Tired of the usual radio while driving? Has a hectic schedule kept you from catching your favorite news show? Many media sources (radio, tv, newspaper, magazine, etc.) broadcast via podcasts. By conservative estimates, both audience and iPod advertising are expected to triple by 2012.
A podcast is a recording that you can automatically subscribe to via the Internet. New episodes are automatically downloaded to your computer. iTunes is the most common software used to manage podcasts. And it's free!
The diversity of content is vast. Most magazines have podcasts. Start with The Atlantic Monthly, New Yorker, or Slate to name a few. Newspapers, big and small are shifting their energies to podcasting. New York Times, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, etc.
TV versions of the news from sources like ABC's Meet the Press, CBS's 60 Minutes, and plenty of NPR, update daily or weekly. Some are video while others are audio or both.
Other favorites include "The Moth," real short stories from average people in anything but average circumstances. Ted Talks invites an assortment of thoughtful pioneers to provide brief explanations of current advancements in their field. 30 Seconds with Phone Guy is the how-to of managing life quickly and efficiently with a laugh.
Yes, it's free. Download and install iTunes to manage your library of podcasts. Then open iTunes and click on the iTunes Store. Click on Podcasts in the Store list and browse the featured and most listened too. Search for any topic to find the good stuff. Just click subscribe and confirm subscribe.
You could just listen or watch from your computer but you'll want to buy a FM transmitter for your car unless you have a built-in dock. Some FM transmitters can plug into your cigarette lighter while others are wireless and use batteries. e-Opinion suggests staying away from Belkin and instead doing a quick search for FM transmitter on the net for a good price.
Inexpensive home speaker docks bring your ipod listening to any room in your home.
I love the world my ipod brings to me with such convenience. Windshield time is learning, thinking and laughing time. Download some comedy like Independent Comedy Network or Real Time for a change of pace.
Audiobooks are also available but cost money, typically $9.95 to full price for the new stuff.
The information you want, when you want it. You'll never go back.