image: blind cool tech

Blind Cool Tech

http://www.blindcooltech.com

While engineers like Rob Sinclair [see “The Enabler,” in this issue] work to make technology accessible to those with disabilities, Blind Cool Tech is created by those ­living on the other side of the ­equation: visually impaired and blind technology users. Edited by Larry Skuchan, the podcast often features listener-submitted content, which makes episodes inconsistent in form and content. But the show is full of advice for visually impaired users and offers helpful insights for engineers involved with consumer products.

image: hill associates

The Hill Associates Week in Telecom

http://hill-vt.com/podcast

Hill Associates is an international telecom and information technology training and marketing company headquartered in Vermont. The company produces a weekly podcast, which takes the form of a discussion between two or three senior technical staff members. The audio quality can vary, but the shows cover a broad range of telecom topics, such as issues before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the dealings of various telecom companies, and the current crop of Web browsers. Other Hill Associates podcasts narrowly focus on specific IT technologies.

image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt

Spitzer Space Telescope

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/features/podcasts

The astronomers who use the Spitzer Space Telescope showcase its discoveries and present interesting aspects of their research in this podcast. Produced somewhat sporadically—a new episode appears every few weeks—the show covers such topics as the search for solar systems ­similar to our own and the mysteries of vast interstellar dust clouds. Intended for a general audience, the podcast lets you hear about some of the latest space science straight from the Horse Nebula’s mouth.

image: the center for internet and society

Center for Internet and Society

http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu

The Stanford Law School is home to the Center for Internet and Society, which focuses on the ways technology affects civil rights and the law. Previous podcast episodes have featured talks given by visiting lecturers at the center on topics such as hate speech and gambling.

You can download all of these podcasts from their individual Web sites or from the iTunes Music Store. Don’t forget Spectrum Radio, IEEE Spectrum’s own regular podcast! If you have a suggestion for Podcast Picks, mail it to s.cass@ieee.org. Be sure to include “Podcast Picks” in the subject line.