Oh, I see I should have read my mail first before sending mine, as Roger's post here gives recommendations for versions that work well with screen readers etc... All the best now, Tracy. ----- Original Message ----- From: "roger south" <roger.south@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 10:30 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: Podcasts, what It Is > Hi Barry et al > > Some while ago I received a post about podcasting and how it works from a > lady named Debbie Kraft. I thought is made great sense and it supplements > your original post well Barry. I paste it below for anyone who's interested > and I hope for those people it is of some use. > > Roger > > You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me. > > ++++ > > Hello listers, > I should warn you up front this is going to be a long post, but I can't > keep quiet about this any longer! Also please excuse the cross-posting this > once. I realize that extended discussion of this subject may be off-topic > for the list, so feel free to contact me off-list if I can provide any > additional information on this. Thanks, and here goes: > > Back in February, I read an article in the New York Times about a new > way to use audio and RSS technology which is called podcasting. Basically, > its a way of getting mp3 files which other users create and upload to a > server automatically downloaded to your machine/mp3 player as soon as they > become available. Now don't let the "pod" in the name "podcast" put you > off--you don't need an Ipod to take advantage of these files--your computer > or any portable mp3 player (like the Bookport) will work just fine, thank > you! Not all podcasts are in mp3 format, but the vast majority of them are. > The only additional piece you need is a piece of software called an > aggrigator (or frequently referred to as a podcatcher)! I knew immediately > that this was the answer to my mp3 file prayers, and have been exploring the > wide world of podcasts ever since. And a goldmine it is! There are > podcasts available on every conceivable subject from news, technology, > sports, music, comedy etc. You can find serialized books and dramas, > programs for any musical taste, programs that make you laugh out loud, > religious programs, and on and on it goes. To help you get started in > exploring this rich and varied world, I've put together a little 5-step > getting started guide. I hope some of you will find as much enjoyment from > this as I have had. > > Step 1: Get an aggrigator > So how do you find the right software? Podcastalley provides an excellent > software page which is a good central point for finding the software you > need. Go to > http://www.podcastalley.com/phpBB2/links.php > Finding the best software to use with your screen reader will take a little > experimentation. The program I use and recommend is Ipodder 2.0 available > at > http://ipodder.sourceforge.net > Here is a direct download link: > http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/ipodder/iPodder2.0.exe?download > Another program that works well with speech is Primetime Podcast Receiver > http://www.primetimepodcast.com/blog/default.aspx > Once you've downloaded and installed your aggrigator, take some time to > familiarize yourself with the default options. You'll probably want to > change the download directory to something that works for you, or at least > find out what the default location is. You may also want to check a box to > have scans done automatically when the program starts. Also take a look at > the scheduling options, which are generally in a separate dialog box. I > have mine set up to check for new files every four hours. Most programs > will either allow you to set specific times or frequencies in hours. > > Step 2: Find and subscribe to podcasts > The easiest way to subscribe to podcasts is to use the directories built in > to most podcatchers. In Ipodder, simply hit control-tab once from the > starting screen and you will land in a directory tree structure with several > directories to choose from. Most of these programs use a tabbed interface > so you use control-tab to change views. Use the tree structure to locate > categories and podcasts you are interested in. In Ipodder, simply press > enter on any show you want to add. Hit shift-control-tab to cycle back to > the subscriptions view which shows the list of shows you are subscribed to. > Be aware that most programs including Ipodder start you off with a few > default podcasts. If you aren't interested in these defaults, they can be > easily removed. In Ipodder, right click on the unwanted entry and choose > "remove" from the menu. In Primetime, just hit the delete key. You can > manually enter feeds by copying a feed's URL and then pasting it in to the > program's new feeds dialog box. In Ipodder, use control-n to bring up that > box. > > Step 3: Scan for new shows > Once you've subscribed to some shows, start the scanning/downloading > process. In Ipodder, you can do this by pressing f5. It is also possible > to scan an individual show from the tools menu. Most programs will download > just the newest show for each podcast. If you highlight a program in > Ipodder, then press tab, you will be in a list of the podcasts on the > server. If you want to download previous programs, use your review cursor > to locate the graphic symbol to the left of the episode you want, then > left-click it. The status of the entry will change from "skipped" to "to > download". I cannot find a keyboard equivalent for this. The bottom of the > display should display information about the downloads in most programs. > > Step 4: Transfer your files > Locate your download directory. The files for each podcast you have > subscribed to will be housed in its own folder. What I do is to move the > files I want to put on my Bookport in to one combined folder (E.G. "current > podcasts") and then do a send-to-Bookport on that folder. This technique > has several advantages: 1. I can easily check the folder properties to make > sure that the size of the files I want to transfer will fit on the card I > have in my machine; 2. The files will transfer in alphabetical order; 3. It > cuts down on the amount of folder navigating I need to do. The downside is > that where folder names are very descriptive, the actual file names are far > less so. > > Step 5. Sit back, relax and enjoy! > 'nuff said! Below are just a few of my favorite podcasts to help get you > started. I've given website URLs instead of actual feed addresses so you > can visit the websites, from where you can manually download files to see if > you do indeed want to subscribe. If you do, find the link to the feed, do a > copy shortcut, and paste in to the new feed dialog box of your aggrigator. > Ok here goes: > > Adam Curry's Daily Source Code > http: > www.dailysourcecode.com > Good place to get clued in to what's happening in the podcasting world. > Very enjoyable, and my favorite until I ran across > > The Richard Vobes Radio Show at > http://www.vobes.com > Man his voice is amazing--and he's hilarious! > > Another good daily show is Chuck Chat at > http://www.chuckchat.com > Technology oriented but he covers a wide variety of other topics as well in > a warm and friendly manner. > > DailySonic at > www.dailysonic.com > is an extremely well-done magazine-style program that comes out every > weekday. > > I could go on for a while, but I'll leave the rest of the treasures for you > to discover yourself. Below are some podcasting directories to explore, all > of which are easily navigable with speech: > http://www.podcastalley.com > http://podcastbunker.com > http://ipodder.org > > Enjoy! > > Debbie Crafts > Framingham, MA > debbiecrafts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > a follow-up message: > > Go to the tools menu (alt-t). The scheduler is in that menu. Also there > are the options to check all or check selected feeds. You can also check > and download all subscribed feeds by pressing f5. > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** unsubscribe > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > ** immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > ** or send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq