Saturday, May 16, 2015

PODCASTS SPECIAL.......................... ENTER THE ADDICTIVE WORLD OF PODCASTS

ENTER THE ADDICTIVE WORLD OF PODCASTS


In the early days of the internet, many bloggers started what they called `audio blogs'. With the advent of MP3 players like the iPod and better technologies for distribution of such aural content, these blogs were renamed `podcasts' ­ a portmanteau that fused the `pod' from the iPod with `cast' from broadcast. Simply, podcasts are stream-able (and downloadable) audio shows ­ often hosted by regular folk equipped with a PC, an audiomixing software, a microphone, and something interesting to say. Today ­ merely a decade from when the term was coined ­ the podcast world is also populated by professional studios backed by solid journalists and researchers that churn out quality content in the thousands. Now, if you're one of those folk that have only listened to music on your smartphone ­ or are perhaps looking for an alternative to your local FM channels ­ you might want to try out podcasts... 

THIS AMERICAN LIFE
This American Life ­ produced by Chicago Public Media ­ is a radio show that is broadcast on more than 500 stations in the US, but it also has a fantastic podcast section with an archive of over 550 downloadable episodes. Each of these is based on a single theme, with multiple stories on that topic. Its latest episode ­ titled Same Bed, Different Dreams ­ for instance, tells the story of a South Korean movie star, her director ex-husband and their plot to escape from Kim Jong-Il. Then, there's a woman who stalks her imposter, and yet another story that revolves around passive-aggressive airhostesses who have no option but to rely on ­ and work closely with ­ colleagues they might not like.http:www.thisamericanlife.org

SERIAL
In 2014, This American Life launched its first spin-off show, Serial, where host Sarah Koenig investigates the 1999 murder of a high-school student named Hae Min Lee and the subsequent incarceration of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who still swears his innocence. The podcast, which runs through 12 episodes, revisits the case to find out if justice was served. Simply put, this addictive show boasts of reportage at its finest.serialpodcast.org

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR)
NPR ­ with nearly 32 million downloads every month ­ is home to a large collection of award-winning podcasts that are researched and hosted by journalists from all over the world. You can browse its archives by topic (arts, music, business, comedy, health, news and politics, science, technology, TV & film) to pick the programme or channel you would like to follow. Some producers even split a single episode into multiple segments, giving you the flexibility to download only what you want to listen to. Noteworthy channels you should try include Morning Edition and All Things Considered for news and politics, Car Talk and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! for information laced with humour, and TED Radio Hour for your fix of technology http:www.npr .orgpodcasts

THIS IS CRIMINAL
This is Criminal ­ now on episode 19 ­ is an ongoing series updated every few weeks. It covers stories “of people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle“. In its last episode, dated 24 April, it tells the tale of 71-year-old Sandie Alger, who has been in and out of prison since the 1970's. Prison, she says, is where you move “up the criminal ladder just like the corporate ladder“.
thisiscriminal.com

THE MOTH
The Moth blends the art of storytelling with real-life incidents. Here, you get a front-row seat to the lives of ordinary folk who talk about how they have dealt with difficult situations. These narrations are live, without notes, to a “standing-only“ crowd. So you also get to hear the audience reacting to the you also get to hear the audience reacting to the narrator. To date, TM has over a thousand stories, including that of a retired pickpocket, a boy who loves Barbies and is terrified of tackle football, a therapist who breaks down, how a girl finds the a therapist who breaks down, how a girl finds the courage to have a difficult conversation with her father, a prison inmate on how she cherished her radio while in captivity...themoth.org

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
These half-hour audio episodes ­ spanning over 700 recordings across more than 40 categories with more than five million monthly listeners ­ discuss with more than five million monthly listeners ­ discuss subjects ranging from zombies to artificial intelligence to alien hand syndrome. Simply , a great mix of knowledge and esoteric information, wrapped in mockumentary-style humour. What you should also know is that this podcast is part of the How Stuff Works network that also includes other podcasts: Stuff To Blow Your Mind, Genius Stuff, Car Stuff, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know and Stuff Mom Never Told You.
http:www.stuffyoushouldknow.com

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
This podcast is a work of fiction that takes the form of a radio show for a fictional desert settlement called Night Vale.Imagine a place that mixes a town from a Stephen King book and occurrences from the X-Files and the Twilight Zone. Joseph Fink, one of the creators of the show, describes it as a place in the desert where all conspiracy theories are real.commonplacebooks.com PITCH P itch talks about how music continuously shapes our lives.
Currently , there are 14 short episodes comprising interesting stories ­ like New York City's “no dancing“ law, how a theatre actress learned to play the piano just to land a role in a musical; about karaoke, amateur music making and how it continues to be relevant today; how bands got their music out to its listeners in 1990 as opposed to how they do it today , Iran's pre-revolution pop music scene, and more.hearpitch.org IMAGES: aurumarcus, _humaniStockGetty Images

PODCAST APPS
To listen to podcasts on your phone, you can either download the MP3 files onto your PC, and then transfer them to your handset. Alternatively, you can install the following apps... Podcast Addict for Android lets you subscribe to audio streams, browse content by category and download episodes for offline listening.
Podcasts is a stock app that comes pre-installed on Windows Phone 8.1. This app lets you search for podcasts, scroll through episodes, vary playback speed, download them over a Wi-Fi connection and even manually add an RSS link to subscribe to a new radio show. Alternatively, WP users can install Podcasts! as a replacement to its built-in offering.
iOS devices also come pre-loaded with a Podcast app. Here, users can easily search for and subscribe to programmes through iTunes on their computer and sync the additions with their device.
Tunein Radio, a popular internet radio app ­ available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry users ­ also gives you access to most of the popular audio shows available online.While it works flawlessly, it does not let you download episodes or manually add a subscription link if a programme is not found.

Ashutosh Desai & Savio D'Souza
TNN


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