I have a generation 3 iPod Nano (4 GB). The ‘other’ uses I’m talking about are things other than your typical music listening.
In the past I’ve always just listened to music from my existing music library.
Since I hate the iTunes application and the fact that it’s required, I never used it except only as a tool to load my iPod. Well I recently decided I would learn to use it better since my son things it’s a great application.
Well I was surprised to find the availability of so many Podcasts (Yes, I know that’s independent of of the iPod, but nonetheless the iPod was the tool that helped me learn about their availability).
So… are there any free podcasts that you guys particularly enjoy? I have always liked Leo Laporte, so it was pretty cool to find his podcast (although I haven’t listened to any of them yet).
OK, this is actually a two part post. Not only do I want your opinion of podcasts you enjoy, I want information about how to best use my iPod for this purpose. It looks like there are several ways to sync the podcasts to the iPod… i.e. I can only sync the last x podcasts that were downloaded. Things like that.
So let me know a little about your usage, and what else you might use your iPod for. (specifically your Nano)
Your best source of audiobooks is probably iTunes itself; they have a deal with Audible.com and I think everything in the Audible catalog is available through the iTunes store.
I never miss This American Life. I love that show more than I can describe. You can get the current week’s episode for free; after that they are 99 cents. There are other methods of obtaining them but I think it’s worth the 99 cents.
Audible is probably the best place for audiobooks. They have a nice subscription deal that’s worth it if you are going to be getting enough books.
I think the Rosetta Stone language programs are available as audiobooks; I think that would be a great use of an iPod.
Not necessarily - for example you can download the first 6 Harry Potter books through iTunes but not directly from Audible (there may be some on Audible not available directly through iTunes though I don’t have examples). AND I’ve seen price differences buying directly through Audible vs. through Itunes - e.g. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) is 24.49 through Audible but 31.95 through Itunes (that may be a factor of my having paid a 10.00 annual fee to Audible to get a discount, or it may be the standard price). If you buy directly from Audible, you download an application once, then when you buy a book the app loads it into Itunes.
I briefly had a “subscription” to Audible - for 14.99 a month, that got me one “credit” per month. Most audiobooks cost one credit, some cost more. That also gets you a discount off purchasing of additional audiobooks over and above the allowance. The credit system can be odd: I remember one book which had been recommended as a good kid’s book that cost 2 credits and the book was only 8ish hours (I passed on that one) while another book I did get was 32 hours and cost only 1 credit.
Anyway, audible’s prices can be less than purchasing the book in, say, CD format. I stopped my subscription after 2-3 months simply because I’ve never tended to buy audiobooks - I borrow them from the library, listen to them, and return them; I don’t re-listen.
If you do borrow an audiobook from the library in CD format, you could rip the cd to iTunes and listen to it that way. Doing so, and keeping the files after you return the audiobook, would surely violate copyright laws. Personally I wouldn’t have heartburn if someone were to rip the CD and then delete the files once you physically returned the CDs (may technically be illegal but it complies with the spirit of the law…) but I admit the one time I tried it, the first CD had so many individual files on it I gave it up as not worth it
Actually it is available free through ITunes podcasts. Though I concur, it’s certainly worth 99 cents, it is made available for free.
Our favorite podcasts:
Escape Pod (and Escape Pod Classic, which re-runs some of the older ones). Both available for free through iTunes. The podcaster (Steve Eley) has a website where he asks for voluntary donations to help support the program. SF stories including some classics and some Hugo-nominees.
The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd. Very family friendly. Visits various historical events with a sense of humor.
X Minus One - rebroadcast of some classic SF radio dramas.
ARTC (Atlanta Radio Theatre Company) - New radio theatre, mix of drama, humor, SF.
Decoder Ring Theatre - also radio plays. Tongue in cheek - their Red Panda Adventures are about a Batman-like character in Toronto in the 30s.
There are some free audiobooks in podcast format. I just downloaded all 9 episodes of “The Trolls Of Lake Maebiewahnapoopie” which the kids love. Podiobooks.com has an interesting assortment of stuff - much of which can be downloaded through iTunes.
Vital Signs, which is based on a series in Discover Magazine.
Meditation Station, which has a variety of meditations designed to help relax, deal with stress, etc.
I must admit, I often plug into the podcasts when I’m trying to fall asleep (or fall back asleep after a nighttime bathroom break) and as such, it sometimes takes me 3-4-5 tries to get to listen to a whole podcast! They’re good also when you’re waiting somewhere (e.g. doctor office) and would also be great to use while commuting on mass transit. I wouldn’t listen to them while driving - I’d be afraid they’d make me go to sleep :eek: .
3 posts in a row… looks like I’m spamming the thread (sorry!!!).
Yes - Itunes lets you sync the last xx podcasts that were downloaded, or the last xx that have not been listened to. You can choose the xx - 1, 3, 5, 10 or maybe even all.
I typically set it to the last 3 or 5 that I have not yet listened to depending on how many podcasts I’m currently interested in, and how much room my iPod has free (I’ve got a 4g Nano). If I start a podcast but am interrupted, iTunes flags it as not-new and won’t re-sync. However I can go into iTunes and re-flag it as “new” and then it’ll resync.
You can flag podcasts as “do not auto-delete” - some (all) podcasts wind up deleting older entries after a few weeks. They may be still available through iTunes, or through the podcast’s original website, but if it’s something you really like, flag it to not autodelete.
Something I’ve heard of that’s new is Itunes U - which is college lectures. Haven’t tried this yet myself but it might be a good way to brush up on some knowledge.
If you like old-time radio there are a ton of podcasts available through the iTunes store if you don’t mind using it for that. I subscribe to The Big Broadcast (5-6 hours per week in one hour increments, variety of shows) and ComicWeb.com’s Superman Old Time Radio show. I’ve also listened to The Green Hornet, The Shadow, Rod Serling’s Zero Hour and a bunch of others, but they all seem to be out of content (although still available through the site).
I also like The Conspiracy Skeptic (12-part original series, up to part 5, which featured audio from our very own Bad Astronomer) and a serial supernatural drama called Wormwood. One that I loved dearly but seems to have gone the way of all flesh is The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm, which takes as its conceit that Judy Garland is either back from the dead or never died (I was never quite clear). Surreal and frequently hilarious. I concur with the Onion Radio News suggestion.
Here’s where my lack of iPod edumacation comes in… May I assume obtaining podcasts from ‘other’ sources are handled by iTunes the same as it handles music from ‘other’ sources? Right now, I’ve only pulled podcasts via iTunes.
Yes, they work the same way. (There’s not necessarily anything illegal about getting music or podcasts from other sources, just to clarify.) Many radio shows, for instance, offer their podcasts straight from their own Web sites. You just download them (whether they’re free or after paying) and add them to the device the same way you add everything else. They’re almost always in MP3 and are handled just like something you obtain through iTunes. I believe iTunes podcasts are MP3 as opposed to their music format (AAC).
I think there’s a way to force it as a podcast but I have not been able to get it to work. I’ve tried changing the info in the file but it doesn’t go into the Podcast folder; it still goes into the Music folder. So I’ve created a workaround by making a playlist called “Podcasts” and then I add my MP3 podcast (which really lives in Music) to the Podcast playlist.
For audiobooks I usually just leave them in Music and go to that artist.
There are many other ways to"sync" an Ipod. Winamp, Windows Media Player, or my favorite, MediaMonkey. If you want nothing to do with Itunes you can use a cross- platform podcast receiver called Juice.
As for Podcasts I subscribe to Keith and the Girl for comedy, Coverville for music, This Week in Tech (TWIT) for tech news. Podiobooks.com has a pile of serialized audio books in mp3 form. NPR’s Car Talk is good too. I usually don’t have enough time to listen to all of this content, and it’s all free!
