While catching up with Robert Krulwich's blog, I was struck by the entry about sounds. The sounds of things that are no longer ubiquitous; though I remember rotary phones and watched film strips as a young kid, these were displaced by more modern technologies, which have been displaced yet again!

This entry, "What I Still Hear: Sounds That Have Disappeared" features lots of recordings of old bits of technology doing their stuff, and then some more contemporary versions of similar technologies (or at least, similar in intent or effect). As a podcaster, I know that ambient sounds can make or break a recording... or add some unexpected sound effects. (Does anyone recall the Janis Joplin song with the typewriter in it? The Moldy Peaches song with the phone ringing? Ah, the joys of field recording...)

Some sounds that have stayed the same in my lifetime: planes overhead, freight trains outside, and emergency vehicle sirens. I suppose when we get flying cars, bullet trains and travel internationally by teleportation machine, these sounds will change along with the technology.

If you haven't already heard about Stitcher, it's pretty cool! This is a service that's free and can stream to a mobile device or a desktop computer. It takes what you like to listen to and suggests similar shows -- sort of like Pandora Radio's "Music Genome Project." There are lots of well-known podcasts like This American Life,  and The Onion's (fake) newscasts, and Stuff You Should Know, as well as more obscure, but related, shows. 

There are podcasts in a variety of languages, on a variety of topics, so there's bound to be something that suits you. Happy listening!