Podcasting from your iPod

Tod Maffin gave me a great tip yesterday : I'm going to start recording a personal podcast through my iPod. Sorry, Mitch, but before dishing out $400 for a portable M-Audio MicroTrack, I've decided to test the waters for a more modest investment. I've picked up the iPod MicroMemo for $75 and the Memomic, iPod's "professional" lapel microphone, for $35. Just to be more professional-looking about the whole thing.

I was forced, against my will, to read the manual (being more of a trial and error person, myself, this was a daunting proposition). It was as tiny as an iPod and pretty straightforward. Whew.

You can record on low or high quality, and it all sounds surprisingly good through the earbuds. I'll know more when I convert it into an MP3. News at 11.

Now what is this personal podcast you ask? Well my fans might be disappointed to learn that the subject is quite niche, the idea being to try my hand at podcasting on a limited basis in order to be able to feel completely comfortable proposing it to my clients. To move beyond theory and actually get my elegant hands dirty.

This year marks my 20 year high school graduation (yes, folks, I graduated at 12. With honours.) Thanks to Facebook, I feel like I'm back in the gym at St Thomas Aquinas in Brampton Ontario again, re-acquainting myself with people I've known since I was 4. It's all been a little disconcerting, but other than the weird dream I had last night, none of it has provoked any bizarre flashbacks, so I think I'll be ok.

It's interesting (to me, and hopefully to a handful of other people) to find out what all these people have been up to -- and there are some surprises out there.

So I've approached a few of my former classmates and (hopefully) in the next few weeks will be launching a podcast that might interest about 60 people. A Where are they now, kind of deal with provocative interviews. Can't wait to watch those stats go through the roof and collect my Pullitzer (or the podcasting equivalent).

And yes, Virginia, the cheerleader DID marry the football player.

Thank you Mr Maffin, for taking me where no man has taken me before : to a Mac store. 'Twas lovely. I got shivers.