Who needs broad when you've got pod?

The international symbol for bald man yelling.

Adam Carolla is my morning man.

TEDTalks are my inspiration.

Joe Rogan and Ricky Gervais are my laughter.

This Week in iPad and the iPad Show are my how-to manuals.

Summer of the podcast

For me, this has been the summer of the podcast - on-demand digital audio and video files published online and available for download, viewing, and listening on the computer device of your choice (mine: iPad and Apple TV).

If you've never watched or listened to a podcast, just launch iTunes on your computer, click on "iTunes Store" on the left, and - when the store opens up - click on the "Podcasts" tab at the top of the screen. Choose the ones you like. Most are free.

It was only this morning I realized that I now consume more podcasts than I do actual TV shows on broadcast TV; it occurred to me when I read this article on Yahoo: "Broadcast audience aging faster than population."

To make a long story short: broadcast TV networks are caring more about numbers than demographics these days because the median age of a broadcast TV viewer has hit 51. So, "If the demographics don't work, maybe the numbers do!"

When you consider that TV ad sales are traditionally based on the demand for young viewers, podcast ads and sponsorships are looking more and more attractive: they attract a young and dedicated audience that is keenly interested in the narrowly focused subject matter, just like our new friends "apps" do.

What happens in your bedroom goes everywhere

The variety and quality of podcasts really runs the gamut - education, dating tips, cooking instructions, news, comedy, sports, technology, pets - whatever turns you on, Chester.

My favorite podcasts tend to be the ones that prove the old adage: "an enthusiastic amateur beats a bored professional." If you imagine public access TV available to the world, you're on the right track.

Take the iPad Show, hosted by Dave Buchanan and Steve Bostedor:



Who cares about the rinky-dink production when the hosts are affable, knowledgeable, and passionate about their topic? Not I!

Shot in a small bedroom on a $10,000 investment, these "two guys on a couch" have a loyal worldwide audience to the tune of 100,000 downloads an episode, millions of views, and a growing base of sponsorships paying off their investment, according to this recent article in the Detroit Free Press.

“It becomes a very personal media, because often times you’re consuming it by yourself,” Buchanan says. “You really become attached with these people and they become your friends that you don’t know, almost like a pen pal.”

Exactly right: the podcast, like radio, is an extremely personal medium that works best when you combine it with email, feedback, Twitter, Facebook, apps, and other podcasts.

Do I smell a future assignment for radio or TV class?

The easiest way to podcast audio

I like writing online more than I like talking, which I reserve to irritate people in person, the way God intended me to irritate people.

So when I feel the need to podcast - infrequently at best - I do it the easiest way possible by using the free Audioboo app, available for iPhone and Android. You can also post "boos" directly from your Web browser though Audioboo's website.

The process:

1. Once you've downloaded the app, launch it and press record.
2. Talk.
3. Stop talking and press stop.
4. Upload it instantly to the Web and Twitter.
5. Submit it to iTunes for approval (instructions at the jump, though you may need to log in to Audioboo to view them).

Boos are limited to five minutes - short and sweet for the short attention-span world in which we find ourselves.

Just a sec: I see a squirrel!

The easiest way to podcast video

To host and post a video podcast takes a bit more wherewithal, though it's nothing you can't do with the equipment lying around Red River College.

It helps to have a Mac computer with iMovie and a blog with an RSS feed - but, again, the easiest way to distribute your video podcast is through the service Blip.tv, which provides you with free hosting and automatically posts your work all over the Web, including on iTunes and YouTube.

The catch: you share revenue 50/50.

Required reading

If you haven't done so already, you need to read WIRED's new article about the traditional Web being supplanted by mobile devices and apps that deliver us a more-focused online experience, though more and more at a price.

If I may say so, the article is also the best argument for the CreComm program finally embracing mobile technology - though the rumor I keep hearing about us going "iPhones only" is as bogus as a BlackBerrry app.