hearts of space | news

iPhone app update 3

Sorry to have neglected you, loyal blog readers. I posted this news to our Facebook page and Twitter stream and forgot to update the blog!  Here's the story:

After nine days in line, Apple rejected our app at the end of last week because we used the word "DEMO" in one section label to indicate several hours of demo music for brand new listeners. It seems they confused that kind of demo with a demo app.  "Demo" and "beta" apps are not allowed!

We told them that our use of word had absolutely nothing to do with incomplete or limited function apps, but they still sent us back to change it anyway. Catch 22? You decide. Words like "trivial" don't quite do it justice.

So we redid the text references and the graphics, added a minor feature, fixed another bug or two and resubmitted the app last Sunday night.That put us back at the end of the line, and we are now waiting as patiently as we can for them to re-review. At this point I'm not going to make any predictions about when it will go live.

As soon as we have more news, we'll post it here. And on Facebook. And on Twitter...

:: SH

 

PGM 924 'DISTANT STARS' : Week of Sept. 24th...

Thirty years ago in 1980, astronomer CARL SAGAN's career as a television commentator hit its peak with the PBS series COSMOS. Thirteen one-hour documentary programs filled with cutting edge astronomy and special effects, enhanced by the music of VANGELIS and a long list of classical and electronic artists, produced a worldwide hit that's been seen by over 500 million people in 60 countries. The series helped establish electronic space and ambient music as a popular genre.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we commemorate the 30th anniversary of COSMOS with a deep space journey called DISTANT STARS. Music is by JONN SERRIE, RUDY ADRIAN, GULAN, PALANCAR, JUTA TAKAHASHI and ROBERT CARTY.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

iPhone app update 2

After 9 days in line, we were informed by Apple on Wednesday morning, Sept. 22nd, that the HOS iPhone app has entered the review process. We have no idea how long that takes, but we'll post any news here as soon as we have it.

HOS.com works on a Droid

Good news. We discovered just yesterday that the existing HOS.com site with our custom Flash player WORKS ON A DROID.

Duh! We just never tried it before. 

We think you have to have the latest version of Flash Mobile installed and will try to verify that. But from a quick test, everything on our main web site works in the built-in Android browser app on a late model Droid.

This means that some Android users who already have HOS accounts can just use the site as they would on their desktops. If you're not blocking popups on your phone, you can also create or manage your account.

Two caveats: 

1. It's sharp as a tack but really really.....tiny. We need to build a mobile version of our web site ASAP. And we need to reformat our Flash player for the mobile screen at the same time.

2. Closing the browser kills the audio (i.e. no background operation), since the Droid doesn't know that this should behave like an audio app.

That revelation aside, now that we have finished our iPhone app, we are starting on the project of developing a parallel version for Android. We get it Droid people, your numbers are growing.

Not only that: the Blackberries have recently emerged from their slumber and have started to lobby us for a BB app (vs. two years ago on the iPhone.)  It's a little daunting. We are now being transformed into some kind of specialty software developer who does an app called Hearts of Space.

We understand that this is where our growth is going to come from and are committed to doing as much as we can as fast as we can. However, we have learned that building quality software takes time and care, so please be patient.

:: SH

iPhone app update

We'd hoped to have something more exciting to tell you today, but we're still waiting for Apple to pass judgement on our iPhone app.

It went into the approval queue late last Sunday, Sept. 12th. We had heard that the approval was taking 2 to 3 days, but either Apple has gotten backed up again, or there is some problem. We went to great pains to follow all the guidelines, so we're pretty sure it's just overload.

Whatever happens, we'll let you know here and on our Facebook page (link in the right hand column) as soon as we do. Enjoy the weekend.

PGM 923 'PIANOSPHERES' : Week of Sept. 18th...

This week we pass through one of the yearly waypoints on our journey around the sun. The Autumnal Equinox, with day and night of equal length, marks the start of the Fall season in many countries. As the air cools and the shadows lengthen here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's a good time to return to the sublime world of the contemplative piano.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a program of solos and duets, acoustic and electronic keyboards and rare ambiences called PIANOSPHERES. Music is by KJETIL BJERKESTRAND, RALPH ZURMUHLE, HAROLD BUDD, LUDOVICO EINAUDI, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, DAVE EGGAR, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, KETIL BJORNSTAD & DAVID DARLING.

 

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 885R 'MAGIC CARPET' : Week of Sept. 10th...

The power of music to create mental travelogues is one of its most distinctive qualities. But if you just listen to the instruments and the notes, you miss the proverbial forest for the trees. You have to let it take you away.

The "magic carpet" of biblical myth had a similar power: floating on air, it could take you anywhere. On this program, the art of travel by sound. We'll follow a path through a series of sonic  worlds, flying to a place of rare beauty and deep feeling.

It's a journey on waves of sound called MAGIC CARPET. Music is by OPEN CANVAS, STEVE ROACH & JEFFREY FAYMAN, TONE GHOST ETHER, FORREST FANG, HANS CHRISTIAN, SILVIA NAKKACH, and TIM CLARK.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

PGM 922 'SONG OF AFRICA' : Week of Sept. 3rd...

The Zulu harmonies of LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO from South Africa have a special place in the history of contemporary music. Established in the 1960s, their fame in their homeland attracted the attention of American pop singer/songwriter PAUL SIMON, who went to South Africa to record with them in 1986. The resulting album GRACELAND sold 16 million copies, and arguably kicked off the 'world music' trend in the United States.

Of course, there's a lot more to African music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we immerse ourselves in the buoyant rhythms, earthy sounds and charming melodies that make African music such a delight, with songs by LADYSMITH BLACK MOMBAZO, HABIB KOITE & BAMADA, WILL RIDENOUR & BETSY BEVAN, SAMITE, KEVIN NATHANIEL, DAVID GILDEN, AYUB OGADA, and DANIEL BERKMAN.

[ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

Scrolling problems with the new interface

We've received several reports from users about difficulties when trying to scroll the HOS | News blog or a long page of search results. Our chief programmer is on vacation until Monday, so today we made a temporary fix for this problem, by turning on "automatic scroll bars" for the lower part of the site where "content" is displayed.

The good news is that this will allow you to scroll up and down any long pages; the bad news? It behaves differently on different browsers and requires that you be aware of the location of your cursor to make it work.

On Monday we'll try to find a more elegant cross-browser fix. Thanks for your reports, and your patience while we work on the last few bugs!

:: SH