What does this error message mean? "Unable to download story feed from web site (error code 5)"

This error occurs while the list of episodes is being downloaded. Technically, it means that the list of episodes is incomplete or truncated (error 5).

This error message comes up consistently when in a pay-as-you-use WiFi area such as T-Mobile. In a pay-as-you-use area, the initial WiFi connection is to the provider server, and the first page that comes up is always the purchase page. If the user launches any of the talk show apps without first purchasing a connection, the purchase page trips up the app and this error message is displayed. The workaround in this case is to exit the app by pushing the home button, and then launching Safari. Purchase a connection, and then relaunch the talk show app.

Version 1.01 has a quick fix for this. Instead of the cryptic message, a dialog box now comes up with the message: "You are in a WiFi area that requires user registration. Push home button to exit, launch Safari to register, then relaunch."

This error message also comes up when your subscription to either Laura365 or MedHead expires. (This case will be fixed later.)

There is no fix for this problem in Version 1.02. 

Sometimes an episode (or full MP3 file) does not complete. What can be done about episodes that stop midstream?

The iPhone MP3 player starts downloading the audio file as soon as an episode is selected. As soon as a few seconds of audio is received, the player starts. Now because playing the audio file is slower than the download speed (even in 3G), theoretically the player should not catch up with the download process; but it does, on the iPhone. We have never seen it happen on the iPod touch. Even when using WiFi, the iPhone player often catches up with the download. When starting both an iPhone and an iPod touch on the same episode, more often than not the iPhone stalls while the iPod touch does not. 

In Version 1.02, a workaround to this iPhone streaming problem is to pre-download the episode. Please note that you can still stream an episode directly from the web server, and in fact you can listen to another episode while an episode is downloading. For example, in the case of Rush's show, what I do often is start the pre-download of Hour 2, and as soon as that download starts, listen to Hour 1 (streaming it, of course). When Hour 1 stalls, usually Hour 2 is already downloaded; so I then start downloading Hour 1 and then listen to the local copy of Hour 2. When I get done listening to Hour 2, I start downloading Hour 3 and then listen back to Hour 1, from where I left off. And so on.

There is no user button to delete the audio files. Do the apps store MP3 files (audio files) indefinitely?

No, the apps don't store the episodes indefinitely, for a couple of reasons. One is that you don't want to fill up your iPhone/iPod with these files. Another reason is that neither you nor Centerus has the right to copy these files. These are stored purely for your listening pleasure, which you paid for with your subscription.

An episode that has gone below the last episode in the list is simply deleted by the apps. No more than 30 audio files should exist in your device at any time. Please let me know if your device fills up and you suspect its the Talk! app you bought that's doing it. 

How do the apps store credentials? 

None of our apps store credentials in a central database. Your credentials are stored in your iPhone and protected with your user certificate. Centerus has absolutely no access to your credentials. 

Everytime you launch an app, it sends a login request to the talk show website. If your subscription to the talk show is not current, you will not be able to download any show episode. In the case of the "Majarashi" app, if your subscription is not current, even the list of episodes do not appear, but you don't get an error message (this will be fixed), and the iPhone screen is clear.