Listen at your leisure with AME Info

All of AME Info's exclusive audio content, from celebrity interviews to product reviews, business features and travel guides, can now be downloaded onto an mp3 player and listened to offline.

The new AME Info podcasting facility is ideal for people working in busy offices, those with limited internet access, or those wanting to listen to AME Info radio at a quieter and more convenient time. It works on both computers and digital audio players.

"It's perfect for users working in offices where noise is an issue, or for those who want to listen to AME Info's range of audio features on their drive home," explained Phil Blizzard, Programme Director, AME Info Radio.

"We give our users full control: all AME Info features are free to download, and there is no restrictive copy protection, so AME Info podcasts can easily be shared with friends and colleagues, or listened to over and over again."

The podcasting term comes from Apple's iPod, but any digital audio player or computer with the appropriate software can play podcasts. Unlike radio or streaming media, podcasts are time-shifted, meaning that listeners have control over when they hear the recording similar to a VCR playing back a pre-recorded TV show. This means that AME Info audio features are always instantly available, and can be listened to at any time.

"In the UAE many people easily access the internet, either at work or at home," explained Klaus Lovgreen, CEO, AME Info. "But in several other countries across the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, internet penetration is much lower, and people can only log on at an internet café, for example."

"We hope AME Info's new podcasting service will help users with more limited internet time to enjoy and benefit from our audio features as easily as those who are permanently online."

The trend is catching on in a big way. On June 6, 2005 as part of WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple's most important annual event for hardware and software developers, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced that automatic podcasting subscriptions would be supported on forthcoming versions of Apple's popular iTunes and iPod products.

Yahoo has also introduced a test version of a new search facility that it claims can comb through 50 million music, voice and other audio files. AME Info is submitting podcasts to the service, which includes items such as music, interviews, speeches, newscasts, and sound effects.