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Podcasting is hot. Very hot. It's cool too. Everyone has heard about it and many have tried it. There must be some library applications and there are. This month's column explores this fun and useful technology.
When is a podcast not a podcast? That's easy-when it's simply an MP3 file. Many of us have gone to a Web site and listened to or downloaded an MP3 file. That's good, but it's just not a podcast. A podcast is syndicated audio content. Essentially MP3 files are linked to RSS and listeners can "subscribe."
A VODcast is another new word. That's syndicated video content (VOD is video on demand). These new words arose as part of the iPod revolution, but the Apple iPod device isn't necessary to play. Any PC and most MP3 players can use podcasts-a term that's become as generic as Kleenex(TM).
So now we know that podcasts are not just MP3 files posted on a Web site for playing or downloading. A podcast is defined by Wikipedia as a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost.
It first became popular in late 2004, and was used largely for audio files. To oversimplify, a podcast is essentially an MP3 file that has an RSS feed. Syndication is easy to understand when you think about Dear Abby's or Ann Landers' columns. These columns are written in one physical place and syndicated for publication throughout hundreds of newspapers. This is the same concept as RSSreally simple syndication.
The definition of broadcast is changing too. It no longer means just sending out your signal on your channel through the air or cable. It can also mean user-customized feeds of digital content in the form of sound or video. It's also possible to syndicate software,...