Podcasts gave taken over my iPod. Though my entire music library can easily fit on my iPod, it rarely gets used. Instead, my iPod fills the otherwise mundane moments of life (my morning commute, shopping the supermarket, walking to the bank) with news, entertainment, and even education. “Never a dull moment” can indeed become a reality in the podcast world.

What is a podcast? The word is a combination of the iPod, the preeminent music player from Apple, and broadcast. Just as TV shows are regularly brodcast at regular intervals, podcasts are released on the internet to anyone who wishes to listen. Software, such as Apple’s iTunes, lets you easily subscribe to a podcast so that new episodes are automatically downloaded to your computer (and, if you desire, synchronized to your iPod). I recommend starting with iTunes if you are a podcast neophyte, as the iTunes store has a nice catalog of excellent podcasts.

One group of podcasts that are particularly good to start with are those at QD NOW. QD stands for “Quick and Dirty”. These short audio podcasts (podcasts in general can be either audio or video) are brief and focused, yet often useful. They seem to be released about once a week. Grammar Girl, for example, offers weekly tips on improving your grammar. Legal Lad answers common legal questions. Money Girl offers financial advice. They are, of course, all free

Many people are resistant to the idea of podcasts. Trust me on this one, though; once you try it, you’ll be hooked.