podcasting
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Podcast Academy at Boston University
You're not going out tonight until you've completed your podcast homework, mister! BU's Podcast Academy is a two-day event scheduled for April 28th and 29th that focuses on the creation, distribution and use of podcasts. Workshop topics include how to get started, choosing the right equipment and how to get listed in iTunes and elsewhere. It definitely sounds like fun and should be worthwhile for anyone who is really serious about getting the most out of this new medium.Register before March 15 and pay $250. After that, add fifty bucks.
Podcast User Magazine debuts
A new podcasting magazine made its debut last week. The inaugural issue of Podcast User contains reviews of the Roland Edirol R1 and several podcasts, as well as number of informative articles and tutorials on subscribing to podcasts and understanding podcast jargon. There's more, of course, and you can grab the PDF of the magazine here or via their FSS feed [link].Issue #2 is scheduled for release on March 1st. Podcast User is free.
iPodderX now Transistr
Last month, at just around this time, we reported that iPodderX was in search of a new name. It seems that the seach is over, and after consulting with some lawyers (good idea, guys) Transistr has been choosen.Details are very light on what exactly Transistr will consist of, but it seems that it will be a newsreader as well as a 'podcatcher.'Thanks, iData
Apple Introduces iTunes U.
Last Fall, Stanford University began a partnership with Apple to publish and host lectures for download via the iTunes Store. Called Stanford on iTunes, it's been a resounding success and now Apple is looking to replicate that success with other schools around the country and world.iTunes U. (for University) will be a partnership between Apple and schools for hosting and distributing audio and video lectures, podcasts, and vidcasts to their student bodies. Modeled after the Stanford on iTunes program, iTunes U. will be a free service and allow a school to create an environment for instructors to upload their audio and video podcasts for distribution to their student bodies.It will likely incorporate some of what Apple has been calling Quicktime 2 RSS, a set of tools for recording a lecture and then encoding it for playback on a computer or an iPod.iTunes U. is looking like a powerful way to expand how students get content. We're living in an increasingly digital world, we may as well embrace learning digitally, and it's good to see Apple take the lead in providing the tools, the hosting, and the technology to allow such a shift to happen. I'm definitely going to be lobbying for my employer (a university) to get involved in this program.I've been complaining that Apple hasn't been as competitive as they should be in the Education market for some time. Perhaps this is a sign that the times are a-changing. Truly interesting.If any TUAW readers have used the Stanford pilot program, we'd definitely be interested in your impression of the system.
GarageBand 3: First Impressions
After some initial impressions of iPhoto 6, I figured GarageBand should be next on my list, as it too seems to have received some of the most significant updates in the iLife 06 suite. As with the iPhoto impressions, it's the same drill here: I opened GarageBand, poked around in the Podcast Studio and thought I'd post some impressions as a prelude to a real TUAW review: Once again, it feels like Apple was able to add in a bunch of new features while at the same time making the app feel generally zippier and more responsive. Bake those code ninjas some cookies When scrolling back and forth in a track, GarageBand also has a popup/overlay, like iPhoto's, that displays a real-time scrolling track time. Awesome You can add a parental advisory to your podcast right within GarageBand The New Project window has both new "Podcast Studio" and "New Movie Score" options. I imagine the movie score works in tandem with iMovies I absolutely love the media browser. I don't remember if the previous version had anything like this, but it's present in the same form in all the other iLife apps, and it's incredibly handy GarageBand asks you to change the podcast track to a video track if you simply drag a movie onto it. Effortless swapping between the two. It also splits a video's audio into a separate track for you to do with as you please GarageBand has an "Export" preference pane with pre-set podcast export settings like mono, spoken, musical and higher That "ducking" feature Jobs demoed is about one of the coolest and handiest additions I can think of, especially to a podcasting app So that's it for now. Stay tuned for more lengthy reviews from TUAW as soon as we can put them together.
Audioblog.com offers on the fly iPod video transcoding
TUAW has just learned from reliable sources that audioblog.com has just released a new feature for their venerable online podcasting/vlogging tool. You can now upload almost any video format to your audioblog account and it will transcode the file for you to an iPod ready video file, and post it to your blog or RSS stream.Imagine you have a Windows Media file (but for the love of god why would you) and you want to get it on the iPod. Simply upload it to audioblog.com and you're done.Membership costs $4.95 a month for 5GB bandwidth, and there is a free trial.
Apple releases iLife 06, Photocasting, iWeb addition
Apple today unveiled iLife 06, a major update to their award-winning suite of multimedia applications. The largest updates came to iPhoto, which can now handle 250,000 photos and features better, full-screen editing options. A major new feature is called Photocasting, which will allow an iPhoto user to publish their photos to the web using RSS technology, allowing anyone to subscribe to a feed of their images and the ability to be notified of updates. You can also subscribe through your own copy of iPhoto 06, which will allow you to actually download the images and use them as if they were your own, enabling editing as well as ordering prints, cards and now calendars.GarageBand 3 now features a "Podcast Recording Studio," along with professional podcast sounds, a Podcast Radio Engineer, iChat Interview Recording and iMovie Scoring.iMovie HD 6 adds Apple-designed iMovie themes, real-time effects, cinematic real-time titling, enhanced audio tools and effects, multiple open projects and video podcast/blogging abilities.iDVD 6 brings Magic DVD, widescreen DVD abilities, an enhanced map view and the much-requested compatibility with 3rd-party DVD burners to the table.A new addition to the iLife family is iWeb, a much rumored new app that does what everyone had assumed: it will allow .Mac members to easily publish content from other iLife apps such as podcasts, imovies, photos, blogs and more to their .Mac space. It features Apple-designed templates, easy flexible site creation, and iLife media browser and one-click .Mac publishing. I guess there was a reason behind that 1 TB bandwidth upgrade back in Dec.Even with all these great new features, iLife 06 still sells a single license for only $79, with a 5-license pack for $99, and is available today at the online store. I'm sure local stores will have it in soon, as well.
One Minute Podcasting Tips
You love to podcast, but you just don't have the time to spend tweaking settings and trying out new tricks. I'm right, aren't I? We're all very busy people with lots of things to do (and lots of media to create). That's whereOne Minute Tip comes in. The whole blog is just a series of short tips and tricks for you podcasters out there.[via CommandN]
French Maids Teach Podcasting 101
So C.K., Dave Caolo, and I were sitting around the TUAW offices yesterday playing with a prototype of Apple's new product to be announced and released next week. No, we can't tell you what it is, or we'd have to kill you. Well, anyway, C.K. was a little peeved that Caolo was hogging the XXXXXXXXXX."I can't believe you've been playing with the XXXXXXXXX for more than an hour and won't let me use it once!" C.K. said. "Heck, the only reason I got to use it was because I promised him some hi-res paparazzi photos of Rachel Ray," I said."Ha ha, look at that!," shouted Dave as he clicked on the XXXXXXXXXX and it XXXXXXXXX-ed. No way! That's so freaking cool! I thought the most exciting thing I'd see this week was French maids teaching me how to podcast, but this beats it all!""Uh, that French maids thing...you gonna blog that?" I asked Dave."Nah, you can do it. Just remember to mention it's mildly not safe for work (NSFW). Now stop blabbing, can't you see how awesome this XXXXXXXX is?"UPDATE: Okay, several people had seizures b/c of the animated gif, so we put it behind the still above. Click on the pic if you want to see.
Creative's ZenCast podcast solution
Today Creative announced their ZenCast Organizer. This Windows-based app manages audio and video blog content for Creative's Zen Vision and Vision:M players, much like the podcast function of Apple's iTunes. In addition to all the biggie, uh, podcasts like ESPN and oh, Engadget, users can also subscribe to content not included in the ZenCast site via a separate "subscribe" button. Sim Wong Hoo, outspoken chairman and CEO, says "you can even host your own show. ZenCast is like having a personal Internet TV broadcasting station, where anyone can create their own program and broadcast it to the world." A beta version of the ZenCast Organizer is available free today, so slap on a jacket, pull up a chair and remove your trousers 'cause now you too can video blog just like the pros. [Via c|net Asia, Thanks Minghow]
iTunes podcasting support leaves me wanting
There has been a lot of talk as of late about iTunes and how much it sucks. While I don't think iTunes sucks, in general, people tend to complain about things that they care about . It is clear that people enjoy iTunes and they are interested in having it become even better.One of the more recent additions to iTunes is the much ballyhooed support for Podcasts, which I didn't see much use for until recently. I have gotten hooked on a number of vlogs and it is clear to me that iTunes has a ways to go before it gets podcasts right.My first bone of contention is notifications, or lack there of, that I have a new podcast waiting for me. Sure, if I am in the Podcast section of iTunes I can see that lovely little blue circle that denotes new content, but most of the time I am in my Library. The picture that accompanies this post is a screenshot of my copy of iTunes. I have a few new Podcasts waiting for me, but how would you know that by looking at the source list? Apple should add a little numerical tag next to 'Podcasts' that let's you know at a glance how many podcasts you have waiting for you.I can't be the only iTunes user who is annoyed by this, can I?
Webmonkey offers simple podcasting how-to
Wired's Webmonkey has been a great source of comprehensive, easy to follow articles about the web for a long time. You can still find features there that were written back in 1997. Earlier this month Webmonkey offered a straightforward feature describing how to create a podcast. The guide, titled All the World's a Podcast, covers finding music for your podcast, recording and mixing, publishing (on ourmedia.org), and syndicating. This is pretty basic stuff, but if you're a podcasting novice or if you were just waiting for the holiday break to figure it all out, this article is a good place to start.
Apple offers Podcasting server
Apple is positioning OS X Tiger as a 'podcasting server' for education markets. Basically they are touting the built in blog software that comes with Tiger as transforming a Xserve into a 'podcasting server.' While technically this is correct, given this reasoning any server that has blogging software installed on it (i.e. Wordpress or Movable Type but in OS X's case it is Blojsom) is transformed from a mundane server into a podcasting server.Apple does mention that this 'podcasting server' is powered by Blojsom, but the whole thing smacks of trying to pull a fast one on someone who may not know that any old server can do what Apple is claiming is unique to Tiger.[Via Micro Persuasion]
iTMS dropping mature content?
Xeni over at Boing Boing is reporting that "adult" podcasts are being dropped from the iTMS, and adult podcasters are gnashing their teeth and rending their, er, bodices. It's not entirely clear what's happening, though. After reading Xeni's piece, I swung by the iTMS: all 13 casts of Violet Blue's Open Source Sex (one of the authors who talked to Xeni) seem to be there, and a search for "sex" returns 25 hits. I'm sure that represents only a fraction of the kinky things people are doing with their iPods, but it hardly looks like a crackdown in progress. Still, it's an interesting question, and I'd be curious to know how our readers feel: should Apple be making "explicit" and "mature content" casts available? If not, where and how should they draw the line? Personally, I think it's a tough call. I'm a firm believer in free speech, but I have sympathy for Apple's need to protect its reputation and not open itself up to liability. All in all, I'd say the fact that the conversation is taking place is a prime example of why I get nervous when corporations, especially ones positioned for radical influence, get involved in the distribution of free content. And of why we need to watch closely how all this develops, because there's more at stake than just RSS specs. For now, though, I guess the question is: will the iTunes Phones have a vibrate setting?
BadApple Conspiracy
iTunes 4.9 will have podcasting support baked in, but what if you're an impatient Windows user and you want it now? Well, Veruca, BadFruit has a free plugin that adds podcast support to iTunes without all that bulky Apple support (and it is Windows only).This would be newsworthy in and of itself, however, News.com thinks there might be something else going on here. A conspiracy! Oh, how I love a good conspiracy.Cnet claims that the plugin contacts a server hosted by MP3Tunes, and the softwares privacy policy is very much like MP3Tunes. Mere coincidence? Perhaps, but that's no fun! I bet MP3Tunes wanted to steal some of Apple's thunder and get some free press for itself by releasing this code. Alas, I won't be shopping at MP3Tunes anytime soon since their catalog isn't all that robust.Good try though.
What iTunes 4.9 means for podcasting
Rex Hammock is penning a series of blog postings about the effect that Apple's recent announcement of podcasting support in iTunes 4.9 will have on podcasting as a whole. Rex thinks, and I agree, that iTunes 4.9 will change the face of podcasting as we know it. Apple is good at many things, one of them making tech go mainstream incredibly fast. As soon as that first podcast shows up in the iTunes Music Store you will have millions of people who have never even heard of podcasting as potential listeners.This is big, and I'll be keeping an eye on what Rex has to say about it.
