Last year I did a week long series called “The Podcast Junkie”. (The link is for the first day, but be sure to check out each day of the week for a list of casts.) I’m still a Podcast Junkie, and if anything listen or watch more now than I did last year. Having the ability to hook up my Zune to my TV (either through my XBOX 360 or in the Zune docking cradle) makes it very convenient. In the evenings I often drop my Zune into the dock and kick back with some podcasts.

Right now I’m in the process of reformatting my main laptop and reinstalling everything. I’ve spent a lot of time working with Beta then Release Candidate software over the last year and all the install / uninstalls have likely contributed to the instability of my machine. Not an unusual thing for developers to go through.

I keep all of my data, with two exceptions, on drives other than C so I have almost no data to back up, thus the process goes very quickly. One is my Microsoft Outlook files, easy enough to backup and restore later. The other is my Zune media.

My music, videos and audio books are all on external USB drives, so when I reinstall the the Zune software all I have to do is point it at the drives then kick back and wait for it to index all of it. My playlists are stored in C:\Users\[your username here]\My Music\Zune\Playlists, so I just copied those to a backup device and will restore after the Zune software is reinstalled.

The podcasts though are a bit more painful. Yes I could back them all up, but I’ve found just as with a reformat of the PC, so too does a reset of your podcast list benefit you. In the process of resubscribing to my podcasts I wind up weeding out a few I haven’t listened to in a while. More importantly I also wind up finding new ones to subscribe to, which is the fun part. It’s rare I have time to just sit and look through all the newly added podcasts, so this is a good opportunity to find new material to enjoy and learn from.

So then I get to the question of how best to backup my list. Last time I just went to the Zune Podcast folder and grabbed the list of directory names which match the podcasts I listen to. This time I decided to be a bit more creative, and did screen captures of the list and then merged them into one picture. The result turned out pretty cool, so I thought I’d share it with all of you. Just click on it to see the full size picture to see the podcasts I’m currently addicted to.

I don’t try and add all of them at once after I reinstall. Instead I start with the ones that are most important to me and add them first. I’ll let those download and sync with my Zune so I can be enjoying them while downloading the rest. To keep up with which ones I’ve gotten so far, I’ll make a copy of this picture to act as a check list. As I add each one to my collection, I’ll simply go to my picture editor (I like Paint.Net), use the selection tool to select the podcast and it’s name, then just hit delete. Eventually I should wind up with a blank picture.

One last piece of advice, after you have reset your library on your newly formatted computer, you need to also wipe your current content from your Zune. Your Zune anchors it’s data to the PC it came from, so it thinks your reformatted computer is a “new” PC and will lock away your old content to protect it. You wind up with a big portion of your Zune’s storage space being taken up by media you can’t get to.

To reset your Zune content, hook your Zune up to the computer, then in the software go to Settings (in the upper right). In Settings, click on Device. The top left menu item, Sync Options should be what you are on. At the very bottom you’ll see “Erase All Content”, you want to do this prior to syncing up any music or podcasts. Warning!!!! Make sure you have all the content on your Zune backed up that you need backed up. As I mentioned earlier, all my music and video on external drives, and my podcasts I’ve just redownloaded, so I don’t have anything on my Zune that I’ll lose, but your situation may be different.

Also note that when you do this, it will also delete the games, if you have the games installed. To reinstall the games, while still in the Settings, Device menu go down to Player Update. After making sure your player is up to date, you should see a button that reads “Install Games”. I’m sure by now you’ve deduced that just clicking it will reinstall the games. Not having the games gives you extra space for music, etc. If you have a bigger Zune like the 80 or 120 you probably won’t notice the missing space, if however you have a 4 gig model you might want to think about it.

Hope this helps the next time you have to reformat your computer, or just want to take a look at the podcasts someone else might be listening to. Personally I’m glad there’s no 12 step program for podcast addicts, would hate for someone to try and drag me to the meeting. (I’d probably be sitting in the back listening to my Zune instead of the meeting.)

“Hi, my name is Arcane Code, and I’m a podcast junkie!”

Most of the podcasts I watch / listen to are related to my work in the computer field. But we all have to have some fun in life, and there are some podcasts I listen to or watch just for that reason, pure fun. Here’s some that will keep you entertained in various ways. Note there are a few that use language considered “not safe for work” (nothing too vulgar but perhaps a bit beyond what some would consider polite conversation). I’ve marked those with “explicit” at the end.

Car Talk – I’ve been a fan of Click and Clack long before the MP3 was invented. They brought their show to the web as a weekly podcast. I find it to be a great parenting tool too. When the kids begin misbehaving during a long road trip, all I have to do is wave my Zune around and threaten to play Car Talk and boy they straighten right up.

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me – This show takes a humorous look at the week’s news. It blends interviews and a game show like format with regular panelists to provide an enjoyable way to look at the gloom that is normally the headlines.

DiggNation – Don’t ask me why two guys sitting on a couch drinking beer (or hot tea) and talking about the weeks most dugg stories is so fascinating, but it is. I typically set aside Friday evening as podcast night, watch Cranky Geeks, Tekzilla and wrap it up with Diggnation. (explicit)

Carpool – I just discovered this show, and have been quite enjoying it. Robert Llewllyn, better known as Kryten from Red Dwarf, had an innovative idea for a podcast. He picks well known people up and gives them a ride to work. Along the way he interviews them and records it all on multiple cameras. I know it sounds a bit odd, but take a look. I’m surprised myself at how thoroughly I have been enjoying this little show. (some episodes can rate the explicit tag, depends on who he is interviewing. The Stephen Fry episode is quite safe and is probably my favorite so far).

Car Tech – If you love cars, you’ll love Car Tech. See cars through the eyes of a geek.

No Agenda – If you enjoy conspiracy theory, or are amused by it, this is the show for you. Twice a week John Dvorak and Adam Curry will discuss the news in ways you probably haven’t thought of. At the very least it will make you think. (explicit)

Sherlock Holmes Adventures – Old time radio comes alive again as the old time radio shows are reborn as MP3s. These are a great way to relive “the old days”.

This week we’ve looked at a lot of podcasts, but I’m asked “what is the one podcast I should be listening to”. Believe it or not I have an answer for that. And I’ll tell you what it is. Tomorrow.

As a developer I think it’s important to keep up with general trends in the computer industry. They have a direct reflection on what we do. I’ve found a nice selection that are not only informative but also entertaining. I think you’ll enjoy them too.

Buzz Out Loud – I start each day off with this daily CNet podcast. A panel of experts discusses the latest industry happenings in a very entertaining manner. It’s available in both audio and video formats.

PCMag Radio – Each week the editors at PCMag (formerly PC Magazine) get together and cover the weeks hottest topics.

Windows Weekly – Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte cover the latest in all things Microsoft in this entertaining and informative podcast.

Tech5 – John C. Dvorak has been around as long as the PC, each day he delivers his wisdom in 5 minute chunks. John also does a weekly video round up of the news called Top 5 Tech 5.

Cranky Geeks – John Dvorak has another show well worth watching in Cranky Geeks. This weekly half hour show gets John and co-crank Sebastian Rupley together with two industry pundits to discuss the weeks big topics.

TWIT (This Week In Tech) – Every week Leo Laporte assembles a panel of industry experts to discuss the events of the week. The discussion is always lively and interesting.

Tekzilla – This weekly video podcast has Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont showing off the latest gadgets and answering viewer questions. Not only is the show informative it’s also very enjoyable to watch, they make it quite fun. In addition to the weekly show there is a daily one minute tips cast you can subscribe to.

Data Security Podcast – Security is important to everyone, this show is a weekly news show that covers the latest in security news and views.

GeekBrief – Cali Lewis is a delightful bundle of energy, each day she does a five minute video to show you the coolest and geekest in gadgets. Just plain fun.

Loaded – Also a daily five minute show, but Natali DelConte brings a bit of a different spin to daily tech news. Natali is very professional in her presentation while also being very personable, a tough balancing act but she does it well.

Buzz Report – Molly Wood does a weekly wrap up of the week’s news that is just plain fun. I probably should put this in to a “Guilty Pleasures” category, which is just the very topic we’ll be looking at tomorrow.

That’s plenty to get you started, with this selection you’ll be able to keep up with what’s happening with the computer business. Tomorrow we’ll have some fun!

OK, I admit it! I am a complete and total Podcast Junkie. I listen or watch hours upon hours of podcasts each week. In large part they are how I keep up with what is going on in the industry, but they are also a great way to relax. I use my Zune and either listen or watch, or hook up my Zune 120 to the big TV and watch there. I have mentioned podcasts before, but it’s been quite a long time so I thought it was time to give an update on my current list of favorites. Hopefully you will find some good ones too.

We’ll start the week out with SQL Server related podcasts. There aren’t many, but they do exist.

SQL Down Under – Hosted by MVP Greg Low, each episode is an interview with someone interesting in the SQL Community. While the show is not regular, the past episodes are well worth listening to.

SQLServerpedia – This is a cornucopia of topics, they vary in length and frequency but are very useful, practical how to videos on a wide variety of SQL Server topics.

Voice of the DBA – Each day MVP Steve Jones brings you an interesting and informative editorial on subjects in the SQL Server world.

RunAs Radio – Strictly speaking this is not a SQL Server show, however Richard Campbell and Greg Hughes do bring SQL Server related episodes on a fairly regular basis. In addition many of the topics covered are of interest to SQL Server DBAs and thus is well worth the listen.

JumpstartTV.com – In the strictest sense the videos at JumpstartTV are not podcasts, since you must view them on their site and cannot download them to a portable media device. However their content is just too good not to pass along. There are a wide variety of short, focused videos, 3 to 5 minutes in length on average. Each video shows how to do one and only one thing, and most focus on the SQL Server realm. (Disclaimer, there is some video content on the site I produced.)

That’s all for today. If you have some suggestions on podcasts related to this subject, please leave a link in the comments below.

Tomorrow we’ll look at some of my favorite podcasts related to .Net development. On Wednesday we’ll look at podcasts about the computer industry in general. Then we’ll take a break and look at podcasts that are simply just for fun. Finally we’ll wrap Podcast Junkie week up with what is not only my favorite podcast but probably the most important one you’ll ever listen to.