Podcasts are web-based media files (audio, video or even text-based) that a user can download from the internet onto a computer or music player. Podcasting is different from media streaming in that it needs special software (example: iTunes) to be run/played. This software (also called pod catcher or media aggregator) works on retrieving readily available media files only after the user has subscribed to a Podcast. Podcasts are similar to magazine subscriptions in that they allow the user to receive updates all the way to his computer or iPhone. The update in a Podcast can be done manually or can be done automatically after a new episode is available depending on the setting the user has selected. Moreover, Podcasts are completely charge-free! Almost anyone could build a Podcast and make it available online. All that is needed to publish a Podcast is an account, a computer, a microphone, and an interest the user would like to share with other users over the internet. Two examples of Podcasts are radio shows and talk shows.

With its popularity increasing by the day, thousands of Podcasts are made available to users from all over the world. Podcasting has grown to be a very powerful tool to the extent that many musicians and artists have given permission to Podcasters to use their music or work on their Podcasts. Music, videos, or other media material would spread virally, especially on popular Podcasts.

Users associate many benefits to Podcasts. Some of the benefits are:

1) Aiding organizations, for example, keep their audience alert about recent updates, services added or current news.

2) Spreading awareness about a certain message, product, or service in an inexpensive way.

3) Combining several practical features possessed by radios and TV.

Going more in depth into iTunes's (the most popular in Podcasts) functionalities, the iTunes Music Store makes thousands of Podcasts available to its users for immediate, free access. In order to download those Podcasts, the user is required to select "Podcasts"from the iTunes left-hand column. Before deciding on the subscription, users can preview a Podcast in the Music Store through simply double-clicking on the episode of interest. If the user approves of the selection made, he can simply press the button "Subscribe" which is usually located at the bottom of the Podcasts page. Once the subscription to a Podcast happens successfully, iTunes now automatically checks the newly available episodes during specific time intervals. This update action may have the number of available episodes grow out of control, thus the user may subscribe to Podcasts that update once per day, for example, or more often than once per day. To choose the updating intervals, the user clicks on Podcast preferences and edits the rate at which iTunes checks for new readily available Podcasts; the rate may be adjusted to hourly, daily, and so on. Podcasts, taking into consideration the fact that they occupy a lot of disk space (from the computer or iPod space), may be kept in the library for as long or as short of a period, according the user's preferences. While the user browses Podcasts he has downloaded, he will come across a "Settings" button. After selecting this button, iTunes will take the user right to the Podcasts tab. From there, a "Keep" dropdown menu appears allowing the user to decide exactly how long to keep Podcasts, thus helping the user organize his library.

Also, at times, the user may find the Podcast number growing to an extent that he can no longer handle. Therefore, the user may choose to unsubscribe from certain Podcasts. Unsubscribing from a Podcast is easy. The user is only required to click the "Unsubscribe" button after highlighting the Podcast that is no longer in his interest. Moreover, the deletion of all related files to a specific Podcast is also possible through simply pressing the "Delete" key after selecting the Podcast.

A Podcast, though it may need management, is a practical technology that contributes to users in several ways, ranging from providing entertainment activities to educational ones.

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"Podcast" was 2005's word of the year, but in 2006 you likely heard a variety of podcast related words - vidcasts, vodcast, voicecasts, phonecasts, punchcasts, mobilecasts, learncasts...new types of podcasts are continually emerging.

If you are a podcasting late bloomer, here's a little heads up on podcasting lingo.

First of all, what is a podcast?

A podcast is simply a media file, distributed either by subscription, automatically or selectively downloaded from a website; it is not however streaming content. Podcasts download quickly and can be placed onto a mobile device like an iPod.

What kind of podcasts are there?

Audio

Some podcasts are simply audio files. These types of podcasts include music, radio-type shows, interview shows, news commentary and more. Generally, these are simply referred to as podcasts.

Video

Podcasts can include video and audio together. As mentioned above, podcasts can be quickly downloaded and are not streaming, so you could download the video podcast to your portable or watch it from your desktop. Popular uses include instruction, music videos, adult videos, tv shows, newscasts and so on. These types of podcasts are often referred to as vidcasts or vodcasts, educational video casts are sometimes labeled learncasts.

Mobile

Not quite as common, but available, are podcasts designed to be downloaded to a mobile phone. As cell phone abilities increase, more memory, more format compatibility and so on, this will likely become more popular. Sometimes, these types of podcasts are called mobilecasts. A podcast that is directly sent to a mobile device may be called a punchcast.

Telephone

Podcasts can be directly launched from a cellphone, traditional phone or a VoIP connection. Some podcasters like to be able to post new podcasts from wherever they are through a phone, often referred to as phonecasting or sometimes voicecasting.

More podcasting lingo:

Posting podcasts to your blog is called blogcasting. Those that create podcasts are called podcasters. The program you use to subscribe to and organize podcasts is called an aggregator, or simply a podcatcher or podcast receiver. If you use Skype and record a session for a podcast, this is called Skypecasting. An automatically generated podcast created from a text source is an audiocast. Podcast fans comprise the podosphere. If you create podcasts for red-haired, left-handed macramé artists you are narrowcasting, because your potential audience is infinitesimal. Religious pontificators godcast. Unsigned musicians distribute their music free and without compromising copyright as podsafe music.

Pamela Stevens

Pamela Stevens writes for TopTenREVIEWS.com, a review site that publishes technology and entertainment reviews.