Lifehacker Podcast

Lifehacker provides a great service. It is a service that gives all kinds of valuable information on many subjects with the purpose of helping us live a better life. Some of the Lifehacker employees have received permission to use the Lifehacker brand to do a life show on Google+ that is also made available as an audio podcast, evidently. Should you listen to the show? I enjoy it but find myself groaning and reaching to fast forward the show at times. First, a look at the good stuff. I always learn about computers and the Internet and smartphones from the show. I am thinking seriously about building my own desktop PC after listening to the show for several months. I think I will definitely buy a cable modem after listening to what the guys had to say. For guys that are in their mid- to late 20s they definitely know their stuff. But then, there is the other side. They are guys in their mid- to late 20s and the humor gets to be too much. For some reason, the conversation centers on defecation. Obviously one of the hosts is pre-occupied with potty habits. If you can put up with the often too-childish humor, you can learn much. But too often it takes some wading to get through the obnoxious conversation.

"The Old Time Radio Superman Show" with Adam Graham

The "Superman" franchise has been carefully guarded for decades, going back to the first appearance of Suyperman in Action comics in 1938. A few years later, Superman came to radio. Thanks to the sponsor, Kellogg's of Battle Creek, we have many of the episodes that were recorded and distributed on transcription disks, 15-inch platters that look somewhat like old 78 rpm records. Not too many months ago I discovered Adam Graham's podcast. I have collected Superman OTR broadcasts and the TV show starring George Reeves for years. I really prefer Graham's podcast for a couple reasons. He has a distinctive voice for radio and I enjoy his comments before and after some of the episodes. He apparently has an extensive collection of old time radio, not just "Superman" but other shows as well. "Superman" on radio featured the voice of Bud Collyer, better known to my generation as the host of "Beat the Clock" and "To Tell the Truth" on TV. The radio stories, while aimed at children, are some of the best radio plays of the 1940s. Some are very reminiscent of the comic books I remember during Superman's "Silver Age." For example, "The Disappearance of Clark Kent" takes Superman to another planet where he is nearly killed (yes, Suyperman!) trying to save the planet from its coming doom. In another multi-part serial, Jimmy Olsen and a teenage girl who has been in trouble with the law and who has been rehabilitated, try to help break a crime ring and end of being imprisoned in a building down by the waterfront. Jimmy summons Superman by using a metal ring, just like the one listeners can order as a premium if they buy their Kellogg's Pep cereal. Jimmy drops his Superman ring out the window onto the deck of a passing boat where it is found by the boat's captain. In another story, Superman is summoned to Bruce Wayne's mansion after Dick Grayson disappears. Superman and Batman work together on other adventures, too. These are really very entertaining stories! I understand Collyer was a Sunday School teacher. Can you imagine a kid bragging to his friends, "My Sunday School teacher is Supernman!" The very first Superman show I collected was about Japanese taking over the city of Valeria in South America. Through the story, the citizens learn they must fight for the peace and liberty they treasure. Sounds like a good story for all the kids listening to the radio during World War II as well! Science fiction plays a big part of these shows (in addition to Superman being from another planet, of course.) A couple serials feature Poco, a little rhyming alien who arrives in a clear globe spaceship. In one serial, he and Jimmy end up in an Eskimo village that has been overrun by Nazis. The problem is, some episodes are missing, probably destroyed, Graham said on a recent broadcast. This is really a good podcast. After all, who doesn't enjoy a good Suyperman story!

Social Media Marketing Podcast -- I don't get it sometimes

The Social Media Marketing Podcast sometimes makes me scratch my head and ask, "Huh?" I understand what social media is: Twitter is 140 characters that are shared with people who want to read our tweets. I think hashtags (#) are tags that are searchable. I understand Facebook completely. What I don't understand is a)how those tweets and posts can be monetized; b)why Pepsi or some other company would pay big bucks for posts and tweets when you have to have thousands of listeners before they sponsor your podcast. I did understand an episode that was devoted to podcasts. But most of the conversations are way beyond me. That might mean I'm too old for this social media marketing or it might mean the show assumes the audience is a lot more sophisticated about social media marketing than we really are. I'm assuming a combination is closest to the truth.

Information on "all things Chrome" would be good

Say "chrome" and if the first thing that comes to mind is a really shiny car, you are obviously not part of the computer generation. But if you think of Google Chrome, then you might like the Gigaom Chrome Show with Janko Roettgers and Kevin C. Tofel. I say "might" because there is so much to like about this podcast. The hosts are friendly, I would say "amiable." Kevin C. Tofel could easily work for Disney as a voice artist and Janko Roettgers is a dead ringer for Arnold Schwartzeneger - at least in an audio only podcast. The information they provide is good and I'm sure it's solid. The first few episodes I listened to were great. I enjoyed learning about the Chromebook in its various incarnations, built by Samsung, et. al. (I like the Samsung company.) But, guys, give it a rest! We know the affordable Chromebooks are between $249 and $400. We know they have relatively small screens. After telling us that, please tell me in detail how to use a Chromebook or how Chrome OS is different than Windows and Android (if applicable) and Linux. Better yet, do what you did on the last two podcasts, spend some time on something besides Chromebooks. I realize there is not much new to say about Chromecast yet but could you at least list what apps work with Chromecast. Surely you could do an umpteen-part series on all the ins and outs of the Chrome browser. Maybe I just need to unsubscribe, but I do hope you can increase the content on future episodes.

Android App Addicts from the Podnutz guys

There are a million apps out there for the Android system. I just made up that number but it sure seems like there are a million! How are you going to find new ad helpful apps that you might want to buy or (better yet!) download for free? I'm glad I found the Android App Addicts podcast. The guys have tried and reviewed more than 2,000 apps, according to a recent podcast. While that hardly makes a small dent in the "million" apps out there, I have learned so much about the apps they have reviewed. Another reason I enjoy listening to the podcast (it's also available as a video podcast) is the guys on the show. Think of a bunch of guys grabbing a beer on Saturday morning, chilling out and talking about Android apps and you have the general idea of the show. It is just one of several podcasts produced by Podnutz. You can subscribe at www.podnutz.com.

"Computer Talk with Tab" from WTIC

"Computer Talk with Tab" is the best, practical podcast I have been able to find. Erik and Bob do an outstanding job fielding listener questions. The show airs live on WITC radio on Saturday mornings and is then recorded for distribution as a podcast. Many computer oriented podcasts do a good job but tend to be too high tech for many users. Erik and Bob avoid that by taking calls from real people in real time. They don't always have all the answers but they certainly do a great job finding what their listeners want to know. If I had one suggestions it would be this: The show segments come into my pod catcher out of order, so I tend to listen to hour one second or third and hour three first, etc. (just an example.) This is certainly one of my picks for a great podcast.

The TWIT Network I'm going to break my own rule. (Already?) I said I would review podcasts but this is about a podcast network, The TWIT Network which streams its video podcasts live as well as archiving them for viewing at a later time. I love the idea! Imagine the fledgling CBS or NBC TV networks in the 1940s. That seems to be where video podcasting is today. I have my own page on You Tube and have some experience hosting a talk show and doing a daily newscast. I dream of our newspaper doing a complete schedule of TV shows. That is what the TWIT network has achieved. My hat is way off to founder Leo LaPorte. I used to watch him on Tech TV that our cable system carried. I'm not sure he is as knowledgable about computers and cell phones and the Internet as he lets on, but he is entertaining. There is a variety of shows. Many have to do with Google and Android and iPhones, but it also carries an Amateur Radio show, "Ham Nation," which is wonderful. It talks about everything imaginable for Ham radio enthusiasts and eve runs video showing how to solder together radios and other equipment. The guys and Cheryl, the lone lady in the bunch, have a great time doing the show over Skype which is then put together at TWIT's studios in California. I will go into more detail about shows on the network but you really should look up TWIT. It's really interesting.