Podcasting startup Waxxi is kicking things off with an event featuring the authors of Naked Conversations, a book on business blogging.

The event, described as an “interactive podcast”, will feature Robert Scoble, popular blogger and Microsoft Tech Evangelist, and author Shel Israel. The event, scheduled to be recorded Saturday, May 20th, will let people listen and ask questions in real time, and will then be available as a podcast.

The creators of International Podcasting Expo, an online “virtual expo”, have announced the Women’s International Podcasting Expo, to be held July 14-16, 2006.

Show organizers have decided to offer unlimited access to the Virtual Expo Center Booths. Tickets will only be required for seminar and networking event attendance.

An informational meeting for anyone interested in participating in the Women’s Podcasting Expo will be held on May 9th, 9pm EST in an online audio conference room (link).

Expo Tickets are $20 through June 30th, $25 in July, and only during May, will include a free Expo CD. Information on exhibiting/sponsoring is available on the International Podcasting Expo site.

GetGoingTraining.com has released Get Going with GarageBand 3¬ù, a DVD and QuickTime download offering in-depth training and tutorials for Apple’s GarageBand 3.

The tutorials include: GarageBand Studio Setup, Recording Audio & Midi, Editing Audio & Midi, Creating a Podcast and a Movie Score for iDVD and QuickTime Video.

PodZinger has announced a deal that will put the company’s search technology to work at the popular Rocketboom video blog.PodZinger’s search technology allows full-text search of the spoken content in audio and video podcasts. Rocketboom visitors can now search the entire library of Rocketboom video to find specific videos and segments of interest to them.

Rocketboom is a three-minute daily videoblog based in New York City. The site covers and creates a wide range of information and commentary from top news stories to quirky Internet culture. Rocketboom has implemented PodZinger’s technology on their video search page.

Wondering where to put all those humongous podcast media files?

Other World Computing (OWC) may have what you need. They’ve introduced a dual-HD external FireWire drive RAID monster-drive storage system. The system is available in sizes up to 1.5 terabytes (TB) (1,500 gigabytes).

The 1.5TB Elite-AL 800 Pro RAID model, priced at $1,149.99, comes in a 9.0″ L x 2.8″ W x 5.8″ H aluminum enclosure.

OWC has also adjusted prices on the rest of their FireWire 800 RAID dual-drive storage solutions:

• 160GB with 4MB of Data Buffer – $219.99
• 320GB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $259.99 (was $279.99)
• 400GB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $309.99
• 500GB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $319.99 (was $329.99)
• 640GB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $369.99 (was $389.99)
• 800GB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $549.99 (was $579.99)
• 1TB with 16MB of Data Buffer – $759.99 (was $799.99)
• 1.5TB with 32MB of Data Buffer – $1149.99

The systems have two FW800 ports and one FW 400 port and come with a FireWire 800 Cable, FireWire 400 cable, EMC Retrospect Backup software, Intech HD Speedtools utility suite, and a two-year warranty.

More information is available at the MacSales site.

Potion Factory has introduced a new Mac OS X audio recorder, Voice Candy 1.0, that is designed to make recording fun.Voice Candy provides eight different effects, including Vader and Chipmunk, to alter your voice. Once you have made a recording, you can use it to set a reminder, send an email, or just save it to an iPod.

Voice Candy can run as a menu bar application and can wake a Mac from sleep when it’s time for the reminder. A global keyboard shortcut can be set to let you to start and stop recording at any time.

Voice Candy sells for $12.95 and can be purchased at the Potion Factory website. A fully functional 15-day trial is also available.

New podcast directory: Collectik is a new site for organizing podcasts and online media that is descibed as “like mixtapes for podcasts.”

The sites lets users make a collection of podcast, select episodes to add to a playlist, and then share playlists for subscribing to with iTunes, Juice and other podcast software.

Podcast Ready and mobiBLU have announced the launch of what they are calling the “first podcast-enabled MP3 players.”

mobiBLU’s latest MP3 player, the B153, will come pre-installed with Podcast Ready’s myPodder podcast management software. A myPodder-enabled 2GB mobiBlu Cube is also being launched through Target stores nationwide. Podcast Ready’s myPodder software resides on the player and works with a web-based podcast management system.

Users can plug the mobiBLU MP3 devices into any Internet-connected computer and access myPodder to update, subscribe to and manage their podcasts. Podcast Ready also provides a podcast directory and one-click podcast subscription.

Canada’s CBC Radio One has announced that it will now be offering a number of its programs as podcasts and as free online downloads.Programming will include the ‚Äúbest of‚Äù editions from The Current, Dispatches, Definitely Not the Opera, Ideas, Outfront, and As It Happens, plus highlight packages of regionally-based radio programs.

CBC recently conducted an online survey that revealed that one-third of podcast users listen to more than three hours of podcasts per week at home, work or in transit. The top reason for listening to podcasts, the survey discovered, is to hear the program at their convenience.

SEM Pro, a site that covers search engine marketing, reports that Apple is promoting the benefits of podcasting via email:

“Promoting your business just got easier. Create a podcast with GarageBand, post it to iTunes in minutes, and reach customers, clients, and partners in a whole new way. Chefs are sharing recipes. Maternity store owners are giving the lowdown on diaper bags. And other professionals are airing business discussions, marketing new products and services, and keeping people informed.”