Philadelphia’s AM 990 12+

App is updated, works on my iPhone 4 with OS 5.01 through WIFI and Verizon 3G network. No more problems, plus it allows you to run the audio through Safari so you can let it run in the background without losing the stream.

The pre-roll ads now sport close buttons that can appear anywhere on the screen and in different shapes and styles. One recent one had a very tiny X button in the corner. I use the app when driving, so hunting for close buttons that are in unknown places and look different each time, is an unsafe distraction while driving. The tiny buttons are even worse: I don’t wear my reading glasses while driving, so finding the tiny buttons is a pain. Add to that the ease of slightly missing the tiny button, which means opening an ad in my browser, closing that, switching back, only to repeat, is frustrating besides.

Starting the app before driving can help, but the app also gets stuck at times when I lose signal. After my signal returns, the app often gets stuck buffering. The only fix in such cases is to restart the app, which means dealing with the dangerous ads again.

Pop up ads on top of pop up ads. Spammy ads that try and trick users into clicking instead of closing. Little regard for usability especially if someone is driving. Don’t drive and use this app. It requires your undivided attention to navigate this mess. Audio problems where it’s playing ads and show at the same time. Podcast titles are out of sync with what is playing. The list goes on. There seems to be very little QA going on.