Podcast tips & tricks | Podcast FAQs | Hot topics

		Between the Pages, with Tony Lankester Well-known South African broadcaster Tony Lankester brings you a free weekly Mail & Guardian podcast that focuses on the main news stories of the week as reported in the M&G newspaper and on the M&G Online. The show includes insightful commentary on the news and no-holds-barred interviews with people in the news and M&G journalists. Also broadcast on Tuesdays at 11am on Radio Today (1485 AM) to the greater Johannesburg area and nationally on DStv audio channel 169. To subscribe to this podcast for free, you have a number of options: Podcast feed address: Add feed to iTunes | Get podcast feed (Podcast software needed) Latest episodes (MP3 files -- no podcast software needed) Episode 145 (December 1) Episode 144 (November 23) | Episode 143 (November 15) Older episodes (click to play) Episode 142 (November 8) Episode 141 (November 2) Episode 140 (October 26) Episode 139 (October 18) Episode 138 (October 12) Episode 137 (October 6) Episode 135 (September 15) Episode 134 (September 7) Episode 133 (August 24) Episode 132 (August 17) Episode 131 (August 9) Episode 129 (June 27) Episode 128 (June 23) Episode 127 (June 16) Episode 126 (June 8) Episode 125 (June 1) Episode 124 (May25) Episode 123 (May18) Episode 122 (May11) Episode 121 (May 4) Episode 120 (April 24) Episode 119 (April 20) Episode 118 (April6) Episode 117 (March 30) Episode 116 (March 23) Episode 115 (March 16) Episode 114 ( March 07) Episode 113 (March 01) Episode 112 (February 22) Episode 111 (February 16) Episode 110 (Budget edition, February 11) Episode 109 (February 8) Episode 108 (January 30) Episode 107 (January 25) Episode 106 (January 19) Episode 105 (December 22) Episode 104 (December 15) Episode 103 (December 9) Episode 102 (December 1) Episode 101 (November 24) Episode 100 (November 16) Episode 99 (November 9) Episode 97 (October 26) Episode 96 (October 19) Episode 95 (October 12) Episode 94 (October 5) Episode 93 (September 28) Episode 92 (September 22) Episode 91 (September 12) Episode 90 (September 7) Episode 89 (September 1) Episode 88 (August 25) Episode 87 (August 16) Episode 86 (August 10) Episode 85 (August 3) Episode 84 (July 27) Episode 83 (July 20) Episode 82 (June 22) Episode 81 (June 15) Episode 80 (June 8) Episode 79 (May 30) Episode 78 (May 25) Episode 77 (May 18) Episode 76 (May 11) Episode 75 (May 2) Episode 74 (April 25) Episode 73 (April 18) Episode 72 (April 11) Episode 71 (April 4) Episode 70 (March 28) Episode 69 (March 23) Episode 68 (March 16) Episode 67 (March 9) Episode 66 (March 2) Episode 65 (February 24) Episode 64 (February 17) Episode 63 (February 10) Episode 62 (February 3) Episode 61 (January 6) Episode 60 (January 20) Episode 59 (January 11 -- on Jackie Selebi) Episode 58 (January 6) Episode 57 (December 21 -- Special Polokwane episode) Episode 56 (December 7) Episode 55 (December 1) Episode 54 (November 18) Episode 53 (November 18) Episode 52 (November 11) Episode 51 (November 4) Episode 50 (October 28) Episode 49 (October 18) Episode 48 (October 14) Episode 47 (October 7) Episode 46 (September 30) Episode 45 (September 23) Episode 44 (September 16) Episode 43 (September 9) Episode 42 (September 2) Episode 41 (August 26) Episode 40 (August 19) Episode 39 (August 12) Episode 38 (August 5) Episode 37 (July 28) Episode 36 (July 21) Episode 35 (July 15) Episode 34 (July 8) Episode 33 (July 1) Episode 32 (June 24) Episode 31 (June 17) Episode 30 (June 10) Episode 29 (June 3) Episode 28 (May 27) Episode 27 (May 19) Episode 26 (May 13) Episode 25 (May 5) Episode 24 (Apr 29) Episode 23 (Apr 22) Episode 22 (Apr 15) Episode 21 (Apr 6) Episode 20 (Apr 1) Episode 19 (Mar 25) Episode 18 (Mar 19) Episode 17 (Mar 13) Episode 16 (Mar 4) Episode 15 (Feb 25) Episode 14 (Feb 18) Episode 13 (Feb 12) Episode 12 (Feb 4) Episode 11 (Jan 28) Episode 10 (Jan 22) Episode 9 (Jan 15) Episode 8 (Jan 8) Episode 7 (Dec 22) Episode 6 (Dec 16) Episode 5 (Dec 11) Episode 4 (Dec 3) Episode 3 (Nov 25) Episode 2 (Nov 20) Episode 1 (Nov 13)

Hot topics

Listen to a full MP3 recording of the M&G's Critical Thinking Forum held on February 10 2009 at The Castle in Cape Town. It was a chance for government, business and civil society to participate in a debate on the "President's Address to the Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and The National Council of Provinces". Click on these links to listen now. Opening: Adam Habib sets the scene Opening statements: ANC; IFP; Cope; UDM; DA; ID* * NB There were some technical problems with Patricia De Lille's microphone. Her contributions are, unfortunately, not of great audio quality. However, her words are clear and it was decided to keep the material because of her important contribution to the debate.

Listen to a full MP3 recording of the M&G's Critical Thinking Forum held on August 26 2008 in Johannesburg, where a panel comprising Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, Steve Booysen (group chief executive of Absa), Nazmeera Moola (head of macro strategy in South Africa for Macqaurie First South Securities) and Dr Stephen Gelb (executive director of The Edge Institute in Johannesburg) took part in a discussion titled The Great Economic Policy Debate: What Does the Future Hold?. Click on a link below to listen (MP3, about 30 minutes each): Part one (initial presentations by panellists) Part two (debate continues and questions) Part three (more debate and question time)

Listen to a full MP3 recording of the M&G's Critical Thinking Forum held on November 27 2007 in Johannesburg, where a panel comprising Hein Marais, Langa Zita, Karima Brown and Aubrey Matshiqi discussed the possibility of change arising from the African National Congress's crucial Polokwane conference in December. Click on a link below to listen (MP3, about 40 minutes each): Part one (initial presentations by panellists and questions) Part two (more comments and question time)

Listen to a full MP3 recording of the M&G's Critical Thinking Forum held on May 15 2007 in Johannesburg, where a panel comprising John Matshikiza, Karen Zoid, Mike van Graan, Dan Roodt and Theuns Eloff discussed the meaning of Bok van Blerk's controversial hit song De la Rey. Click on a link below to listen (MP3, 30 minutes each): Part one (initial presentations by panellists) Part two (comments and question time) Part three (question time and closing)

Listen to a full MP3 recording of the M&G's Critical Thinking Forum held on July 18 2007 in Johannesburg, where a panel -- including an SABC representative -- discussed the controversial documentary Unauthorised: Thabo Mbeki. Click on a link below to listen or right click and save to download (MP3, 45 minutes each): Part one (initial presentations by panellists) Part two (comments and question time)

Listen to a full audio version of Bheki Khumalo's June interview with the Mail & Guardian ahead of the African National Congress's national conference in Polokwane this year.

Podcast subscription tips and tricks

Subscribing to the podcast if you don't already have iTunes
If you subscribe, your computer will download the latest podcast every time you log on to the internet. First you first need iTunes to organise all the audio files on your computer, and it's free.

Installing iTunes
Go to the iTunes download page. Choose your operating system, decide if you want Apple to email you every now and again by checking or unchecking the boxes, fill in your email address and click the "Download" button.

You'll be prompted to identify somewhere to save the file -- use your Desktop for now -- and let it download. It's a fairly sizeable download, so it may take a while -- especially if you have a dial-up connection. Install the software by double-clicking on it and following the instructions.

Subscribing to the podcast with iTunes
Once iTunes is installed, you're ready to go. On this page, select a podcast and click on "Add feed to iTunes". Now you have subscribed to the podcast.

If you want to hear it, open iTunes, click on "Podcasts" on the left and you should see it listed. Click on the tiny arrow to the left of the podcast title and the list of available episodes will unfold. You can choose the ones you want to download by clicking on the "Get" button.

You can also tell your computer to check each week for the latest episode and change other settings in the podcast menu -- click on "Edit" at the top, choose "Preferences" from the list, click on the "Podcasts" tab and you can tweak whatever you like.

Downloading manually and not subscribing
To listen to a podcast, you need the following:

• a computer;
• an internet connection (a dial-up one is OK, but the files are fairly big and it will take a while to download. ADSL, ISDN or the kind of connection most big corporates have at work are all fine); and
• speakers on your computer or headphones;

If you have these, go to the list of episodes of a podcast. Right click on one of them, choose "Save Target As ..." and choose a location on your computer. Once it has been saved, double-click on the file you've downloaded and it should play.

It will usually play using Windows Media Player. If it looks like it's playing but you can't hear anything, check the volume on your speakers, or that the sound isn't muted in your volume settings.

Podcasting FAQs

It's easy and it's free!

• What is a podcast?
  
• How much does it cost?
  
• How do I know when to look for it?
  
• What do I need to listen to a podcast?
  
• How do I subscribe?
  
• Do I have to have an iPod or iTunes?
  
• I still don't understand. Help!
  
• What are the terms and conditions?
  

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a radio programme on the internet that can be downloaded on to your computer, for free, and listened to whenever you'd like to hear it -- either on your computer or after it has been transferred to an iPod or MP3 player.

How much does it cost?
It's free, and it will remain so.

How do I know when to look for it?
If you subscribe to a podcast, then your computer will automatically look for and download the latest edition every time you log on to the internet. You can also download episodes manually and not subscribe. Our podcasts are absolutely free.

What do I need to listen to a podcast?
The simplest and easiest way to listen is to click on an episode link of one of our podcasts and let your PC play it for you. An episode is an MP3 audio file that you can listen to using a range of devices and programs. This is not subscribing -- you would have to return every week to get a new podcast, as opposed to the file being provided to you regularly via subscription.

However, if you want to subscribe and have new podcasts downloaded automatically, you will need software such as iTunes, Juice or Doppler. They are free to download and use on either Apple Mac or your PC.

How do I subscribe?
If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you just need to:

• click the "Add feed to iTunes" link above, OR
• copy the web address in the input box above labelled "Podcast feed address" and paste it into your podcast software, OR
• click on the "Get Podcast feed" link and then, on the resulting page, cut and paste the web address displayed in your browser address bar into your podcasting software.

Do I have to have an iPod or iTunes to do this?
You do not have to have an iPod or iTunes; you don't even have to have an MP3 player. You can listen to the audio on a PC or Apple Mac. The podcast will work on a range of podcast software or MP3 players. You can also listen to the podcast directly from your PC -- you do not have to download it to an MP3 player.

I still don't understand. Help!
Email us at podcast@mg.co.za and we will try our best to help you.

What are the terms and conditions?
Podcasts may not be reproduced or rebroadcast in any form whatsoever without written permission from the M&G Online.