Podcasts bring news, advice, humor and more to your iPod or computer

No day goes by without a good laugh, thanks to my podcasts.

"The Onion Radio News," David Steinberg's "Sit Down Comedy" and "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me" are among the comedy shows that slip effortlessly into my computer each week. All I have to do is flip open my laptop, click on my iTunes library, let the latest episodes download, and decide which one to play.

The term "podcast' is a combination of the words "iPod" and "broadcast," and it refers to an audio or video recording posted online. You don't need an iPod, although I have an older one. You just need a computer and a decent Internet connection.

I'm a Mac person, so I mostly use iTunes to find podcasts. But I can subscribe to any podcast out there.

If you have iTunes, you probably have seen the podcast category on the iTunes store. Click that link and you find a long list of categories, from arts to business to games to travel. They're all free.

If you're a PC user, you can use one of the many directories for podcasts, such as Yahoo, Podcast.net or Podcast Alley. Or, you can go straight to the source, such as NPR.org or the Comedy Central Web site, to see what's offered.

You'll need the right software; podcasts are based on the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. Some of the software choices are Juice or Doppler for Windows, and Juice or Transistr for Macs.

The choices are a little overwhelming, particularly when you don't recognize many of the amateur 'casters' names. Fortunately, you can sample, subscribe and unsubscribe with ease. One click gets rid of a podcast you don't like.

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