Macs and podcasting

I've had several people ask me about Macs and podcasting. Since we don't have Macs on campus, I am a little out of touch on the subject but I do have an older Powerbook at home and even my 5+ yr. old Mac makes podcasting very easy. I use Garage Band and iMovie, which are very simple and user friendly for editing audio and video. I am sure that the software on newer Macs is a lot more advanced and even better.

One SMU faculty recommends Lynda.com for training videos. Here is one on how to use Garage Band and one on iMovie.

Flip cameras seem really easy to use with Macs since the file format is already Mp4, which means that you can edit audio and video without any extra plug-ins or converters. They connect with a USB plug that flips right out of the camera. No wires! They also come with internal memory (up to 120min of recording), so you don't have to worry about memory cards or tapes. And even though the cameras are pretty small, they also come with a tripod mount, in case you are not going for the hand held look.

Made with web sharing in mind, Flip cameras allow direct uploading to YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. So the video is optimized for the web and for social networking sites.

My concern would be quality of the video if you wanted it for something other than web sharing. The lens is pretty small and there is only so much a small lens can capture, especially at a distance. 2x digital zoom is kind of a joke. Also, if you plan to travel with it, you'll have to figure out how to clear up memory space when you run out of your 120 minute limit. If you have access to a computer once in a while, you can load your videos onto YouTube or some other free server and delete them from the camera.