Podcasting is a term that derives its name from the iPod™, a portable media player manufactured by Apple. The iPod is a small box, about the size of a pack or cigarette or smaller (depending on the model) that allows the storage and automatic downloading of audio files.
Nonetheless the above, the term "podcast" is no longer specifically associated to the iPod but can be used to refer to any software and hardware combination that allows the automatic download and storage of recorded digital audio files distributed via an RSS feed.
The disruptive power of podcasting lays in the fact that all audio broadcasting that is distributed in a podcast format can now be accessed at any time the user chooses to. This transforms also the world of broadcasting (both radio and TV) from one where content was pushed at you at specified times, to a medium where you the individual is now the puller who can decide what to listen to at any time.
