Listen to Podcasts Without Your PC

Listening to a podcast today is something reserved for the highly motivated. First, you've got to identify a podcast worth its bandwidth. Next, you've got to be at your PC to subscribe to the podcast. Finally, you've got to be able to either sit at your PC and listen, or transfer it to a portable device to take with you. That's a lot of upkeep. What if you could listen to a podcast from a dedicated podcast player? No PC required.

CastGrabber is a dedicated device about the size of a traditional MP3 docking station that connects you to CastGrabber.net where you can choose from and subscribe to podcasts. The CastGrabber will also recharge your MP3 player and synchronize your library of podcasts with any PC (not Mac) on the network. The device works with most MP3 players and Apple's iPod.

To subscribe, you need to be at your PC for the initial registration. (iPod users don't go to the CastGrabber site to choose their podcasts; they'll be able to subscribe right through iTunes.) Once you're subscribed to a podcast, you'll be updated regularly every time you dock your MP3/MP4 player into CastGrabber. The cost for this pleasure is $99; not that expensive, except when you consider that most podcasts are free.

I met John Hammer, the inventor behind the CastGrabber, last week and I was pretty hard on the product. It's a terrifically interesting idea that needs some work. The CastGrabber is actually creating a directory of podcasts with virtual links to the sites' URLs, but the CastGrabber site's organization and presentation needs help and the selection (though they claim 15,000 podcasts) seems a bit sparse and poorly organized.

Truth is, you still need your PC to register and choose your podcasts for delivery. Once you choose, that's when CastGrabber manages the subscription. Unless you're a serious podcast listener, the notion of choosing on your PC and listening on your CastGrabber seems like too much trouble for too little return. The reason you need your PC is because the CastGrabber has no display screen or input of its own. Finally, it's not wireless and the speakers are not particularly impressive.

Why devote ink to a product that's not quite ready for prime time? Two reasons. First, podcast fanatics may find CastGrabber makes their lives a bit easier. Second, it's a great idea whose time will come. Podcasts offer fountains of content, the lion's share being free. With a bit more polish on the hardware and software, a podcast machine sans PC is a great idea. CastGrabber is available next month. It's the first product I've seen to help people live in the world of podcasts. Seen anything like it?

P.S. Clueless about podcasts? They are essentially digital radio shows that broadcast over the Internet and are available via subscription. For a primer, read Becky Worley's introduction or this QuickStep guide.