No studio required.

I may not be using the right word here, and I’m cool with that. But for our purposes here we are going to call recording something on your phone and then posting it to your blog a podcast. Mmmkay? K. And, lest you think I’m going to start becoming overly useful, trust that I’m not. But after spending an hour to figure out how to the the a second time, because the first time I thought, “Well, of course I’ll remember that!” so I didn’t write it down, I thought I’d save myself the sixty minutes next time around. And because I am super nice and generous and I know some of my blogger buddies can’t get enough of their own voices, I thought I’d share.

If you think the sound quality will be lame, you may be right, but check it out here before you decide. I think it’s not bad at all. For free, it’s kick ass.

How to Record a File on iPhone and Podcast to WordPress

By the way, did I mention this is for Mac? If you have a PC, this may or may not help. Sorry :)

1. Record your file on the phone. I use the Voice Memos app, which I think came loaded on my 4G, but if not it’s free because I’m usre I wouldn’t have paid 99 of my hard-earned cents to hear my own voice.

2. Send the file to your email or get it onto your computer some other way. Apparently, there are clouds for such things. I’m not quite there yet.

3. For WordPress to play your file, it needs to be in mp3 format. Now, maybe you have some squizzy app that does that for you, but if you’re like me you have a m4a. Don’t freak out, it’s easy.

4. Open your iTunes. Go to the iTunes menu, Preferences, Import Settings. Make sure Import Using is set to MP3 Encoder.

5. Import the file into iTunes by choosing File, Add to Library, and then grab it from wherever you saved it.

6. Once it’s there in your library, right click and choose Create MP3 Version.

7. Open WordPress and Add New Media. Grab the file and then after it loads, view it. Once there, click on the title so it takes you to a screen where it actually plays. Hit pause quickly before you have to hear the sound of your own voice. Then, copy the URL.

8. Open up a new post and write some clever words to introduce your spankin’ podcast, or whatever it’s really called. Then paste your audio file URL.

This is what it looks like in your post, and it plays!

9. Here is the cool part that puts a little play button in your post and plays the file right there from that screen.

Edit the the URL to read like this:

[ audio URL ] – (But with only with a space between “audio” and the URL. I had to put the extras in there to show you.)

Seriously, that’s it. Just adding the word audio and the brackets gives you the goods.

10. Play, enjoy, tweet, repeat.

A lot of steps, right? Enjoy your hour.

Image: A. Germain, Flickr

I reviewed The BlackBerry Diaries here – sort of. Mostly I just bitched about how jealous I am that I didn’t write it.

Check out the review and then come back share your own technology addiction and/or rehab story in the comments here. I’ll be giving away a copy of the book to my favorite story.

I wrote about how I decided to get the iPhone, and more ways I use it (so far!) on HubPages. (PS – HubPages has gotten a cute face lift, check it out!) I’ve also started using some of the apps and I put together a list of some good iPhone apps for parents here.

Finally, I found this little gem of iPhone tips on Twitter (follow me!). It’s got me thinking of more ways to use the iPhone.

Have fun, fellow (and future) Apple addicts!

How I Love My iPhone, Let Me Count the Ways – Ever since I got my iPhone six months ago people have been asking, “How do you like it?” I am here to tell you all the reasons why I LOVE it, and all the ways it has made my life easier.

When a Gifted Child Flounders in School: One Mother’s Story – Sometimes it’s difficult to know whether or not a child is gifted, especially when teachers are treating your little genius as a problem child. Since I started writing about gifted kids and how to identify them, I’ve received several messages from parents looking for advice. I got permission to share this one because it’s a great example of what a lot of people go through.

How to Choose an MFA in Creative Writing Program: Cost and Benefit – I’ve toyed with the idea of pursuing a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. But every time I try to wrap my head around it, I can never quite narrow down what it is exactly that I’m trying to accomplish. If you’re struggling with the decision too, here are some things to consider.

Should You Homeschool? A Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Homeschool Decision – Homeschooling is becoming a popular alternative to the traditional school environment for many families. There are many advantages to homeschooling, such as customizing education to your child’s individual needs, having flexibility over scheduling, and achieving more influence over children. However, there are also many drawbacks and the decision to homeschool should not be taken lightly.

The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) provides the world’s largest collection of children’s literature freely on the Internet. ICDL for the iPhone application allows users to read a selection of books from the ICDL’s master collection. And supposedly the technology makes it possible to read story text clearly, even in highly illustrated children’s picture books on the small mobile screen.

Plus you can download books directly to the device, giving children and parents access to content offline and in airplane mode. Great for the doctor’s office. Because really – who wants to touch all those germy ACTUAL books?