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According to Edison Research, half of Americans listen to online radio weekly, and podcast consumption is on the rise, with about one in five Americans listening to podcasts at least every month. People feel more and more pressure to make the most of every minute, and podcasts are a wonderfully portable, easily accessible way to keep your brain stimulated during tasks that might otherwise feel like a waste of time (vacuuming, doing the dishes, etc.).
There are only so many hours in the day — you don’t want to lose precious time listening to podcasts that don’t deliver. Below we’ve catalogued our top seven IT podcasts for the remainder of 2019, broken down by category for every taste. All are guaranteed to enrich your workout or commute and give you something interesting to talk about at the water cooler.
Some tech podcasts are too technical, and others are too distractible, but these seven best IT podcasts are just right. These stellar Internet broadcasts will arm you with data, industry developments, and tidbits that are well worth your time.
FOR THE TIME-STRAPPED: TED Talks Technology
Want to energize your conversational topics list in 15 minutes or less and activate the “wow” centers of your brain at the same time? Cue TED Talks Technology, a bite-sized podcast where some of the world’s leading inventors and researchers share their breakthroughs, visions, and demos.
TED’s nonprofit mission is to devote itself to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” and these pack a powerful punch when it comes to learning about things you’ll want to discuss with both coworkers and friends. Episodes cover a wide diversity of material, from what it takes to launch a giant telescope to artificial muscles for robots and the future of solar power.
FOR THE NEWS JUNKIE: WSJ Tech News Briefing
To get a jumpstart on the day during your morning commute and maybe even learn the latest before your boss, check out WSJ Tech New Briefing, where Wall Street Journal reporters team up to cover leading companies, the newest gadgets, emerging cyber issues, and consumer trends.
The podcast covers news from coast to coast, often broadcasting from the hottest conferences to keep listeners plugged in on what’s going on. Topics range from tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft to new smartphone apps, artificial intelligence, and television streaming wars.
FOR THE GO-TO GADGET GURU: Embedded
If your heart goes pitter-patter over all things engineering, particularly when it comes to gadgets, Embedded is the podcast to download. Dedicated to the how, why, and what of engineering, Embedded goes into every aspect of gadgetry, from making and breaking gizmos to regular interviews with engineers, educators, and enthusiasts.
If you love combining talk about LEDs, sensors, buttons, and circuits with discussions about engineering, education, business, and leadership, Embedded is the cast for you.
FOR THE HARDCORE TECH FANATIC: Accidental Tech Podcast
Three friends and developers started a podcast about cars called Neutral, but each podcast kept digressing into technology. Marco Arment is a web and iPhone software developer, John Ciracusa is a developer and technology writer, and Casey Liss is a developer, writer, and video producer.
They finally got together in 2013 to kickstart a new show called Accidental Tech Podcast, which now has more than 300 episodes. The self-proclaimed nerds talk serious tech, Apple, and programming, peppering conversations with happy digressions into other loosely related matters.
TECH WITH A HUMAN HEART: Analog(ue)
For a deeper, more cultural look at technology, especially mobile tech, tune in to Analog(ue), which zooms in on the positive and negative effects of technology on society at large. Going beyond the tech itself and focusing on the feelings modern technology creates and inspires, hosts Myke Hurley, cofounder of Relay FM, and Casey Liss of Accidental Tech Podcast are joined by other headliners in the tech world who help them sound off on the emo side of analog.
Big questions are bandied, from how we become emotionally attached to technology to how technology’s reach will change in the future. If you tend to lean on the thoughtful side, you’ll also enjoy the show’s weekly roundup of #relayyourfeels tweets.
FOR THE FEMINIST: The MADWomen Podcast
The MADWomen project hosts insightful and inspirational conversations with mobile and digital women who are making a big impact in business and technology. This podcast comes straight from Women in Wireless (WiW), now renamed mBolden, a 10,000-member nonprofit that helps empower female leaders in the mobile and digital space.
Host and creator Liz Horowitz delivers conversations with incredible women who have succeeded in an industry often dominated by men, sharing stories, insights, and lessons learned. With topics including overcoming burnout, unconventional paths, non-traditional work environments, and achieving big goals through small steps, the MADWomen podcast has something for everyone, regardless of gender.
FOR THE HISTORY BUFF: American Innovations
Hosted by Steven Johnson, the bestselling author of “How We Got to Now,” American Innovations is the go-to radio show for anyone who loves delving into the back stories of the greatest scientists and engineers in the past century. With rich storytelling and a penchant for details, American Innovations uses vivid scenery to share tales of the scientists, engineers, and ordinary people behind the greatest discoveries of the last 100 years.
Riddled with descriptions of competitions and teamwork, brilliant developments and accidents, this podcast delves into everything from the cinematic technology behind Star Wars to the pharmacological history behind Coca-Cola, the development of virtual reality, and the discovery of DNA.
