I often times get asked how I manage to keep up with all of the happenings in the Information Technology (IT) field. My recommendation to most is that you need to invest time in a range of media – magazines, websites, blogs, and podcasts – to really do it correctly. It is the last category, podcasts, that I wish to discuss today.

image

Podcasts are downloadable audio files that you can play on your computer, iPod, or portable media player. Like blogs, they range in quality from amateur garage-bands to completely professional mass media productions. For technology, I have found that the sweet spot seems to be technology professionals who are refugees from either closed-down magazines, TV channels, or radio shows. They seem to produce the best quality formats and recordings, accessing the best media-savvy guests, have the skills to make the show entertaining while remaining informative, and keep to a schedule that makes them valuable from a current-events perspective. I especially like ones that are funny and intelligent while being information packed.

Here is how Wikipedia defines podcasts:

"A podcast is a series of digital media files, either audio or video, that is released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. The mode of delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other ways of accessing media files over the Internet, such as simple download or streamed webcasts: special client software applications known as podcatchers (like iTunes, Zune, Juice, and Winamp) are used to automatically identify and download new files in the series when they are released by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files associated with the series. New files can thus be downloaded automatically by the podcatcher and stored locally on the user’s computer or other device for offline use, giving simpler access to episodic content."

There are literally podcasts covering every technical topic under the sun. Sometimes they can be hard to find, though, and even harder to separate the good from the not so good. The iTunes Music Store, is where I go to subscribe to podcasts, but you can also download them directly from the various websites. All of my recommendations are free. I almost always listen to them in audio format on an iPod, but most of these actually tape live with video that is available via streaming if you prefer that format.

Here are the information technology (IT) related podcasts that I listen to regularly and recommend:

General Tech
Cloud Computing
Security
Apple Computing
Linux

I find that this combination presents me the right information and news, at the perfect intervals, with the best commentary to make sense of it all. If you happen to have a decent commute, as I do, you can turn that time into productive time and really stay on top of all that is going on in the technology sector and driving our Information Age. Enjoy!

That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for September 28, 2009.

Image Credit: US Naval Postgraduate School

Be Sociable, Share!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.