5 new podcasts to listen to this week

Technology, conversations about grief and travelling to the wonderful Arizona, this week is full of new listens.

1. Designed in California 

Streaming platform: All major streaming platforms and YouTube

Genre: Technology

You don’t have to be a geek to enjoy this podcast, but it helps if you know your USB-C from your elbow.

The Designed in California podcast chronicles Apple’s 50-year history from its earliest days in Steve Jobs’ garage to the rise of the Mac, and all the nerdy bits in-between.

The five episodes in this first series are about the origin of Apple’s revolutionary MP3 player, the iPod. Listeners who owned a Walkman will be horrified to hear that the first iPod Classic was shipped 25 years ago. Younger listeners will be wondering what an iPod even was.

Hosts Jason Snell and Myke Hurley take us back to the “flannels and grunge” of the 90s to explain how the iPod “went from saving Apple to being discontinued in less than 25 years” when the iPhone killed the iPod star.

Journalist Snell takes us on a nostalgia trip from his first job on MacUser and his musical evolution from cassettes to CDs and even Sony’s MiniDisc, which he calls the “love child of a cassette and a CD”.

He tells how the way the world listened to music was forever changed when a technology that allowed you to “put every Beatles song ever recorded on a single CD” was unveiled – the MP3. We hear how audio scientist Karlheinz Brandenburg had to listen to Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner a thousand times to improve compressed digital audio files, which must have been torture.

The podcast then goes into a lot of insider gossip and techie stuff before we get to how the iPod was finally released in 2001 delivering a “1,000 songs in your pocket”. Funny how quaint that sounds now.

(By Siobhan McNally)

2. All There Is with Anderson Cooper 

Streaming platform: Spotify, YouTube and CNN

Genre: Life and wellbeing

All There Is with Anderson Cooper follows the American broadcast journalist as he discusses the complexities of grief, while speaking with his guests.

This weeks episode features country music superstar, Wynonna Judd who lost her mother to suicide in 2022. Throughout the emotional but heart warming conversation, the pair go back to the start, speaking about Judd’s childhood.

She explains that growing up she was a highly sensitive kid and also shy, particularly when singing. “Around mom I could though,” she says, explaining that she had confidence around her mother. “I knew that she was proud of me when I would do the singing thing.”

They go on to talk about loosing a loved one to suicide – Anderson lost his brother too as he admits he was told, “I am the strong child’, growing up.

Judd then speaks of her relationship with her stepfather, admitting she only found out he wasn’t her biological one until the age of 30. This then inspired her hit song Girl Who Could Sing.

Overall, this would a highly emotional listen but also relatable to anyone who has lost a loved one and it give a sense of hope to opening up these difficult conversations around grief.

(By Sara Keenan)

3. The Tech Spill 

Streaming Platform: Spotify and YouTube

Genre:  Technology and business

“The safest bet is on yourself,” says The Tech Spill podcast creator Ama Owusu-Afriyie wisely. Her feisty attitude that “no job is safe – so I will make my own job” is an inspiring take, and one that is now sadly a reality for many young people for whom a “side hustle” is an actual career progression.

Podcast host Owusu-Afriyie can normally be found behind the mic interviewing business leaders and founders, but in this episode, she flips the script and is interviewed by her intern, Lara.

Owusu-Afriyie says: “It’s the stories that make you connect with a founder,” like she did when she heard The Diary of a CEO Steven Bartlett talking about “finding £13.40 down the back of a chicken shop sofa”.

Let’s face it, you’ve got to be a bit special to be a founder of a start-up, and while Bartlett’s relentless self-optimisation gets a lot of stick, Owusu-Afriyie sounds like your normal run-of-the-mill child genius, “I would always get obsessed with things” and was a “four-year-old doing maths in Homebase”.

She recounts selling off chunks of her Galaxy Cookie Crumble chocolate bar in Year Seven to the highest bidder. Owusu-Afriyie says: “Everything clicked into place – that you can exchange value for money. If I just buy more chocolate, I make more money – I was making hundreds of pounds.”

While that just sounds like ripping off your mates, you have to laugh at Owusu-Afriyie’s cheek. Eventually she was told to stop because “my school blazer was heavy with coins”.

The podcast sound quality goes a bit in and out, but for someone who doesn’t like talking about herself, Owusu-Afriyie is fun and chatty about insights she’s gained along the way, especially from her Ghanian dad, and how being fired from her job pushed her to start her own successful company.

A must-listen for anyone who plans on becoming rich.

(By Siobhan McNally)

4. Radical 

Streaming Platform: BBC and all major podcast platforms

Genre: Politics

Award-winning journalist and podcaster Gabriel Gatehouse is the new host of Radical, a podcast exploring the people and ideas seeking to change the world.

Taking over from journalist Amol Rajan, who became the first murder victim on The Celebrity Traitors this year, Gatehouse brings a wealth of experience to the programme. As the former international editor of Newsnight, he has spent years reporting on major global events, covering foreign affairs, conflict and revolutions. His thoughtful questioning and impartial approach preserve the essence of Radical: a safe space where people can openly explore unconventional ideas.

One of the first guests to join Gatehouse for the Radio 4 podcast’s relaunch is author and activist Naomi Klein, renowned for her critical examination of corporate power, globalisation and capitalism.

Their conversation explores the ideas underpinning Klein’s influential books, including No Logo and The Shock Doctrine, as well as her latest release, End Times Fascism. They discuss her interpretation of the world, the origins of her political convictions and why her ideas are often regarded as radical.

The podcast gives its diverse range of guests, from all walks of life, a fair hearing, allowing their ideas to be examined through open and considered discussion.

Whether or not you agree with its guests’ bold ideas, this twice-weekly podcast offers an opportunity to question established assumptions, broaden your perspective and see the world through a more critical lens.

(By Camilla Foster)

5. Wonders of Arizona

Streaming Platform: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Wonders of Arizona website

Genre: Travel

Wonders of Arizona takes listeners on an immersive road trip across the hidden gems and iconic landmarks of the diverse Southwestern state of the United States. Spanning seven episodes, the podcast is hosted by presenter and award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar and offers a fascinating exploration of the people, places and stories that make Arizona so unique.

Millar’s vivid storytelling brings Arizona to life. His rich, detailed descriptions of the people that he meets – down to the details of their tattoos and clothing – and the places he explores transports listeners straight into the heart of each destination.

The voices that accompany Millar on his journey are just as compelling. From local experts to people deeply rooted in their communities, each contributor offers valuable insight into Arizona’s culture, history, environment and everyday life, providing an authentic glimpse into what it truly means to call the state home.

Throughout the series, Millar takes listeners on an unforgettable journey through scorching deserts, the remarkable Sky Islands, the majestic Grand Canyon and many more fascinating destinations.

Millar’s infectious enthusiasm for travel, history and meeting new people shines through in every episode, and I could happily listen to his warm, captivating voice all day.

By capturing local voices and stories entirely on location, Millar uncovers the soul of Arizona in a way that feels both intimate and adventurous. Wonders of Arizona is travel journalism at its finest – beautifully narrated, thoughtfully researched and wonderfully immersive. After listening, I was left with an irresistible urge to add this glorious US state to my travel bucket list.

(By Camilla Foster)