Podcast - changing the world mind by mind

Podcasting, or also referred to as non-streamed webcast, is one of the great evolutions of Web 2.0. What is a podcast and how does it work it the question I want to answer along todays blog. Podcast. (2010, November 6). Retrieved 16:50, November 7, 2010, from http://blog.podcast.com/podcastcom-faq/what-is-a-podcast/

A "podcast" is either a video or audio file that is availabe on the World Wide Web for people to download - an easy example would be, as we discussed in our Tourism and Hospitality Business Applications Lecture, the possibility to listen to a podcast about a specific city, their sights, important history and information - avoiding the necessity of a tourist guide. Podcast. (2010, November 6). Retrieved 16:50, November 7, 2010, from http://blog.podcast.com/podcastcom-faq/what-is-a-podcast/

You can simply download an audio file, put it on your Ipod or MP3 player and listen to it while your stay at the destination of your choice - easy and for free. Which is of course questionable which regard to the tourist industry, since a very common problem appears which is the replacement of manpower by a machine, or atleast in this case by a datafile. When using the word "podcast" it is usually refered to the entire series and not just one audio/video file. Another question is, we all are well aware of the fact that video, just as audio files have been made available on the internet for a long amount of time - so WHY are podcasts different? Podcast. (2010, November 6). Retrieved 16:50, November 7, 2010, from http://blog.podcast.com/podcastcom-faq/what-is-a-podcast/

To understand the word Podcast I will break it down into two words, which are: 

• Pod: a podcast can either be listened to on a computer or transfer the date on to your portable audio/video device - which therefor means that file is Portable and On-Demand because it is available at any time and any place.

• Cast: means file is sent out to people oer the internet, in the way of broadcasting comes to you over the radio or TV airwaves. But instead of using TV or radio, the Internet is used. 

Podcast. (2010, November 6). Retrieved 16:50, November 7, 2010, from http://blog.podcast.com/podcastcom-faq/what-is-a-podcast/

The history of podcasting:

"podcasting began to catch hold with the public in late 2004, though during the 1998–2001 dot-com- erathere were multiple "podcasts" done by major companies, such as Real Networks and ESPN.com. Many individuals and groups contributed to the emergence and popularity of podcasts. Adam Curry is credited with coming up with the idea to automate the delivery and syncing of textual content to portable audio players, and the first application to make this process feasible was iPodderX, developed by August Trometer and Ray Slakinski. Since the 1930's there have been radio talk shows and news programs. Today, through the evolution of the internet TCP capabilities, along with cheaper hardware and software, audio podcasts are doing what was historically done through radio broadcast stations." Podcast. (2010, November 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:50, November 7, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Podcast&oldid=395104189