If you're an eternal optimizer like me, you hate idle time. So while traveling or waiting for public transport, I love to listen to podcasts to further educate myself.<p>Right now I'm listening to the Stackoverflow Podcasts and sometimes to this week in django.<p>What podcasts do you recommend, both tech and non-tech/business?
RadioLab (<a href="http://radiolab.org" rel="nofollow">http://radiolab.org</a>) is simply the best podcast ever created ever. Other than that, I listen to This American Life (<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thisamericanlife.org/</a>) for serious stuff and You Look Nice Today (<a href="http://youlooknicetoday.com/" rel="nofollow">http://youlooknicetoday.com/</a>) for comedy. And for a little shameless self promotion, check out the Rails Envy podcast (<a href="http://railsenvy.com" rel="nofollow">http://railsenvy.com</a>) for ruby/rails news.
I propose a Hacker News podcast, which would consist of progress updates and lessons learned from start-ups. The host could call each participating start-up every once in a while and then assemble these clips to a show. I won't take on the task of recording it, but would be an avid listener.
The only ones I listen to with any regularity are Stack Overflow, Wait! Wait! Don't tell me! (<a href="http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5183214" rel="nofollow">http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=518...</a>) and This American Life (<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Podcast.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Podcast.aspx</a>).<p>I was listening to Planet Money (<a href="http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=94411890" rel="nofollow">http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=944...</a>) but it got hard to keep up a few months ago - it should have been a weekly podcast, not daily, IMHO. I've also occasionally listened to Hanselminutes (<a href="http://www.hanselminutes.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hanselminutes.com/</a>) and Herding Code (<a href="http://herdingcode.com/" rel="nofollow">http://herdingcode.com/</a>), and while they focus on Microsoft technologies a little too much for my taste, they'll do in a pinch.
Gdgt Weekly and TWiT for 'Tech' as well as NLO (<a href="http://nobodylikesonions.com" rel="nofollow">http://nobodylikesonions.com</a>) and Stop Podcasting Yourself for comedy/entertainment.<p>Although none of these will help you learn anything they're really good at keeping you occupied/entertained.
radiolab is awesome (radiolab.org)<p>I like 'the brain science podcast,' and it's pretty much all I listen to on long drives: <a href="http://www.brainsciencepodcast.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.brainsciencepodcast.com/</a><p>Ginger Campbell, the author of the brain science podcast also publishes "Books and Ideas" podcast which is enjoyable: <a href="http://booksandideas.com/" rel="nofollow">http://booksandideas.com/</a><p>edit: Not exactly a podcast, but if you subscribe to The Economist, you can download the entire issue read by actors on the day of release. I listen to that on drives too sometimes.
Agreed that Radio Lab and Stack Overflow are the best ones, but I would add Venture Voice to that list too. Google Developer Podcast is occasionally interesting. Hanselminutes may have a few good episodes, but is usually too Microsofty. There are also some nice language podcasts out there, at least Learn Thai Podcast and JapanesePod101 are quite good. All of these can be found on iTunes.