Podcasting was recently chosen by Webster's dictionary as the top new word of 2006. Normally I'll roll my eyes at this kind of hype. But for podcasting, I couldn't agree more. This technology has totally changed my life. I'm the parent of two small children and I'm taking fulltime computer science in school. Oh, and I maintain this website. I don't have time to listen to radio, or even really watch television.

But podcasting lets me fill my brain with great news shows, like On the Media, Quirks and Quarks, NPR Science Friday and even NBC's Meet the Press. I don't have to set my schedule to the radio. I just download the content, and then listen to it when and where I want. For free!?!

One of the additional advantages of podcasting is that I can listen to shows that match some of my specific interests, such as Skepticality and Slacker Astronomy. This stuff would never be possible with traditional radio.

In order to listen to the podcasts, you need the following:

• a computer
• a connection to the Internet
• a free audio player, which comes standard with Windows, OSX, Linux, etc
• a free podcast aggregator (I'll explain that in a second).

You don't need a portable audio player, like an iPod. Got that? I'll repeat, just so we're clear. You don't need any kind of portable MP3 player. They let you take your shows on the road when you're in the car or walking down the street, and that's amazingly convenient.

To see if you're able to listen to podcasts on your computer, try clicking this link to see my full archive of shows. Click the little "Play Now" button beside any show that interests you. If you're able to hear the audio, you're 99% of the way there.

Next you'll want to install and configure a podcast aggregator. You can use a web-based aggregator like Odeo, or download the iTunes software from Apple... totally free.

Now you'll want to add the Universe Today podcast to your list of subscribed shows. And while you're at it, subscribe to Skepticality and Slacker Astronomy.

Finally, and optionally, all the podcast aggregation software will let you transfer podcasts to some kind of portable MP3 player. You don't need an iPod, you can buy MP3 players for around $50 which do essentially the same thing.

I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me an email at info@universetoday.com and I'll be happy to help you out.

Fraser Cain
Publisher
Universe Today