Ok, with a catch phrase like that I had to check it out. Let me preface this by admitting that I have never created a podcast before. I feel a bit guilty about this (I am a geek, what can I say)? After searching high and low (ok, maybe it took 10 minutes) for the easiest and least intimidating setup I could find, I came up with Gcast (its free). I signed up for an account, imbedded their Flash audio player into a WebCT course, recorded a podcast via phone, and listened to my podcast in the course …all within 15 minutes time! You can also upload mp3 files if talking into the phone isn’t your bag. You can access your podcasts using iTunes,
Google, Newsgator, and other aggregators (aggravators?) if you don’t want to mess with the Flash Player. It is a good thing all technology isn’t this easy or I would be out of a job.
Darren is a sarcastic, odd, bald man with a very dry sense of humor. He originally hails from Albany, N.Y., but claims Charleston, S.C. as his hometown.He joined the Air Force soon after graduating high school. This decision was made because a) working as a busboy wasn’t quite cutting it, and b) he had zero desire to ever attend college. While in the Air Force, he traveled the world as a Combat Cameraman, documenting both natural and man made disasters in places such as Thailand, Namibia, Armenia, Germany, Panama, Italy, Croatia, Japan, Singapore, and probably more than a few places that have changed names since you began reading this bio. There are many stories about his travels locked away in a vault somewhere and it is said that Samuel Adams holds the key.
While in the Air Force, he was given the opportunity to attend a year-long Video Journalism program at Syracuse University. Much to his amazement, he found that higher education didn’t suck at all. Having been bitten by the education bug, he completed his BS and MA in education and training from Southern Illinois University and Webster University respectively. He then completed his doctorate in instructional technology and distance education form Nova Southeastern University.
Darren currently works as an Instructional Designer at The University of Texas at Dallas and enjoys spending time with his wife, children, dogs and fish. His hobbies include weight training, watching the Texas Rangers (yes, really), and trying to appear smarter than he really is.
I like the options they have there of using your phone to record, and also to mix in music. There’s also a free service at Odeo called Odeo Studio. You can record straight from your computer microphone. It lacks the music mixer option that Gcast has, but it has everything else (including uploading of pre-recorded mp3 files). Every time I recommend Odeo Studio to someone, they inevitably ask: ‘what if I don’t have a microphone on my computer?’ So, now my response can be ‘if you can’t afford a $5 microphone, then there is always Gcast’
:)
One thing that I can see Gcast being great for is podcasting on the go – say while you tour an historical site, or attend a conference, etc. Just use your cellphone. Nice.