Overcast Podcast App Squeezes Silence For Faster Listening

Two elements make Overcast an app that's not to be missed for podcast – or if not to be missed, at least not to be skipped over as a demo. Here you'll be able to work with two new elements developed by Marco Arment, both conjured up by the creator all the way back in the year 2012. One is called Smart Speed, the other called Voice Boost.

The app Overcast is made for people who already listen to podcasts. Arment created this app to encourage – or allow – people to listen to MORE podcasts by using technology that shortens the length of the podcasts that already exist.

• Voice Boost turns amateur-produced podcasts into high-quality podcasts and improves the audio of high-quality podcasts all the better. This technology works with "a combination of dynamic compression and equalization", making podcast audio "more listenable." This is good especially for those that listen to podcasts in loud environments.

• Smart Speed is the magic-maker. Smart Speed shortens silences. It analyzes the audio you're listening to and converts the periods of radio silence to extra-short.

Believe it or not, Smart Speed does not make pacing awkward. Not in the audio we've listened to so far. Arment also uses low-level Accelerate vDSP operations – to the lay person, this means that though you're using an app that could potentially cost a lot of compute power, you're not chomping away at battery life or speed of operation.

The app itself is free from the App Store for iPhone through Overcast.FM, with limits. Limits can be removed for $4.99 USD. Additional features includes the creation of Smarter Playlists and discovery features through Twitter.

VIA: Marco