Edu Podcasting Gains New Tool

The challenge with using Podcasting as a mobile learning platform is that to be truly mobile, your students must have some sort of Mp3 player.

Alltel has just launched a product that will make podcasts available to all of their customers who have BREW (Axcess) capable phones. A quick search showed that most popular phones include a BREW client.

What does this mean to mLearning? Podcasting has been used as a educational tool for over a year now, but has been limited to the students having a mP3 player or access to their PC. No longer. With podcasting being available on BREW enabled mobile phones (most cell phones), this will reduce one of the main problems in mLearning, cross device compatiability.

No longer will students be restricted from mLearning opportunities because of device limitations. This may be a defining moment in the acceptance of podcasting for mass education.

News Release:

Alltel Wireless and Melodeo Announce New Mobile Podcast Service

Axcess Mobilcast offers
easy podcast listening for Alltel customers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Aug. 8, 2006--Alltel Wireless (NYSE: AT - News), America's largest network, and Melodeo,
Inc., the first interactive podcast community for PC and mobile phones, today
launched Axcess Mobilcast service. The service enables Alltel Wireless customers
to easily search and listen to thousands of podcasts on their wireless phones
for a monthly subscription of $3.99. Alltel Wireless is the first company in the
United States to bring this service to market.

Axcess Mobilcast offers continuously updated
podcast episodes and radio shows from popular sources such as NPR and CNN, as
well as thousands of independent podcasts from all over the world. The programs
are short in duration and cover a wide range of subjects including comedy,
music, sports and politics.
Note:
..and educational podcasts.

"As the wireless
phone continues to become a media hub, Alltel Wireless is committed to providing
its customers with the most entertaining, useful and innovative applications
available," said Wade McGill, senior vice president of wireless product
management for Alltel Wireless. "Podcasts have rapidly become a part of daily
life for millions of Americans, and by partnering with Melodeo to bring Podcasts
to wireless phones, our customers can now listen to their favorite programs
wherever they go."

Axcess Mobilcast is currently
available on several popular Alltel phones. A simple interface allows listeners
to browse categories or search programs with no wait time. Podcasts are streamed
or downloaded and can be added to the "My Favorites" channel with one click.

"We're bringing consumers the best selection of
on-demand podcasts on their mobile phone," said Don Davidge, Melodeo founder and
senior vice president, sales. "It's exciting to offer podcasting to millions of
Americans as we move towards a seamless media experience between PC and
mobile."