Podcasting - Day 1

Here I am... Excited beyond reasons to start downloading the software and registering an account for podcast management site, moments after I blog on my thoughts after reading the first material on podcasting (refer previous write-up).

I quickly read through, or skim through, the details of podcasting hosting service in http://www.learninginhand.com/blog/2007/09/podcast-hosting-services-compared.html, a reading recommended by our moderator. It mentioned 2 recommendations: if you're going to pay, register for LibSyn; if you're going to use for free, SolidCasts.com offers 100MB for life.

Of course I would opt for free hosting service, thus I clicked on the link to SolidCasts.com..., chose the free package..., clicked on sign up... and voila! The site has a problem with its certificate of trust (is that the right term?). In other words, I can't register a free account here. Since I don't have much time to dig around on this, I better put it aside for a while...

At the same time (multitasking of course), I browsed through the Audacity SourceForge site to download the audio recording software. My PC was downloading the software when I found the 'miracle' in that SolidCasts site. After what I encountered with the podcast hosting site, I was a bit doubtful on this Audacity... Download finished, run the installation (I saw some security logo that you normally see when there's an error to run installation on the dialog screen, but I ignored it, pretending not to notice), and the installation was successful! Hah! Thank God! OK, next...

Launched the Audacity, it asked for preferred language - default of English chosen. Tried using the software "Ah! Normal case." Clicked on Record button (with the red circle symbol), brought my face nearer to the little mic hole near my notebook hinge as possible, said a few words, "Hello... This is Sha", and clicked on the Stop button (with the square symbol). Played the recorded audio, "Hah! It works! At least, something works!"

I tried saving the file... Instead of saving as project file (*.aup), I chose to 'export as MP3', but it gave an error asking for a DLL file. "OK, maybe I should save as AUP first" - did that, and re-save as MP3, still the DLL problem! "OK, let's try export as WAV," it works!! HAHAHAHA!! A wicked laugh exploded from my desk. Ops!

Here's the little sample. You might not hear my voice clearly for two reasons - i) I'm mic-shy; ii) My voice was low during recording because I didn't want others around to hear (HAHA!!). Otherwise, Eva in the glassed room in front of me would be cursing me for finishing Week 6 course in Week 5!! HAHAHAHA!!

Here's the sample of my first little recording on audacity (I have to upload it to my geocities site first, until I figure out the podcast hosting site registration thing): http://www.geocities.com/pbq8544/hi-this-is-sha.wav (The best way to listen to this file is by right-clicking the URL and choose Save Target As to download to your local computer.)

Will blog on the podcast hosting next,
- Sha @ Teaching and Learning
16 Oct 2008