Podcasting

[pawtucket]

Hiring frogs for movies?

Hardly. This is one of the more exciting things happening in internet technology. And it accomplishes something almost unattainable. Timeshifting Radio.

We have been timeshifting TV for about 25 or so years, with vcr's; TIVO's and DVD's. The ability to watch your favorite shows WHEN you want to watch them.

But radio hasn't had that luxury. We certainly can obtain the music, but things like NPR's "All Things Considered" are on when they are on and unless you have an elaborate home system, you can't "program" your stereo to tape it in most homes. I drove my exwife crazy(maybe a subliminal goal) when I had to be home every Sunday night to tape Dr. Demento on my reel to reel.

Until now. There is a new technology (actually boiled down it is simply downloading an mp3 file from a web site, but the delivery means are simple) called Podcasting. It is derived from the name of Apple's music "walkman" the iPod, but certainly not limited to the iPod. This can be utilized by any computer or digital device that has the capabilities of playing mp3 files.

Basically the way it works is simple. You install a free program (available from www.ipodder.org for instance). Then you go through their directory and find some programs that you would like to schedule. you just click on the ones that you want and they automatically are scheduled.

I have iTunes (free download from www.apple.com) on my computer and everytime that I open up the scheduling program, it goes and sees if there are any new files to download. It downloads them and puts them in a folder on iTunes, just waiting for me to play them. Now if you don't have iTunes, it will just download them to a folder of your choice and you are free to play them on whatever program that you use.

And that is it. A few of my faves are now available at my leisure.

Some people are actually developing content exclusively to be delivered in this method. When I lived in SoCal, I listened to KCRW, an NPR station, and now I can listen to it live over the internet, but one of my favorite shows, LeShow with Harry Shearer, is on very early on Sundays. I miss it more than catch it. NOW I have it scheduled and listen to it whenever I want.

Many programs are doing this as a value added service for listeners.

Time Shifted listening for Radio, Finally!!!

[satori001]

Thanks. I've been meaning to find out more about this. I have an iRiver iHP120. Works pretty well, although I've only used it for music so far.

[ex70sHouston]

quote:

Originally posted by pawtucket: I had to be home every Sunday night to tape Dr. Demento on my reel to reel.

That show brings back some memories. I think that I was just trying to prove how strange I was back in my youth.

Ther're coming to take me away HA HA HO HO HEY HEY

[socks]

Fish heads, fish heads!

[ChasUFarley]

Roly-poly fish heads!

:-)

http://www.drdemento.com/

Enjoy!

(I used to catch this show every Sunday night on WBLM out of Portland, ME - to drive my parents nuts!)

[WordWolf]

"Fish heads are never seen in cafes, drinking capuccino with Oriental women."

-Barnes and Barnes.

It's a line that stays with you.

[socks]

Yow! Chas! Just saw that. Indeed. I caught him on a lot of Sunday nights too!

Eat them up, YUM!!!

[satori001]

I finally got around to using this. I don't use the iPod yet, but it's great for listening to these shows over the computer.

I'm listening to a podcast of TOTN's Science Friday as I type.

Everybody needs to listen to Wichita Rutherford do at least one interview.

[pawtucket]

If you use iTunes, they have podcasts that you can subscribe to for free. Every time you open iTunes, it will check for the latest and download in the background.

[satori001]

I'm using iPodder. iTunes makes my PC crash. Don't know why. It also insists on converting my hundreds of wma tune files to something else.

Some of these software engineers need to be beaten with sticks.