communication breakdown

Changing My Tune

Those of you that know me know that I'm not particularly interested in Apple products. Despite being surrounded by Apple fanboys wherever I go, I've just never been particularly fond of their style and philosophy on computer interaction. While I admire their capacity to push the creative envelope with technology, their style is just not my type...

... which makes it all the more ironic that I bought an iPod. Now, to be honest, I didn't buy one as much as contribute to the purchase of one. Due to a gift I received from my company for being named "Employee of the Quarter" sometime last year, I was able to get an iPod on the cheap. I will admit that this is one of the few Apple products that has at least intrigued me, because I am passionate about music and see the upside of having all my music with me at all times. So I splurged and bought one of the brand-new 80GB video iPods.

For the most part I've been happy. The huge hard drive meant I could put my entire music library (3000+ songs) on there with plenty of room to spare. I can take it into the car, to my desk at work, on walks with the dog, when running, etc. It was a real hassle up-front (to the tune of several days) to get my music organized and onto the iPod, and I have all kinds of issues with iTunes (which I won't discuss here), but for the most part it's been a positive experience.

Perhaps the best thing I've discovered as a result of getting an iPod is this idea of podcasts. For those who don't know (does anybody not know?), podcasts are audio and/or video broadcasts that people publish on a wide variety of topics, which can be downloaded for free. You can usually download them directly to your computer if you prefer, but the beauty of the iPod is that you can subscribe to podcasts, and they will be automatically downloaded for you whenever a new "episode" is published.

If the idea sounds interesting, but you don't know where to start, never fear! Here's a list of some of my favorite podcasts that I've uncovered over the last year:

TV / Entertainment

• The Lost Podcast With Jay and Jack (www.jayandjack.com) - As you might expect, this is a podcast about the TV show "Lost". This is one of my favorite podcasts, because it is a good mix of show analysis and banter between the hosts. With most podcasts the chattiness of the hosts just gets in the way, but in this case it really adds to the show. When "Lost" is in-season the podcast comes out twice a week. In the first episode they recap the show, replay listener feedback from their voicemail line, and give their "Crackpot Theory of the Week". On the second episode they take a closer look at the past episode (focusing more on easter eggs), analyze the previews for the upcoming episode, and replay more feedback. "Lost" might be over for now, but the show will run throughout the off-season, discussing theories and any show news. Highly recommended for "Lost" fans.
• The 10th Wonder Podcast (www.thetenthwonder.com) - This is one of the first and best podcasts for the show "Heroes". A little shorter and more focused than the Lost podcast, these guys do one show a week while the show is in-season, spending equal time on episode recaps, show news, and theory discussions. They do an excellent and very professional job of analyzing all things "Heroes". Fans of the show should definitely check this out.
• The Wiire (www.thewiire.com) - A Podcast dedicated to the Nintendo Wii. I subscribed to this one once I bought a Wii to keep up to date on things coming down the pipe, game reviews, etc. It is a constantly changing panel of 3-4 people and for the most part they do a good job of discussing fresh news and speculating on upcoming titles/technologies.
• LOSTCasts (www.lostcasts.com) - Yet another "Lost" podcast, but this one is very different in focus from Jay & Jack's show. They do one show a week while "Lost" is in-season; they basically eliminate the listener feedback and banter, focusing exclusively on theory analysis, which is always extremely interesting to follow. They do a very good job of thoroughly exploring many major theories in each episode. If you're looking for "Lost" speculation and want no fluff, this is the podcast for you.
• Mugglecast (www.mugglecast.com) - OK, I'll admit it, this is my guilty pleasure. For those in the know, this is a Harry Potter related podcast produced by the folks at Mugglenet.com, the premier HP website. I like the books, so I like listening to these folks analyze them and make predictions about the upcoming book. They do about one episode a week; it's usually longer than it should be and often gets a bit too in-depth for my liking, but it's still fairly enjoyable.
• The Brickfilms Podcast (www.brickfilms.com) - I stumbled upon this one by accident, but it's pretty cool. This is a video podcast where each episode is a different "Brickfilm", which is basically a LEGO Movie. In my experience it's been pretty hit-or-miss, but some of them have been pretty enjoyable. New episodes come sparingly; lately there has only been one every couple months.
• Jay and Jack's RambleCast (www.jayandjack.com/ramblecast) - Produced by the same guys who do "The Lost Podcast", this is their off-topic podcast in which they talk about whatever they feel like - movies, music, TV, etc. They even have a trivia segment in which Jay grills Jack. If you like these hosts (which I do), you'll probably like the show.

Sports

• Pardon The Interruption (espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index) - If you've seen PTI, you know what you're getting here; this is the audio feed of the show. For the uninitiated, PTI is a great sports analysis show in which two colorful analysts discuss and debate relevant sports topics. Just to keep it interesting, they also sprinkle in a bit of pop culture discussion, too. The show is rigidly structured with set times for discussions, "feature" segments, etc. The hosts are top-notch sports anlalysts and have great personalities for this kind of thing. I think most sports nuts are instinctively drawn to this kind of show.
• MSR NFL Roundtable (www.mysportsradio.com) - One of my favorite podcasts, these guys discuss all things NFL in a panel-type discussion. Reliably produced twice a week, and always limited to less than a half hour, these guys know their football and are passionate about it. Week to week they will discuss breaking news or recap games, but at key times of the year (pre-draft, training camp) they will do in-depth features. If you are a football fan and you are OK with highly-opinionated and uncouth analysts, give this one a try.
• ESPN College Football Insider (espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index) - Another ESPN podcast, this one is (obviously) focused purely on NCAA football. During the offseason they do occasional features like preview the upcoming season per conference, and once games start they will recap the week's action and look forward to the upcoming week. A short podcast, but a good summary for college football fans.

Humor

• Strong Bad Emails (podstar.homestarrunner.com) - I don't even know how to describe this cartoon video series; just go watch one, you'll either love it or hate it. Every time a new video short is posted on Homestarrunner.com, it is also published to the video podcast.
• Ask a Ninja (www.askaninja.com) - It's just what it sounds like; a ninja answers fan emails on video. It's pretty hit-or-miss, but when he's clicking he's hilarious, mainly because everything he says is totally ridiculous.

I would be curious to hear of any other great podcasts to which any of you subscribe...