Podcasts, people. I want to know what podcast, blogcasts, whatevercast you are listening too and why.
Later today I have a long flight across the contiguous 48 states without the benefit of DirectTV ALA JetBlue — stupid, no-DirectTV, Continental Airlines — so I need some content to listen too.
I've found a few good subscriptions through the normal channels: NPR and KCRW, and thankfully happened upon Digg Nation about a month ago.
Now I want to find more good quality programs but as I'm new to this I thought I would ask around to see what's good and not necessarily what's popular or in with the Adam 'Podfather' Curry crowd.
So, back to my original question: What podcasts are you listening too and why?
P.S. My problem with comments being improperly filtered continue. In some situations you, the person commenting, are being told that your comment has to be approved. Yet, when I log in, there is nothing to approve, delete, or what-have-ya. If you're receiving this message after submitting a comnment please email your comments and I'll post them as soon as I can.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Design: WebEssentials 2005 (which are great) and the AIGA Conference podcasts (which I'm still not sure about).
Tech: This Week in Tech, the Widget, Security Now. Down-to-earth tech information, and plenty of fart jokes in the case of the Widget.
I've also been listening to Barak Obama's podcast. I'm pretty sure a few other politicians have their own podcasts. It's interesting to hear politicians speak like this.
Sorry for the brevity; in the middle of a proposal document.
From Our Own Correspondent. If only the BBC offered a few more programmes for download!
I'm pretty new to the casting of pods as well, but I've found a couple that are usually pretty good. The BBC offers an archive of documentaries: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/documentary_archive
Some can be very interesting and make a great way to pass time.
As an American living in the Uk I also enjoy Sandy Toksvig's podacst: http://82.136.60.2/podcasting/. Some of the casts are a bit odd but hang in there - they're usually worth while.
i also like to keep up with things back home by listening in on 60 Minutes' casts: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/06/utility/main706903.shtml
The comedic weekly radio address:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73801577&s=143441&i=992156
Inside Mac radio:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73329937
Web 2.0 (though hard to tolerate their rambles):
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=79511655&s=143441&i=1050971
TWIT, of course:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73329404&s=143441&i=946675
Ebert & Roeper, US Senator Barack for pure interest, and then I DO listen to the podictionary (I'm a dork), as it's interesting to hear the history of words, daily, in a quick minute http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73329808 though his voice gets annoying and the folk guitar could die a slow death
On the Media:
http://onthemedia.org/. They've got a great archive of shows, on addition to current content.
With podcasting, I can now say my iPod is more than just a cute gadget.
My faves (there'll be some overlap with these other responses) are TWIT (This Week In Tech–Leo Laporte does a bang up job), NPR's The Business from KCRW, NPR's Left, Right and Center (also KCRW), and NPR's On The Media (WNYC). You can tell I'm an NPR fan. These podcasts (just radio shows ported to the web) are high-quality and very engaging.
I've sampled others with varying interest, but these are my staples.
Go for The Da Vinci Code audio book.
I've found that the best podcasts are not always available through iTunes or Odeo. Your best bet is to surf around the web and see what you can find.
I've found tons of really great content on IT Conversations. you should be able to find enough good audio there to last you awhile.
Tracks up the Tree @ www.upthetree.com
simple the best
For a semi-geeky look at ecomoics from economics professors of all stripes try http://radioeconomics.com/.
For an interesting podcast that is really trying to use the technology to the fullest try Canadian public broadcaster CBC and their 'third channel' CBC 3. You can get it through iTunes or cbc.ca. CBC has a great science show called Quirks and Quarks too. It's a science show for people who are scientifically literate and interested.
Also check out http://twit.tv/ for podcasts with Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, John C. Dvorak, and more. It is also America's most listened to podcast and winner of the 2005 People's Choice Podcast Award.
Attic Beats.
Coverville
Totally hooked on it. Great, sometimes obscure cover songs.
It's not quite the same, but maybe you'll need a break from all the other podcasts--so I'd recommend some radio sets. I can't go anywhere without Z-Trip:
Here's an older required listen - Groovetech Set [95.6 Mb .mp3]
And here's a very recent, perhaps even better set - KROQ 106.7 Set [42 Mb .mp3]
Both direct downloads sanctioned by the artist and are guanranteed to change your life--or at least your musical preferences/prejudices.
More conservatively, you could also check out old radio programs at the Radio Memories Network.
Here's the list of podcasts to which I'm subscribed, with links:
1) BBC Radio 4's In Our Time [FEED]: In Our Time is a fascinating weekly show about culture and history which everyone should hear. I only wish that there was more enlightened, interesting programming like this here in America. Recent topics include "The terror in Revolutionary France", "Renassance mathematics", "Abelard and Heloise," "Virgil's Aeneid" and others.
2)Quirks and Quarks from CBC Radio One [FEED]: Quirks and Quarks is a great show, typically split into five short five-minute files. The show covers all sorts of science and is another must-hear program. (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS DUE TO CBC LOCKOUT)
3) /Nerd: Tod Maffin's CBC Radio Tech Column [FEED]: /Nerd is another great short show--actually, it's just a column--but instead of covering science, as Quirks & Quarks does, it covers tech trends. You Canadians and Britons sure do know how to make great programming! (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS DUE TO CBC LOCKOUT)
4) Radio Leo [FEED]: Remember TechTV's The Screen Savers? Remember how good it was before G4 bought TechTV, fired all the good people and basically defecated all over the show, leaving it a shell of its former self in an attempt to "MTV-ify" it? Well, the old hosts got together and created this podcast and guess what? It's a lot of fun to listen to. Man, I missed Leo Laporte. However, I get my hit of him every week from TWIT, as well as from his other two podcasts, contained in the same feed.
5) On the Media from NPR & WNYC [FEED]: On the Media is a show put out by National Public Radio and made in New York at WNYC. It's a weekly show...well...on the media. They report news on the news. Great to hear.
6) LUG Radio [FEED]: LUG Radio is a British podcast of a few guys who discuss Linux, often with hilarious results. Imagine taking your Linux buddies out and talking Linux whilst getting pissed at a bar. Great fun.
7) The Brian Lehrer Show [FEED]: As a New York commie hippie ACLU-type limousine liberal who hates America, naturally I like New York's public radio station, WNYC. Brian Lehrer is good, but I'm not sure non-New Yorkers would like it, as it's pretty eclectic.
8) Future Tense with Jon Gordon [FEED]: A great tech column from American Public Media.
9) Slacker Astronomy [FEED]: A show about astronomy. Very interesting and entertaining.
10) Science Friday [FEED] Good science news.
Harry Shearer's Le Show is always entertaining:
http://www.podcast.net/show/36711
LibriVox is attempting, and looks to be succeding, in getting volunters to record audio versions of books in the public domain (via Project Gutenberg) and release them via podcasts. They haven't released much yet, if memory serves me right, but I think it has potential for some interesting listening.
Benjamen Walker's Theory Of Everything
It's an edgier "this american life" kinda show.
Wizard People, Dear Reader is a funny unauthorized re-envisioning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by Brad Neely.
I'm crazy in love with the Protein podcast and the Trash radio podcast. If you like your beats hard like two-day-old cake, hit 'em up.
In response to what Ryan posted a bit above me, Dj Z Trip is pretty amazing. I was actually at the KROQ show that he posted a link to and it was pretty amazing. For sure check him out. Also, I really enjoy listening to live concerts, there's a lot of really high quality recordings posted on NPR's All Songs Considered that you can stream and/or rip with Audio Hijack to take with you.
As far as podcasts go, I listen to NPR's All Songs Considered and Ebert and Roeper (not anything special there), but I love This American Life. They don't have a podcast but you can stream their shows (and then rip them with Audio Hijack); you can also download them for a small fee.
http://scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/
I may very well repeat a few people. Just consider this a second vote in favor in that case.
Slacker Astronomy
CocoaRadio
Today from the BBC
Slate
tWiT
Anything NPR does, natch.
Audiocrush and The Legal Underground Podcast.
Podcasts are sooo 1.0! You need to get into videocasts, which are... streaming... video... new... technology... buzz... hype!
If you don't mind some self promotion I think my podcast is the bee's knees:
http://www.blankbaby.com/media/?cat=7
Shameless, I know, but one listener had this to say, 'I'm not going to lie, for me, a Blankbaby podcast is like being eaten by fire ants, except the exact opposite.'
ABC(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has a radio station called Triple J, who have a bunch of podcasts:
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/listen/podcast.htm
I'm regularly listening to Hack -- varied content, always interesting:
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/
I should've mentioned: TripleJ is a government-owned radio station that's been around for a long time, so the content is commercial-free and qute mature and well-produced. None of that over-the-top annoying radio-hype DJ-with-the-deep-voice stuff. Just good, interesting content presented to you as if you're an intelligent person.
plug: 3hive.com's weekly podcast of indie goodness:
http://threehive.libsyn.com/rss
Podcasts suck, they take too long to listen to, and I'm yet to hear a single podcasting episode that didn't run too long -- way too long!
But if you're into comedic tragedy, as I am, listen to the (drunken?) blatherings of Dave Winer, they truly are a hoot! The man does not have a pinch of humility in him.
I tried listening to Dave Winer and didn't last for more than a few minutes. His efforts are in that, 'oh I'm bored and have an idea so I'll record my thoughts over my cell phone' category — boring as hell.
I second Stewart's TripleJ recommendation, particularly the Hack show. The shows are always informative and really attention-grabbing, they're not afraid to tackle the touchy subjects, but they're not sensationalist at all.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Dawn and Drew Show yet. Hilarious stuff!
And then, of course, there's my new-and-not-so-good podcast: Vibrating Air.
hey Blurb - Don't you think it's HIGH time Leta had her own podcast? I mean she's speaking in tongues right - what could be a better podcast? You might even offer translations ;-)
Since everyone listenes to the basics like TWIT and Diggnation, here my list of Odd ones; The Web 2.0 show, commandN ( the vidcast), The z100 phone taps, 60 minutes.
Spacemusic, http://spacemusic.libsyn.com/, for the best in ambient sounds and chill out atmospheres..and a few good recipes as well.
i listen to it because it's just the best way to get through a long day of coding at work, or to simply get in a nice relaxed mood before bed, or while on vacation and staring at the ocean.
www.coverville.com - cover tunes - really good stuff in here
www.cushrocks.com - comedic monologues
www.thebitterestpill.com - more comedic monologues
www.tartanpodcast.com - indy music from Scottland and around the world.
Democracy Now - special episode today with Studs Terkel
I enjoy Z100 phone taps, it's available on itunes.
Slate story of the day is great- get a bunch.
CBC Radio 3, of course
Does anyone know of any good short fiction podcasts? (or, wait, do they do 'selected shorts' as a podcast? must go check.)