If I understand correctly, you're suggesting that users will verbally speak to the iPod while the podcast is playing. Wouldn't the most common spoken command be "skip ad"?

The concept of interactive audio programming is interesting, but it doesn't seem likely to become commonplace.

"Skip ad" would only be an option if the producers put that in there. Think of it like banners or audio iAds. You have to know it's there to skip it.

If Kevin Smith asks you if you want to hear him talk about product X, most people will say "yes".

No please.

I can suggest other billion-dollar market ideas... why no put ads inside expensive drugs, it really benefits the patient... or why not put ads in the sky ala Batman? more billion dollar markets ideas?

The problem with podcasting is not that you can't put ads in podcasts, it's that podcasts as a medium are inconvenient.

You can't skim read a podcast. You can't easily fill 2 spare minutes by skimming a podcast like you can with a written article.

The same problem exists with online video and talking head "video blogs" FWIW, though it's not quite as bad, as you can still skim-view.

The HTML5 video/audio elements will enable you to increase the playback rate, which will somewhat alleviate this problem.

I thought that until I began listening podcast while commuting. Don't listen to podcast at you desk, listen in the bus, while driving, running, etc... You don't need a iPod, I got a $30 mp3 player and it's great.

Skimming through the list of podcasts I’ve subscribed to, a common thread seems to be people having real conversations, whether it’s news discussion, in-depth analysis of a topic or funny people saying funny things. Given the choice, I’d much rather listen to or watch the conversation than read a transcript or summary of it.

As consumer, I'm happy listening to full podcasts. If my listeners don't, I'm doing something wrong as a producer.

Maybe not, but that isn't what podcasts where meant for either - they have different strengths, such as the ability to create a theater of the mind.

And if you don't think that matters, try to hear some of Dan Carlins Hardcore History.

couldn't they have done this with flash a long time ago ?

I don't think those are the problems that led to the "failure" of podcasts and companies like odeo. Sure they are nice problems to solve, but they don't fix the real issue.

Odeo tried to solve the wrong problem. iTunes and tools like GarageBand solved the content and distribution problem. Odeo was never going to compete with that. What was needed was a scalable solution for monetizing podcasts that worked across platforms.

It seems a bit bizarre to implement a system to send audio and video for comments. Youtube already do video replies which are not exactly setting the world alight, surely just a comment box will suffice?

Voice recognition algorithms aren't "getting better everyday." Development is actually kind of stagnant.

Call me old fashioned but there seem to be at least two simple and straightforward ways to monetize podcasts. One is to charge consumers/subscribers directly. Two is to accept payments from advertisers to embed an advertisement (eg. sponsor acknowledgement) in the podcast itself, say near the very beginning (see Mixergy, etc.) Neither of those requires upgrading HTML or having any fancy click-tracking or affiliates deals.

Yes, those are ways to monetize podcasts. But so far they're not effective ways of doing so. That's why after almost a decade podcasting is still a niche market.

Inserting ads without tracking puts you at a competitive disadvantage to other forms of online advertising.

good points