Futures in Biotech
Futures in Biotech 21: Science versus Cancer
Run Time: 1:06:11
Hosted by Marc Pelletier, Futures in Biotech is a podcast focusing on the latest breakthroughs in biotechnology. This episode featured Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, a doctor at the University of Alberta, and his discovery of how the cheap, common drug DCA could potentially destroy cancer cells. DCA acts to switch the unique metabolism of cancer cells back to normal, which in turn triggers programmed cell death (apoptosis). There are multiple disclaimers at the end of the episode regarding DCA and its testing. Dr. Evangelos’ provided excellent insight on how cancer cells metabolize differently from normal cells.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and the TWiT Network.
The Story
Listening for Amelia
Run Time: 51:38
Hosted by Dick Gordon, The Story is a daily weekday podcast featuring engaging stories from all walks of life. Amelia Earhart lost communication during her flight around the world on July 2, 1937. On the same day, Betty Klenck Brown was a 15-year-old Californian girl listening to her short wave radio for songs, which she planned to transcribe so she could sing the lyrics without having to purchase the sheet music. After turning the dial, a voice came over the speaker “This is Amelia Earhart. This is Amelia Earhart.” Betty transcribed every word that came through the radio. The transcription became a three-hour, harrowing, one-way distress communication from Amelia and her navigator.
Despite efforts by her father for government involvement, Betty’s journal of the incident stayed dormant for decades until a member of TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery) came across her journal after hearing a story from Betty’s neighbor. Ric, a disbeliever in the Betty’s story at first, now believes Betty’s radio did pick up the Earhart distress call from the crash site as shown in clues in the transcription, communication snippets that could only have come from Earhart.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and at The Story’s website on the Friday, August 24, 2007 episode.
This Week in Tech
TWiT 107: We’re Going to Need a Bigger Flywheel
Run Time: 1:31:32
Hosted by Leo Laporte, This Week in Tech is a weekly podcast focusing on all things tech. This episode consisted of a sizeable cast: John C. Dvorak (Dvorak.org/blog), Patrick Norton, Robert Herron, Steve Gibson and Molly Wood. Amongst other topics, the large gang pontificated on Google bidding for the 700MHz spectrum, Dvorak’s insight into a possible Sprint-Google deal, the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray war, hybrid hard drives, Congressmen and tech, intern loses 800,000 Ohio social security numbers, Apple and Microsoft quarterly profits, smog testing and HDMI cable reviews.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and the TWiT homepage.
This American Life
#337: Man vs. History
Run Time: 59:36
Hosted by Ira Glass, This American Life features intriguing stories from all walks of American life. Act One of the episode featured Dal LaMagna, an entrepeneur who made some of his small fortune selling high quality tweezers. During retirment, Dal set a new lofty goal for himself: end the violence in Iraq. Armed with some lobbying and Washington D.C.experience, Dal traveled to the Middle East and hooked up with an Iraqi Parliamentary member, Mohammed Al-Dynee. Dal recored his meetings and journeys. The podcast provides great insight into the behind scenes in Baghad, including a meeting with the British high commander.
Act two featured espionage in the Czech Republic at the end of the Cold War. Spies playing one another, and emotional attachments that interfere with Operation: Brief Encounter.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and the This Ameican Life homepage.
Diggnation
Diggnation – May 31, 2007 (the 100th episode)
RunTime: 1:02:35
Hosted by Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht, Diggnation is a weekly podcast covering some of the more popular stories featured on digg.com. This episode was the 100tth in the series and Kevin and Alex pontificated on the 100th episode cake, the new version of iTunes (7.2), Microsoft Surface, which yielded probably the best discussion/argument in diggnation history, Google Maps’ new feature Street View, the latest AACS key crack, CBS purchases LAST.FM for $280 million, a discussion of MySpace and Facebook, and highlights from the best moments of the previous 99 diggnations. Truly a classic episode. Enjoy.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and on the Revision3 homepage.
Windows Weekly
Episode 24: And Hilarity Ensued
Run Time: 48:11
Hosted by Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte, Windows Weekly is a weekly podcast focused on Microsoft and the latest in technology. This episode featured HD-DVD woes, HD-DVD software, Dell and Ubuntu, Microsoft’s earnings, Vista Anytime upgrades, Paul’s CHK DISC anecdote, Silverlight 1.1 is a self-contained version of .NET and IE8.
Microsoft’s quarterly earnings perspective (from the podcast):
What these companies earn in a quarter, Microsoft earns the same amount in the following time periods:
- Red Hat – 10 hours
- Research and Motion (Blackberry creators) – 4 days
- Starbucks – 4 days
- McDonalds – 14 days
- Apple – 14 days
- Google – 18 days
- Coke – 23 days
- Walmart – 10 weeks
Microsoft profits 55 million dollars a day. I think articles declaring Microsoft’s death are greatly exaggerated.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and on the TWiT homepage under Windows Weekly.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and on the NPR homepage under Story of the Day.
Cranky Geeks
Episode 62
Run Time: 30:00
Hosted by head crank John C. Dvorak, Cranky Geeks is a weekly podcast “cranking” out about all things tech. This episode featured breaking news from Digg, where the encryption key for HD-DVD was posted. Digg originally removed the post, but after user pressure, Digg re-posted the encryption code. The code was previously available on the Internet, but now has been made more accessible through the Digg forums.
Other stories include: SONY’s God of War II party, which included a headless goat, a woman’s $26,000 bill for her stolen phone, the BBC launches free web based On-Demand video, and rabbit ears to get over-the-air HD signals.
The podcast can be found on iTunes.
331: Habeas Schmabeas 2007
Run Time: 1:03:37
Hosted by Ira Glass, This American Life features intriguing stories from all walks of American life. This episode focused on the right of habeas corpus. Habeas Corpus states the government has to explain why they are holding a person in custody. The episode focuses primarily on the detainees at Guantanamo and how most of their rights, including habeas corpus, have been stripped. The episode also explains the history of habeas corpus dating back to England in the 17th Century. It’s a fascinating examination of how the British Civil War of the mid 17th century produced it own version of Guantanamo, and the dangers that arose from suspending habeas corpus.
The podcast can be found on iTunes.
Security Now!
WEP Insecurity
Run Time: 45:54
Hosted by Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson, Security Now is a weekly podcast discussing the latest in computer security. This episode featured WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and how German researchers have been able to crack it. The researches published a paper revealing how WEP can now be cracked in under a minute. What took 5 million packets before to crack, now only takes forty thousand (1,000 times faster). It’s almost faster now to crack a WEP key than it would be to type it. The code has been made available, and it probably won’t be long before it’s implemented in security cracking software.
Gibson quotes the following numbers:
- 25% of wireless networks have no protection
- 50% of wireless networks use WEP
- 25% of wireless networks use WPA (WiFi Protected Access)
Therefore, only 25% of wireless networks are “uncrackable” (only through a brute force attack).
Gibson delves into technology behind the WEP crack. It’s a fairly technical discussion, but it’s pretty amazing if you can follow how the researchers managed to crack the original WiFi security. Gibson gives alternative WiFi security measures, such as WPA, VPN and HTTPS.
The podcast can be found on iTunes and on the TWiT homeage under Security Now.
The podcast can be found on iTunes.
Recent Comments
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northerngeek said:
[this is good]now this is really good read more
on 30APR2007 - Podcast Pick of the Day - This American Life -
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northerngeek said:
[this is good]read more
on 25APR2007 - Podcast Picks of the Day - Windows Weekly and This Week in Tech -
northerngeek said:
[this is good]I love Net at Night....and I love your blog.....but maybe try doing something like this..keep them coming back to your... read more
on 12APR2007 - Podcast Pick of the Day - Net at Nite
on 04JUN2007 - Podcast Pick of the Day - Diggnation