-------- Original Message --------
051
NOUS41 KWBC 271428
PNSWSH
Public Information Statement, Comment Request
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
1028 AM EDT Tue Mar 27 2012
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Manager Weather Information Network
-NOAAPORT
Other NWS partners and NWS employees
From: Dave Soroka
Acting Chief, Marine and Coastal Services Branch
Subject: Soliciting Comments for Two Experimental Services
from the National Hurricane Center from June 1
Through November 30, 2012
Effective June 1 and continuing through November 30, 2012, NWS is
seeking user feedback on two experimental services from the
National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In an effort to provide users with additional information to
enhance planning and preparedness decisions, NHC will provide
audio briefings (also called podcasts) and videocasts, when the
media pool is activated by the NHC Public Affairs Officer. In
general, the media pool is activated by NHC when a hurricane
watch is initiated for a portion of the United States coastline.
The experimental services will summarize the NHC media
advisories. Because the services are experimental, they may not
be available in a timely manner and they may not be available for
every media event.
1. Audio briefings (podcasts)
The audio briefings will be provided in mp3 format, an industry
standard which allows the products be disseminated via the Web.
Users wishing to download the audio files may do so using their
Web browser. Links to mp3 files will be provided with Extensible
Markup Language (XML)/Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology.
To subscribe to a podcast, a user would access the XML/RSS file
using podcasting software. This software is widely available on
the Web and manages audio feeds. Once a user subscribes to the
RSS feed, the podcasting software will check for new audio files
and download them to the users computer or mp3 player.
Users wishing to subscribe to the podcast should go to:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/audio/index_podcast.xml
Feedback concerning this experimental service is welcomed at:
http://www.weather.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=nhcpod
2.Videocasts
NHC has entered into an agreement with Weather Decision
Technologies (WDT), Inc. to provide Internet protocol-based audio
and video streaming of its hourly hurricane briefings. The
relationship with WDT, Inc. is intended to provide distant media
outlets and the general public with access to these briefings.
The video briefings are available to anyone with a Web browser
supporting mp4 format audio and video at:
http://www.imaphurricane.info/
Feedback concerning this experimental service is welcomed at:
http://www.weather.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=nhcvid
If you have comments or questions, please contact:
Dennis Feltgen
Public Affairs Officer
National Hurricane Center
Miami, FL 33165-2140
Dennis.Feltgen@xxxxxxxx
305-229-4404
National Public Information Statements are online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm
$$