Now that it is the time for summer vacations, we at Zanola Company thought we could recommend some of our favorite podcasts to help make your drive, flight, or layover an educational (or entertaining) experience. Podcasts are free regularly updated audio programs that can be heard through practically any device these days.
Here are some of our favorites at Zanola!
Joe Zanola | This Week in Google, This Week in Tech Network
Part of the This Week in Tech (TWiT) network’s suite of shows, This Week in Google is a weekly panel discussion that examines technology news and newly announced products with Google as the jumping off point for discussion. Recent topics have ranged from Net Neutrality in the courts, Google Glass etiquette, and Facebook and Google’s recent acquisitions. Joe will listen to the audio-only version while traveling, but if he is at a desk he will watch the video feed of the panel live. This podcast was probably the biggest factor in Joe’s decision to switch from iOS to Android a few months ago.
Rachel Ballard | This American Life, Public Radio International
Sure, the podcast version of this NPR institution has topped the charts since it started letting users subscribe. But it certainly deserves to. Ira Glass and the other producers chose a theme each week and weave together stories from historical fiction, short fiction, current events, and slices of regular modern American life. The tone can change from week to week or moment to moment and has led to unforgettable radio moments. There is a $3 app that will let you stream any of the over 500 hour-long episodes at any time.
We could probably do an entire blog post on our favorite installments, but here are three excellent episodes that have been produced or rebroadcast recently:
- Fiasco
- How I Got Into College
- 129 Cars
Angelo Zanola | Welcome to Night Vale, Commonplace Books
“What if Prairie Home Companion took place in the Twilight Zone?” That’s the question asked by Welcome to Night Vale, a hilarious podcast that purports to be the local public radio news of a sleepy southwestern town where every conspiracy theory is true and terrors from beyond are constantly threatening the city and the fabric of reality itself. Plus, there is a bake sale in the school gymnasium on Sunday. So if you have ever wanted to visit a place where children are taught that mountains do not and cannot exist, cats get trapped hovering in midair, and street cleaning day turns into a bloodbath, give Welcome to Night Vale a visit.
Podcasts have become a daily pleasure and fact of life for us at Zanola as we research all of our markets and serve our far-flung clients. Let us know your favorite podcasts in the comments – or let us know what you think of our list.
By Angelo Zanola