Are you tired of listening to the same music over and over again? Overwhelmed with all the news in the blogosphere? Or maybe you're feeling down and just need a good laugh? Well, worry not, podcasts are here to help. Podcasting has been around since the nascent days of the digital music revolution. The name comes (obviously) from iPods (remember those?), and it was thanks to the iPod, and more specifically iTunes, that podcasting really took off. A podcast is basically a radio show that is distributed digitally (hence iTunes role in it's popularity). These days, there are more types and styles of podcasts, than you could possibly ever imagine. They run the gamut from comedy, to tech news, to regular news, to history lessons, to language lessons, etc. Most are free, and many are now offering videocasts of their programs as well. In this article, we will look at some different podcatchers (apps that help manage different podcast feeds). Most of these will only apply to Android users, as almost all podcasts can be found on iTunes for Apple users. In the coming weeks, we will review and recommend some of our favorite podcasts.
Listen - Google Labs version of a podcatcher. Works fairly well. Very simple interface and is very light on memory. Can be buggy at times, as most things that come from GLabs can be.
BeyondPod- My personal favorite podcatcher. Clean, easy to understand UI and the ability to schedule your podcast downloads are definite pluses. Very stable. Major drawback is the $7 price tag (although worth every penny to me.
Doggcatcher- A perennial favorite, this one offers much of the same features as BeyondPod, just with a different interface. Also $7, but most users claim it is worth every penny.
There are many more podcatchers out there, and I encourage you to find the one that best fits you. In the meantime, we leave you with our first podcast recommendation. Just follow the link!
I've always been a fan of Bill Burr's comedy, and this show doesn't disappoint. Equal parts angry and self-loathing, it always brings a smile and a hearty laugh to the worst morning of the week. Enjoy!