Is That Still a Thing, Part 2

The following is part two of a two-part series on revisiting older technologies that are still relevant today.  See last month’s post for information on blogs and blogging.

If you see me reach towards my phone to pause what I am listening to, I am usually not listening to music or an audiobook - I am most likely listening to a podcast. Podcasts are a great way to learn something new, keep up to date on the news or your favorite sports team, or even get sucked into a fictional world.  Whether you just have a few minutes to listen or need something to make your hour commute bearable, there is a podcast on the right topic and at the right length for you.

Podcasts got their start as the audio extension of blogs.  So-called audio blogging can find its roots back in the 1980s. As internet speeds and connectivity grew and evolved, these audio blogs changed from being MP3 files you could access through an RSS feed to high quality digital files automatically delivered to your smart device.  The invention of digital players like the Jukebox and the iPod helped push the development of the medium.

Today, your mobile device has most likely come preloaded with a way to listen to podcasts. However, there are a number of other ways to listen to them with apps/websites like Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, or Tune In.

So, you have an app for podcasts but what do you listen to? Your podcast app will have a list of the top shows - these are always a good place to start your search. A lot of media outlets like NPR are turning their radio shows into podcasts, which makes listening to their shows easier and on your schedule. They are also starting to produce quick daily news updates so you can get an idea of the important headlines. Check your local radio station websites, there is a good chance they are turning some of their shows into podcasts to make them more convenient for their listeners.

There are also companies like How Stuff Works that produce a number of shows on a number of topics. Use the hashtag #TryPod to see what other listeners recommend, whether it is a specific episode or a whole series you should check out. 

I personally feel the best way to find something to listen too is to ask people if they listen to podcasts.  Trust me, if they do they will love to tell you about everything they listen too.   Here a few I have enjoyed:

Fiction:

                LeVar Burton Reads  - In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, Roots, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. The third season just started so there are over 20 short stories for you to listen too.

                Limetown – Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock asks the question once more, "What happened to the people of Limetown? The second season is set to start on October 31, 2018, there is also a prequel novel due out in November.

                Welcome to Night Vale – a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. This podcast premiered in 2012 and, while I highly suggest you go back and start from the beginning, you can tune in now and quickly find yourself sucked into the lives of the residents of this small desert town.  The producers have expanded and now put out a series of podcasts under the company Night Vale Presents.

NonFiction:

                This Day in History Class - From the desk of Stuff You Missed in History Class, one of the How Stuff Works podcasts, This Day in History Class quickly recounts a tidbit from today’s events in history.

                TED Radio Hour - The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme.

                Casefile - a weekly (sometimes fortnightly) true crime-themed podcast that first aired in Australia in January 2016, hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous. The series deals with solved or cold criminal cases, often related to well-known murders and serial crimes. Most of the cases relate to Australian cases, although notable crimes from the UK and the USA are also regularly featured.

- Amelia R., Information Technology