Think it, pod it
By:Â Priyadarshini Nandy
 Have your say: Podcasting is a good way to stay in touch with the world
While gadgets have gotten complex over the years, with more upgrades made
easily available, one of most active tools a lot of them offer has been long
underused,
especially in India.
Podcasting that is normally associated with Apple has transcended all
boundaries and is now available to anyone who cares to experiment with it.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is a series of digital-media files that are disseminated over the
Internet using syndication feeds (RSS) for playback on portable media players
and computers. The term podcast, like broadcast, can refer either to the series
of content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter
is also called podcasting.
But how does it benefit a user? An active web user will often find podcasting
to be quite addictive. From various entertainment podcasts to education
information
delivered in a crisp manner, the world of podcasting now has very thin
boundaries.
Leading entertainment companies like Cricinfo actually develop podcasts for
cricket commentary that pod users can easily download on their gadgets and
listen to whenever required.
In fact, iTunes installed on any laptop can download free podcasts that can be
later transferred to the portable iPod.
In aid of education
Podcasting in education is one trend that's gradually picking up in our
country.
It offers a model scheme for the creative expression of knowledge preferred by
today's students, and provides an exciting way for students and educators
to explore and discover educational content.
Podcasts are audio or video files that are automatically delivered over a
network, then played back on any Mac, PC or iPod.
When students create a podcast for class, they not only learn the content in a
creative way, they learn 21st-century communications skills at the same
time.
Be entertained
If you're looking for stand-up comedy shows, interesting travel pods, the
Internet is a fine place to search for them.
With more people joining the podcast group, there is ample entertainment
available for you to download and for free. In fact, it's said that podcasting
can cure a television addict!
Podcasting is no difficult task. You simply have to create your own content,
which could be anything, from a sound byte to a quick video and find the right
host to distribute your pod.
Search on the Web and you'll come across ample podcast hosts who'll offer you
space to host your content. In fact, it's very similar to hosting your own
website! About.com has plenty of information on podcasting with price bands for
different hosts.
Not restricted
While Apple was originally responsible for introducing podcasting, it's no
longer restricted to it. Making use of podcasts' syndication features requires
suitable software, often referred to as a podcatching client or a podcatcher.
The feeds are usually distributed using RSS or Atom protocols to the podcatching
client. The dominant podcatching client is Apple's iTunes player. However,
there are alternatives, including Microsoft's Zune Marketplace, Mediafly
SyncClient
(windows), Juice (multiplatform), Doppler (Windows), Podget (Linux) and
Podracer (Linux). Some established audio players, such as Amarok, Winamp and
Mediamonkey
also offer (sometimes limited) podcatching functionality.
Podcasts are also available directly on emerging Internet-enabled devices, such
as the chumby. Many podcasts also allow users to download directly, by
giving a link to the audio file in an RSS feed or web page.
So what are you waiting for? Create your own podcast and share it with the
world!
Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on
http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/
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