A
podcast is a media file that is distributed over the
Internet using
syndication feeds, for playback on
portable media players and
personal computers.
[1] Like '
radio', it can mean both the content and the method of syndication. The latter may also be termed
podcasting. The
host or
author of a podcast is often called a
podcaster. The term "podcast" is derived from
Apple's portable music player, the
iPod. Known
synonyms for the word
pod are capsule, case, container, hull, husk, shell, and vessel.
[2] A pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of
broadcasting to a container or
pod correctly describes the process of podcasting.
[3] More about the name itself can be found in the
History of podcasting article.
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct
download or
streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as
RSS or
Atom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PodCast
