What is a podcast/netcast?
As defined by Wikipedia - Podcasting, a combination of Apple's "iPod" and "broadcasting", is a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. It first became popular in late 2004, used largely for audio files.

There is some controversy over the name podcast because of the fact that Apple is now "defending" it's iPod trademark against companies in the podcasting business (usually the one's who are selling podcasting related hardware or software), but some people are afraid that they may come after anyone using the podcast name. Some people would like to go ahead and change the name to something else to circumvent any future problems and to prevent new listens from getting the idea that you might have to own an iPod or use iTunes to listen to podcasts / netcasts. This is far from true, yet I too asked about this when I first heard about podcasts / netcasts. If you want to hear more about these issues, I suggest listening to TWIT (this WEEK in TECH). Leo Laporte is very much a active and driving member of the podcasting / netcasting community.