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Ask HN: What coding/programming podcasts are you listening to?

154 points by stillworks ↗ HN
Wanted to know what are or if there are any coding related podcasts which people are subscribed to. The specific topics I am looking for are

- Algorithms/Data Structures

- Javascript

- Scala

54 comments

[ 5.0 ms ] story [ 121 ms ] thread
andrewstuart2
Software Engineering Radio [1]. In my opinion this is one of the best software engineering podcasts out there. I find the interview format really effective at really extracting programming wisdom from the experience of the interviewees (especially the older, more experienced ones). They've also got quite an impressive back catalog (currently on episode 272).

I've also really enjoyed Android Developers Backstage [2], despite doing very little Android development myself. It's hosted by two very well spoken and likeable Google engineers on the UI toolkit team, and the tools (IDE, lint, etc.) team. They invite one guest (sometimes two) each episode to discuss some aspect of Android, app development, and platform development. It gives a really unique perspective on what is required to develop for developers, and on highly constrained devices.

[1] http://www.se-radio.net/

[2] http://androidbackstage.blogspot.com/

jonathanfoster
Software Engineering Radio is hands down the best programming podcast out there. The guests are always top tier and they discuss interesting problems that push the edges of tech in their domain. I also like the fact that they don't focus on one particular tech community.

My only wish is that they put out content more frequently (I think it's once a week now) and improve the audio quality. SER needs to hookup with Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell from .NET Rocks. Those guys put out tons of shows with the highest production quality.

bdcravens
> SER needs to hookup with Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell from .NET Rocks. Those guys put out tons of shows with the highest production quality.

Having been a guest on .NET Rocks, I know they record raw footage with retakes in the conversation, etc, to be edited out later. As a result I always find it jarring when listening to other podcasts that keep obvious errors in.

raverbashing
To be honest, I don't think Podcasts are for me, especially for information-dense subjects, like CS topics

(Also I can't program while listening to podcasts, it gets in the way of thinking)

Thrillington
I don't listen to podcasts while programming, I listen to them in the shower or during a drive. I do find the interview format to be a great way to learn (at a high level).
mcpherrinm
Maybe a weird question, but how do you listen to podcasts in the shower? I find the water is loud enough that I can't hear speakers outside the bathroom, and phones or laptop inside. I don't really want to figure out mounting a sound system in my shower...
dsil
I recently got this and am happy with it so far: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MYYCGKW
SyneRyder
I have something almost identical to this (except the brand was Bush, probably just a white label). It sounds great & works well, but I stopped using it because the volume controls are hard to adjust precisely. You have to press & hold, and the volume ramps up too quickly. If I was buying another I'd look for something where the volume controls are separate from the forward/back buttons.

It was very good quality in every other respect, though.

Edit: For reference, the one I bought: http://www.bushaustralia.com.au/product/water-resistant-blue...

kbouck
I find my iPhone (6s) speaker, when turned all the way up, is loud enough if I aim the speaker to bounce the sound off of a wall opposite to the shower. In my case it's far enough away that it doesn't get hit by any water.
bdcravens
There's some good waterproof BT speakers, as well as some phones are waterproof enough to come into the shower with you (been doing this with my iphone 7, and just bought a speaker)
stillworks
> (Also I can't program while listening to podcasts, it gets in the way of thinking)

Agree to that completely.

I am anticipating a change in my commute next year. I may have to start using a car instead of public transport. The drive could be ~35 minutes. Thus trying to curate some content.

mdlap
Listening to podcasts and doing the dishes have both become much more enjoyable activities since I combined them.
gravypod
Are there any that are funny?
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
seneq
Linux Action Show ! I think it's funny and I like it a lot !
qwertyuiop924
None of them. Most software podcasts are rubbish. IMHO, you should go listen to Nightvale, Radiolab, or 99PI instead.

The only time I'll listen to a tech podcast is when Cantrill is on BSDNow. Because Bryan Cantrill, like him or not, flaws or no, is a fantastic speaker, and is amazingly funny.

markhollis
I like to listen to podcasts when I'm doing something repetitive, like walking or running. I like podcasts that are educative, not so much podcasts that are about new features and don't explain things very much. I like to listen to them when it's a subject I don't know very well (like microservices).

* SE-radio

* Java Pub House

* Type theory podcast: http://typetheorypodcast.com/

* Data Skeptic has podcasts about data science algorithms: http://dataskeptic.com/podcast

yelsayed
Programming Throwdown. It's light weight and perfect for my commute. Only problem is they don't make frequently enough.
contingencies
None at all. From the jingles to the intros to the ads to the repetition and fixed speed, it's just an inefficient way to absorb information.
lunchladydoris
I hate all of those too, which is why a good podcast app is a must. I use Overcast and its ability to quickly skip forward and speed up is awesome.
jachee
I concur. Overcast took me from unable to listen to any podcasts on a relatively short commute to listening to several a week, now.

Marco Arment really does a great job with designing the player from the perspective of someone who consumes a ton of podcasts.

Etheryte
Overcast for Android is rubbish, though, anyone have any alternative recommendations?
thomassnielsen
There is no official Overcast for Android, you've found yourself a clone. (I don't use android that much so I don't have any recommendations, sorry).
pushECX
Pocket Casts is the Android app I use and it's pretty good. It supports streaming or downloading podcasts and you can adjust playback speed, auto-skip silence, customize forward/backward skip button durations, etc.
1123581321
I second Pocket Casts. It is good enough that I will probably keep using it instead of switching back to Overcast if/when I go back to iOS. (It has an account sync feature.) I paid $5 for it, similarly to the $5 I paid for Overcast.
thisone
I'm with you. And I'll add to that the horrible production quality and bored sounding hosts/guests that plague programming podcasts.
seanwilson
Not if it's something you're listening to while travelling, working on something else that doesn't need your full attention or while falling asleep when you aren't able to read instead. Along with your sentiment though, I've never understood the need for lectures for learning when you could just read about it.
niuzeta
Not programming podcast per se, but following up on TWIT(https://twit.tv/) has mostly been great for me.
cmyr
this isn't quite what you asked, but Debug (http://www.imore.com/debug) is really good. It's focused on Apple stuff, but features some really tremendous in-depth interviews, and Guy Ritchie is the best technical interviewer I've heard.
DerekL
It's actually Guy English along with Rene Ritchie. Guy Ritchie is a film director.
cmyr
hahaha yea sorry long day, I'm leaving that up for posterity
rdegges
This Developer's Life (http://thisdeveloperslife.com/) is an excellent podcast. It hasn't been updated in a while, but is essential listening for any developers working in the field. It's run by two very well known developers in the .NET community (Scott Handselman and Rob Conery), but isn't .NET related.

It covers topics like getting fired, deadlines, etc.

It's done in a very NPR-ish style, and is really easy to listen to. Can't recommend it enough!

guiambros
+1. Love This Developer's Life; too bad it stopped being updated a couple of years ago (with only 1-2 episodes since then).

My other picks:

Data Skeptic - http://dataskeptic.com/ (about data, statistics, ML)

Embedded.fm - http://embedded.fm (about embedded development, hardware and electronics)

The Amp Hour - http://theamphour.com/ (about hardware making and electronics)

Talk Python to Me - https://talkpython.fm/ (Python, programming languages, tech interviews)

Floss Weekly - https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly (FLOSS, open source, hosted by Randal 'the camel book' Schwartz)

zodiac
Bikeshed, Accidental Tech Podcast and Changelog
parvatzar
Software Engineering Daily and hansalmanminutes like daily while commute to work , gyming or anytime while walking. Lesser music more podcasts!