To create a podcast first of all you need is software that can record whatever you are saying. Okay before that you need some hardware like a microphone to speaking to but I think that is given. In case you have a laptop the microphone must already be built into it. There are some expensive microphones specifically available for creating podcasts but in the beginning even the regular microphone will do a great job. About the recording software; Audacity is the best choice. It is not only free it is also feature-rich. Once you have installed and started the program you will have to select microphone as the recording medium. Just to test you can record a small speech and save it. In order to publish it as a podcast you will need to convert it into an MP3 files. Audacity doesn’t save MP3 files on its own, for that you need to install an extra piece of software called Lame MP3 encoder. Once you have installed this encoder an option will automatically appear under the file menu that will allow you to export your recorded data into an MP3 file.

Once you have saved the file you will need to upload it onto your own server or some other server from where you can easily link to this MP3 file. Lots of servers these days are providing the service free of cost. With some research on Google you can easily find such services. You can leave the file as it is and include the link on your webpage or your blog post and the default MP3 player of the user will play the file. But this takes the user away from your current link and also doesn’t seem very professional if you plan to podcast on a regular basis. If you use WordPress to publish your website or blog you can use the WordPress plug-in to publish your podcast. Otherwise there are many services that can supply you with an embedded code that you can simply paste into an existing webpage or blog post so that a tiny interface appears on your website that lets people play your podcast there itself. You can also try the podcast generator.

Want to rip a DVD?  Ripping a DVD does not mean exterminating it so that it cannot be used; it means copying the exact image of the DVD on your computer or laptop.  We often use different DVD ripping tools to accomplish this task but you can easily do it with VLC player.

You can also convert any video for your iPod and iPhone using simple batch scripts. These, and some more tricks explained at this Life Hacker link.

With video cameras easily available these days you can any time use them to record actions that you want the world to see, especially if it is police brutality, although I wouldn’t like you to endanger your life trying to take dangerous footage. Sometimes the videos are so uncomfortable that even the mainstream media refuses to broadcast them. Here’s a place you can upload such videos.

Podcasting is a great way of presenting something unique to your readers; instead of reading you they can listen to you. Podcasting, in case you don’t know, is derived from Apple’s iPod and it basically means recording your message and then making it available to any portable music player; this music player can be some gadget like your iPod, or you can embed the podcast into your web page where people can listen it.

I know a few bloggers who run daily or weekly podcasts on their blogs and these podcasts are a great hit among the blog readers. Hosting podcasts also makes it easier for you to convey your idea because for most (not all) speaking is easier than writing and if you are comfortable with speaking great stuff imprompto then it also saves you lots of time because you can record your podcast even while doing something else. Here’s a blog post that tells you how to create your very own podcasts - the easy way.