IGG Software has introduced Playpod, new podcast software for the Macintosh.

Playpod is an easy-to-use podcast client that lets you browse podcasts, download them and move them automatically to an iPod. PlayPod also has a simple built-in RSS news readers, because Podcast feeds come in XML format and often contain meta-information about the actual media file. So you can use PlayPod to browse news items and podcasts.

Playpod is available as a free download.

About Podcasting

Podcasting is delivering audio content to iPods and other media players, typically using the RSS format and weblogging tools. The main benefit of podcasting is that listeners can sync content to their media player and listen to it at their convenience.

The term was popularized by media entrepeneuar and former MTV VJ Adam Curry. Curry created a Applescript application that automated the process of downloading and syncing audio files to iPods.

Curry’s application built on the work of programmer Dave Winer, a pioneer in both the world of web logs and XML development. Winer wrote the RSS 2.0 specification. RSS is an XML format that is used to define channels of information that contain elements, which are typically stories or web log entries.

RSS files are often used as a standardized way of publishing meta information about content. For example, web logs are typically user’s thoughts about news stories or other web content.

RSS 2.0 supports enclosures, which are URL references to web content. This makes it possible to use RSS files to provide information about web content in a standard XML-based format. Podcasts are simply the application of RSS enclosures to audio files.

Podcasting News has a Podcast Directory.