This is fine on (non-touch) iPods, but iPhones and other iOS devices are more capable and no longer need to be tethered to a computer in order to download new podcast episodes.
Within the Apple universe, the original model for listening to podcasts (or watching them) was to download them with iTunes on the computer, sync them to an iPod, and then listen on the go. Podcasting combines two somewhat revolutionary elements: podcasts can be produced by anyone, and you can listen to them on the go without taking away time from other activities.
This lets me keep up with developments in philosophy, economics, science, and technology, not to mention entertainment with things like the stories from flight attendant Betty and relationship advice from Dan Savage.
I now listen to podcasts when walking to and from work, cooking, doing the dishes, etc. (Watch the video if you're unfamiliar with podcasting.) Why would I want to download MP3 files of people talking? But then former Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated the usefulness of podcasts when he introduced podcast support for iTunes and the iPod at WWDC 2005, and I was sold. Oh, and make sure to subscribe to our Let’s Talk Jailbreak audio podcast where our own Sebastien Page and Jeff Benjamin discuss weekly hot topics.When I first heard about podcasting, I didn't get it. If you consume podcasts frequently, Instacast is available for five bucks straight from the App Store, which buys you a beautifully designed application that works natively on your iPhone and iPad.
Like on iOS, Subscriptions show your full list, while Lists are the equivalent of Playlists on the iPhone and iPad -showing your default and custom lists. You have two main views Subscriptions and Lists. The interface has many of the same components as the iOS counterparts, but restructured nicely for the Mac. The Vemedio team once again worked with Marcelo Marfil to create a wonderful UI that is easy to understand, and looks beautiful. Nate Boateng did a nice first-look article, here’s an excerpt:
You can learn more about Instacast for Mac over at the Vemedio web site. Vemedio was also mum on pricing at post time (our guess: it’ll be a paid download). Oh, and it doesn’t disappoint design-wise: Instacast is a sight to behold on your Mac.Īccording to Vemedio’s Twitter account, they aren’t so sure that the final version will be on the Mac App Store due to certain features that are a no-no for sandboxed apps. I haven’t had a chance to spend much time with Instacast, but from what I could glean from it supports favorites, lists and syncs your podcasts seamlessly between iDevices and Macs. Instacast for Mac public beta available for download. It features podcasts from iTunes and third-party sources and with AirPlay Mirroring on supported Macs running OS X Snow Leopard, Instacast could likely be the only podcasting app you’ll ever need. That said, small wonder developer Vemedio has responded to popular demand and brought Instacast over to the Mac…Īvailable in public beta as a 5.7MB download for your Mac, Instacast lets you organize podcasts without ever having to go through iTunes. Since its March 2011 debut, Instacast has seen numerous updates that brought additional features, with an iPad version arriving in November 2011. It certainly leaves Apple’s stock iOS Podcast app in the dust and beats every other podcasting app out there. As a cloud-based streaming solution, it can be best described as Netflix for podcasts. It’s the ultimate podcasting app for the ultimate podcasters: Instacast lets you both manage and stream podcasts on your iPhone and iPad, and do so in style. We love Instacast as much as the next avid Apple fan.