2+-+What+is+podcasting?

=What are podcasting and screencasting?=

Podcasting is a relatively recent phenomenon; the word //podcasting// was first added to the New Oxford English Dictionary in 2008 after its invention in 2004 (Oxford English Dictionary, 2008). Podcasting started as the creating and distributing of audio content using downloadable files via the internet. The //pod// in podcast refers to Apple Computer’s ubiquitous iPod portable music player, although podcasts are playable on a variety of devices including mobile devices and computers. (Hew, 2009; Robinson & Ritzko, 2009) //Casting// is derived from the word //broadcasting//. The idea of //broadcasting// is the ability to send out information, in terms of podcasting, broadcasting is the ability to deliver podcast files to the user. Some controversy exists about the precise definition of //podcast//, specifically regarding the inclusion of distribution methods in the definition. Some pundits such as Brittain, Glowacki, Ittersum and Johnson claim that subscriptions and automatic delivery are defining characteristics of the podcasting genre (as cited in Robinson and Ritzko, 2009), while others use a broader definition that allows inclusion of files that are not distributed via subscription.

The content of podcasts ranges from short newscasts of only a few minutes to hour-long in-depth discussions or presentations. Podcasts are downloaded in their entirety before use, generally onto the user’s personal computer or portable device. Examples of portable devices currently in use include iPods, mobile phones and personal digital assistants. With the addition of video playback capability to the iPod in October 2005, video podcasting has since become nearly as common as podcasting, and current usage of the term podcasting includes both types of media, making the words //vodcast// and //videocast// redundant. (Wikipedia, 2009). S //creencasting// was coined in 2005 by //InfoWorld// columnist Jon Udell//,// used to describe the capture of the video action on a computer desktop along with audio narration (Udell, 2005). There is enormous potential for this relatively new medium (Richardson, 2009; Udell, 2005; Fahlberg-Stojanovska, 2008; Brown-Sica, Sobel, and Pan, 2009; Heck, Houwing, and de Beurs, 2009; Young and Kajder, 2009). Although users can download individual podcasts, the easiest way for users to receive podcasts is by automatic subscription. Podcasts can be distributed via subscriptions using Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that allows the contents to be automatically pushed to the user (Dixon and Greeson 2006). Alternately, podcasts can be downloaded manually from the internet (Van Orden 2005). Free software, such as iTunes allows subscribers to subscribe and immediately receive new podcasts when they are released (Robinson & Ritzko, 2009). //ITunes University//, a 2006 addition to the iTunes Store, allows educational entities to provide content to which users can subscribe. Subscription content is then automatically made available for the user to download the next time they connect their device to the iTunes software. Screencasts are distributed to users by embedded them into web documents such as blogs or wikis to be viewed online. Blog and wiki pages can also be subscribed to via RSS.