Mobile podcasting with utterli

I spent the morning finding a way to podcast directly from a mobile phone while covering an event. gcast and gabcast worked well enough, but both required that I approve the podcasts through the web, which is just not practical.

I then found utterli which allowed me to preview, re-record and send pictures from my phone while in the field. During a local Proposition 8 Protest, I managed to make about 10 short podcasts (~30 seconds), along with 4 pictures. The only problems I encountered were the speed of my phone's menu & dialing, and my lack of journalism skills (had to re-record a couple of times, and was unable to keep up with the names of speakers).

I especially liked the fact that utterli will automatically combine your podcast with a picture if you send both within a ten-minute time frame. Knowing this allowed me to plan shots and updates. I was lucky enough to get audio and a picture of a rainbow flag being hoisted at a public building:



In addition to the functions I've mentioned, utterli also provides the ability to form groups that facilitate ongoing discussions using the system, and cross-posting, which automatically posts your "utter" to other blogging platforms.

I will definitely be recommending this tool to my students. The fact that they could podcast without having to record, convert and upload through a computer gives me hope that they'll be able to embrace this tool and improve their web presence.