The New Oxford Dictionary has named "podcast" its 2005 word of the year, capping off what has been nothing short of a phenomenal year for Apple"s iPod. While some critics believe that Apple is taking too much credit for the activity, which can be done by anyone with a microphone, an internet connection, and recording software, the spread of the activity can undoubtedly be attributed to Apple"s influence.
In the last year, podcasting has become a huge phenomenon. Websites indexing the thousands of availble podcasts have sprung up. Neowin, as many of you know, began its very own weekly tech-related podcast this past summer. This past June, Apple added podcasts to its iTunes software, which introduced the technology to a huge base of new listeners.