Apple has released its latest version of iTunes—4.9—which features podcasting support. I’ll be trying it out as soon as possible.

Josh Hallett reports that the software also includes support for enhanced with “chapters” and web links. Hallett points to this item in the “What is Podcasting” link on the iTunes Music Store:

Enhanced Podcasts

Q: What’s an enhanced podcast?
A. In addition to publishing a podcast, you may create an enhanced podcast, which contains chapters that reference pictures or web links that are displayed within the iTunes song artwork viewer.

Q. How do I create an enhanced podcast?
A. You can download and use “Chapter Tool” to create enhanced podcasts. The Chapter Tool allows you to create chapters within a MPEG4 AAC file created with iTunes 4.9 of better. Chapters, at a minimum, must include a Start Time and one other attribute.

It’s my guess that this will work only on the iPod (most other digital media players don’t support the AAC file format), and I’m not sure what the encoding will do to the ability to play a podcast on alternative media devices. But it’s worth a look.