Did you know that Aha Radio’s default setting is to automatically filter out anything that contains profane or explicit material?  That may be the default…but we also like to give users a choice, which is why I’m here today to tell you all about the preference called Allow Explicit Content.

First, you may be wondering what we are actually filtering.  Well…if someone drops an F-bomb during a bit on Stand-Up Comedy, uses “colorful” descriptors in a Driver Rant, or if a podcast simply carries the EXPLICIT label (like Adam Carolla or Nerdist), you won’t be able to hear that content in Aha.

In most of the stations the shouts in question will simply be held back.  You won’t even know they are missing (unless you are looking for one of your own that you know contained colorful language).  In the case of an EXPLICIT podcast, you’ll be able to add the preset but will also get a warning message the first time you attempt to play it.

To disable the filter all you have to do is enable the Allow Explicit Content preference.  We can go back and forth on whether it makes more sense to toggle the filter off, or turn explicit on (we certainly did) but if you are hoping to have explicit material available in Aha Radio, make sure it says ON.

That’s all there is to it.  Now you can listen to even more comedy, all podcasts, and any shouts that were potentially…colorful.

-Ryan

Aha Mobile Team

Unless you were living under a rock, there’s a good chance that you heard about the release of the much ballyhooed Apple iPad last Saturday.

The fancy new tablet-ish device from Apple is designed to run on the same OS as the iPhone, and as a result can run the vast majority of iPhone apps already in the iTunes App Store, including Aha Radio.

BUT…there is a catch.  For Aha Radio to work you need to be connected to a data network.  The first wave of iPads only contain WiFi capabilities, which means you shouldn’t expect to take your Aha Radio equipped iPad out and about, and still get access to your favorite podcasts/traffic updates/etc.  But whenever you are able to connect to a WiFi network, it’s GAME ON.

Some other notable bits.  The iPad has a built-in microphone, which works fine for recording shouts.  There is no phone in the device, so if you attempt to call one of your HUNGRY results, nothing will happen.  Lastly, the app has occasionally crashed while completing Facebook Connect steps for the Facebook station.  We’re looking into it, but your Facebook station should still work.

Enjoy!

-Ryan

Aha Mobile

Aha Radio features a constantly evolving selection of stations. We will frequently add new podcasts, twitter lists, and Aha stations to the lineup.

We are planning to have the announce the releases the day they become available, however this time the NCAA station was released separately, and the other podcasts went up earlier this week.

Adding:

Aha Stations

• NCAA March Madness (3/18) – A custom mix of handpicked, tournament themed, podcast episodes, with an open forum for users to discuss the tournament.

Podcasts

• NHK: English – World Radio Japan’s English language newscast.
• NPR: Hourly – Five minutes of NPR news, updated hourly.

How to add/remove stations from Aha Radio –

1) Tap the Manage Stations button located at the top right corner of the main screen.

2) Choose to view Current stations, or to Add more

3) to remove a station simply tap the minus symbol and then confirm the Delete

4) Switch to Add more and choose from Aha Stations, Podcasts, or Twitter lists

5) After adding/removing stations you can re-order them on the Current screen by holding your finger on the triple hash and dragging.

Now that you have all this great Aha Radio content playing on  your iPhone you probably want to know the best way to get it playing through your existing car stereo.  Depending on how old your car and/or car stereo is there can be a lot of things to consider.  Here are the most common options:

• Cassette adapter – these first became popular with portable CD players and got even bigger when the iPod took off.  It may seem that these are almost extinct, but odds are that if your car stereo has a tapedeck this is probably going to be the easiest and most affordable option.  If, like me, you hate the wire hanging out of your tape slot, move on to option two.

• FM Transmitter – once cars started shifting the default to CD (instead of cassette) the easiest option for most was a device that transmits your portable device audio through an unused FM frequency, and then you simply tune your car stereo to that same frequency.  Depending on the available frequencies in your area, and where your car antenna is located, the results can be mixed, but the look is often the cleanest option.  Some of them even charge your device in the process.

• Auxiliary Input (basic) – there are two types of AUX options, but I’ll start with the one that’s been around longer.  First available almost exclusively in after-market stereos, these options are now popping up more and more in factory stereos too.  Either with an adapter that plugs into the back of your head unit, or in many cases a simple headphone jack somewhere on the front of the stereo (or even on the dash), just plug a 3.5mm dual male stereo cable into your headphone jack and the AUX jack, and you are connected.  Audio quality is great, but you won’t be able to control the device with your stereo controls.

• Auxiliary Input (USB) – the latest and greatest of the bunch, but not without it’s pitfalls.  Your stereo has full iPod integration and connects to your iPhone via USB/iPod cable.  You’ll typically be able to manage the iPod function directly on your stereo and may even get details about what is playing.  If you are using an iPhone app that produces audio (like Aha Radio) the iPod function will automatically mute when needed.  You may still have your iPod details display on your stereo, but the audio will be all Aha Radio.  Depending on the car stereo you may or may not be able to make iPod choices directly on the device.

You should be able to combine a bluetooth headset with any of these options, but keep in mind that the bluetooth only works for the phone…not for recording or listing to Aha Radio content.

Ryan

Aha Radio features a constantly evolving selection of stations.  We will frequently add new podcasts, twitter lists, and Aha stations to the lineup.  These announcements will typically occur on the day the changes become available, however in this case there are some podcasts that were added last week.

Adding:

Twitter Stations

• SXSW: Official Updates – Tweets from SXSW organizers
• SXSW: Interactive Speakers – Get updates from many of the Interactive Speakers
• SXSW: Film Tweets – Get news about the films at the event
• SXSW: Director Tweets – Hear from the film directors while they’re there
• SXSW: Band Tweets – Get the scoop on the SXSW music happenings
• SXSW: Buzz from Attendees – Tweets from tech influencers at the event

Podcasts

• 60 Minutes – Listen to the weekly TV show in its entirety.
• NOVA: scienceNow – Irreverent stories from the world of science.
• NPR: Marketplace – The money show for the rest of us.
• NPR: On Science – The NPR Science desk brings the science news.
• NPR: Science Friday – Weekly science news with Ira Flatow.
• Scientific American – Weekly science & tech news with Steve Mirsky.

How to add/remove stations from Aha Radio –

1) Tap the Manage Stations button located at the top right corner of the main screen.

2) Choose to view Current stations, or to Add more

3) to remove a station simply tap the minus symbol and then confirm the Delete

4) Switch to Add more and choose from Aha Stations, Podcasts, or Twitter lists

5) After adding/removing stations you can re-order them on the Current screen by holding your finger on the triple hash and dragging.

With all the new features available in the newly released Aha Radio app, there are bound to be some that could use some additional explanation. So this will be the first in an on going series of posts dedicated to “getting to know” Aha Radio.

Hopefully by now you have found your way to the Manage Stations area (Hint: the triple hash button in the top-right corner).  One of the stations you can add is called “My Feeds.”

When you first add the station you’ll get a pop-up notice offering some details. To put it simply, you can hand-pick podcasts, as well as other Aha users, and have all of their content added to a single channel.  You will just have to pick some when you aren’t driving (or else you’ll end up with the blank station shown below).

Now let’s go about selecting content for the station.  Perhaps you want to have a single channel for all your NPR shows.  It’s easy to just touch on the little blue arrow on the side of any podcast or user shouts (while in ‘Walking Mode’) to reveal the additional options.

Adding the feed to your Feeds station is as easy as tapping the “Follow” button on the left (looks like a balloon with a “+” in it).

No need to bounce around to each NPR station, looking for the latest episodes.  Once you add them to your “My Feeds” station they will all appear in order of time/date posted.  You can just let them play.

Now whether you are in ‘Walking Mode’ (above left) or ‘Driving Mode’ (above right) you get a mix of all the content you want.  And don’t forget that you can even follow other users, so you’ll be sure to notice (and hear) when they leave any new shouts.

Thanks for checking out the new app!  Be sure to let us know what you think.

Ryan
Aha Community Czar

Before I get to the top shouts this week, let’s all give a big round of applause to Jason S. for his contribution to the blog earlier this week (be sure to check it out if you missed it).

In the coming weeks I’ll be pestering cajoling other colleagues to take some time to weigh in from their respective areas of expertise (so stay tuned).

And now…on with the shouts!

Misc. & Awesome
Nonny – This app makes me laugh & stupidity is universal -  Atlanta Metro

Caraoke
Krissy – I’m With You
beth – You’re so vain
AnnaMarie – Had a bad day (because they’re having fun)

Traffic
imi3usy – No congestion yet, the merge is clear – NY Tri-State Area
toadyman – Avoid the area – Orlando Area

#%& DRIVERS!
hercules – Use your head people – Daytona Beach
JESO – Use your SIGNAL LIGHT!!! (EXPLICIT ) – NY Tri-State Area

Ryan
Aha Community Czar

Hi everyone. I’m Jason, and I’m probably most well known around the Aha office as the “user experience” guy. You’re welcome to go out, Google it, and come back when you’re ready, but I’m happy to give you a quick description. I’m concerned with your interaction with the product: how you learn it, how you navigate through the available functionality, and how it can adapt to your needs.

When a new screen is going to be created, I’m always thinking about what information to show to you, the user, given your goals (what you need to do) and the environment you’re in. Not only should it function like you expect, but it should look beautiful while doing it, too!

While in previous jobs, I’ve been designing applications (or for devices) where the environment is relatively predictable, such as the palm of a user’s hand (while sitting), the television in a living room, and so on. When the setting changes to a car, the design has to adjust accordingly.

Usually, designers ask the question, “What is the user’s primary goal” when creating a feature or an application. For Aha, all of our primary goals are truly secondary goals in relation to the environment,  as your primary goal is to drive your vehicle safely without causing harm to yourself or others!

So how do we let you accomplish those goals while staying safe? Well, our thought from day one was to design a safe interface for whatever platform Aha runs on. For the iPhone, Apple does a wonderful job in teaching application creators how to make interfaces that follow Apple’s own design principles with their Human Interfaces Guidelines document.

However, the user interfaces described are supposed to be used while you’re not behind the wheel of an automobile. As our environment is mainly in the car, we relied on human factors driving research to help define our interface. (If you ever feel like reading books like Human Factors of Visual and Cognitive Performance while Driving, just come by the office; I’m happy to lend it out). This led to some of the principles that make up the Aha interface, such as:

• Light text on dark backgrounds: Although this may simply seem like an aesthetic change, the difference becomes much more apparent at night. With a white background, the extra brightness that’s output from the screen can reflect off of your dark windshield and lead to distraction.
• Small “cognitive bits”: Research has shown that traditional in-vehicle activities take generally few in-vehicle glances, with each being short in duration. On average, you can read your speedometer in a single glance, and that glance can be as short as 0.6 sec (Dingus, Antin, Hulse, and Wierwille, 1989). The more information you put on a display, the longer and more frequent glances will occur. That’s less time for your eyes to be on the road. Therefore, we attempted to boil down the information in each feature to what you need “at a glance”, so you can look quickly, see if something is new or changed, and look back at the road.
• Information entry while moving kept to a minimum: It’s been in the news quite a lot lately that text messaging is very dangerous while driving; in fact, it can be up to 23 times more dangerous than non-distracted driving! Therefore, we want to keep entry of information while you’re behind the wheel kept to an absolute minimum. This is why we look around for traffic on routes nearby and use voice as a way to receive and send information about traffic (and anything else fun and interesting) in shout rooms.
• Large target areas and gestures: When using a mobile interface where your finger is the input mechanism, fine control goes out the window in the car environment. The vehicle is moving, the device may or may not be mounted, and your primary focus is the road. So, there’s relatively few selections per screen, because we’d rather you select the right thing the first time and have an easy time doing it. Also, gestures are incorporated (swiping back and forth on the shout room playback screen, for example), so you don’t even have to look at the screen while using it.

On that last point, placing your iPhone in a fixed location in the car can be beneficial. The screen can be placed just outside your peripheral vision for quick glancing, and as it won’t be moving around, your hand will always know where to point to answer a call or leave a shout. Our recommendation goes to the Arkon mount:

See larger image Arkon Mini Windshield Mount for Apple iPhone 3G and Original Apple iPhone () New From: $7.95 In Stock

Hope you enjoyed hearing a bit about the Aha design process, and we always welcome feedback and suggestions.

Jason Silver
User Experience guy

I’m only one week in with this whole Shout promoting business, and cousin…business is a boomin!  Now that we have expanded to new areas, and drummed up some more users, the content quality is definitely going up.

I’ve even decided to add a new section of randomly fun or interesting shouts called MISC. & AWESOME.

That being said, I’m still seeing a fair amount of shouts ending up in the wrong areas.  So be sure to swipe to the appropriate destination when you finish recording.  If it’s time sensitive and about traffic, send it to Traffic.  If it’s general, send it to your local Public Shout room.  If you are singing or ranting, that goes to Caraoke or #%& Drivers! (respectively).

And of course, if you have feedback for us you can always swipe to far right and send us a Feedback Shout.  The order never changes, but don’t forget that it should always default to whichever room you were in when you recorded (so you won’t always have to swipe).

Anyway, without further ado, here are some top of our top Shouts (disclaimer: employees of Aha, their friends, their family, or their pets, are totally eligible for TOP SHOUTS honors).  Users who have matched their Aha ID to their Twitter ID (or who provide their Twitter ID separately) are linked appropriately.

MISC. & AWESOME

• @tivoboy – Page 1
• AdmirarAckbar – It’s a TRAP!

TRAFFIC

• Russell – Accident on 280S
• tito – There’s a “freshy”
• chinatbag – Construction on 280

CARAOKE

• vbv – You Found Me
• @Yank – Run-Around
• @christy798 – Is That a Tear

#%& DRIVERS!

• Matt – Fantasize about smashing…
• Sven – Signal please!

And don’t forget, we still have plenty of iPhone Car Chargers to give away!  Just try to leave two shouts a day over the next week, send us some feedback (either an email or a feedback shout), and send your details to either blog[at]ahamobile.com or contests[at]ahamobile.com!

Ryan
Community Guy

Yes, you read that right.  Keeping your iPhone charged has never been easier!  All you have to do is install the Aha app on your iPhone, register, and leave some Shouts (short voice notes).

How many Shouts, you ask?  Only TWO shouts a day over the course of a week.  Considering each Shout only takes a few seconds to leave, it’s not a huge time commitment.

However, if you don’t want to wait a week to get the ball rolling on your charger I have something even speedier for you.

The next 20 users who leave TWO shouts (any type) and then follow with a Feedback shout (when you are on the Send screen it’s the option on the far right) get a charger.  The feedback can be positive or negative, but just make sure you let us know what you think of Aha.

After you’ve done that you can leave another Feedback shout with your contact info (make sure you send to Feedback, and not to one of the public Shout areas) or drop me a line at blog[at]ahamobile.com.

Ryan
Community Guy