now go here for the Palm version and here for the Windows Mobile version.

Or visit our upgrade page to upgrade or crossgrade to Pocket Tunes 5 Deluxe for Palm or Windows Mobile.

Problem playing Sirius channels resolved

Some of you may have experienced a problem connecting to Sirius U.S. yesterday (Nov. 14). Sirius changed some things and we had to make some adjustments for it. The fixes were in place the same day so you should now be able to tune into Sirius again.

IMPORTANT! You must update your catalog to get the changes we made. See this Knowledge Base article on how to do that: http://bit.ly/2klUTi .

Also, if you have saved any Sirius stations to your favorites you will very likely have to replace them. After you update the catalog on your device, go to the Sirius Group NOT your favorites to load the station. Once the station is playing, replace the old entry in your Favorites with this new one. Delete the old entry, then save the new one to your Favorites.

UPDATE Everything has been tweaked for the changes Sirius, so Sirius service should be back to normal. However please note that any Sirius channels saved to your Favorites before Sirius made the changes (Nov. 14th) will have to be removed. Then you will need to re-save the channels by loading them from the Sirius Group and tapping the 'Add to Favorites' button on the 'Now Playing' screen to save the channel to Favorites.

Station Of The Week: Dynamic FreeForm Indie Radio / WDYN.net

It's great to listen to a station that is as enthusiastic about the music they play as you are to listen to it. Dynamic FreeForm Indie Radio is one of those stations. It's a very cool Indie station that plays a wide range of great Indie music from all over the world and from local Rochester, NY area artists.

I always love to see stations where the DJs are passionate about the music they play and they definitely are at Dynamic. "FreeForm" is definitely the word here as you can go from Bluegrass to Metal faster than the speed of sound and that's what makes it fun. And also keeps it from being boring. You won't hear anything you've heard two too many times before, but you definitely will hear some things you want to hear many more times.

So give them a listen and you just might find something you never knew you liked.

You can find Dynamic FreeForm Indie Radio in the "Indie" section of Pocket Tunes Radio for iPhone/touch and Pocket Tunes Deluxe for Windows Mobile and Palm.

As always, make sure that your catalog is up to date so that you can access the station in the catalog.

If you are using a Palm or Windows Mobile device, run "Check for updates" from the Pocket Tunes Help menu.

If you are using an iPhone/iPod touch, follow these steps to update the catalog, http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/ .

-Dave, flying the Indie flag

Station Of The Week: WDRV HD2 - Deep Tracks

So last week was a great "Oldies" station, True Oldies WYAY from Atalanta.

This week I'm going with a cool Classic Rock station WDRV HD2 from Chicago.

WDRV HD2 plays "Deep Track". Songs that are great but not played to death. They might be an 'album' track or a B side. You might know some or all of them but they are not the tracks you hear on every classic rock station. I just heard Genesis "Dance On A Volcano" and now ZZ Top's "Pearl Necklace" (no "Sharp Dressed Man Here") is churning out over my Bluetooth headset. And now the Allman Brothers Band is NOT playing "Ramblin' Man" but rather "Dreams"...wicked guitar playing (of course)!

So give them a listen in the Classic Rock Group of Pocket Tunes, WDRV HD2 - Deep Tracks.

As always, make sure that your catalog is up to date so that you can access the staiton in the catalog.

If you are using a Palm or Windows Mobile device, run "Check for updates" from the Pocket Tunes Help menu.

If you are using an iPhone/iPod touch, follow these steps to update the catalog, http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/ .

- Dave, going deep into the tracks

Station Of The Week: 106.7 Atlanta's True Oldies WYAY

Okay, so when I hear the word Oldies I tend to a) think of 'Happy Days' and 'American Graffiti' and b) say to myself, "that's my Dad's music" and c) cringe...then promptly go to another station.

But then I realized I'm old enough to have remembered 'Happy Days' and 'American Graffiti, and I AM my Dad now.

Fortunately I bumped into True Oldies WYAY. Yes they have Oldies in their name but they try to do Oldies up a bit different (and better than most). They are a relatively new station out of Atlanta and they play a pretty cool mix of 'Oldies'. I put that in quotes because much of the stuff they play I wouldn't think of as Oldies music....though maybe it is and I'm just old.

They don't play all the stuff you always hear on many 'Oldies' stations. Yes the odd Herb Alpert and the Tijuana brass sneaks in there but that could be followed by 'Peaceful Easy Feeling' by the Eagles, followed up by a Beatles track, but not one you ALWAYS hear.

Sometimes they play a song I was never big on, but it's still fun to hear some of these classics from the past that don't always get played these days.

Anyway, it's a great station for kicking back and reminiscing. Look for it in the Oldies group.

Pocket Tunes users for Palm and Windows Mobile will need Pocket Tunes 5 Deluxe to listen to the station because it is in WMA format and only Pocket Tunes 5 supports WMA streaming.

WYAY was just added to the catalog so make sure you update your catalog to play the station.

So please update your catalog as soon as you can.

If you are using a Palm or Windows Mobile device, run "Check for updates" from the Pocket Tunes Help menu.

If you are using an iPhone/iPod touch, follow these steps to update the catalog, http://www.normsoft.com/kb/idx/55/300/article/ .

-Dave, sitting back and reminiscing (and working boss)