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DESCRIPTION
Cast Away fills in a gap so far left in iTunes' implementation of Podcasts. It allows for the scheduled removal of podcasts on a per podcast basis. It also features the automatic playing of podcasts.
Podcast Removal Features:
- Separate podcast removal settings per podcast subscription
- Separate settings for iTunes and iPod for each podcast
- Separate settings for long and short episodes
- Separate over-rides, including keep latest, megabyte caps, and keep unheard
- Global megabyte caps for iTunes and iPod
- Can be scheduled daily if not open, or hourly if open
- Works both with iTunes podcasts and with any playlist created by a 3rd party podcast application
Podcast Playback Features:
- Automatic new podcast episode playing with queue and last track resume
- Add unplayed podcasts to playback stack
- Flexible control of which new episodes to play, when to play them, and where to start them
- Built-in wake up and sleep timers with fading
- More frequent podcast updating than iTunes allows
WHAT'S NEW
Version 2.8.2:
- Works around iTunes 8.2 bug involving identifying user playlists that affected refreshing smart playlists.
- Stopped refreshing Genius playlist with other smart playlists.
Version 2.8:
- Obtains podcast release date directly from iTunes (version 8.1+ only), making Cast Away significantly faster.
- Updated related documentation and tool tips to correspond to above change.
Version 2.7:
- No longer forgets archive folder location if archive folder's volume can't be found.
- In above case, those episodes will be skipped during removal.
- Can now generate log of archived podcasts in a tab-separated values (TSV) unicode iTunes playlist format.
- Generated logs can be imported into iTunes or into a database such as WBC's iGotta MP3 Collection (FileMaker).
- Fixed tool tips that said "mixed".
- Updated and clarified some of the documentation on the Info tab.
Version 2.6:
- Added per-podcast feature to enable podcast episode shuffling. This allows podcasts to play without interruption on iPods and in general be treated like other music.
- Work around major problem with Tiger introduced with 2.5.3 due to an Apple bug in Leopard.
- Above problem prevented Cast Away from working on Tiger if Growl is not installed.
- Fixed problem checking global caps if any playlist other than “Podcasts” was selected.
- Broke up documentation into several screens.
- Revised documentation.
- Updated links for new WBC web site.
- Note: please backup ~/Library/Prefrences/com.wbc.castaway.plist as Podcast settings will be upgraded and cannot be downgraded.
First, a quick plug for the totally redesigned WBC web site: Please visit!
Version 2.5.3
- Fixed checking for currently downloading podcasts with iTunes 7.7 (if "wait this many minutes for downloads to complete" > 0).
- More reliable aborting when checking for currently downloading podcasts.
- Built on Leopard.
Version 2.5.2
- If ignore genre setting is not checked (default), list of podcast for settings is restricted to podcast genre also.
- Above change limits very rare iTunes library corruption issues where "podcasts" point to non-podcast media files.
- Debug mode can be toggled from menu.
Version 2.5
- Added option to always ignore 5 star rated episodes.
- Added option to consider episodes unplayed if either partially or fully played.
- Improved missing archive location folder handling.
- Divided auto-playback settings and other global settings into two tabs.
- Other interface clean-up and re-organization.
- Documentation revised.
- Added incompatibility warning for iTunes 7.6 (higher or lower versions of iTunes work).
Version 2.4.2
- Internal changes to initialization timing that had caused launch errors on very fast computers, and related fixes.
- Fixed updating some very old and/or corrupt preference files.
- Minor Leopard tweaks
Version 2.4:
- New huge Leopard icon
- Tested OK for Leopard with minor changes
- Interface clean-up
Version 2.3.2:
- Fixed an interface bug involving digital clock at the hour twelve caught by Keith!
Version 2.3:
- Remove podcasts every X hours while Cast Away is open option was not working; fixed.
- Added an Abort button during podcast removal scans.
- Removed certain debug console logging.
- Changed "Pay Shareware" button to go to PayPal because Kagi's commissions are outrageous for low-priced software.
Version 2.2:
- Auto-playback timing now finally works as it should.
- Even yet still more error trapping during removal scans.
- Other optimization.
Version 2.1
- New menu command to add selected podcasts to podcast stack
- Adding to podcast stack starts stack more quickly or immediately
- Playback timing further improved, especially after a podcast stops
- No longer fades in at wake-up if iTunes is already playing at wake-up time
- Plug-in script architecture for each episode during removal, begin removal, and complete removal
- Optionally updates all podcasts first during scan, regardless of whether update individually is selected
- Optionally waits up to 120 minutes for downloads to complete before proceeding when updating podcasts
- After removal is complete if iTunes is already playing, no longer resumes the last track playing before a removal scan, even if Cast Away paused the last track according to settings
- Optionally ignores genre when removing
- Main window now opens if it had been closed in response to appropriate menu options
Version 2.0.1
- Fixed problem introducing default settings for upgrading and new users which reported error on launch: "Can't get item 2 of {}".
Version 2.0:
- Better compatibility with iTunes 7
- Greatly improved podcasts play black suite
- New menu commands to add unplayed podcasts to play stack
- New option to auto-play podcast episodes starting at a set position (offset)
- New method to poll iTunes during podcast auto-playback that is less taxing on the system
- New feature to copy settings from one podcast to others (on Podcasts tab and Advanced tab)
- New editable default settings template
- New option to consider podcast modification dates
- New, faster, and less intrusive method to force iTunes to stop expiring unplayed podcasts
- New option to force refresh iTunes smart playlists
- New option to update all connected iPods
- New option to make Cast Away activate on launch
- New option to control whether to pause iTunes during scans
- New menu command to reset podcast played counts
- New Growl support
- Better support of unicode file names
- Improved interface elements
- Expanded tool tips (help tips)
- Updated info tab documentation
- New color-coded columns on advanced tab
- New mini status window which can float
- Now saves application window sizes, positions, and closed states
- Fixed, Remove dead podcasts from iTunes library
- Removes expired podcasts with invalid (0) durations
- Remove expired undownloaded takes priority over keep unplayed
- Undownloaded episodes are the first to be removed if there is an "always keep" critereon
- Undownloaded episodes are properly recognized as such with iTunes 7
- Now uses unplayed flag (blue dot) rather than played count in iTunes 7.1+
- More bug fixes & error trapping & under-the-hood tweaks
REQUIREMENTS
iTunes 4.9 or later, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later
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| Cast Away User Reviews (11 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Jul 12 2007 |
CHIMOOSOFT Anyone try this with the latest iTunes version (7.3.1)? I'm nervous to give this thing access to my library...
(Version 2.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jul 8 2007 |
DEFECTOR I heard about this app on the Mac Observer Mac Geek Gab and finally decided to track it down. This functionality should be free- FROM ITUNES! But since Apple has chosen NOT to include it, somebody has stepped up to figure it out and write an app. I'm curious- how can anybody with NO coding skills say this should be *free*? Seriously. This makes no sense. You can't do it, but of somebody can, they owe you, and should make this free? And you slam the developer for making this DONATIONWARE?! UNCRIPPLED and DONATIONWARE! Are you kids nuts? Gimme, gimme. Hey, if this was something ANYbody could do, or some people have already done, with no unique features, you'd probably have a point. So far, that's not the case. This is a niche product. And in the consumer world, filling those niche needs *is* more expensive than mass marketing. I'm going to try this app out, and if it does what I need I'm buying. Seems fair enough. I could wait until Apple incorporates it in to iTunes. Anybody know when that will be? Me neither. For those who actually wrote a credible review, it would be helpful to know where and why it was less than satisfactory. Then I might not even have to download it.
(Version 2.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | Jun 4 2007 |
TEACHER24_70 I keep losing me settings! I just downloaded Cast Away yesterday and am trying to get it to work. I'm using the "test without removing" option so that I can make sure that it treats each podcast correctly. So far, I've input all of my settings--FOR 44 PODCASTS--than then lost those settings! TWICE! Once when I quit Cast Away and then restarted it. It appears that some settings are there, but many are not (looking at the "advanced" tab). Has anyone else seen this? I'm tired to trying to get this to work without losing all of the hard work of setting up each podcast. Using on G4 Powerbook-10.3.9 & iTunes 7.1.1
(Version 2.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | Apr 16 2006 |
KEITH NEALY Cast Away is incredibly useful. I can set it up to get rid of podcasts automatically and so just let iTunes and Cast Away keep me up-to-date. I just sync my iPod to have all the latest stuff without having to worry about it filling up. The developer is very responsive and worked with me to add the ability to handle SmartPlaylists and resolve some timing issues. Highly recommended.
(Version 1.9.2r2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Dec 4 2005 |
EL PAYO I think the ability to manage podcasts is critical and can't believe that Apple left it out of iTunes. Without Cast Away my podcast library would quickly balloon to many gigabytes (especially with video podcasts.) I may be a 'niche' user, but I find that the app has allowed me to subscribe to many more feeds than I'd otherwise have the time to manage manually, and as another reviewer has mentioned, the new 'caps' options keep both my iPod nano and my Mac from choking on too much input. If you're trying to manage your podcasts video podcast subscriptions this is your app.
(Version 1.7.4) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Nov 28 2005 |
BCOHEN This application does what it is supposed to do and does it well. When iTunes was releaesd with podcasts I was dissapointed with its options for cleaning up podcasts. CastAway makes up for that without forcing me to give up on iTunes and use a custom podcast app like iPodder X If you have a flash-based MP3 player (i.e. nano) and subscribe to more than one or two podcasts they can quickly get out of hand and fill up more space on your MP3 player than you would like. Through CastAway you can specify which podcasts to retain longer (iTunes treats all podcasts the same) and set limits on how many MB each podcast should take up or a cumulative total for all podcasts. For those of you with hard-drive based MP3 players this isn't as much of an issue. I can see iTunes eventually improving its features for cleaning up podcats but I'm skeptical that it'll be as flexible as CastAway. (Besides, Apple benefits when you fill up your MP3 player and decide to buy one with greater capacity ;-) In the mean time, I'll continue to use CastAway. The developer is responsive and listens to suggestions (at least 2 major updates in the last week)
(Version 1.6) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Nov 26 2005 |
ANONYMOUS If you review this product please review its functionality, not its cost. Although there is a requested fee, it is on the honor system and the product is not crippled in any way. This product should not be getting low ratings just because the developer wants some renumeration for his hard work.
(Version 1.5) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Nov 21 2005 |
BV free maybe. 7 quid... nuts!
(Version 1.3) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Nov 22 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Yeah it should be free, but "quid" refers to the British pound. Seven American dollars is less than seven quid.
(Version 1.3) | |
 | Nov 22 2005 |
ANONYMOUS All the comments so far have been about the $7 shareware fee. So apparently it is working as designed for most, which is a good thing. Although I too wish this function was built in to iTunes, it is not, and so far there is no sign of it coming. So Cast Away serves an important function for me and for other podcast subscribers. Cast Away was not an easy application to develop, so I do feel a modest shareware fee is justified. However, as a principle, WBC releases unrestricted shareware on the honor system. So if you really want to use it for free, you can lie and just check the "I paid" box. Technically this would be stealing, but I do realize this will happen. It's all honor system.
(Version 1.3) | |
| Aug 1 2005 |
ANONYMOUS I agree. It is a little too niche and futureless for anything beyond donation-ware.
(Version 1.0) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jul 31 2005 |
ANONYMOUS This should be freeware. Sorry developer.
(Version 1.0) | |
| [ 4 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jul 31 2005 |
ANONYMOUS 2 stars because it should be freeware? sorry but i release a whole lot of freeware-- this one took a lot to develop believe it or not. and it's not even crutched either. it's honor system. please rate on the basis of whether it does what it claims well.
(Version 1.0) | |
| Jul 31 2005 |
ANONYMOUS My stars or lack of them had more to do with the value for money. I have not tested it which is why I gave a 3.
(Version 1.0) | |
| Jul 31 2005 |
ANONYMOUS If you have not tried it then you can hardly review it using star ratings. Furthermore, your post was labelled as a 'comment' and a comment is NOT a review. You are a putz.
(Version 1.0) | |
| Jul 31 2005 |
WBC For the record-- the developer did not write the above comment calling this guy a putz. Someone else did. But I concur with the other assessments. | |
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| View all 11 posts >> |
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