Next Level of Podcasts: No editing? Wireless? Interactive?

Apple has recently filed for a patent that may take podcasts to an entirely new level.  The patent unveils plans to include software that combines both a video and audio feed of the presenter with the keynote/powerpoint presentation in one single appealing format. The plans are also designed to emiminate the need for editing and stream the podcasts wirelessy to any number of iPods, iPhones, and Macs.

The filing is basically for an automated content capture and processing system where a live camera feed of a presenter can be automatically merged with a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation to form an entertaining and dynamic podcast that lets the viewer watch the presenter’s slides as well as the presenter. In one example outlined in the filing, the content capture system provides a video stream (Stream A) and an Keynote presentation stream (Stream B) to a recording agent such as a Mac running specialized Podcast creation software. The recording agent then blends the two feeds together based on certain cues and sends the combined feed to a syndication server that would then distribute the video wirelessly as a Podcast to any number of authorized Macs, iPods or iPhones. (From AppleInsider.)

Keynote 08 allows for the presentation/slideshow to be recorded with audio and  exported as a video podcast. Also, a nice software titled ProfCast allows for the capture of audio to be combined with your Keynote of PowerPoint and converted to a video podcast. There is no software that seamlessly and easily allows you to capture both the presenter and the slides as well as audio. The best you could do now may be for a simple iMovie capture using your MacBook but it would not make the slideshow you worked so hard on look very good.

The entire patent includes much more in the way the presenter can interact with the recording through voice, gestures, and laser pointers.  Please note that earlier reported patents such as Podcasts on Demand and  PodMaps have not been realized so there can be absolutely no gurantee this will be a reality.  ( I sure hope it happens, though!)

I am a huge advocate of podcasting. The benefits and uses are numerous. I embrace, recommend, and teach the idea of limited or no-editing podcasts, so this new patent really intrigues me.  My desire podcasts to be as simple, yet effective as possible.  My goal is make it as easy for the teacher as possible to capture an audio or video podcast.  The teacher has the challenge of making  the podcast meaningful.

I really like this patent idea and will be following it closely.  I hope I can update this article soon as to a date of delivery to educators everywhere.