One of our favorite podcatchers gets even better
As you might have noticed, we’re kind of big on podcasts here. And when it comes to podcatchers, Pocket Casts is always among our recommendations. Today, Pocket Casts has hit version 4.5, and with it comes a host of new features.
Perhaps most important is that Pocket Casts now supports Chromecast. Just tap the Chromecast icon to stream to any connected TV. (And if you haven’t yet experienced the sultry sounds of Jerry Hildenbrand over a proper home entertainment system, prepare to be amazed.) Album art is displayed on screen and does a great imitation of a screen saver (much like Google Play Music), so you won’t have to worry about burn-in.
There’s also a new “Up Next” playlist, so you can see what’s coming up next without any real effort. And more important is that it’s easy to rearrange content, and easily skip between items.
Up next is what developer Shifty Jelly is calling “Colourful Awesomeness,” which it says “automatically detects colours from the artwork and brightens the interface in subtle, but powerful ways.” Basically it makes our Lloyd — and the other Mobile Nations shows — look better than ever. (Yes, it works on other podcasts, too.)
And finally, look for an improved user interface that ties in quite nicely with where Google with with Android 4.4 KitKat. What was good is now even better. Plus, you’ll find a host of other little tweaks. We’ve been using v4.5 for a little while now, and it’s a damned fine upgrade, and well worth the $3.99 if you’ve been waiting to give it a shot.
And one more plug: If you’ve yet to do so, please be sure to subscribe to the Android Central Podcast feed on Pocket Casts — or by any other means necessary. You can find the direct feed here.