"I listen to color": what are you favorite podcasts?

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
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Seattle, WA
I drive long distances a few times a week and have found a wonderful way to both pass the time and learn something. That is, listening to podcasts. I still have unlimited data plan on my phone so I stream most of them but for some, I download them in advance also. I can now drive for hours and not keep asking when I going to get to my destination. Indeed sometimes I am unhappy that I have gotten there because I was close to finishing one of the podcasts!

Backing up a bit, the original way I discovered these podcasts was to watch them while exercising. The video ones are excellent for that.

Anyway, I thought I create a thread on what podcasts you like and you listen to regularly. You can either name the entire series of podcasts, or just a specific one. If all goes well, we may be to simply click on links here to listen to a new one.

My list currently is very short and that is one of the reasons I am creating this thread to expand my collection. Here is my short list.

TED
First up is the explanation for the title, I Listen to Color. This was the topic of a talk from TED: www.ted.com. I am not 100% sure but I believe it is a spin-off from MIT. The talks are forward looking and thought provoking. They almost always extend my vision of technology around us. 9 out of 10 talks are excellent. Back to the I Listen to Color, here is a wonderful talk by Neil Harbisson.


If there is a "downside" for me personally is that the talks are rather short. The above is only 9 minutes. Great for sampling here and now but not if you have to fumble with your phone to listen to something else. The talks are also in video. You may think that makes them useless while driving but it is not so at all. The only time I have seen the video above was when looking for it on youtube just now! I learned almost as much just listening to the sound. Occasionally though they make a reference to some slide but for the most part, audio-alone works just as well.

Umano:
Umano is a news reader. They select what they think is of interest to the typical tech junkie in silicon valley and have real actors read the articles. The last bit is what makes it interesting. You think you are hearing a real radio show. The talent uses proper intonations to read the articles, making them far more interesting than just a machine reader or even reading the article yourself. There is controversy regarding the company in that they don't license the content they read. They just grab what they want and pay someone $4 (yes, just $4) to read and record it for them.

I like it because it lets me hear current tech/science/venturebeat news when I don't have time to read the text versions. Due to time aspect, the older episodes are not as valuable. Anyway, here is the web site: https://umano.me/

Here is a sample from Forbes on the 10 most important technologies in 2015: https://umano.me/c/5grrQ/10-business-breakthrough-technologies-for-2015?no_popup=1&play=1

My podcast app automatically fetches their content.

Amp Hour
This is for electronic hobbyists and engineers. They are classic audio podcasts and best of all, usually 1 to 2 hours long so excellent for long drives. The hosts are Chris Gammell who is a young engineer with instrumentation/IC fab experience. And the Aussie, Dave Jones who is a seasoned and likable engineer. They make excellent pairing talking about every aspect of electronics engineering from design to tools, manufacturing and testing. It is a must listen if you are into electronics. Old podcasts are also worth a listen so you can listen to a ton of things and not wait for the next episode. http://www.theamphour.com/

The one thing I hate about it, really hate about it, is the stupid names Chris gives to the podcasts. Here is a sample and lousy name yet again: http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/b/6/eb6...11441717&hwt=a791bf7c1be26bb0e0c747a8e529ab0d. The crappy name means you can never go back and find an article you have heard.

EEVblog
Dave Jones from above has his own show which is even more of a must watch for engineerings and hobbyist. Give it to an australian to have thought of the fact that engineers didn't have their own favorite blogger/blog and create one. :) His accent and charms together with his well-rounded engineering experience makes his videos a great watch. He also runs the most popular forum on test instruments. Here is his web site: http://www.eevblog.com/. Best way to find him though is through his youtube channel by the same name. Subscribe and watch if you want to know what makes your electronics tick although I suspect it is way too technical if you don't have an electronics background.

Here has hundreds of videos. Here is one that I have post before on counterfiet USB chargers:


MJLorton
https://www.youtube.com/user/mjlorton

MJ is not a professional engineer per se. His background is in software/IT. What he does is learn a new engineering topic and then try to explain it. As such, sometimes he is wrong. But what is right is his ability to speak clearly and explain things at a level that teaches everyone the topic as opposed to Dave Jones which assumes you know a lot more.

His speciality is solar panels/energy and test instruments. Here is a random sampling to give you a feel for him:


I listen to a couple more but I thought I stop here and see what favorites others have.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,304
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Manila, Philippines
I use the TED app :)
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I use my rather crappy free podcast app for all of these on my phone so don't use any of their apps.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
NY
Thanks Amir,

I've already learned a few new things. Awesome.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I am glad there is interest in this topic.

A spin-off from TED is TEDTalks. Here is the latest episode which I heard on my drive to our vacation house. It is a remarkable story of the son of....

 

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