TuxRunner

I was chatting with a friend of mine about netcasts the other day, and was shocked to find out he didn’t really listen to any tech ones at all. For some reason lately, I seem to be getting surprised left and right lately at how many people I run into in my field that aren’t familiar with newer technologies or trends, or haven’t decided to take the plunge into Web 2.0 stuff yet.

There’s a new world of tech out there…social networking, cloud computing, microblogging, netcasting, voice and video chatting, wikis, CMS, etc. How do I keep up with the latest? Here’s a list of tech netcasts that I listen to on a regular basis:

• CNET Buzz Out Loud – This has to be my favorite netcast of all time. I think it’s mostly the dynamics between the hosts: Molly Wood, Tom Merritt, and Jason Howell. There’s always a great deal of juicy topics they “back’n'forth” about, and every once in a while, you get to experience a MollyRant which I equate to watching a good fight in hockey. Top notch show!
• CNET Car Tech - I listen to this show to hear about all the latest tech available in cars. I’m from the Detroit area, and we love our cars. Brian Cooley gives you the rundown on the latest trends in the auto industry, and then Wayne Cunningham and Kevin Massy take you out for a test drive in a vehicle to tell you the bad and the good about products on the market.
• CNET News.com – This is a daily news show which is very short, very right to the point. Gives you your basic daily headlines as reported by News.com. Snag this one if you just want the facts without all the opinions.
• Cranky Geeks – If you haven’t heard of John C. Dvorak, you aren’t into technology enough. John is a columnist and broadcaster of technology, and has been for over 20 years. This show is a round-table discussion hosted by John, featuring a panel of different guests on each show. The show takes a little bit of an edgier side to tech, with John C. often ranting and complaining about most stories and topics talked about on the show.
• TWiT:The Daily Giz Whiz – This is a fun, entertaining show about gadgets. Some of the information is useful, some of it really not…but always highly entertaining. Leo Laporte and Dick DeBartolo talk about a gadget a day.
• Diggnation – A spin off show from the highly successful website digg.com, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht sit in a couch with their laptops, drinking beer and talking about the most “dugg” stories on digg.com. Content isn’t family friendly, but who cares, that’s what makes this show so damn good!
• DL.TV – A technology show hosted by Robert Heron (formerly Patrick Norton of Revision3). This one usually features a decent mix of news, howto’s, gaming information, and user questions. It’s a well-rounded show featuring various guest hosts.
• TWiT:FLOSS Weekly – I can’t say much about this netcast. I’m usually pretty picky about listening to it. The show covers open-source apps, but typically I only listen to a show if it covers an application I’m interested in.
• CNET Gadgettes – Another gadget netcast, hosted by Molly Wood and Kelly Morrison. This one takes more of a pop culture look at gadgets.
• TWiT:The Tech Guy – This is a tech help and discussion show, syndicated on the Premiere Radio Network and XM Satellite Radio (it can be heard in Detroit on AM 1310). The netcast version has all of the commercials removed. Leo basically takes calls from people to talk about technology, answer tech questions, and has an occasional guest on the show to cover specific topics.
• CNET Loaded – Another quick, daily tech news show hosted by highly attractive Natali Del Conte. Don’t believe me? Here’s a picture of her:
• TWiT:Net@Nite – Hosted by Leo Laport and Amber MacArthur, this show talks about the latest and greatest things happening on the Internet.
• CNET Security Bites – Do you worry about viruses, bots, and other security threats? Listen to this show, hosted by Robert Vamosi, to learn about all the latest information on how to protect yourself from all the bad stuff out there on the Internet.
• TWiT:Security Now – Another security-minded netcast featuring Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson. Topics revolve around all of the latest security issues of the week.
• SDR News – This is an independant summary netcast, covering all of the latest news coming across the feeds from Slashdot.com , Digg.com, and Reddit.com. If you don’t have time to read all of the news on these sites, this show will summarize all the important stuff and gives it to you without all of the opinions. Just solid delivery of important tech news.
• CNET The 404 – This show is very similar to Diggnation in how it’s presented to you, but is a different format. It’s basically 2-3 guys sitting around talking about tech topics, but isn’t quite as safe for work as shows like Buzz Out Loud. A bit of a sharper edged show that talks about tech, pop culture, music, gaming, and anything else the guys find amusing.
• TWiT:This Week in Tech – Another one of my favorite netcasts. Features a lot of folks from the old TechTV days. This one is a round-table show similar to Cranky Geeks. Hosted by Leo Laporte, it’s a little less edgy, and covers the latest trends and news in the tech field. I find this one very entertaining and informative. Highly recommended.
• The Linux Action Show -By far my favorite Linux-related netcast (and actually, the only one I’m subscribed to right now). I tried that UK one, and it’s just too annoying to me. This show is only twice a month now, but when it’s released, it’s packed full of great stuff about all things going on in the Linux world.
• CNET:The Real Deal – Hosted by Tom Merritt and Rafe Needleman, this show is nice because it focuses on one single topic, and drills deep into it. Nice, considering most other shows are daily news or round-table formats which cover a broad range of tech topics.
• TWiT:Windows Weekly – Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott is a fantastic show for Redmond-minded folks that love OSes that have a Start Button. You’ll hear about all kinds of new technologies and information related to Windows and other Microsoft products.

These are all audio netcasts…I do subscribe to some video ones as well (mostly from Revision3), but I don’t watch those as regularly simply because I’m not able to as easily as I can the audio ones.

You’re probably thinking that’s a lot (and honestly, there’s more that I listen to than that…just some aren’t tech-related). But really, when you think about how much time you spend idle or doing nothing throughout the day…you could be filling that time with learning from some of these shows. I listen a lot in the car, while doing dishes, working on the house, at work, and just about anywhere I can plug a set of headphones in and catch a quick show.

It’s one of the main ways I keep up to speed with things, and learn about all the new trends and technologies in the business. If you’re interested in checking out some of these podcasts, have a look at one of my previous blog entries on two netcast catchers I use.