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PMUG Monthly Meetings Podcast
Listen to PMUG's general meetings and other special events.
(iTunes must be installed before clicking the link above)
This Podcast is for members only and is password protected!
Have you forgotten your password? Visit the login page to have it e-mailed to you.
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PMUG DIALOGcast
Have the DIALOG newsletter automatically downloaded to your computer whenever it comes out!
(iTunes must be installed before clicking the link above)
The DIALOGcast is for members only and is password protected!
Have you forgotten your password? Visit the login page to have it e-mailed to you.
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On this page:
• What is a Podcast?
• How do I get PMUG's Podcast?
• Using Podcasts in iTunes
• Does anyone else besides PMUG make Podcasts?
• How do Podcasts work?
• Other Options...
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Podcasts
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Updated: 2/25/07
PMUG is making available audio recordings of its general monthly meetings and other special events through a Podcast. The DIALOG monthly newsletter is also available through a Filecast called the DIALOGcast. Both are for members only.
What is a Podcast?
Some describe it as "TiVo for audio." A Podcast automatically downloads audio files whenever they are released, then can be played at your leisure on a computer or portable media player (such as the iPod.) The term Podcast comes from combining the words iPod (the most popular portable media player) and broadcast (sent from one source to many people.)
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With a Podcast:
- You no longer need to repeatedly visit a Website to discover if new audio is available for download: with a Podcast, newly added audio files are automatically downloaded to your computer whenever there is new content.
- Podcasts allow the freedom to listen while you're seated at a computer or away from it. Audio files can be automatically transferred to your iPod (or other portable media player) for listening on the go: listen while you're commuting, doing work around the house, or waiting in line. Of course, you can always listen to them on your computer—it's your choice. With the right software, Podcasts can also be heard on cell phones, Pocket PCs, Palms, TiVo, and even the Sony Playstation Portable.
- Podcasts give you the freedom to listen whenever you want. Unlike radio, there are no schedules that require listening in real-time. Since the file is completely stored on your computer or iPod, you can listen without the need for your Internet connection to be up—unlike streaming audio.
What is a Filecast / DIALOGcast?
Filecasts distribute computer files, such as PDF files. These can be viewed in a small number of Podcasting programs, such as iTunes, or manually opened in a program that can read the file. The PMUG DIALOGcast is an example of a Filecast.
Each Filecast entry in iTunes has a  book icon to distinguish it from an audio file. Double-click the line and it will open in Preview (the default for PDF files.)
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If you want to read a previously downloaded DIALOG without going into iTunes, all the files are kept in the Finder here:
yourmacHD/Users/yourusername/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Podcasts/PMUG DIALOGcast/
TIP: Make an alias to the PMUG DIALOGcast folder to reach it quickly.
How do I get PMUG's Podcast / DIALOGcast?
1) First you need a program which can receive Podcasts—iTunes (4.9 and newer for Mac and Windows) is one of the most simple to use, although there are many other programs out there to receive Podcasts. This type of program is also known as a Podcatcher or Podcast Aggregator.
2) Next, you need to add the Podcast's Web feed address to your program. The term for this is known as "subscribing" to a feed—Podcasts are free despite having the term subscribe. The following steps show how to subscribe to PMUG's Podcast feed using iTunes.
There are several methods to choose from, but you only need to do one:
Click a button method
- Make sure iTunes is installed (version 4.9 or newer)
- At the top of this page click the or buttons.
- Note: Because no standard yet exists for passing Web feeds to other programs, this may or may not work depending on the operating system version and Web browser version being used.
Drag-and-drop method
- Open iTunes and click on the Podcasts library in the left-side column.
- Back in your Web browser, at the top of this page, drag-and-drop the
 feed icon on to the iTunes window.
Copy-and-paste method
- In your Web browser, at the top of this page, select the feed address in the text field (next to the feed icon) and copy it (choose Copy from the Edit menu.)
- Open iTunes and click on the Podcasts library in the leftmost column.
- Select "Subscribe to Podcast" from the Advanced menu.
- In the window that appears, paste in the feed address (choose "Paste" from the Edit menu) and click the OK button.
3) A window will appear and ask for your username and password. Be sure to click the "Remember password" checkbox so you won't have to type this each time the feed is accessed. If you have forgotten your username and password, visit the login page to have them e-mailed to you.
The Podcast feed will now load and automatically download its first entry (called an episode.) By default, iTunes will check the Web feed each day to see if the feed is updated and download any new episodes. Note that iTunes must be opened or lunched in order for it to check.
The next section will help you use Podcasts in iTunes.
Using Podcasts in iTunes
This shows the Podcast library (1) in iTunes 7.0, although previous versions look slightly different. The contents of a Podcast, called an episode, can be viewed by clicking on its left side triangle (2). Episodes which have not been downloaded are grayed out (3) and have a "GET" button (4) — click the button to download that episode. If a blue dot appears in the left coulmn (2) this notes a new episode which has not been played yet.
With a Podcast on your computer, you can play and move around in the episode (5). To see episode information, click the right-side "i" button (6) to view its information window (7). Additional information may also be seen in the episode's audio file tags by choosing "Get Info" from the File menu, then in the next window clicking the Info or Lyrics tabs. Episode pictures can be seen in a preview window (8) which are shown by clicking the preview button (9). View the image full-size by clicking on the preview window.
By default, iTunes will check for new Podcast episodes every day. Clicking the refresh button (10) will make iTunes to check right now. Default settings for Podcast checking frequency, as well as how many new episodes to download can be changed by clicking on the settings button (12). If you no longer wish to receive a Podcast you may click on the unsubscribe button (11).
These are the basics of using Podcasts in iTunes. Additional things which can be done include automatically syncing Podcasts to your iPod, browsing additional Podcasts in Apple's iTunes store and subscribing to them, and using additional Podcast formats such as Enhanced Podcasts, Videocasts, and .pdf Filecasts.
Does anyone else besides PMUG make Podcasts?
Yes! Although Podcasts began as the audio extension of the Web journal (Weblog / Blog), it has become adopted by broadcast media, newspapers and magazines, state and federal government, and other commercial and non-commercial organizations.
Listening to audio can be entertaining or informative. There are a wide range of topics to listen to:
- news and entertainment
- interviews and group discussions
- lectures and speeches
- explanations during walking tours
- poetry and dramatic readings
- natural ambient environmental audio (this is called "sound seeing")
- commentary to be heard while watching TV shows or DVDs
...and so much more!
A Podcast Sampler
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Broadcast and Print Media
Government
The Arts
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Science & Technology
Higher Education
Miscellaneous
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Want even more?
There are directory Websites which list Podcasts by subject and allow searching:
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A note about Podcast feed icons on other Websites
Because there are no icon standards representing the difference between a Podcast information page and a Podcast feed link, people can run into trouble because the same icon is used for both. You may click on what appears to be the icon of a Podcast explanation page but instead receive a page full of strangely formatted text. You may also also think you are adding a Podcast feed but instead receive an error message (or no content at all.) Add to this the fact there is no standard method to recognize and use Podcast feed file links between different Web browsers—especially an older version of the same Web browser!
All this is a reminder that Podcasting is relatively new and its social and technical conventions have yet to be worked out. It takes a well-designed Website to make clear the distinction between the information page and the feed file link.
With this in mind, look for one of these icons which represent a Podcast information page:
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A text link titled Podcast |
Click it and you will be taken to a page which has the actual Podcast feed file link. Again, no standard feed file icon currently exists, but look for one of these:
NOTE: A sure way to tell is to place your cursor over what you think is the Podcast link and examine its URL below in the bottom browser status bar. The link should end in .xml or .rss, such as this:
http://website.com/podcastfeed.xml
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How do Podcasts work?
Over the Internet, the feed file of a Podcast (1) is collected by a computer program that receives Podcasts (2). iTunes, version 4.9 and newer, is one such program. The program will automatically download the feed file when there are updates to it.
The program will then examine the feed file for linked audio files and automatically download them. You can also change the program's settings to manually download the linked audio file.
The Podcast audio file (3) can be set to transfer automatically to a portable media player (4) when it's connected to your computer. Now you can disconnect the player and listen on the go.
Other Options...
Once you become familiar listening to Podcasts, you may want to use another program with more helpful features. Some give you more control than others.
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Here are useful features you are likely to find:
- Update frequency: You can change how often a Podcatcher will check for updated Podcast episodes. This can range from every few minutes, to once a day, to once a week. Each Podcast is uniquely created and is updated at different times by its maker. Some are updated daily while others are updated weekly or even monthly. It doesn't really matter because the Podcatcher will automatically download any updated Podcasts. If left open and running, the Podcatcher will check according to the schedule you choose. Some Podcatchers can be set to check every time they are run or can be set for you to manually check.
A few Podcatchers can be set to download an audio file at a certain time, say at 1 a.m., or delay the download of a Podcast episode if its file size is greater than a certain size.
- Sample new Podcasts or pick certain episodes: If you want to try a Podcast before subscribing to it, some Podcatchers will let you listen to a portion or the entire audio file. Some will even let you manually download the Podcast audio file.
This is not only a handy feature for trying new Podcasts, but also for being selective about Podcasts which feature one topic per episode. You may only be interested in certain episodes and not wish to have all episodes automatically downloaded.
- Playlist management: Some Podcatchers will let you assign a Podcast to a specific playlist to be moved into. Others will let you set a Podcast's genre to whatever you want. This way you can set up multiple playlists by genre, each with specific Podcasts.
- Automatic deletion: You can set some Podcatchers to automatically delete an audio file. It can be removed after a period of time of you choose, or after a file is played. Or you can keep everything. It's your choice.
- Podcast episode information: Because of a lack of common practices, Podcatchers vary widely in what information they show about individual episodes. Some are quite minimal and only show the filename or episode name. Others show detailed information with show notes or links to Websites. If those who created the Podcast didn't put additional information in, then it won't be seen anyway.
Some Podcast authors make outlines of their episodes, which may be brief or detailed. These outlines can be in the text information portion of the feed, or have a link to a Web page where the outline can be viewed. Some authors may also save their outlines in OPML format files for distribution.
- File Synchronization: Some Podcatchers will move audio files to your portable media player from several playlists, while others will only look at one playlist. Other options include deleting old audio files on your player, adding to what's already there, or recompressing an audio files for smaller filesize (but potentially causing audible distortion in the process.)
- Subscription Synchronization: If you use Podcatchers between multiple computers, this is a feature for you! Some Podcatchers can export your subscription list to an OPML format file. Then on another Podcatcher you can import your subscription list from the OPML file.
You can also send OPML files to friends of similar interests so they can discover and enjoy the Podcasts you listen to!
- Podcast Bookmarks and Chapters: Some Podcatchers allow you to play a Podcast file from where you last stopped it. This is known as a bookmarkable file.
In an enhanced Podcast, some Podcatchers will let you jump from one chapter point to another, usually each chapter marks a change in topic. These are predefined positions chosen by the Podcast author and can't be changed.
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