501derful.org
ACS can tackle sharing information via podcasting the same way libraries are offering audiobooks from the library.
AP reports that public libraries from New York City to Alameda, Calif., are letting patrons download books without leaving home.
Librarians say such offerings help libraries stay relevant in the digital age. "This is a way for us to have library access 24/7," Barbara Nichols Randall says. "There’s still one big hitch, though: The leading library services offer Windows-friendly audiobook files that can’t be played on Apple Computer Inc.’s massively popular iPod player."
Digital downloads are a part of a natural progression for libraries, which have evolved from lending books to cassettes and videotapes to CDs and DVDs, she says.
AP reports that nearly 28 million portable audio players were sold last year, according to In-Stat, a technology research company. With more than 21 million sold, the iPod remains the signature portable player. But it uses the Advanced Audio Coding format with FairPlay, its own digital rights management system and one incompatible with Windows’ technology.
Just as the lack of a standard digital audio format has fragmented the music download market, it affects audiobooks.
Read more about this in an AP article on Yahoo.
Eh, that’s IF podcasting is ready for prime time. Over the weekend I recorded someting, but was unable to get through the login/registration process at Our Media.org, the “free” hosting site I used for the first podcast a month ago. It may be a temporary glitch or maybe it’s the old saying: “you get what you pay for.”