Podcasting 101

Have you heard the word "podcasting" and wondered what it was? Or maybe your kids are already using podcasts and you would like to know if there might be any podcasts of interest to you? CNN has a three frame explanation that can kick off an understanding of what podcasts are all about and where to download them.

Digital Rights Management 101

Do your kids complain that they don't really have control of the media - music, movies, etc - that they buy online? Do they think that everything on the Internet should be for free? Do they hate that there are different kinds of management on different kinds of devices? To help you, and them, make sense of all of this, you might be interested in a podcast on DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Podcasting Course

Remember the old admonishment - "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Well here's your chance. CNET has a free online class "Podcasting 101" where you can learn to find, listen to and make your own podcasts.

Tune Hunting

If your kids (or you) are passionate about music you'll want to check out some of the new services that help you find more sounds you like by either analyzing your choices (Pandora) or tapping directly into your iTunes to recommend similar sounds (MusicIP, Goombah. Soundflavor). Edward Baig takes a closer look at six different services in his Personal Tech column on USA Today. Idea: If you give your kids a small budget for buying new tunes it might be a way to divert them from spending so much time on those social networking sites.

Web Tunes Primer

Still in the dark about the whole music downloading thing? If your kid is doing it. you need to know what it's all about so take a look at Web Tunes 101: How to Find, Buy and Play Digital Music. It's a quick overview of the whole practical process.

Apple Workshops for Kids

Would you like to have your kids learn to do more with the family Macintosh computer than email, IM and play games? Maybe you'd like to go along and lean more too? In February, March, and April your local Apple retail store is offering free workshops for kids 6 to 13 on how to make better music, take better pictures and become junior movie makers. Sign up on the Apple site.

Expanding World of Podcasts

For an interesting glimpse into how colleges and universities including Stanford and Berkeley are making use of iTunes U to expand their offerings to students and the public, take a look at UC Berkeley on iTunes U Galvanizes Campus. There is more to those music players than meets the …ear. Continue to be aware of ways your children can use their iPods or other mp3 player to take advantage of audio books, lectures and other information.

Can You Hear This?

There's lots of talk these days about MP3 players such as iPods being dangerous to hearing health. Kids love loud music blasting in their ears. Often the music is too loud, and often it is played for hours without a break. When background noises interfere with what's on the MP3 players, the volume is cranked up even louder. Not good say the experts who also love their MP3 players. But to save hearing, there are solutions, which involve basic common sense. Volume should be set at a medium range, earphones that block outside noise are best, and breaks should be taken from listening to MP3 players.

Unlocking the iPod

Norwegian Jon Johansen became a hero to many by breaking the code on prerecorded DVDs that prevents them from being copied. Soon after Johansen’s program to “liberate DVDs” was posted online, Johansen received an award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and visit from the Norwegian police. “DVD Jon,” as he has come to be known, beat that rap but now is working on reverse engineering FairPlay, the encryption program built into the iPod to make it a closed system that only allows you to buy music from iTunes but protects the copyright of the songs, movies, books and other digital media you purchase to put on it. While many, especially young people who think everything on the Internet should be free, may applaud this move, there are sure to be some complicated engineering consequences for those of us who just want digital devices to work simply, easily, and with a single page of directions to read. The inevitable trampling of copyright that has to come from this also seems a dangerous precedent and may have grave consequences for the nurturing, encouraging and rewarding of imagination and creativity in the future. Keep your eyes and ears open for more about DoubleTwist, Johansen’s company.

Podcasting 101

The folks at CNet are offering a free course online on how to find the hardware and software you or your kids will need to create podcasts as well as looking at what makes a good podcast. The step-by-step procedures for recording and editing podcasts will also be covered in depth as well as what you’ll need to publish your podcast. The next class begins November 6th but you can get signed up to be notified for when the course will be offered again. Here’s a chance to catch up with your kids technology-wise for free and on your own schedule!