WebProNews

The recent explosion of the podcast has caught the attention of Apple Computers Inc. Apple plans to ride the podcast shockwave by providing access to podcasts though the latest version of iTunes.

Podcasts are broadcasts, often amateur but becoming professionaly produced as well, that are recorded in MP3 format and uploaded onto the Internet as a voice to the masses. Interested users can download the file which contains a music program or editorial commentaries, or various forms of enter/infotainment.

Still very foreign to many outside the cutting edge Internet world, podcasts are grabbing more attention all the time. Apple recognizes the potential and will be offering a way to find, subscribe, organize and listen to podcasts using iTunes 4.9, the most recent version of its digital music software and online music store.

"Apple is taking podcasting mainstream by building it right into iTunes," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Podcasting is the next generation of radio, and users can now subscribe to over 3,000 free Podcasts and have each new episode automatically delivered over the Internet to their computer and iPod."

Once reserved for the savviest of users, the move to support podcasts on iPods, Macintosh, and Windows will usher in the phenomenon for examination by the average user.

As of March 31, 15 million iPods have been sold worldwide. The iTunes has provided the medium by which 430 million songs have been purchased or downloaded.

Jason L. Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.