Podcasting is named after Apple's popular iPod player, but you don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts, any portable mp3 player will do (more people own portable mp3 players made by other manufacturers than there are iPods owners).
Podcasting was made popular by Adam Curry, a web entrepreneur who was best known as a presenter on MTV from 1987-94.

He wanted to find a way to automatically download his own mp3 files from the internet and store them on his iPod. Curry instigated an open source project that led to the development of a standalone piece of software called iPodder that allowed him to do just that. Open source is just a project that invites any or all coders to work on and try improve the program you are developing.

There are now many different podcasting programs available to download for free, many of which are by Curry's own admission, improvements on his own software.

Since June 2005, Curry has hosted his own 'PodShow' on Sirius Satellite Radio.