Blog Talk Radio...EASY cell phone Podcasting

Thanks to a twitter forward from Adam Sutcliffe, I have been playing with a new cell phone podcasting tool called (CINCH) Blog Talk Radio. This is probably the easiest podcasting tool that I have ever used. You do not even have to create an account before doing a podcast from your cell phone! You simply call the international number of 1-646-200-0000 (so easy to remember), and you just say your podcast after the tone. When finished, you can hang up, and the podcast will immediately post the feed and downloadable MP3 to the Internet at:
http://cinch.blogtalkradio.com/yourcellphonenumber



Let's discuss the pros and cons....
The positive

1. It is so easy to use.
2. No accounts.
3. No login and passwords.
4. No embedding files.
5. International callers might have a better chance at using this than Gabcast or Gcast.
6. No Website maintenance.
7. Can focus on the content and not the technology.

The Negative

1. It is not a toll free call, so students could use a landline if they do not have a cell phone, but they would have to pay for it (students with cell phones should not have a problem).
2. The subscription code includes your (or your students) real cell phone numbers...this could be a privacy issue if students want to give out their subscription feed to others. Of course students could just use this as a data recording device for interviews, note-taking, and narrative recordings where they can download the MP3 and use it to edit with in iMovie or another application.
3. Only one cell phone or landline per channel (so it would be hard to have a "class podcast" because everyone would have to podcast from the same phone).

Learning Applications
There are some obvious learning connections with this resource. First since teenagers never leaver home without their cell phone, they can document interviews, field trip notes, brainstorming, or even original poetry or story ideas on the go! They do not have to have an account to post their feed. They can be mobile citizen journalists and report on local events as they happen.