The BBC, always the innovator online, is attempting to push the envelope a little further.

This time it is asking its faithful followers to test out podcasting, a new method of delivering radio content online.

Podcasting is a method of publishing sound files to the Internet. Users subscribe to a feed and receive new audio files automatically through ?podcatching? or ?aggregator? software.

Users subscribe to podcasts using the software, which will automatically check for and download new content. You can then listen to the sound file on your computer. But the real advantage is if you have a portable music player, such as Apple?s iPod. Podcatchers can be synchronised to load the content to your portable audio player, allowing you to travel with your show.

In other words podcasting is the sound equivalent of the RSS format. RSS aggregates news feeds you subscribe to in a single piece of software. RSS software collects all your news subscription feeds automatically and when you open it you have all your updated news available for viewing.

Currently all of the BBC?s radio shows from 18 channels are available online as live streams. Users can also listen to the past seven days worth of shows through the BBC?s ?Listen Again? archive.

Now the BBC is testing podcasting to see whether its listeners will take to the new format. Unfortunately the BBC cannot offer comedy shows, drama and shows containing music through podcasts due to licensing issues.

You can still listen to such shows, including the Archers, as streams on the rest of the BBC site. The difference in rights is the difference between streaming a show and downloading and keeping a show on your computer, where you will have it until you delete it.

At the moment the BBC is only offering a limited number of programmes for podcasting during the trial while it works out the rights issue. You do not need an iPod or MP3 player to listen to the downloads.

You will need a media player such as Real Player of Windows Media Player on your computer. The advantage of transferring the downloads on to a portable player is that you can then listen to them on the move.

The podcasts in the trial are free. Does this mean the BBC will switch to a paid subscription model. Perhaps, which would be unfortunate but may solve the rights issue.

As a subscriber to a BBC Radio podcast you can automatically receive the latest edition of the programme. This file can then be easily transferred to an mp3 player. To do this you will need an Internet connection and a piece of podcast software which is usually available free of charge.

The BBC is testing audiences? appetite for such downloads and their preferred content at www.bbc.co.uk/radio. Video downloads will be next from the broadcaster, which last year won the Online News Association?s award for excellence in online journalism. This experiment will keep it in the running for this year?s awards.

You can download free podcaster software and listen to a variety of other shows at www.podcast.net or www.ipodder.org.

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When a robot arm starts serving me beer at my local pub I might begin to think that the use of technology is going too far. Or perhaps I will be pleased I will not have to belly up to the bar behind a line-up to get my favourite beverage as soon as I want it.

A club in Glasgow, The Garage, became the first place last month to test out a new vending machine that dispenses bottles of beer with an electronic robotic hand.

The machine was invented by Glasgow entrepreneur Michael Bowes, who is all of 23 years of age.

The Barhand will not listen to your sad sack stories but it will get you a drink faster, exactly what is needed in the UK, huh? Bowes claims that by solving the problem of waiting in a queue for a drink will help alleviate binge drinking. When people queue, they tend to buy more than one drink at a time and binge drink, or so the theory goes.

Bowes says if queues are eliminated, drinkers will buy one beverage at a time and pace their consumption.

The Barhand comes with a timeclock that shuts the machine off after the ?last orders? bell so there are no arguments to deal with.

Of course there are problems. Under UK law it is an offence for a licensed premise to sell alcohol to someone who is drunk. Since the machine cannot do so this will pose a problem.

Unless of course the robotic arm comes over and ?sniffs? your breath first.

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www.SecureBermuda.com has the latest Microsoft security updates, which were released yesterday. Microsoft has released seven security updates in its latest batch for Windows and for UNIX. Some are critical updates so be sure and download them as soon as possible.

The package also contains an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

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