Try a Podcast!

What are podcasts? They're audio (and sometimes video) programs created by people looking for an audience in any and every discipline. There are millions of podcasts, and almost all are free (in fact, very few generate revenue directly). Even *you* could be producing and distributing a podcast - without spending a dime.

You can play podcasts on your home computer, some TiVos, a portable music player (even iPods!), on some cell phones, and even on some GPS navigation devices - pretty much anything that plays audio files.

A defining characteristic of podcasts is that are they they are distributed via subscriptions. You subscribe to podcasts using a piece of software called a podcasting client. Whenever a new episode of the podcast is available, it automatically downloads to your computer, and (if you have one) to your portable media player. The most popular podcasting client is Apple's free iTunes software, available for Windows and Macintosh. iTunes also has a simple interface for browsing through available podcasts - though the offerings listed are not comprehensive.

Your favorite radio program may be available as a free podcast - try searching online for "showname podcast." Many programs on public radio are available as podcasts.

The podcasts I listen to the most are from fantastic technology journalist Leo Laporte. He's a remarkable combination of professional on-air talent and hands-on geek. Here are some of my other current subscriptions:

• Leo Laporte the Tech Guy - formerly a Los Angeles AM radio call-in show (2 hours every Sat-Sun), Leo recently got this syndicated
• This Week in Tech (TWiT) - friends of Leo's from the tech reporting business, and guests from the tech world do a virtual "round table" about whatever is hot this week in technology
• Security Now - an often very technical show about computer and online security, Leo's friend Steve Gibson is the best example of a Software Engineer/Public Presenter that's probably possible, and Leo additionally moderates for the layperson
• For a change of pace, I enjoy listening to Science Friday Now! - a podcast excerpted from Ira Flatow's NPR show. There are hundreds of episodes available on many topics, with great guests from the sciences.

Listening to podcasts has been life-changing for me. It makes heretofore irritatingly mindless tasks (like washing the dishes, or driving around L.A.) opportunities for feeding one's brain. You don't have to have a portable music player, but being mobile while listening makes a difference. For example, here's a $32 player at CompUSA with 512MB capacity, which would hold about 17 hours of typical podcasts (at 64kbps). Add a $10 cassette adapter for your car, and you're stylin'. (I recommend that you get a player with a display to manage podcast listening - unlike listening to music, you'll often need to know what episode number you're about to play.)