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These days almost everyone I know has some sort of smartphone, definitely has an iTunes account, and is usually plugged in some way or another. I know I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in my car waiting: waiting for my kids to arrive at the bus stop after school, waiting for the nurse to call me back to the exam room for my appointment, waiting for my oil to be changed. I realize that some of you may like a little down time, and I agree. But I find myself also wanting to make the most of that time and if I can listen to a podcast that has the double-bonus of being interesting while I learn something, I'd just as soon be plugged in.
I went searching for tech podcasts that fit that double-bill: they needed to be interesting and teach me something (or at least refresh my fading memory). Here's the list of what I found. I link to the main web site, but everyone (except #5 and #6) are available for free on iTunes.
- GeekBrief.tv featuring Cali Lewis. Video podcast "with news about tech tools and toys. I've saw Cali speak at WordCamp Dallas and loved her enthusiasm. She's fun and she talks fast because there's a lot of information to share in a short amount of time. Her video podcasts are usually three to five minutes long and she updates several times a week so you can keep up with the latest tech gadgets and happenings. Available free on iTunes.
- MAKE Magazine: MAKE Podcast. Kip Kay hosts these weekly weekend projects from the pages of MAKE magazine. Make is published quarterly, but you can have projects every weekend with this podcast. "Make celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want." Available free on iTunes.
- WebbAlert with Morgan Webb. Another fast talker who gives you tech updates and discusses what's happening in the tech world. It's set up a bit like a newscast. Webb covers everything from tech news and culture to video games and gadgets. The best part is she injects her personality and dry sense of humor into her videocasts. Ms. Webb doesn't update this podcast any longer, but they're fun to listen to. Available free on iTunes.
- X-Play's Daily Video Podcast with Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler. Yes, Morgan Webb is co-host of this podcast as well. She and co-host Adam Sessler offer "brutally honest game reviews of the hottest new video games available." Available free on iTunes.
- Tech in 20 with Jennifer Navarrete & Luis Sandoval offers advice and information on using social media, and internet and mobile apps. They offer screencasts as well as podcasts. They follow trends and share with you how they think those trends will affect you and your online presence.
- Expressive Programming by uberGeekChick. She offers interesting commentary on the state of coding. It's like having a conversation about your favorite topic (coding) with a friend. uberGeekChick is offering her opinion on how people code, the issues that come up with so-called best practices, etc. I found her podcasts to be a bit distracting with the music playing. It's hard for me to distinguish background noise from important noise--in this case background music and uberGeekChick's interesting information.
- Moms Gone Geek. Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you can't get your geek on. These women talk about everything from synching your peripherals to managing your reputation online. Available free on iTunes.
- TED talks. If you aren't familiar with TED, I weep for the things you have missed. These talks are entertaining, informative, and just all-around awesomeness on a stick. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED hosts conferences all over the world and these podcasts and videocasts are how they share that information with those of us who can't be there. TED is building a "clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other." Available free on iTunes. TED also has an iPhone app.
There are so many options for technical podcasts. If you go to the iTunes store you can sift through so many it will make your head spin. I tried to focus on those hosted by women because those seem to be overlooked, but there are definitely some great tech podcasts by men as well. I'd be interested to know what tech podcasts you download (by women or men). Leave your suggestions in
