CSA Online A Few Podcasts [Worth a Listen] There are more than half a million podcasts available. We weren’t kidding when we said that you can find a podcast on practically any topic which you can imagine. All podcatcher apps will have a search feature. Input any topic and you’re practically guaranteed to find a podcast covering that subject. Here are a few popular general interest podcasts to whet the appetite. Hidden Brain This NPR podcast tackles subjects relating to the conscious and subconscious mind. It was borne of host Shankar Vedantam’s book of the same name. It’s grown further still. This podcast is equal parts thoughtful and thought-provoking. It’s a personal favourite. Serial Serial was released in October of 2014 and remains on the top podcasts list in iTunes and elsewhere to this day. It follows the case of Adnan Syed who, in February 2000, was accused, tried and convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. The show casts many doubts, but draws no conclusions for the listener and it’s a real roller-coaster, made all the more visceral because it’s dealing with a real case and real people. The unrelated followup S-Town is definitely worth a listen, too. Under the Influence Broadcaster and one-time adman Terry O’Reilly tackles one marketing-related topic every episode, from famous jingles to social search ads to ads in the comic books of old. O’Reilly has definitely been around the block and seen a few things and the result is a wealth of knowledge, along with more than a few interesting personal anecdotes. 99% Invisible Playing on the idea that really great design feels so natural that it escapes notice, this podcast tackles design, architecture and user experience. In the podcast creators’ own words: “99% Invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about – the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.” It’s a bit hard to categorize, but it’s fascinating. Criminal Host Phoebe Judge discusses one interesting, unsolved or significant crime each week. The show doesn’t wallow or delight in the crimes it covers and it seems that there’s always some insight into the human condition in each episode. The Habitat This podcast is a serialized look into the hearts and minds of six terrestrial astronauts who spent a full year on a fake red planet as part of an extended experiment, as NASA gears up to go to Mars. The stories are told using these volunteers’ audio diaries. Fascinating stuff. How to find a podcast THERE AREmany ways to acquire and listen to podcasts. The simplest way is with a dedicated app on your computer, smartphone or tablet. These apps are often called podcatchers. Mac If you’ve got a Mac computer, iTunes (free and already installed) is the best bet. Just select “Podcasts” from the pulldownmenu in the top left and you’re taken into iTunes’ curated podcast view. You can also search for a specific podcast or for any subject, to see what’s available. Click to learn more about a podcast. If it’s interesting to you, click to subscribe and the latest episodes will be downloaded automatically. You’ll find them in your library. Smartphone If you have an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, PocketCasts ($3.99) is worth the investment, despite the fact that there are plenty of free podcatchers available. PocketCasts does a great job of curating interesting and popular podcasts on the Discover page. Fromhere, tap to learnmore about the show and tap to subscribe, if you’re interested. You can also search for podcasts or for subject matter. PocketCasts allows you to speed up a podcast to save a little time so that you can listen to more. Better, a smart silence-trimming option cuts out the dead air and pauses and can shave minutes off a podcast without losing any of the content. PC If you’re a Windows user, Grover Podcast (free) is the best choice. It lets you browse or search for and subscribe to any podcast you’re after with a smart, simple interface. When listening to a show, you can see the show notes for that episode right in the Grover app. You can start listening to a podcast before it’s even finished downloading. You can choose how and whether podcasts are stored long term. Grover checks all of the right boxes and looks good doing it. Smart Speakers If you have a Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Apple HomePod, you can call up many podcasts by just asking for them. E.g., “Hey Google, play the latest episode of Hidden Brain.” Smart speakers are a great way to keep up to date on your favourite podcasts but, broad strokes, they’re not very good at surfacing new podcasts in which you might be interested. CSANews | FALL 2018 | 57
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