"Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it." Niels Henrik David Bohr

I love science and fun facts. I always have and so when I discovered Scientific American’s 60 second podcasts I fell in love instantly. First they are perfectly short for my attention span and they give just right blasts of info. They cover all sorts of science from nano technology to the universe and everything in between. I have learned a great deal that I can use in my daily life plus it has given a ton to think about. You can sign up so it’s in your iTunes ready to listen to on your iPod or listen to it on the site. They also have and Earth and a mind podcast as well. So if you’re in a hurry and hungry for more information give these podcasts a whirl

"Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey

Not too long ago I did a presentation about teaching in libraries. During it I recommend staying on top of tech issues by listening to podcasts. The list below is just some of the ones I listen to on a weekly basis. Not all are 100% tech but all are information.

• NYTimes Tech Podcast

This is more like tech magazine. You don’ t need to be a geek to follow along . They give great tips. Vocab and awesome interviews

• Crave

A British CNET podcast discussing current tech issues. It is fun and enjoyable and sometimes a bit insane. Occasionally I mentally tune out when they are discussing Britain only issues but this is minor.

• NPR Tech Podcast

This is a compilation of anything tech mentioned throughout NPR’s broadcast. This is ice because you end up with stuff from all over the spectrum. Also they explain it so eve the non techies will stay interested.

“Where words fail, music speaks.” Hans Christian Andersen

Every day I listen to about six to eight podcasts on my way to work in a futile attempt to keep up with the overwhelming flow of information. Most are on tech/geek stuff. However some are focused on non-work stuff like music. MPR’s Musicheads is a decent podcast that introduces you to three artists every week. The Musichead’s staff reviews the music and tells whether “it is working for them.” They also have an interactive bit were they throw out a question to the audience, and then you can join the forums and get involved in the discussion. It can be a bit stuffy at times when some of the reviewers take art to seriously but the info is well thought out and I have found quite a bit of music that I now listen to regularly. Give it a try.

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.'" Galadriel - J.R.R. Tolkien

Happy Caucus Day! I have been waiting for this holiday for what seems like an eternity. Now if you are not a political junkie by now it is time for you to catch up. This is the one time of year a really tiny group begins to decide something for a gigantic nation, as in who will be president. Around 100,000 people will give a big old push to a couple of candidates tonight and influence the rest of the race. Now, how do you catch up? I recommend heading to our friend Wikipedia for the basics. . Second I love the Podcast It’s all politics from NPR. It is a comical look at the goings on brought to you by two well known political pundits. They should have a new episode tomorrow with any luck. Finally something from out of nowhere a musical about the Iowa Caucus. How could you go wrong? Also I should mention Youtube’s Caucus time videos. They are videos with people who will be doing be a discussin’ and a votin’. So get some pizza, get excited, and give these sites a try.

“There's very definitely a learning curve, ... I made it work because I absolutely had no choice.” David Pogue

A question I get a lot from my classes is how do you stay on top of technology information when it moves so fast and there is so much of it? My usual answer is I do not. I find the more I know the more I realize how very little I really know. I do try though. I use RSS feeds, email newsletters, podcasts, videos, and columns to keep my head above the rising tide that is tech info. Unfortunately so much is dry and without any humor or fun at all. I thought technology was supposed to be exciting and not dry as overcooked toast. That is why when I get a chance to go to David Pogue’s pages I jump at it. Pogue has been writing book/manuals since 1999. Many of them are very good and I do recommend them. However I want to discuss all his other ways of getting info to you. He has a column for the NY Times, and an e-mail column, radio segment on tech for NPR, and most entertaining videos. I watched one were he reviewed hand held scanners under the pretext of stealing the new Harry Potter book. DavidPogue.com is a compilation of all his information and segments but even better is his pledge.

“This site is 100% free of animations, ads, annoying backgrounds, java, frames, and anything that blinks.”

If you would like some tech info with some decent humor give the link a try.

“It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.” Dan Quayle

Keeping with the environmental theme I give you a podcast and a site I am fond of. The Grist website is full of news and commentary. Now if you want eco-info that is dry avoid this site. I find Grist brings a sometimes dull subject to life and give some real perspective. Also their podcast is consistently well done and with some humor. You can download it or listen on the site. Give it a try.

“It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off” Mark Twain

To continue from yesterday is a list of a few more good podcasts.

• Mugglecast is the podcast if you want to hear about all things Harry Potter from books to movies.
  
• President's Weekly Radio Address
  
• Mac OS KEN for all your Mac news. I listen everyday to this one.
  
• Craft Magazine is a great podcast for those that like hobbies
• ChinesePod for those wanting to learn to speak Mandarin. There are tons of podcasts devoted to languages.
• Wired Magazine has some nice chosen bits from it's magazine.

I have only listed a few of the thousands that are out there. Listen to a bunch and subscribe to your favorites. I like this better that then radio, no static. Give it a try.

Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. Samuel Johnson

Ok you are set to listen to podcasts and you are rearing to go but which ones? Well I wanted to give you a few popular ones and a couple I really like for today and tomorrow's post.

• Grammar Girl quick and dirty tips for writing. This is very popular and well done. Listen to this one if you have an interest in the English language.
  
• CNET Podcast Central is a list of podcasts. I listen to many of these everyday. Click on the more button at the bottom. There is quite a list.
  
• NPR Podcast Directory. I listen to NPR constantly but many times I miss a favorite segment so I listen to thier podcasts. One of the funniest out there is Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.
  
• TWIT: This week in Tech. Many people love this one and find it very informative. There are many to pick from.
  
• Scientific American. There are two which I listen to all the time. They are both from Scientific American Magazine.
  

Most of these can be sampled online without any extra software. Give them a try.

“My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be invented so he could hate that too.” Peter De Vries

I have already mentioned the software iTunes before but today I want to focus on getting new podcasts. First off the software is free and is available for Mac and Windows machines. Once the program is installed in your computer you can open it up and click on the right hand side where it says podcasts. If it is your first time opening this than it will ask you if you would like to go to the podcasts directory. You can click yes or at the bottom right you can click the link for podcast directory as well. At this point you will have many options like the top 100 podcasts or some categorized choices as well like sports or foreign language. Click on any of these and if you find something interesting give it another click. You should then see a description of the show and a list of past episodes. If you would like to test drive one of the episodes double click it and give a listen. If you like it you can get just the episode you are listening to by scrolling to the right and clicking on get episode. However if you decide you want to receive this regularly, near the top it should say subscribe, click that button. From now on you will get these in your podcast section of iTunes. If at any time you decide you don't want it anymore click on the podcast and hit the backspace button to delete it. I like iTunes for its ease of use. Think of this program like the ultimate jukebox of audio. Give it a try.

“It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on.” Marilyn Monroe

There are many ways to find podcasts because of the directories or communities that have sprung up. Podcast.net is a place to search for podcasts and the add them to your listening list or you can listen to episodes right there on the page. I did a search for Meet the Press, which is a podcast I listen to every Monday, and here are the results. If you decided you wanted to subscribe to this you can drag the RSS feed into your Podcast player of your choice. To find new and interesting podcasts I also head to Digg. Digg is a community of people who are constantly rating things they like by digging them. They have a very nice search utility that makes it easy to find newly popular stuff. The great thing about this medium is that anyone can broadcast and you can find shows that range from professionals on TV to a couple of guys in a basement that have a unique view of the world. Give it a try.

“Radio is the theater of the mind; television is the theater of the mindless” Steve Allen

Information is everywhere and it is increasingly harder to stay on top of topics. I rely heavily on podcasts. What are podcasts? Think recorded radio broadcasts that anyone with a computer can create. Because it is so open you have amateurs to professionals creating stuff to listen to. You can find podcasts on every subject from the informative to the equivalent of vegging out. I listen to about eight a day. How do I get these wonders of modern science you ask? You have several choices of software. I use iTunes because I find it easy to use and sign up for new podcasts. Two other programs are ipodder for Windows or Juice for Mac. They are actually the same program under different names. The rest of the week I will highlight some places to find new podcasts and I want to share some of my favorites. Also the Providence Public Library has some Podcasts. I am working on putting new ones up but it is low on the list at the moment. Oh! The best part of Podcasts is not only are they informative and fun but they are free. Give it a try!

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

Spyware is the most persistent problem for computers today. Spyware is a small program that gets on your computer through downloads or by going to unscrupulous websites. The websites I refer to can be as simple as Goggle.com instead of Google.com. A single misspelling can fill your machine with junk.

Now why is that so bad? Well, at the most benign level, these programs are badly written and will cause your computer to crash, or increase the amount of pop-up ads or spam to your email. Unfortunately there is a far darker side called Malware. Malware, think malicious, tries to get personal information about you: your name, address, social security number, and credit card info. Now understand that Spyware is not a virus and cannot be stopped in the same manner.

I recommend a free program called Ad-Aware. Ad-Aware cleans a computer of spyware. Run this program to find all the little nasties and delete them. Also there is a podcast for those readers who want more information. Remember to keep this program updated. Give it a try!

Where the Heck am I?

I have always liked maps and geography. For people like myself there are giant amounts of great sites that allow you to view geography and satellite images. Some of the sites are basic like Google maps. When you look at this one don’t forget to try the satellite and hybrid views at the top right hand corner. However for the best satellite close-ups I recommend try MSN’s Virtual Earth.The resolutionis very high. I find this one takes a bit of getting used to but once you do it is very good. Now the cream of the crop is a program that you must download. It is called Google Earth and is free. This one is awesome! You can look closely at any place on the planet. It gives info from elevation to where the local bars are. It is for both Mac and PC so give it a try.

Also there is a podcast on Google Earth to get you started.

Phishing

Unfortunately today you have to be on your toes when reading your email. Viruses and spyware are problems but one of the worst is phishing. Essentially an email will look like it came from your bank or your favorite website that you have to sign into like eBay. They will tell you something is wrong and provide you with a link to click on. It will bring you to a site that looks official but essentially is a hoax. There is a great site that provides free podcasts (audio broadcasts). Clicking here will allow you to download it and take it with you or listen to live and streaming. This is about a 10-15 minute audio. Just find the one labeled phishing and give it a try.