Take the Podcasting Plunge

The Big Picture

Take the Podcasting Plunge

Podcasting may seem a bit far afield for our IT audience. But heck, there was a time when blogging was derided as this generation's CB radio. Yet today, folks of all sorts, both inside and outside of companies, are blogging every day.

Could podcasting emerge as a mainstream business tool as well? Well there's no doubt we'll see marketing-oriented and customer-facing podcasts coming from a variety of companies, and not just media companies. The more interesting question is whether podcasts will ever emerge as a mainstream communications tool, along the lines of email, text messaging or blogging. My bet is no, but I'm getting old and crotchety and don't "get" the joys of text messaging either. So who knows, maybe one day we'll be downloading and listening to long-form podcast messages from colleagues on the way home from work. Certainly, it's not difficult to envision podcast training or podcast "missed-a-meeting" downloads.

Whether you plan on podcasting for fun or profit, the technology of podcasting is becoming more accessible and easier to manage by the day. Over on our sister site, TechWeb, they recently detailed "podcasting in four easy steps".

The basic requirements are straightforward: invest in a digital recorder (like a Sony MiniDisc) or get a quality microphone that works with your PC. Download some audio editing software. Find a host. Voila, you're a podcaster. You can bolt together your own set up, or podcasting providers such as Odeo can help you take some shortcuts.

Check out the article and you too can take this generation's CB radio for a test drive.

And while you're contemplating your move into podcasting, check out Network Computing's own podcasts at NWC Podcasts.com.

NWC's Take on the News

Here's what we think of today's breaking news. Read the story and leave your own comment. Let's see if we agree ; >

Microsoft Patch Snafu Grows, Users Seek WorkaroundMore problems have been reported with one of Microsoft's recent security patches, and frustrated end users are taking matters into their own hands in search of a workaround.

NWC's Take:Follow the latest Microsoft security travail, which touches HP software, NVIDIA graphics card and even Apple's iTunes.

Rising RAM Prices May Impact VistaTight supplies of DRAM and predictions of higher prices mean PCs capable of running Vista may be even more expensive when the operating system is unveiled than if it released today.

NWC's Take:Memory prices usually head down, not up, over time. So an unusual problem for the late-to-debut Vista.

SAP Calls On Community Feedback SAP AG, looking for input from customers, systems integrators and developers, launches an Enterprise Services Community.NWC's Take:Careful what you wish for, SAP (just kidding). But get a bunch of SAP enterprise users in a (virtual) room and you're sure to get your share of bitching about this notoriously difficult to deploy software.

Microsoft Readies 'Carmine' Virtual Server Manager Microsoft is preparing a Virtual Server Manager code-named Carmine that will enable users to add, move and manage virtual machines on its virtualization platform.

NWC's Take:

Any doubt that Microsoft is fully on the virtualization bandwagon can end with the appearance of this much-needed management piece of the puzzle.