MIT Plans To Convert Cell Phone Users Into Podcasters

robyn217 writes "A new research project at MIT's Media Lab, entitled RadioActive, aims to turn every cell phone or PDA carrying member of the public into a podcaster, and every mobile device into a virtual podcasting studio. The project defines a large-scale asynchronous audio messaging system in which voice messages can be threaded like text in a discussion forum (like on Slashdot) as a method of 'discussion-on-demand.'"

Comments

PODCAST IS JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING "PUTTING AN

[Anonymous Coward]

MP3 ON THE INTERNET" confirm/deny

[x] confirm

I Don't See the Point...

[Quaoar]

I mean, leaving video messages back and forth is no more useful than leaving text messages for one important reason: You lose the fluidity of real conversation/discussion. If I'm having a heated discussion with someone about something, it's nice to be able to get a word in edge-wise so I can properly have a conversation with them. And facial cues/expressions kinda don't work when you can't gauge audience reaction.

Re:PODCAST IS JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING "PUTTING

[stunt_penguin]

[x] Deny

An mp3 on the internet is an audio download

An RSS feed that contains audio downloads for the purpose of automatic and easy synchronisation to a digital audio player is a podcast.

People like the linked article don't know what they're talking about when they say that an ordainary download can be called a podcast. You could call it a threaded audio message board, but it wouldn't be a podcast.

One disadvantage to discussion boards that are audio based is that you can't search or index the information without some kind of speech-to-text recognition.

That said, what if you could search audio by speaking into a mic and having the search engine search for those sounds. An intersting case, humm.......