Podcasting, yeah that's right.
For the past several months, I've been an avid podcast listener, and it seems like every time I tell someone I "heard about that" on a podcast, I usually get a blank stare in response, even though it's been a good year since the technology has been around. I believe most readers of this blog and blogosphites (is that a word?) in general are probably familiar with what a podcast is, but wikipedia has
a good description for any
newbs out there.
I've been pondering the potential that this new medium has, and I truly believe podcasts will continue to infiltrate the mainstream. The idea of "
time shifting" a radio show really opens audio programming to a broader audience, and it is ideal to listen to podcasts while commuting or working out. It is likely that there exists a direct relationship between the growth of the mp3 player market and that of podcasting. I encourage you to check out a few 'casts, and I think you might be pleasantly surprised.
Admittedly, there is a small barrier of adoption that must be crossed, but if you have an actual iPod and use
iTunes, you should be able to subscribe to some podcasts with no problem. For us Microsofties, I'd recommend picking up a "
Plays for Sure" digital media player (I have
this one) and use of
Windows Media Player 10. Combined with a "pod catcher" like
iPodder, you'll be up and running in no time.
Engadget provides a
how to if you need more help.
One great application of this technology is described in
this article I came across today. The idea of sermons being accessible for free to anyone interested to listen to whenever they like is really quite amazing! My church has finally started
posting sermons in mp3 format, and I'm gonna look into the possibility of wrapping them in an RSS 2.0 feed. Thanks to
Kevin, I often spend my commute "
walking in the Word!"
Happy podcasting!