The Podcast Review

this is a fantastic weekly podcast from the BBC.  Broadcast every Sunday, hosted by Bridget Kendall, and running for around 45 minutes, this is a great panel discussion that brings together leading thinkers, scientists, analysts, and writers.  The opinions are diverse, and the subject matter is equally wide ranging.

One is often flooded with data and daily news – stepping back and putting things into a wider jigsaw is something sorely missing.  This podcast offers a chance to recall former times of discussion – a Forum in which things are beated out with stories, experience, and considered opinion.

unfortunately, as is the case with most bbc podcasts, the archives are missing from the itunes and rss feed – basically only the latest episode is downloadable.  An online archive page offers access to past material, but is an ugly barrier to listening.  I seriously protest and question this policy decision from the BBC.  Information is born to be free and easily accessible.

Forum Discussion leading to a wider understanding.  Enjoy it.

technology has always had a big impact upon society.  It dictates the production of goods, the flow of information, the ability to wage war.  It informs civilisation.  And so, with the mass adoption of the internet since the year 1994, how have things changed?  In a word.  Massively.

In 15 short years all that has gone before has been uprooted.  The web has enabled interpersonal communications in a hitherto untold level.  Citizens can email each other on a common platform, and this simple tool has made business, love lives, commerce and whistleblowing a simple instant click of the fingers.  Ideas weave out from our minds into the wider world.

on top of email we have layers of audio, video, and social networking.  Every 2 years has virtually seen a new tool invented that has seen mass adoption.  Think of broadband, blogging, youtube, ebay, amazon, facebook, and twitter.  Each of these steps has amounted to a mini-revolution in how we live our lives; erased all that has gone before and replaced it with ease, simplicity, and empowerment.  So the internet has rocked our lives.

The Revolution continues.

Digital Planet is a weekly podcast from the BBC.  It runs for about 30 minutes, and looks at the way that tech is morphing our lives.   Previous episodes have looked at the Pirate Bay, using laser scanning to study earthquakes, Google Books, and censorship in certain countries.  Such is the wide scope that Information Technology has these days.

one unfortunate drawback of this podcast is that only the last broadcast episode is available.  This seems rather shortsighted on the part of the BBC; after all, we are supposed to be connected in *every* way these days; with past things done referenceable.  *sigh*

other than that, a well produced show, well worth listening to.

rss feed
itunes link
home page

Note: there is an archive page where you can get previous episodes.  But the rss feed and itunes link only contain the most recent broadcast.

The Archers touts itself as the world’s longest running soap opera.  Started by the BBC in 1950, and clocking up more than 15 000 episodes, it certainly has an impressive history.  It is a radio drama, with 15 minute daily episodes.  Set in rural England, it follows the fortunes of the Archer family in Ambridge village.  Like all classic soap operas, it deals with the standard themes of love, marriage, misunderstanding, illness, and work.

well worth throwing into your feed reader for a piece of radio longevity.

rss feed
itunes page
Archers Home