Podcasting (in case you don’t know) is a cool way to listen to your favourite radio show whenever you like on your iPod instead of at the allotted time it’s broadcast. The idea is that you subscribe to a particular podcast (such as the Adam and Joe BBC 6 Music show) and each time a new episode is released it is automatically copied onto your iPod (or any other MP3 player for that matter) and you can listen to it at your leisure, such as when you’re taking the train to work. Sounds great!
Of course, back when podcasting began it wasn’t so cool and I pretty much ignored it (which is what I tend to do with most technical things until they prove themselves capable of making my life better). Initially the only podcasts out there seemed to be recorded by American men droning on in monotone voices about some boring technology or other (or making some interesting technology sound boring as a result of their monotone, droning voices) – which is exactly the last thing I wanted to listen to on the train in the morning. So I steered clear.
But more recently mainstream media, such as the BBC to name but one, have picked up podcasting in a big way. Pretty much every radio show of interest has its own podcast and with the tight integration from software such as iTunes, it’s incredibly easy to subscribe to them. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Much like getting Sky+ revolutionised the way I watch TV – I “series link” all the things I’d like to see and watch them at a time of my choosing instead of being a slave to the schedules (and as a bonus feature I never have to watch ad breaks) – podcasting now means I don’t have to turn radio 5 on at 11am on a Saturday to listen to Fighting Talk. Instead the next time I hook my iPod up to my Mac the latest episode is automatically copied across and I can listen to it when I want.
As well as audio podcasts there are also video podcasts produced by a variety of people and organisations (even NASA) although personally I prefer not to squint at a small screen while on a train so will stick to audio for now. But as is often the case, something that I thought was a bit of a waste of time when it first came on the scene has grown into a huge success that’s been bought into by most mainstream media companies, not to mention talented individuals who would otherwise not be able to show their skills without getting a job in radio or TV. Still, better late than never!
Oh, and before you ask, no, I have no plans to ever record my own podcasts. I’d just drone on in monotonous tones about my hair, the weather and a whole bunch of other things nobody would ever be interested in. This site does enough of that already!
I have only recently gotten into podcasts aswell, and by that I mean I have 1 so far I listen to, with plans to expand.
it is great for listening to while to or from work, the rest of the time I listen to music, read or watch tv/anime on my pda (3.5″ screen is quite decent for all of the above)
and if anyone is interested in science I would recommend checking out “the skeptics guide to the universe” (the 1 podcast that I mentioned I listen to) which is very informative and entertaining.
that an I recommend grabbing a pda because they truly are the ultimate portable entertainment device (and I guess you could use them for more mundane purposes aswell, such as me using mine for gps and scribbling down notes)
Thanks Murdats, subscribed to and listening to now! 🙂
Yeah, a friend of mine got a new PDS recently and they’ve really come along in the last few years. So much more than a mere iPod and upgradeable too. Although after buying my iTouch I really couldn’t justify buying another electronic device – I’ll just wait for the battery to die and look then! 😉
haha, yeah, and with memory dropping in price like a stone you could easily grab something up to 32gb without it hurting the wallet too much.