If you enjoy tech news, there are some ways to keep up with the latest news, sites and happenings in the tech world. Here are some of my technology audio podcast staples!

1. net@night (TWiT.tv) The Social Hour

Update: As of March 2011, Net at Night has been discontinued and reborn as The Social Hour. Content remains largely the same as described below, and archived episodes are still available.

The focus of this podcast is mainly on the Internet, with interesting highlights, interviews and discussions regarding sites and tools. net@night is also part of the Twit.tv group (below), but the camaraderie between Leo and Canadian co-host Amber MacArthur makes it an interesting podcast as well as the fact Amber is constantly talking about new sites and things to try out, so I recommend listening to it when you’re near a computer, so you can play, too.

• Frequency/Duration: weekly, Wednesday. Approximately one hour.

• Links: net@night website, iTunes podcast link.

2. BBC Digital Planet (BBC World Service)

“How Digital Technology affects our lives around the world” – a wide range of topics regarding events, things and people shaping our digital world. The Internet definitely plays a part but often stories are much closer to how technology is changing people, and most episodes are a few in-depth news stories rather than the latest headlines.

• Frequency/duration: weekly, approximately 26 minutes.

• Links: Digital Planet podcast site, iTunes podcast link.

3. The Guardian’s Tech Weekly (Guardian.co.uk)

Hosted by Aleks Krotoski, an avid gamer and journalist, she’s accompanied by Jemima Kiss and other Guardian.co.uk journalists, covering general topics in a conversational manner and in-depth interviews and on-location reporting.

• Frequency/duration: weekly, approximately 20-30 minutes.

• Links: Tech Weekly website, iTunes podcast link. Twitter: @guardiantw

4. TWIT – This Week in Tech (TWiT.tv)

This Week in Tech is not only a podcast, it’s a conglomerate of podcasts and a site (www.twit.tv) ranging from Windows and Mac-specific to security and gizmos, and mommy topics. This Week in Tech is a roundtable of tech talk with interesting guests like Pete Cashmore and Jason Calacanis. Don’t expect a really structured podcast, and they often go off-topic, but the conversations are very interesting and you feel like you’re sitting at the table with them. Leo Laporte has a perfect DJ voice as it was a past job for him. They often broadcast live.

• Frequency: weekly, Sunday. From 1-2 hours.

• Links: TWiT podcast website, iTunes podcast link.

5. PRI’s The World Technology Report (theworld.org)

A combined effort from Public Radio International, the BBC and WGBH, this podcast is interesting because it focuses on several stories of science and technology and their humanitarian impacts.

• Frequency: weekly, Friday. Approximately 30 minutes.

• Links: PRI podcast website, iTunes podcast link.

Honorable Mentions:

• New York Times (NYT) TEch Talk: Though I’m not really a fan of the main host’s voice, these short weekly podcasts are packed full of information linked back to NYT articles.
• CNET Buzz Out Loud (BOL) Podcast:  They call it a “podcast of indeterminate length” and this daily podcast also has corresponding blog posts with sites/articles mentioned during the podcast.
• Engadget Podcast: This weekly podcast is very chatty and focuses on Smart Phones and other gadgets. A bonus is the podcast website will provide minute/segment breakdowns of each episode so you can skip straight there.

Do you have one to suggest?

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