Leo Laporte: The Tech Guy

Lately I’ve found myself listening to podcasts rather than just mindlessly pressing shuffle on my iPod and letting the gods of Apple decide what I should be listening to

For those not aware of what podcasts are, they can be described as “on demand radio programs”. Anyone can create a podcast and put it on the internet and feel like a radio DJ/host in the process.

The podcasts I’ve been listening to for quite some time, and I’ve mentioned multiple times on this blog already, are the CBC Radio 3 podcasts: The CBC Radio 3 Podcast with Grant Lawrence, The CBC Radio 3 R3-30, and the CBC Radio 3 Track of the Day.

But, Podcasts don’t necessarily have to be about music. In fact, because of copyright worries, the majority of podcasts are talk based, whether they be about movies, video games, technology, etc.

I’ve been asking my Twitter friends for some suggestions on new podcasts to listen but again, my requests have gone unanswered. I’ve done a bit of research myself, and I’m now enjoying podcasts such as The Unknown Studio, Stuff You Should Know, The Nerdist, Septic Acres, Memories of the Futurecast, Radio Free Burrito, and a couple of newer CBC Radio 3 podcasts, The Breakfast Club, and Extended Play.

The Unknown Studio is a local Edmonton podcast covering a wide array of topics. I’ve only just begun listening to it but I like what I’ve heard so far. It seems they have a local Edmonton personality as a guest on each episode. Septic Acres is another podcast based out of Edmonton, generally about 10 minutes per episode. This one is a new project by Sonic 102.9 morning show host Garner Andrews, and he brings his normal brand of humour to each episode.

Memories of the Futurecast and Radio Free Burrito are podcasts by Wil Wheaton, yes THAT Wil Wheaton. In Memories of the Futurecast he reads and comments on his book, Memories of the Future. Radio Free Burrito is a podcast he’s resurrecting while Memories of the Futurecast is on hiatus where you just listen to Mr. Wheaton talk about whatever he fancies.

Stuff You Should Know is a podcast produced by HowStuffWorks.com where they literally take 20-30 minutes once or twice a week to talk about stuff you should know. Podcasts I’ve had a chance to listen to have included “Was Mesopotamia the cradle of civilization?”, “How Bounty Hunters Work”, and “How Scabies Works”. Very interesting stuff and well presented.

The Nerdist podcast is a comedy podcast produced by Chris Hardwick, a comedian/musician/tv host (Attack of the Show and Web Soup on G4TV). Each episode him and his cohorts interview another comedian/actor/celebrity such as Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Adam Carolla, and Drew Carey. It’s a very funny podcast however hard it can be to follow at times.

There is literally a million different podcasts out there and the iTunes podcast directory is a great place to start. Try out some of the ones I’ve pointed out, try out some of the top rated and featured podcasts and you’ll soon be singing the podcast praises.

The last few days I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time working on a new project. I’m installing XBMC onto my newly acquired Acer Aspire Revo R3610 nettop. Despite the fact that I’m hitting lots of roadblocks along the way I’m enjoying the challenge. Regardless of the fact that many have done it before there doesn’t seem to be one complete guide that takes you from A to Z, presumably because everyone has different setup and configuration requirements. I’m working on a large post detailing how to get my specific setup up and running in the hopes that someone else might find it useful.

I just came across a bit of an old post on Geek Dad listing 100 Quotes Every Geek Should Know. It’s a great quick read. Check out the post to see if your favourite quotes made the list. Here are some of the highlights for me:

1. “Ray, if someone asks you if you’re a god, you say YES!” – Winston, Ghostbusters
2. “The Road goes ever on and on/Down from the door where it began/Now far ahead the Road has gone/And I must follow, if I can/Pursuing it with eager feet/Until it joins some larger way/Where many paths and errands meet/And whither then? I cannot say.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
3. “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!” – Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters
4. “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” Vizzini, The Princess Bride
5. “Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint – it’s delicious!” – Kramer, Seinfeld
6. “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” -Inigo, The Princess Bride
7. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” – Obi-Wan, Star Wars

One omission that stands out for me:

“1.21 Gigawatts?!?! GREAT SCOTT!!!” – Doc Brown, Back to the Future

That’s all the geeking out for me today. ‘Til next time.