Today we released Snowtape 1.5.3 which fixes some bugs with Windows Media streams and AirTunes devices. In addition to improving the stability of the app we also added a new window called "Speakers" in which you can activate and deactivate all remote speakers and the system speakers separately as well as change their audio volume.

If you are a developer yourself or if you simply like some adventure, we added a new option for including beta releases with the automatic update mechanism. This way you can test new stuff in advance or get the latest fixes before all others. We will be announcing every beta release via twitter. So follow @vemedio if you are interested.

Be aware, that if you are still using SnowRemote 1.0.3 or older you should update to SnowRemote 1.0.4 since the old versions are not compatible anymore. We removed a workaround that was there to maintain compatibility with SnowRemote 1.0.4 and 1.0.3 or older. We feel that workaround is not necessary anymore, so we got rid of the code.

Also new is our new update and download system which is now completely integrated into our company website. So you find the current release notes now at www.vemedio.com.

Happy updating!

As we are reaching the end of this year, I like to say thank you for your continued support and for your trust in us.

This year was awesome! Vemedio shipped its first Mac product “Snowtape” and its first iPhone App “SnowRemote”. Both have been a huge success for us which would have not been possible without you.

Snowtape has been a huge hit and we did our best to continuesly improve it over the time. The last major update (version 1.5) just came out on Monday and features a totally new online radio catalog and AirTunes streaming support for Airport Express. We have had great feedback so far.

But I don’t just want to talk, I want to act and help. That’s why I will spend 2 dollars for every copy sold over christmas and new year’s eve and for every bought Snowtape Gift Certificate and send it to “Medecins Sans Frontieres Germany”.

You can help, too and make a great gift at the same time. Check out the Snowtape Gift Certificate.

After 2 months of active development on a groundbreaking new release of Snowtape, I am very proud to present Snowtape 1.5 available for download today. The new version is great! It features a new Online Radio Directory and AirTunes streaming to Airport Express devices.

New Online Directory

The new version features a complete new Online Radio Directory integrated right into the user interface of Snowtape. It replaces the old update feed method. It features a list of Top Stations rated after popularity, stations in your local area, stations filtered after genre and country and you can simply search for stations using keywords like "977". You can import stations to you local database and share them via email and twitter. Stations are now grouped to networks. This makes it much more clear and easier to find the right station. Plus there is a new small red flag on any station that is particularly great for recording. And it's much more dynamic. As new radio stations make it into the database they are available for you to listen to immediately. You don't have to wait any longer until we schedule an update. But the biggest plus is that you can add stations yourself and share it with others. No more waiting for us to update the database. All you need to have is a new Vemedio Account and a nickname. Having this set up adding your stations is a matter of minutes.

AirTunes Streaming

Snowtape now knows about the concept of remote speakers, like iTunes does. You can hook up your Airport Express and stream music from any radio station wirelessly within your local network. We also support password protected devices. No configuration is needed. The AirTunes devices are found and configured automatically. All you have to do is select one or multiple devices to stream to and optionally enter you password. And your done. Enjoying radio never was that much fun!

Snowtape is fully compatible with Snow Leopard and is available in English, French, German and partly in Japanese, Italian and Russian. You can find the complete list of changes in the release notes as usual. I hope you like it and make sure you update today! This can be done via the integrated update mechanism or directly from the Snowtape website.

Due to popular request, we added the possibility to buy Snowtape as gift certificate. This way you can buy Snowtape and instead of creating a license, you receive a coupon code for a free license via email that can be redeemed later in our Online Store.

The coupon code can not be exchanged for cash. And despite the nice package image, we do not mail packages. If you like to give away a retail package and live in Western Europe you can buy it at Application Systems Heidelberg or at a retailer near you.

To buy a Snowtape gift certificate, please visit our Online Store.

I am happy to announce that I can offer you a very special deal for this Black Friday and over the whole weekend. I teamed up with Manfred Schwind of mani.de and built an irresistible software package. We called it the "Mac Music Bundle" because it consists of two great music apps for Mac OS X. The first is one you already know and love, Snowtape. The second is one you will learn to love, iVolume!

iVolume rocks!

iVolume calculates the volume perceived by the human ear for each song of your iTunes music collection with a sophisticated Replay Gain algorithm.
It is the perfect companion for Snowtape. No longer adjust the volume of each recorded track separately. No longer dig your iPod out of your pocket just to modify the music's volume. iVolume takes your music listening experience to a whole new level.
iVolume integrates seamlessly with iTunes on Mac and PC, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, FrontRow, and AirTunes. Most popular audio file formats like MP3, AAC/M4A, AIFF, and Apple Lossless are supported.

Buy it as long as it's hot!

The package is available until Nov 29th. You can purchase it directly from the Vemedio Store for incredible $39. That is 33% off!

Today I found a way how you can schedule recordings with the current version of Snowtape. All you need is a little bit of help from AppleScript and iCal. Please have a look at the following knowledge base article:

Article #21: How to schedule recording radio stations using iCal?

Guys, it's been a while since I last wrote here. As you may know I was on vacation in September in Boston, New York and Washington (you can see some pictures on my flickr account). The weeks after got a bit stressful. Had to do a lot of stuff that had piled up during my vacation and I was also working on two other projects for some clients. Plus I have hired my first employee. Andrea is helping me on the content side. She is writing articles, help pages and maintaining the radio directory. I had 12 hour work days. However I could also find the time to build some features that everybody was crying about. You are getting Windows Media and Direct MP3 Export today.

Windows Media Support

The new version adds support for Windows Media streaming technology and thus now supports radio stations like the BBC and NRJ Radio, which by the way I added to the radio directory today. Snowtape supports the MMS and the MMS over HTTP protocol as well as ASX and WSX playlist files. But what I am really proud of is the way how Snowtape integrates now with Safari or Firefox. I improved the RadioURL webplugin to register for the main radio streaming protocols and forward the links directly to Snowtape. This means that you do not need to install Flip4Mac or VLC to listen to your favorite radio. Just go to the website of the radio provider, open their page for live radio streaming. The plugin hooks in and after Snowtape has started streaming you can safely close the website. This also works with a bunch of Internet Radio directories like: Surfmusik, Shoutcast, Icecast, Open Radio Directory and the Radio Box Directory.

Direct MP3 Export

Another top entry on the list of most requested features was direct export to the MP3 format. A lot of you guys prefer this format over AAC for a lot of good reasons. For one it is more compatible with audio devices other than the iPod and the iPhone. It doesn't matter for you if you export to AAC or MP3. With MP3 your get all the audio metadata as well through ID3v2 tag support. If you prefer this way, changing your export format is as simple as changing one option in the preferences.

HTTP Authentication

And with all of you guys who like to listen to high quality streams that need authentication such as radio subscriptions you can listen to these streams now as well. Snowtape will ask you about your credentials if they are needed and stores them in your keychain.

Snowtape is fully compatible with Snow Leopard and is available in English, French, German, Japanese and Italian. You can find the complete list of changes in the release notes as usual. I hope you like it and make sure you update today! This can be done via the integrated update mechanism or directly from the Snowtape website.