I don’t know why podcasts aren’t more popular than they are, but you don’t know what you’re missing if you’re not listening to some kind of podcast while you travel. And these are great podcasts for any kind of travel, not just road trips.

I took a few criteria into account when coming up with this list. I wanted something that was at least an hour long OR had so many episodes available that you could listen for a long time and not get tired of them. They had to focus on a specific topic or area of interest. And they had to be entertaining enough to keep me occupied through a long layover or a particularly boring stretch of road. The podcasts listed in my old post are still great, but here are a few more to add to the playlist.

This Week in Tech – TWiT

TWiT is a weekly technology show hosted by Leo Laporte, who has taken his original This Week in Tech show and transformed it into an entire podcast network complete with shows on just about every relevant technology topic. The TWiT network boasts a whole host of shows, but my favorite remains the network’s namesake. Leo hosts a weekly roundtable with a panel of tech experts who join him, sometimes from all corners of the glob to chat about the latest tech news. If you’re a real geek with a penchant for keeping up on the latest iPhone announcement or what’s new in Windows, this 2 hour long podcast will keep you happy.

TED Talks

In keeping with the science and technology theme, TED talks are super inspirational lectures given by experts on topics ranging from artistic creation to robotic limbs, and beyond. You can get lost in these talks, so pay attention if you’re driving!

Hollywood Babble On

(Explicit)

If you absolutely hate filmmaker Kevin Smith and his sense of humor with all your being, you might want to avoid this one (and get your sense of humor checked by a professional. Something’s wrong). Smith joins actor and radio host Ralph Garmin in this hourlong topical live show that’s taped in front of a live studio audience at the Jon Lovitz Podcast Theater in L.A. They play silly games, talk about celebrity news, make fun of silly and inane things, and overall entertain each other with vulgar humor. I love this one.

Doug Loves Movies

(Explicit)

Staying in the film arena, stoner-comedian Doug Benson plays made up movie trivia games with his comedian friends on Doug Loves Movies, where – to paraphrase “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” – the rules are made up and the points don’t matter. But listening to Doug, who is usually fairly “relaxed” when he starts the show at 4:20pm, try to rein in his comedian buddies to play these fairly stupid trivia games almost always leaves me laughing out loud. Which can be awkward when you’re jogging past rush hour traffic on Main Street.