Updated: Zune Insider, the official podcast of Microsoft’s media service, has a brand new website. In addition to a visual overhaul, the new website includes basic social media integration. The right-hand column includes the most recent Facebook updates from Zune, as well as what’s being said about the service on Twitter. The new site also makes it much easier to share articles and podcast episodes on social networks.
This week on Zune Insider Jessica and Matt had Dave McLauchlan on as a guest. Dave does business development for Zune- basically working out deals with accessory, connectivity, and other partners for not just the device but the entire Zune ecosystem. One of the more interesting stories to me is that he works with car companies and aftermarket head unit manufactures to bring Zune connectivity where the iPod has historically been the only compatible player in the automotive space.
Though, some of you may know Dave from our forums kicking off one of the longest running debate threads starting back in 2006: MTP vs MSC. He now hangs out in the Zune HD forum and does his best to answer what he can pre-launch.
The Scif Fi Guys is a British podcast which covers everything that has to do with Science Fiction and cult TV and movies. Host Stuart Claw and co-host Matt Dillion talks for a couple of hours each week about the latest happenings within those fields and each week there’s also an interview with an actor from a popular series. Examples this year are Jack Coleman from Heroes ( plays Noah Bennet) and Colin Ferguson from Eureka (plays Sheriff Carter). The podcast operates with seasons just as TV shows do, and have just recently begun season 3.
This was one of the first podcast I ever started listening to, back when the number of podcasts I subscribed to could be counted on one hand. It remains one of my favorites and now that season 3 is starting it was an easy choice for featured podcast. The podcast is really a must for any Sci Fi or general TV fan out there. Great discussions and great interviews.
Peter Rojas and Ryan Block, also known as the guys behind Engadget and Gizmodo, are currently working on a new website at www.gdgt.com. Instead of having a website with a podcast, these guys now have a podcast with a website in progress. The podcast is a weekly gadget show featuring the two talking about the latest news and happenings in the gadget world. Each show is roughly an hour, available in MP3 and AAC as well as dedicated iTunes and Zune Marketplace links.
While a lot of people argue that Engadget and Gizmodo has lost their mojo in the later years, I urge people not to let that affect how you look at this podcast and the new site. These two know what they are talking about and personally I like the gdgt podcast a lot better than the Engadget one which I’ve featured on here before. It’s a great show and well worth a listen.
Everyone knows Engadget, but what some might not know is that their once abandoned podcast just started up again last year. Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel discuss the latest gadget news and happenings in a ~1 hour show each week.
Their sister site Engadget Mobile also has their own podcast where Chris Ziegler and Sean Cooper focus on the mobile side of technology. Might be a bit too much mobile phone talk if you also listen to the Cell Phone Junkie we wrote about a while back, but if not this one is also worth a listen.
Another Revision3 podcast like last week’s Tekzilla, Systm is all about the DIY aspect of technology. Patrick Norton (also hosting Tekzilla) and David Calkins – sometimes with guest hosts like Roger Chang – show you everything from how to set up a home server to how to make your own MP3 player accessories. We mentioned their CMOY amp episode in December and a few episodes ago they showed how to make portable USB batteries for your gadgets. Worth the watch if you have a DIYer in you.
As with Tekzilla, this is also a video podcast and not all players will play them directly. Sony players, the Zune and other h.264 compatible players can use the “small quicktime” files on the site, and other bigger PMPs such as the Cowon A3 are able to play back larger resolution versions of the show.Other players will require that you either watch them on the computer or convert them to a supported format.
Tekzilla is one of many shows done by Revision3, an Internet based “TV channel” that uses video podcasts for distribution. Tekzilla is a weekly show of about 30 minutes covering everything in tech. Instead of news like a lot of podcasts focus on, Tekzilla is based off listener questions and the topics therefor vary a lot, from PC issues to media players. The hosts are Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont.
Being a video podcast, not all players can play the files directly. Sony players, the Zune and other h.264 compatible players can use the “small quicktime” files on the site, and other bigger PMPs such as the Cowon A3 are able to play back larger resolution versions of the show.
Technically Darker Projects isn’t a podcast in itself, but rather a group that produce audio theatre in podcast form. The concept is like audio books, but every character has it’s own actor and the quality and mood it creates far outmatches anything you can get from a regular audio book. The series’ they do are produced by themselves based off either original content, famous TV series’ or books.
Most of the series are either fantasy or science fiction based so some interest in these genres is required. The episodes are released rather slow, with everything from a month to a year in between each episode. While this is a result of the project being a hobby for everyone involved, it does make the listener experience a bit choppy as you forgot what happened the last time by the time the new episode of a series is out. There are however many older series (now finished) that have a full range of episodes that can be listened to start to end. Well worth checking out if you’re into audio books and the genres mentioned.
More and more people start moving toward convergence devices such as cellphones for their media needs, email, webbrowsing on the run and so on. With an average of 27392 new models of phones coming to the market every week, it can be very difficult to keep track of what’s hot and what’s not.
The Cell Phone Junkie is more or less the only show you need for you cellphone needs, covering all the platforms with a focus on smartphones. On top of news there are listener questions and general discussion about the cell phone world and the newly added TCPJ Unlocked side-podcast supplements this with specialized shows for various topics. Great show with two very informed gentlemen at the helm and well worth a listen for anyone that has a cellphone or plan to get one.
As I’ve said before, getting a MP3 player is only half the battle – the other half is getting content. Music is of course the main use for any player but there are other alternatives, like audio books and podcasts. In this new article series I’ll be presenting a podcast every article which I find to be worthy of a mention. It’s often difficult to navigate the jungle of podcasts out there, with some podcasts not being in production anymore, others being recently abandoned and so on. First off is my personal favorite, Mobile Tech Roundup.
Mobile Tech Roundup is a podcast done on a “random-weekly” basis (meaning normally every week but no specific schedule) by James Kendrick and Kevin Tofel from jkOnTheRun and Matt Miller from ZDNet. The content of the podcast is naturally mobile tech, be it laptops and cell phones or MP3 players. They discuss the news, new products and other related topics and each show last about 35 minutes. It’s a nice way to keep up with the latest in tech and they also review a lot of products which they talk about on the show. Check out the show on the official site.
The Clip+ has a fantastic little form factor; somewhat cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straightforward. The features on the Clip are more or less average, however it supports the alternative Rockbox firmware which provides tons of additional options (gapless playback, Replaygain, playlists, Last.fm scrobbling, etc). Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.
The J3 is a fantastic PMP with a very nice AMOLED screen and tons of features. It sports Cowon's trademark BBE sound enhancements, and offers a customizable user interface with strong support by our user community. You can usually find it at Amazon for the best price - and don't forget to check out our review.
Sure, many of us are not big fans of the walled garden, but there are a lot of great things going on with the Zune: sturdy hardware, ultra easy to use user interface, and a media player that is worthy of Editor’s Choice. You can check out our Zune HD review or stop by our Zune forums for the latest info and gossip.
Phonak Audéo PFE offer outstanding clarity and precision; natural, dynamic mids and treble, and decent bass for a single armature in-ear phone. They handle dense, complex music very well. The PFE work well with most acoustic and some electronic music genres, but bassheads might have to look at other alternatives. They're great for sports as well, since they fit very securely. Check out our review.
The Hippo VB (Variable Bass) offers a serious subwoofer for on the go, right in your head. They don’t just deliver generous quantities of punchy, textured bass, but good audio quality over the whole frequency range with decent clarity and exceptional soundstage. Exchangeable bass ports let you customize their sound to your liking. Read our in-depth Hippo VB review.
The Soundmagic E10 and E30 are basically right in the middle between the Phonak PFE and Hippo VB - not too analytical sounding, not too bass heavy. The E10 provide a bit more bass, the E30 a bit more clarity. Both come with a very fair price tag considering the sound quality they deliver - a great choice for the audio aficionado on a budget. Read our E10 and E30 reviews for more info.
