iTunes 4.9 - now with podcast support

[MJ4H]

So with the release of the new version of iTunes, podcasting will likely take off in a major way. I have listened to a few, but really I don't know of any podcast GEMS that I should be listening to. Does anyone out there have any recommendations of what shows I should be in on because they are too good to miss? I felt like when I was browsing the listings that the few I chose to check out I chose more or less randomly from the list. So, any help would be cool.

By the way I've gotten a couple of recommendations for the Rock and Roll Geek show, but I can't seem to get on their homepage to get the feed address.

[ISiddiqui]

Interesting... guess I gotta update by iTunes .

[ISiddiqui]

It also seems like every iPod from now on will have a color screen (iPod and iPod Photo combined)

[MJ4H]

Now that's useful

(obviously it is for the Photo ipods or whatever)

[ISiddiqui]

Why wouldn't it be? Color screens are sweet.. oh and that introduces a 60 GB iPod.

[cthomer5000]

I guess I'll check it out. I can't imagine they'll be too much i'll be interested in though.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Why wouldn't it be? Color screens are sweet.. oh and that introduces a 60 GB iPod.

Well color doesn't do anything except make the screen prettier and eat battery power.

[terpkristin]

I've already installed 4.9 and am going to try it with my podcast feeds today. Granted, I need to figure out where it saves them, mostly because I don't use iTunes to transfer things to my ipod.

Will happily share with y'all what I think of 4.9 if there's interested..

/tk

[ISiddiqui]

Actually, IIRC, the iPod Photo had BETTER battery life than the regular iPod. It's about 15 hours. Now, maybe they could have gotten closer to 20 if they stuck with monochrome, but 15 hours is better than 12 hours, surely.

[ShaqFu]

Why would you want an iPod? It's tied to a vertical monopoly.

I just purchased a Zen Micro. Very slick.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by ShaqFu

Why would you want an iPod? It's tied to a vertical monopoly.

I just purchased a Zen Micro. Very slick.

what good does that do a guy like me? my collection is 44 gigs and growing. At least compare it to the ipod Mini if you want to make that comparison.

I love my 60gig Nomad Zen Xtra though... but with the price drops my next purchase (if/when it's needed) will probably be an iPod. Mostly just because i'd like better integration with iTunes (which i think is by far the best manager software out there).

[ISiddiqui]

Are your current music files in mp3 format?

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Are your current music files in mp3 format?

every single one of them. (including songs purchased from itunes... i use a program to convert them to back to MP3).

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Actually, IIRC, the iPod Photo had BETTER battery life than the regular iPod. It's about 15 hours. Now, maybe they could have gotten closer to 20 if they stuck with monochrome, but 15 hours is better than 12 hours, surely.

Im sure you understand why this is, right?

Also, let us not get into a debate about why people like ipods. There are other threads for that. Let's discuss podcasts here, please.

[Pyser]

what exactly is a podcast, anyway?

[MJ4H]

A podcast is sort of like tivo for audio. Audio content is produced, basically, by anyone that wants to, and then made available. iTunes, or some other podcasting software, is programmed to check whatever sites you have "subscribed" to and automatically download the content periodically, so you have the latest "episode" whenever it checks. You can program how often it checks, how many back episodes to keep (at least in iTunes), stuff like that. What's great with iTunes is, whatever podcasts are in your iTunes library can automatically be sent to your iPod when you connect it, so you can listen to them anywhere.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

Im sure you understand why this is, right?

Understand why they made it in color? Understand what?

[Easy Mac]

I'd use it, but every time I plug my Ipod into my computer, I get about 3 different errors. It happened this weekend, and it took about 2 days to fix (and it was completely random that I fixed it). As soon as I plugged it in and tried to update the firmware, it screwed up again.

[Easy Mac]

Ok, finally got it to work. The steps involved were: format Ipod with Windows. Uninstall all Ipod software, all Itunes software, delete all Itunes libraries. Restart computer and pray. Install Itunes again. Run latest Ipod update. Pray that I won't get a firmware failure and that the restore goes through. Put songs on Ipod again for the next few hours.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

So with the release of the new version of iTunes, podcasting will likely take off in a major way. I have listened to a few, but really I don't know of any podcast GEMS that I should be listening to. Does anyone out there have any recommendations of what shows I should be in on because they are too good to miss? I felt like when I was browsing the listings that the few I chose to check out I chose more or less randomly from the list. So, any help would be cool.

By the way I've gotten a couple of recommendations for the Rock and Roll Geek show, but I can't seem to get on their homepage to get the feed address.

I heard that TWiT is pretty good if you liked the Screensavers back in the day. Its some old guys from that show, Leo, Pat and Kevin talking tech. Coverelle is good if you like cover songs.

[terpkristin]

I subscribe to:
MAKE Audio show (from MAKE Magazine, http://www.makezine.com a bunch of DIY stuff and thoughts)
The Podcast Network's "The Gadget Show."
The Engadget Podcast
(can you tell I really like to get all the latest tech news?)
Not gadget related, I also listen to the Gadling podcast (http://www.gadling.com). It's about adventure travel and adventure travel writing (it's apparently not in iTunes' podcast directory)
"Mashup of the Week" (http://www.mashuptown.com) is usually interesting for the mashups you can get.

I also sometimes listen to the "Maximum Geek" podcast (not available on iTunes, it's really an acquired taste).

I couldn't stand TWiT, I tried to listen to it twice and gave up.
I've heard good things about Major Nelson's XBOX podcast (all things XBOX, http://www.majornelson.com/), though I've had problems with listening to many video game-related podcasts. People think they're funny and they're just not.

I've listened to others here and there. I always take recommendations

/tk

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

Well color doesn't do anything except make the screen prettier and eat battery power.

Actually, the color screen makes it easier to read ebooks on the ipod. Despite the small screen, reading on the ipod isnt too bad. Plus, its nice to synch up the ipod to outlook and also movie listings, etc.

if anyone needs links to those type programs, i can post a couple. One is payware, though only around 10 bucks.

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Mostly just because i'd like better integration with iTunes (which i think is by far the best manager software out there).

give Media Monkey a try. Its pretty sweet. Plus you can convert flac files on the fly when you copy them to ipod (i think).

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by bossfan2000

Actually, the color screen makes it easier to read ebooks on the ipod. Despite the small screen, reading on the ipod isnt too bad. Plus, its nice to synch up the ipod to outlook and also movie listings, etc.

if anyone needs links to those type programs, i can post a couple. One is payware, though only around 10 bucks.

I didn't know you could read ebooks on an ipod. I guess I'm in the minority just using mine to play music and podcasts.

[CentralMassHokie]

Figured I'd just list the podcasts I subscribe to (I'm pretty sure they can all be found in iTunes now):

Coverville (a music podcast of cover songs)
This Week in Tech (the old Tech TV folks)
Gillmor Gang (Steve Gillmor et al.)
Gillmor Daily (Steve Gillmor)
Morning Coffee Notes (Dave Winer)
Mostly Mariners (used to be called Sodo Oh No ... Mariners and general baseball)
Phil Gordon from the World Series of Poker
Lord Admiral Card Club (really good poker podcast)
The Podcast Network NBA Show (not sure why .. these guys pretty much suck. I think one of them knows anything about the NBA)

I think that's all of them.

[MJ4H]

So who is Steve Gillmor since you seem to like him so much. I also subscribe to the Phil Gordon podcast. Just listened to his latest one in the car on the way to get my son from school. Ivey is such a rock star these days, huh (re: his interview on the newest Gordon podcast).

I will check out the Lord Admiral Card Club podcast, too, I guess.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by CentralMassHokie

Figured I'd just list the podcasts I subscribe to (I'm pretty sure they can all be found in iTunes now):

Coverville (a music podcast of cover songs)
This Week in Tech (the old Tech TV folks)
Gillmor Gang (Steve Gillmor et al.)
Gillmor Daily (Steve Gillmor)
Morning Coffee Notes (Dave Winer)
Mostly Mariners (used to be called Sodo Oh No ... Mariners and general baseball)
Phil Gordon from the World Series of Poker
Lord Admiral Card Club (really good poker podcast)
The Podcast Network NBA Show (not sure why .. these guys pretty much suck. I think one of them knows anything about the NBA)

I think that's all of them.

I used to listen to Morning Coffee Notes, but I have to admit, when he started whining every week about the tiff with Adam Curry and how his Wikipedia entry was changed (er, the podcasting one) and stuff like that, I got really sick of Dave. Has he gotten back to "normal" yet?

Of course, FWIW, I don't listen to Adam Curry, either, I just got tired of about a week's worth of MCN podcasts where all he did was whine.

/tk

[bossfan2000]

The only podcast I listen to right now is the Phil Hendrie Show..though it costs 6.95 per month (cheaper by the year).

Definitely worth it, though, if you are a fan of the show...since it is downloaded in 3 commercial-free mp3 files.

[CentralMassHokie]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

So who is Steve Gillmor since you seem to like him so much. I also subscribe to the Phil Gordon podcast. Just listened to his latest one in the car on the way to get my son from school. Ivey is such a rock star these days, huh (re: his interview on the newest Gordon podcast).

I will check out the Lord Admiral Card Club podcast, too, I guess.

Steve Gillmor is a tech analyst. He's generally ahead of the curve when it comes to new trends, and he gets great interviews if you're a dork. For instance, Jon Udell (of infoworld) is a regular of the Gillmor Gang.

The Lord Admiral stuff is great. You won't be disappointed.

[CentralMassHokie]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I used to listen to Morning Coffee Notes, but I have to admit, when he started whining every week about the tiff with Adam Curry and how his Wikipedia entry was changed (er, the podcasting one) and stuff like that, I got really sick of Dave. Has he gotten back to "normal" yet?

Of course, FWIW, I don't listen to Adam Curry, either, I just got tired of about a week's worth of MCN podcasts where all he did was whine.

/tk

Winer is pretty hit or miss, but he's been hitting a lot lately now that he's patched up the rift with Adam Curry and he's feeling loved after the keynote at Gnomedex. He's actually been talking more about OPML and shipping software, which is interesting stuff. Much less bitching.

Curry is just completely uninteresting.

Remembered the other podcast I grab:

The Chris Pirillo Show - another tech tv graduate, runs the Gnomedex conference

[terpkristin]

CMH-
Thanks for the update on Dave. As I said, I tuned off during the Curry tiff.
I may pick him back up.

Do you happen to have the feed addresses for the Gillmor podcasts? Though iTunes integrates it all, I rarely use iTunes and would prefer to pick them up from my regular RSS aggregator..

/tk

[CentralMassHokie]

Gillmor Daily: http://gillmordaily.podshow.com/wp-rss2.php
Gillmor Gang: http://gillmorgang.podshow.com/wp-rss2.php

The only problem is the podshow domain has been down pretty much since iTunes 4.9 came out, so the connection is spotty.