I love free stuff on the internet but its even better when its free and amazing! That sums up how I feel about my newest discovery named “Orb“. You really have to see it in action to appreciate how useful it is but I will do my best to fill you in on all the details.
Let me start off by telling you what Orb can do for you.
Orb is a free software service that gives the user instant access to photos, music, videos, live television, documents and other digital content that is stored on their home PC at anytime and from any internet-connected device, such as a mobile phone, PDA or laptop.
For example, listen to your entire music collection while sitting in your cubicle at work (like me) or watch a video that is stored on your home computer at a friend’s house.
Music Interface
Do I have your attention yet? Well I should… and that is just the beginning. You can also:
Share your media content by sending links to friends so they can stream media from your computer. Don’t worry, your friends are the only ones to see what you shared with them!
I am among the minority that still does not own an iPod. However, I am a huge fan of podcasts and have been able to get along just fine without an apple product in my pocket. My 2 hour daily commute time gives me the perfect opportunity to enjoy my audio podcasts while zooming along in my Mazda Protege. Keep in mind that I would not recommend watching a video podcast while you are behind the wheel… although it is tempting.
To get you started, here is a short video that will introduce you to the world of podcasting.
How do you get podcasts?
iTunes provides a very easy way to search, organize, and download podcasts. You can download the latest iTunes release here. Podcasts can be found in the Podcasts section of the iTunes Store even though almost all of them are free to download. There is a podcasts tab in the left menu of iTunes which will organize all of the podcasts you download. And just incase you don’t feel like downloading the podcast you can also stream the podcast without downloading it. As the video above described, one of the great features of podcasts is that you can subscribe to your favourite podcasts so that new episodes are automatically downloaded when they become available.
iTunes is not the only option for accessing podcasts. There are plenty of possible “podcatchers” available for use. Even though most of them share similar features, you may find that one better suits your needs. For example, you may want to look for a podcatcher that downloads podcasts to an online database instead of your own PC so that you will be able to access them from any internet connected device.
What podcasts do I subscribe to?
Here is an abbreviated list of some of my favourites:
Tech Stuff (by How Stuff Works)
Brain Stuff (by How Stuff Works)
The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe
Flight of the Conchords
The Naked Scientists
Tekzilla
All this being said… I have to admit I am very close to breaking down and purchasing an iPod Touch so I can keep up with all my video podcasts while I am on the go! It looks like Steve Jobs finally got me.
Fun fact: “Podcast” was named the word of the year in 2005 by the New Oxford American Dictionary and was included in its 2006 edition.
