Overcast: a new podcast player from the creator of Instapaper

The buzz surrounding the podcast scene is now pretty subsided, however, the podcasts as a way of media content consumption, are still quite popular. Once they listened only to my iPod, but since then things have changed and now podcast players there are on lots of different platforms, including the desktop, but it's best to listen to them on mobile devices. In addition to corporate Podcasts app in the App Store, there are many players and third-party developers. Just yesterday, the release of the long-awaited application Overcast podcast, which is known by the fact that its creator is Marco Arment - the founding father of Instapaper and The Magazine. What, besides the big names and cool design, Overcast different from his "colleagues in the shop"? Let's take a look at the app close and try to understand.

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When first run, we propose to establish Overcast.fm account, through which in the cloud to store all the settings and to sync. By the way, all the work to track and update your subscriptions occurs on the server, so the application does not load the processor once again, thus saving battery life.

App design is very minimalistic and elegant. All controls are well-arranged and provide convenient operation. On the home screen displays a list of podcasts and episodes, divided into, and have not previously been listened to. At the top there are buttons hidden behind a setup, downloads and screen panel for adding new podcasts.

On the posting screen podcasts categorized, as a search string. You can add a podcast link, and it should not be accurate enough to enter the site URL. There is also an interesting feature recommendations. Authorized in Twitter you can receive recommendations for new podcasts based on your prepochteny and followers.

After adding the podcast, the latest episode is downloaded automatically. If you need more - the rest can be downloaded from the podcast page. Here, by the way, you can customize the behavior for each of them, including notifications, subscriptions and the number of the latest episodes, you need to store.

If you are an active podcaster, and have already collected database of your favorite subscriptions - you can simply import them into Overcast. It supports automatic export directly from the app Downcast, Castro, Instacast, iCatcher and Pocket Casts. You can also import a list of podcasts manually via OPML.

Overcast also has the playlist feature. For those who have a lot of podcasts on a variety of topics - it will be very useful. Add and edit playlists is carried out on the main screen.

Additionally, the application has a number of advanced Funk, which can be unlocked for 169 rubles. Are key Smart Speed ​​and Voice Boost. The first is able to intelligent mode, skip the pause and silence, saving you time and allows you to customize the playback speed (doing the same). Voice Boost will help improve the quality of amateur podcasts, volume leveling and reducing the noise level.

Also, after the purchase of in-app'a will be available to download podcasts over the cellular network, a sleep timer, and remove restrictions on the number of playlists and podcasts from them.

Unfortunately, there were at Overcast and without flaws. Firstly, at the moment there is only the iPhone-version of the app, iPad and Mac is not yet out of work. Secondly, Overcast not podderzhivat video podcasts, and in the third - to listen to podcasts, you need to download them (streaming "on the fly" is not).

Given the fact that this is just the first version of the application and what is behind it a man like Marco Arment, it is logical to assume the correction of these shortcomings and a further development of the project. Among podcast clients Overcast have a lot of competitors, nevertheless, it has every chance of success.