Although podcasts were once a niche kind of media, they’re now so popular you can find them about almost any topic imaginable, from medical history to the music business.
Of course, there are plenty of podcasts to provide your tech fix, too. Here are seven of them:
1. Why’d You Push That Button?
Most people know technology is a behaviour-changer. Why’d You Push That Button, hosted by Ashley Carman and Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Verge, explores how that’s true in ways that are both lighthearted and thought-provoking. Some recent topics examined were why people leave group chats and the reasons that make individuals post online restaurant reviews.
2. Clockwise
If you’re short on time and want to stay on top of the latest tech happenings, Clockwise is perfect. No episode lasts longer than a half hour, but each one features four people weighing in on four topics. Two of those featured individuals are the hosts, Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent, and they are joined by two special guests.
To get an idea of the breadth of coverage, consider that Cyber Monday, microchips in humans and using an iPad as an external Mac display were all things brought up during recent months.
3. The #womenintech Podcast
Depending on their circumstances, many women who work in the tech sector or are fascinated by it get the impression they’re alone in their enthusiasms. Sometimes that happens because they are the lone female employees on tech teams at their workplaces, but in other cases, they may live in small towns that don’t offer many opportunities for females who love tech.
If you can relate, be sure to add the #womenintech Podcast. The host, Espree Devora, focuses on what she calls “actionable empowerment” in every episode — making you say to yourself “If she can do it, so can I.” The episodes feature female engineers, tech journalists, web designers, company founders and other inspiring contributors.
4. American Innovations
The technology we use every day is often so ingrained in our routines that we forget about all the hard work from the scientists, product developers and other team members who brought those inventions to life. The American Innovations podcast from Wondery takes you on a journey of learning about discoveries, such as the polio vaccine and virtual reality, and the processes that made them part of our culture.
If you typically remember things more thoroughly when listening to them compared to reading the words on a page, this podcast will also be a good fit. It features richly recreated audio scenes that help you imagine the scenarios described.
5. IRL
IRL comes to you from Mozilla, the brand best known for the Firefox browser. The podcast explores internet-centric topics, and more specifically, how people can make the internet safer for everyone. IRL takes a peek at what’s ahead in tech, too.
Password managers, data breaches and using the internet for positive social change are some of the topics people can dive into after following this podcast. You might find it’s so addictive, you slowly get in the habit of going online primarily to listen to the latest episode during your downtime.
6. This Is Only a Test
One of the challenging things about the tech industry is that new gadgets arrive every day, and most people only have limited amounts of money to splurge on them. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if you had a friend to give the lowdown about new tech products so you could decide whether to buy them? This Is Only a Test offers the next best thing.
The hosts give their opinions about headphones, video cards and more. Plus, there’s a healthy dose of tech news, helping you keep tabs on rumoured developments, headline-grabbing advancements and other standout topics.
When people go to the podcast’s official site to get the latest episodes, they can also see the most recent one recorded in-studio and published as a YouTube video. That’s a definite advantage if you like to put faces with the names of podcast hosts after hearing them.
7. Accidental Tech
According to a page on Accidental Tech’s site that’s geared toward sponsors, each episode attracts approximately 75,000 loyal listeners. This podcast got its name because it came about when its creators — a trio of developers — attempted to make a car podcast instead.
Learn about the iPad Pro, how to maintain your computer, what happened to seemingly promising tech developments that faltered and more. The podcast has hundreds of past episodes to peruse, meaning you won’t get bored.
Prepare to Get Engrossed
These tech podcasts are among the best available for numerous reasons. Once you check them out, you’ll likely find yourself remarking that your media consumption wasn’t nearly as diverse without them. If you have suggestions for other tech podcasts we should listen to – drop them in the comments below!
