AOL has been trying to change its business model ever since its ISP division all but caved in on itself, I still find it hard to believe that it is still operating at all much less still running dial-up services.  The company has tried to turn its paid model into a mix of various free services with advertising and by offering additional paid services.  It has now turned its attention towards the iPhone.

According to the New York Times, AOL Radio will allow the iPhone to connect to AOL’s streaming radio service via either the 3G network or WiFi.  The GPS system of the phone will allow it to pinpoint your exact location, which will deliver local programming as well as any of 200 stations that offer 25 genres of music.

AOL Radio will be compatible with both the original iPhone and the new iPhone 3G, which is set to be released July 11.  There will be audio advertising in the application, and banner ads have not been ruled out.

There is only one nagging question in my mind: will AOL Radio be compatible with the iPod Touch?  Almost every single article about iPhone applications talk about the iPhone without any mention of the iPod Touch.  Here’s a note to the authors of those articles: the iPod Touch is capable of running the very same applications.  The problem is that if AOL Radio really does look for that 3G connection, it may fail to work properly on the iPod Touch – or you may not be able to install it at all.  If that’s the case, it will be a huge disappointment.

If it is compatible with the iPod Touch, it will lack the ability to use GPS for localized programming (because the iPod Touch doesn’t have GPS capabilities).

AOL Radio will be available as a free download in the App Store.  It seems to be a mixed bag as to whether or not it will be compatible with the iPod Touch, some think it will be and some think it won’t; I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, June 14th, 2008 at 7:45 am under Free Apps, Opinion, iPhone, iPod Touch.  Print This Post

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