Here’s a quick litÂtle tip for you. Salon.com has a nice colÂlecÂtion of audio conÂverÂsaÂtions with figÂures from the highÂer echÂeÂlons of the pop culÂture world. David Lynch, Pedro AlmodÂĂłÂvar, Amy Sedaris, the list goes on. You can access these talks from the Salon.com site, and, along the way, be forced to look at umpteen ads before you get what you want. Or you can take a very quick short cut, go straight to iTunes by clickÂing here, and get the talks with no pain, no wait, no ads. It’s your choice, of course.
The New York Times on iTunes
It may sound a bit strange, but you can now lisÂten to the front page of The New York Times. AmerÂiÂca’s finest daiÂly paper now offers a series of 22 podÂcasts on iTunes, which come in daiÂly and weekÂly flaÂvors. Most are direct spin-offs of popÂuÂlar sections/features of the paper. Here’s a samÂple of what you can load on to you iPod:
- The New York Times Book Review,
- SciÂence Times,
- David Pogue on Tech GadÂgets,
- The EthiÂcist,
- Most E‑Mailed ArtiÂcles
- Times Talks (lots of good interÂviews)
You get the point.
If you like this kind of thing, you might want to check out our large colÂlecÂtion of news podÂcasts — over 80 podÂcasts from major news orgaÂniÂzaÂtions.
Or check out our comÂplete podÂcast colÂlecÂtion, Smart iTunes Resources: The Free PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
The Edge Video Collection
Nope, we’re not talkÂing about U2. We’re talkÂing about
John Brockman.
And just who is he? He’s the litÂerÂary agent of the
intelÂlecÂtuÂal stars. He is to the thinkÂing world what Scott Boras is to baseÂball.
If you’re a major sciÂenÂtifÂic thinker, and if you can write for the
genÂerÂal pubÂlic, you’ll likeÂly find yourÂself in the BrockÂman staÂble, and
he’ll land you a major book deal. And you’ll be in good comÂpaÂny.
BrockÂman repÂreÂsents Richard Dawkins (the author of the curÂrent
bestÂseller, The God DeluÂsion), Jared DiaÂmond (Guns, Germs & Steel), and Daniel GoleÂman (EmoÂtionÂal IntelÂliÂgence), just to name a
few.
His webÂsite, Edge.org, feaÂtures a good amount of conÂtent by — or
about — the visionÂary thinkers that he repÂreÂsents. You can find lots
of good readÂing here (the BBC calls it “FanÂtasÂtiÂcalÂly
stimulating…It’s like the crack cocaine of the thinkÂing world…”)
and also a great video trove feaÂturÂing many promiÂnent sciÂenÂtifÂic
thinkers talkÂing about what they know best. Take a look around and
you’ll likeÂly get the intelÂlecÂtuÂal fix that you’re lookÂing for.
Iraq Study Group Report: Free Download
The long-awaitÂed Iraq Study Group Report came out today, and, by evening, the book verÂsion was already #32 on Amazon.com’s top 100 book list. The book runs about 160 pages, but the subÂstance of the report runs only about 60, and you can spare yourÂself the $10.95 retail price and simÂply downÂload it in PDF form for free here. You can also get much more backÂground inforÂmaÂtion about the Iraq Study Group at: http://www.usip.org/isg/
Open Culture Featured on Top Apple Blog
It’s nice to see some of our work getÂting a litÂtle appreÂciÂaÂtion. TUAW.com, othÂerÂwise known as The UnofÂfiÂcial Apple Weblog, one of the 100 most popÂuÂlar blogs in the counÂtry, recentÂly spotÂlightÂed our podÂcast colÂlecÂtions, which set off a viral effect. Hours latÂer, del.icio.us users picked up on it, and the next thing you know, our podÂcast page was the third most popÂuÂlar page on the social bookÂmarkÂing serÂvice. And, from there, othÂer sites caught on. It’s amazÂing to watch how the interÂnet works in real time.
CyberLaw: Harvard Law School Opens to You
Here’s anothÂer freeÂbie for the intelÂlecÂtuÂal tech junkie. HarÂvard Law School is offerÂing this semesÂter an innoÂvÂaÂtive course, CyberOne: Law in the Court of PubÂlic OpinÂion. What it covÂers is how arguments/debates get played out in the media space creÂatÂed by the InterÂnet and othÂer new techÂnoloÂgies. And, beyond that, it specifÂiÂcalÂly focusÂes on how the “First World and corÂpoÂrate domÂiÂnaÂtion of enterÂtainÂment media, laws, and news can be balÂanced by the voicÂes of indiÂvidÂuÂals, groups and uniÂverÂsiÂties who use new media intelÂliÂgentÂly.” To betÂter examÂine how difÂferÂent conÂstituenÂcies use the Net, the course has been opened not only to law stuÂdents, but to disÂtance learnÂers regÂisÂtered in HarÂvard’s ExtenÂsion School, and also to everyÂone who has an interÂnet conÂnecÂtion, or so-called “At-Large” LearnÂers. (This is where you come in, and there’s no cost.) In keepÂing with its techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal focus, the course incorÂpoÂrates a range of InterÂnet techÂnoloÂgies into the teachÂing. Blogs, wikis, Google mesÂsage boards, virÂtuÂal worlds creÂatÂed by SecÂond Life — it’s all part of the experÂiÂment that you might want to look into more closeÂly.
Resources:
- Course DescripÂtion
- InforÂmaÂtion for “At-Large” LearnÂers
- Course Video LecÂtures
- ReadÂings
- InstrucÂtor Blog
iTunes & Foreign Language Lessons For Free
We’ll be the first to admit it. We’ve been going on someÂthing of an iTunes tear lateÂly. We told you first about the great uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts that you can grab on iTunes. Next, it was the culÂturÂal podÂcasts. Now, it’s time for free forÂeign lanÂguage lessons.
If you search hard enough on iTunes, you can find podÂcasts that will help you learn ChiÂnese, EngÂlish, French, GerÂman, Greek, ItalÂian, JapanÂese, KoreÂan, PorÂtuguese, RussÂian, and SpanÂish. But, if you want to save yourÂself the time and hasÂsle, just visÂit our iTunes ForÂeign LanÂguages page, and you’ll find a solÂid list of podÂcasts that you can load on to your iPod and keep busy for a good long while.
Coltrane Spotify Sample
Third
AmerÂiÂca lost more than it realÂized today. StyÂron was, of course, appreÂciÂatÂed by a great numÂber of writÂers, readÂers, and critÂics. But, these days, he isn’t usuÂalÂly menÂtioned in the same senÂtence as Philip Roth, John Updike, or NorÂman MailÂer, the elder statesÂmen of conÂtemÂpoÂrary AmerÂiÂcan litÂerÂaÂture. There are some legitÂiÂmate reaÂsons for that. RepÂuÂtaÂtion is often simÂply a funcÂtion of outÂput and, since 1993, StyÂron hadÂn’t pubÂlished anyÂthing new. He was then dealÂing with seriÂous depresÂsion, which he wrote eloÂquentÂly about in one of his last works, DarkÂness VisÂiÂble: A MemÂoir of MadÂness, and he would be in and out of hosÂpiÂtals from there.
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Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
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