SAN MATEO, Calif.--  Houston, Texas-based company, Phonecasting.com delivers a unique capability to assign a phone number to the RSS XML code of  any podcast. Once a publisher, has generated a phone number for their podcast it will show up along with that podcast link in most of the popular search engines.

Let's say you want to hear a Fox newscast, for example. You type in the keywords 'Fox News Phonecast' on Google and the first link in queue is Fox News Radio. The number assigned to the phonecast is 212-904-0080. The user can dial up that number from either their landline or mobile phone and listen to the latest, up-to-the minute newscast.

When someone wants to listen to podcasts on their phone instead of having to be tethered or docked to a computer, a visit to the Phonecasting.com site is in order. Simply paste the RSS XML code of your podcast in the 'Enter RSS link here' field. Click on 'Get Phone Number' and voíla... instant phone number for your podcast.

Michael Sharp, President and Founder of phonecasting.com/" target=_blank shape=rect>Phonecasting.com, speaking from the recent Podcast and New Media Expo in Ontario, California noted, "Phonecasting can be a compliment to the entire podcasting eco-system, allowing a much broader reach for your podcast than ever before possible. In fact, I feel strongly that the phone is the greatest social networking tool of all time, with a potential audience reach of billions. The service is dead simple. Any phone, landline or cell, can be a podcast player now. In essence, phonecasting is Grandma-friendly. Simply dial up and listen. Be sure to use your podcast phone number in your marketing programs to get the word out to your listeners that they can access your show anytime you have a new episode available for download, stream, or, dial up from phonecasting.com. Even more exciting phonecasting tools like our new P-commerce features will be available soon. The new features will allow listeners to touch a key and purchase your new book, recipe, or other content, all from the phonecast they are listening to. This will open up new and exciting channels of potential revenue for podcasters looking for ways to monetize their content.

Both Podcasting and Phonecasting are near or at the top of the heap of the so-called "convergence between mobile and the Internet" technologies. Both are credible and increasingly important social networking tools. But which is more relevant? Which is easier to use? How easy is it to find a specific podcast?

To begin, here are some recent comments about Phonecasting from Pauline Wallin, PhD., a well known Internet educator (TeachMeInternet). "Why would you want to [listen to a phonecast]? Convenience, for one. No need to download anything to your computer or mp3 player. You're more likely to carry your cellphone than your music player. And phonecasting is perfect for short podcasts such as news headlines, sports reports or health messages."

Phonecasting Vs. Podcasting

• Convenience and portability – it's easier to lug your mobile phone around than your laptop or being tethered to your PC
• You can listen to a phonecast from a landline or a mobile phone
• No downloads to your device or handset
• No tedious browsing through huge podcast directories
• The service is currently free, when critical mass is reached advertisers may want to pay for reaching the phonecasting audience
• The search engine issues clouding the podcast space make it preferable to use other means of listening to your favorite podcast – in example, the dead-simple patent-pending technology featured at phonecasting.com/" target=_blank shape=rect>Phonecasting.com that will allow you to embed the RSS XML code of  a podcast into the "Enter RSS Link Here" found on all pages of the site that will generate a unique phone number. Dial that number and you can listen to that podcast within minutes from any phone. Simple. Easy to do. Fast.
• According to a report by The Mobile World global cell phone use will exceed 3.25 billion by the end of the year
• Want to create your own podcast or phonecast?  – Create your account and podcast channel, dial a toll free number available with your phonecasting.com account and record your own audio podcast. Once you've done that,  log in to your account and use any of the site's innovative editing and publishing tools to fashion your phonecast as you see fit. Give it a title and description and you're all set. Click the auto generated rss feed in your channel and assign your podcast a phonecasting number.
• Publishers can choose to share or sell their downloadable content.
• phonecasting.com/" target=_blank shape=rect>Phonecasting.com  offers publishers an award-winning metrics package that will thoroughly track all your phonecast content and call stats