We complained last Friday that Nokia's new Podcasting application doesn't actually podcast, and Nokia Podcasting Product Manager Steven Stewart wrote in this morning to address our concerns and explain the name craziness:

You are right... The first release will be cool mobile Podcatcher (with some advanced features exclusive to the mobile that you can't currently get from other dedicated mp3 players). But you ask that if it's a Podcatcher, why the name Nokia Podcasting?

The naming was intentional. In the near future, Nokia will offer a full mobile Podcasting solution with higher quality recording capabilities (and smaller file size), editing, uploading capabilities, and more.

The initial releases of the Nokia Podcasting Application are the first steps toward the best mobile podcasting solution. Hence our reluctance to rename the application every time a new feature is added. So the ultimate focus of the Nokia Podcasting Application is the world of Podcasting... search, discovery, preview, download, listen/watch, create, edit and uploading.

Hope that makes sense. We want to do this right so that the mobile podcasting experiences as easy and enjoyable as possible for both new users and advanced users. We are listening closely to what both listeners and podcast creaters are asking for, so if your team has any requests for features, let us know.

Good to know this is only the first step and that real podcasting is coming in "the near future", whenever that might be—we're guessing (hoping?) around the time that the N93 and N73 multimedia devices hit the market. Those of you who create podcasts or are thinking of doing mobile podcasts, what features are you looking for? Leave a comment or send us an email, and we'll be sure to pass your suggestions on.

Nokia Podcasting Application for S60 3rd Edition [MRKTNGman]

We got all verklempt when we read the headline "Nokia Podcasting Application for S60 3rd Edition" a few minutes ago, only to be disappointed when we realized the application was just for downloading and listening/watching to podcasts, instead of editing and uploading them. Don't get us wrong, downloading your podcast subscriptions on the fly over 3G to your phone is awesome and we're going to be using this if it gets released in July, but calling this the "Podcasting Application" is like calling a dedicated RSS reader a "Blogging Application". Nokia, don't be throwing around a suffix you can't support.

Nokia N93, N73, N72 Support Flickr [Gizmodo]
Nokia Announces Three New Nseries Phones: N93, N73 & N72 [Gizmodo]
Nokia N91 Hands-On [Gizmodo]

If you're thinking of starting a podcast or do one already and you're looking to upgrade your equipment, Alesis has put together two podcasting kits you should consider. One has their MultiMix 8 FireWire mixer (8 channel mixer, 24Bit /44.1/48kHz eight channel recording direct to your computer), the other the Multimix 8 USB mixer (8 channel mixer, 16Bit /44.1kHz two channel recording).

The sets come with a microphone, a microphone stand and cable, software (proprietary?) for creating and managing podcasts, as well as Cubase LE general purpose recording software. According to our source, MSRP for the FireWire kit is $599 and the USB kit is slightly more affordable at $399, with both hitting stores sometime in June. There is no hardware or software that can keep your podcast from boring us to tears, but at least we won't be able to make fun of the audio quality!

FireWire Podcasting Kit [Alesis]
USB Podcasting Kit [Alesis]

Purchase info for current M-Audio Podcast Factory [Amazon]

We've shown you how TiVo has already announced partnerships with Yahoo, Fandango, and Live365 Internet Radio but it looks like the company is taking things even further by giving us daily Rocketboom broadcast downloads. If you've got a Networked Series 2 unit, you can sign up here to get the content. TiVo also looks to be asking for volunteers to provide all kinds of content for the "VideoBlog" project. So if you have any great home movies you think would look great on TiVo, let them know.

TiVo Adds Video Podcasting [Zatznotfunny]

• Time Magazine's list of "Amazing Inventions of 2005" is out. Winners include mini turtle bots, Nike's MaxSight contact lenses, the AntWorks farm pictured here, the portable water-filtering LifeStraw, and something that will probably also occupy the "Amazing Ways to Unnecessarily Contribute to Our Landfills" list, the single-use disposable camcorder. [Time (reg)]
  
• What is the next frontier for casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City? Compulsive gambers, allow me to introduce wireless, handheld gambling devices. 20 bucks says no one ends up liking them. [Seattle Times]
  
• Over-protective parents will soon come to love KinderGuard, a company hawking RFID, GPS, and biometric sensors that can track intrepid kids. The real genius is that KinderGuard can hide these sensors by stitching them into school uniforms or embedding them in deceptively-cool watches or bracelets. The company also has a model for the fashionable inmate: a sensor that looks like the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Running Man exploding neck collar. [Boston Globe]
  
• Aspiring Podcasters descend on Ontario (California, not Canada) for the first Portable Media Expo & Podcasting convention. Favorite topic: how to actually make money in the podcasting biz (besides, of course, holding a convention and charging $250 for conference program registration). [LA Times (reg)]
  
• Podcasting's cool, but if you're looking to rake in the cash, the portable gadget accessory market sounds like the way to go. Just don't forget to put "i" in the front of your product name. [Chicago Tribune]

  
  

Things are going to get a whole lot worse now that M-Audio is releasing Podcast Factory. This product has everything—both hardware and software—that you need to record Podcasts with a Mac or a PC. The 2 x 2 mobile audio interface is coupled with a microphone preamp to give you 24-bit/48kHz audio fidelity and the first of the two audio channels is a dedicated XLR input for the microphone. The second channel is a 1/4-inch that toggles between instrument and line levels. You'll also get dual RCA audio outputs and a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack. The software looks pretty dummy-proof, allowing you to edit speech, add music and sound effects, and post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. And a collection of music loops is also included to make your casts sound even more generic! Goes for $199. So get out there and start casting your crap today!

M-Audio Podcast Factory [biosmagazine]

Prices for M-Audio Podcast Factory [Froogle]

This is a radio station in a box, complete with multi-track recording and pod-casting functionality. All you need is an amp and a big antenna to start blasting your own pirate station, pumping up the volume wherever you are. The WVRS-P, which is actually a completely silent, fanless VIA system with lots of good speciality software and outputs, can stream Windows Media, Ogg Vorbis, Real Media or MP3 or send audio to a PA, satellite uplink, or transmitter. It is being used in developing nations to enable small, community radio stations to grow and thrive.

Product Page [WorldVibrations]