Even better usability news, however, is the introduction of web playback. Controls are pretty simple -- just hit 'play' -- but this means you won't automatically be booted to iTunes to listen. Apple has also introduced a dedicated podcasts.apple.com URL, instead of the previous itunes.apple.com URL.

As 9to5Mac reports, Apple is working on a dedicated podcast app for the Mac, so these changes mark the first steps towards a much better listening experience than that currently offered as an apparent afterthought in iTunes. However, some users are still reporting seeing the old interface, so it seems Apple is still testing the waters, and it's not clear yet when the new one will roll out globally.