Podcasts are, simply, amazing. This coolest of innovations supply an infinite source of information on any topic you can think of. Anyone, anywhere, has the means to put together their own custom-configured radio station. How awesome is that?
Included in the podcast package comes inspiration, awe and respect for all the pioneers out there who spent and continue to spend hours each week, putting together enough material for a single podcast.
It's been over four years now, since we met. We are still going strong (more than I can say about any other relationship I've had) and love each other as much as on the first day: me and the Podcast.
Podcast HistoryAccording to wiki, the first person to come up with the term "podcasting" was British internet technologist, journalist and broadcaster, Ben Hammersley, in 2004, in an article for The Guardian. The etymology comes from "playable on demand" with casting.
The Pod and The AppleApple later took the "pod" part for the iconic ipod. The rest, as they say, is history. But you can listen to podcasts without any sort of portable mp3 player. Despite several cease-and-desist orders by the Apple corporation in regards to the usage of the term pod+[take your pick], the Apple Trademark Department put out a statement in November 2006: Apple does not object to the "generic usage " of "podcast" by third person parties.
Podcasts have swept into mainstream usage. With all the amateur podcasters putting themselves out there, the professional broadcasters and media outlets have since jumped on the bandwagon, big time, to offer some or all portions of their output as free podcasts.
Free. The availability of any podcast, from anywhere, at any time is such a huge resource and has changed the whole media landscape. At least, I think so. Whether you archive them or not on your own personal laptop, the option to go back to the respective site, is always there.
CastawayIf I had to choose three things to take with me on a desert island, it would be my ipod, solar panels to charge the ipod with (are you listening Steve?) and all the below-named podcasts stuffed onto the ipod:
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast: Dan Carlin describes himself as an amateur historian, martian and outside-the-box thinker. He does it with so much gusto and exuberance, covering eras from the Punic Wars to the Fall of the Roman Empire, individual battles of WWII and loads more. New hardcore history podcasts appear about every four weeks. Since they usually run over an hour, that'll keep you busy until the next one.
Dan Carlin's Common Sense Podcast: same guy, different topic: Politics. The guy is seriously amazing. He can talk for an hour straight - all by himself. He sees himself independent of both the GOP and the DNP. New podcasts on a two to three week cycle.
Slate Culture Gabfest Podcast: This is a weekly podcast. New podcasts are downloadable Tuesday nights, PST. It's a round table discussion between Slate Magazine contributors Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner (the regulars) and occasional guests. The podcast runs for about 45 minutes and covers three to four topics: movies, books, academia news and relevant pop cultural news.
The entertainment value of their discussions is huge. All the contributors are super smart, insightful and extremely articulate ( in plain talk: all the words you have to look up - these guys use them in full sentences without sounding pompous or stuck up) I adore them.
Keith Olbermann's Countdown Audio Podcast: Ok, I am a liberal. I love this guy. And if I don't have any time to listen to anything else during the day, I'll always listen to KO. Oh, it's show on mainly US politics and other oddities. One regular feature is the "Worse, Worser, Worst Person in the World". His special comments are passionate and gripping.
Rachel Maddow Show Audio Podcast: I love Rachel too. If some of the daily politics are difficult to understand, Rachel is the go-to girl for breaking it down and explaining it in a clear, concise way, something you don't always get with Mr. Olbermann.
Mark Kermode's Film Review BBC5: One of the first podcasts I listened to. You can also listen live via the web and tweet comments during the live broadcast. The film review podcast is every Friday, 3PM GMT. The film reviews are based on the release schedules for the UK. Blockbusters usually have a world wide release therefore coincide with the US release dates. Smaller films, indie films often appear in the UK sooner, giving any film fan the edge and knowledge what to look out for. His style reminds me of Keith Olbermann i.e. Mark Kermode is extremely passionate about his profession, plus he has the Brit bonus: natural comedic talent. The repartee with co-host Simon Mayo makes this one of the most entertaining podcasts ever.
These podcasts feed my brain every single day. And every single day, I get something out of them. A stream of information from some of the smartest minds I've had the luck to discover......just awesome.
The above-named podcasts are available on itunes or just google the names and go straight to the respective websites. Some podcasts are available as video casts as well (like Olbermann and Maddow). The audio option works better for me, as I tend to concentrate better.
Since there are thousands of podcasts out there (maybe millions? dunno tbh), anyone who has a great podcast to share, please do! Discovering new stuff is what it's all about.