How can we remove barriers to podcasting from Cambodia?

I've been obsessing about podcasting from Cambodia ever since I hear my first khmer postcast.  In the comments, Tharum wrote:  "The fact is that we may be not up to that just yet, the Internet connection and equipments are out of our reach."  Perhaps it might be an interesting for cloggers to do the impossibility exercise?

So, I've been asking everyone I know this question:  How can one do a podcast without an IPOD on a slow Internet connection? Can you do a podcast without a computer?  Is that totally impossible?   There are two ways to do it!

Method #1:  A Non-Mobile Podcast

You can do an audio recording using your computer, an inexpensive microphone, and audio recording software to create an audio file that could be uploaded to your blog. 

Granted the files would have to be compressed and your piece short. You'd have to learn about file compression.  It might inconvenient if you're recording on an Internet cafe computer.   You loose mobility as you'd have to bring the subject to be interviewed to the computer.   I don't know the detailed how-tos, nor have I yet found the ultimate tutorial written by someone else, but I have a good starting point for tools, and the search for how-to information would begin with Andy Carvin and Audio Activism.  (And, if I'm super lucky, they may drop by and offer some advice)

Method #2:  Use a Cell Phone

Audio Activism has a tutorial on how you can use your cell phone to do a podcast.   (And, so does Andy Carvin) The tutorials provides the steps using a free Internet voice mail service that lets you dial up a number, leave a voice mail message, and then an audio file is emailed to you.   My heart sank when I noticed that numbers were in the US -- so that wouldn't be cheap if you were calling from Phnom Penh.  Maybe Cambodian cell phone carriers support this service?

I remembered Vongsa who works with Bill Lester at NinthBridge and who I met at the Denver Riders Conference in 2000.   I emailed Vongsa who confirmed the above two methods, but even more exciting he wrote:

"Most of the current cell phone can record voice that can be sent using either multimedia message service or email service to cell phone or to any email address. Mobile phone companies in Cambodia support this service."

So, the question is how much does this service cost?  Do you have the right phone?

Of course, the above methods do not address the RSS/Blog/Enclosure piece of podcasting -- but that can be a second step.

There is also a third possibility -- a cross globe collaboration.   Let's say a blogger in Cambodia is able to use Skype or beta version of Yahoo IM to talk to me over the Internet.  And, if I could figure out the technology - I could record it as a skype cast.  I know that this has been done on Global Voices.  Vongsa says that many people in Internet Cafes use Skype/YIM to talk tol people overseas.  I installed Skype and downloaded the new YIM as well.   

Technorati Tags: cambodia  podcasting nptech

Comments

[Brian R]

Thanks for linking to audioactivism!

I've been thinking AND working on this challenge a lot. I still belive using a cell phone is the best solution at this time. But how can we get around long distance charges and paid Internet services? In essence how can we make this as cheap as possible for as many people as possible. I don't mean cheap by US standards but cheap in International terms.

Answer: Localism! By distributing the service load to as many groups and countries as possible.

Example: If an organization in Cambodia had a bit of hardware that was a appliance/server, a broadband Internet connection, and a analog phone line connection they could host their own free cell phone blogging service for local people. Someone in South Africa could do the same for local people and tweak it to THEIR needs.

This machine would act like a fancy answering machine that could upload mp3 files to other servers with more bandwidth to podcast files around the globe.

Plus all these machines could facilitate VOIP communication with each other!

I'm experimenting with a prototype now. :D

[Beth]

Brian:

That sounds exciting! Look forward to hearing more about it.

[Tea Vui Huang]

And the flip side to it... how to receive and listen to podcast without an iPod:

Podcasting to Mobile Phones!
(No iPod, MP3 player, or iTunes mobile required).

A free iPodder add-on developed by Tea Vui Huang automatically converts podcasts to the widely supported AMR-NB mobile phone audio format.

Download from http://www.geocities.com/tvhuangsg/mobcast/