5 Podcasts Worth Watching
Podcasts have more or less replaced TV for me. I watch about 3-4 of these internet born programs a week, which is more than I can say for TV. What makes these so much more interesting than TV? They offer something the “old media” cannot. They offer targeted programs, ones that would otherwise not be able to be distributed on cable networks profitably. They offer user feedback and interaction. They talk about stuff I care about. Most of the people I know seem to remain blissfully unaware of their entertainment potential, so I’ve decided to highlight my personal top five.
5.) The All for Nots – I actually found this recently, but it’s pretty entertaining. It’s kind of like…the rock band version of “The Office”, shot in docu-drama/comedy form. Other blogs say it’s like the Monkees circa 2008. I don’t get that reference, so I can’t verify. It’s well made, and usually funny. Worth watching by all means.
4.) Hak 5 – Awesome show for anyone interested in computers and/or hacking. If you ever wanted to create a Yaesager router, learn how to sniff packets, or perform brute force attacks, this is the show for you. I’m not too crazy about the hosts, but they have some interesting features that make this worth watching.
3.) Tiki Bar TV – I don’t even drink, and I love this show. The show is just straight up goofy, and it knows it. Lots of strange characters and events. Who knew everything can be solved by a “prescription”? 
2.) Epic-Fu – This one is sooo close to being my number one. It’s too short to gain that place though, and they recently shortened even more. 
EpicFu is a small weekly podcast, highlighting what’s new in art, music, and tech. The host, Zadi Diaz, feeds you the information in quick little blurbs, flowing effortlessly from one story to another. Oh, and she snaps like a pro too. 
The show follows a pretty set formula from week to week. There’s a news review, “Artist of the Week” art segment (usually very cool artists!), “Shit We Like” music video clip(hit and miss), and usually an interview with some media figure at the end. They also boast a very large and active community called “Mix” which competes in weekly contests and sometimes even contributes to the show!
1.) Diggnation – Two dudes, drinking on a coach, discussing top stories on Digg. How can this formula go wrong? Lot’s of digressions from the actual topics leads to a show that usually clocks in at about 45 minutes to an hour. Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose are great hosts, though Alex gets annoying sometimes as he likes to talk. Loudly. All the while saying nothing. Sometimes the stuff they pick to talk about is boring, but most of the times it’s pretty interesting stuff. Overall very entertaining, probably moreso for huge geeks (like me) than anyone else. The clip show may be interesting to the uninitiated. Maybe not, actually, because it’s just clips of them bantering back and forth and no content. Oh well. Check it out. It rocks.
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