Providing disparate content as a playlist of media files

1. A computer-implemented method for providing disparate content as a playlist of media files for rendering on a portable media player, the method comprising:

aggregating content of disparate data formats from disparate data sources, wherein the aggregated content is in a data format incompatible with the portable media player;

assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel, wherein assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel further comprises:

identifying attributes of the aggregated content;

characterizing the attributes of the aggregated content; and

assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a predetermined channel in dependence upon characterized attributes and channel assignment rules;

creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel, the media files being in a data format compatible with the portable media player, wherein creating a plurality of media flies including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

creating metadata describing the content selected for inclusion in each media file of the playlist; and

storing the created metadata as metadata associated with the media file;

storing the plurality of media files as a playlist;

storing the playlist on the portable media player; and

rendering the plurality of media files of the playlist on the portable media player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting text from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

creating the media file; and

storing the extracted text of the selected content as metadata associated with the media file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting an image from the content for inclusion in each media file of he playlist;

creating the media file; and

storing the extracted image of the selected content as metadata associated with the media file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting text from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist and for audio rendering by the portable media player;

creating the media file;

converting the extracted text to speech; and

recording the speech in the audio portion of the media file.

5. A system for providing disparate content as a playlist of media files for rendering on a portable media player, the system comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor;

the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the steps of:

aggregating content of disparate data formats from disparate data sources, wherein the aggregated content is in a data format incompatible with the portable media player;

assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel, wherein assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel further comprises:

identifying attributes of the aggregated content;

characterizing the attributes of the aggregated content; and

assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a predetermined channel in dependence upon characterized attributes and channel assignment rules;

creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel, the media files being in a data format compatible with the portable media player, wherein creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

creating metadata describing the content selected for inclusion in each media file of the playlist; and

storing the created metadata as metadata associated with the media file;

storing the plurality of media files as a playlist;

storing the playlist on the portable media player; and

rendering the plurality of media files of the playlist on the portable media player.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein computer program instructions capable of creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprise computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the steps of

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting text from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

creating the media file; and

storing the extracted text of the selected content as metadata associated with the media file.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein computer program instructions capable of creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprise computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the steps of

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting an image from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

creating the media file; and

storing the extracted image of the selected content as metadata associated with the media file.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein computer program instructions capable of creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprise computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the steps of:

selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

extracting text from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist and for audio rendering by the portable media player;

creating the media file;

converting the extracted text to speech; and

recording the speech in the audio portion of the media file.

9. A computer program product for providing disparate content as a playlist of media files for rendering on a portable media player, the computer program product embodied on a recordable media for machine-readable information, the computer program product comprising:

computer program instructions for aggregating content of disparate data formats from disparate data sources, wherein the aggregated content is in a data format incompatible with the portable media player;

computer program instructions for assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel, wherein assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel further comprises:

computer program instructions for identifying attributes of the aggregated content;

computer program instructions for characterizing the attributes of the aggregated content; and

computer program instructions for assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a predetermined channel in dependence upon characterized attributes and channel assignment rules;

computer program instructions for creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel, the media files being in a data format compatible with the portable media player, wherein computer program instructions for creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

computer program instructions for creating metadata describing the content selected for inclusion in each media file of the playlist; and

computer program instructions for storing the created metadata as metadata associated with the media file;

computer program instructions for storing the plurality of media files as a playlist;

computer program instructions for storing the playlist on the portable media player; and

computer program instructions for rendering the plurality of media files of the playlist on the portable media player.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel further comprises:

computer program instructions for selecting content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist;

computer program instructions for extracting text from the content for inclusion in each media file of the playlist and for audio rendering by the portable media player;

computer program instructions for creating the media file;

computer program instructions for converting the extracted text to speech; and

computer program instructions for recording the speech in the audio portion of the media file.

computer program instructions for creating metadata describing the content selected for inclusion in each media file of the playlist; and

computer program instructions for storing the created metadata as metadata associated with the media file.