If anyone in your family received a iPad or iPhone for a holiday gift (I discovered an iPad under my tree.), or if you already have these devices in your home, consider getting acquainted with the Today in iOS podcast series, a program series that devotes itself to the world of iPads and iPhones.
Originally called Today in iPhone — I’ve been listening since May 2009 — its name morphed in the spring of 2010 when Apple released the iPad. Subscribe to the podcast from iTunes or download the programs from the program website. Today in iOS also has its own nifty app, enabling users to download and listen to programs without going through the machinations of syncing and downloading from iTunes. Very handy.
Whether you own a personal iOS devices or merely supervise your child’s ownership, this is the place to find interesting information about apps, answers to questions, and lots and lots of background information. Listeners can e-mail, call, or even use the recording app on their devices to make and send an audio message. An archive of past shows on the Today in iOS website, and sometimes I download a group of older programs and listen to them in while I am driving.
Rob, the podcast host, includes a range questions, recommendations, and suggestions, but he also steers people to interesting resources and shares related articles from the technology press. Many people ask for help or recommendations, and they always get it, either from Rob or other listeners. Each program has program notes that include links, names of apps, etc. Oh, I should mention his regular teases about people who maintained that the iPhone and iPad would be unsuccessful.
This is primarily a “cast” for adults though most of the content will be interesting to people of any age who own i-Devices. However, parents should be aware that the program sometimes talks about “jailbreaking” iPhones (when people modify the operating system code, so that they can enjoy more whiz-bang but unsupported features) — not always a bad thing, but something to share sparingly with your pre-adolescent or teen. On the other hand, if you or your child likes this sort of exploratory adventure, go right ahead, make the program a family affair, and learn more about jailbreaking, because you will get accurate as well as cautionary information from Rob’s presentations. You be the judge.
In any event, this is a podcast that helps people learn a lot.
Media! Tech! Parenting! 