Five new ideas for possible TechHive podcasts

Earlier today I was taken to task on twitter by Jason Snell for my, admittedly harsh, review of a pilot episode of a potential new podcast for TechHive. He later mentioned to me on twitter that they (TechHive) are "seeking something that's not like every other tech podcast".

As a conciliatory gesture, I thought that I would try to come up with some (serious) ideas for five new tech-related podcasts that I might want to listen to. These are ideas that aren't really the sole focus of any current podcast (maybe I'm wrong and someone is already doing these sort of shows, please let me know if this is the case).

1. The Apple of your eye

The host invites a guest to talk about what their fantasy Apple hardware product would look like. Would it be a 12-bay Mac Pro with 16 PCI Express slots to suit the tastes of someone like John Siracusa, or maybe it would be an all-wireless iPod (inductive charging plus bluetooth headphones). The guests discuss how far away from reality this hypothetical product is, who would buy it, and how much it would cost if it could be made.

2. Macs for the memory

Take a trip down memory lane as the host and his/her very special guest rewind time to talk about how the introduction of a past Apple product changed their lives or set them on their way to a life of Apple fandom. Maybe it was their first ever Mac computer (a 2001 dual-USB iBook if you're interested), or their first ever iPod (for me, the much maligned 3G iPod), or maybe it was discovering the wonders of Apple's iTools service.

3. Macsimum Carnage

A shameless rip-off (it wouldn't be the first) of an occasional feature from BBC's Top Gear show. Every week the host of this video podcast attempts to destroy a perfectly fine piece of Apple hardware in an reckless, but highly unorthodox, fashion. Ever wanted to see someone steamroller a Mac Pro or see what happens when you put an iPod nano in the toaster? Now's your chance.

4. iCastaway

Another shameless rip-off, this time of the much loved BBC radio show Desert Island Discs. Each week a new 'castaway' reveals to the host what Apple products they would buy if stranded on a desert island (which luckily has 4 working power outlets and 1 working Ethernet port). Luckily, the castaway has a $2,000 Apple store gift card to spend (we assume that Apple will deliver to this particular desert island and will waive the delivery charge). The guest explains what they would buy and why, though the $2,000 must cover all cables, accessories, and software. Choose wisely!

5. The story behind the story

Each week, the host takes a current technology related story that is making the headlines and explores the issue in depth, going back to look at where this story arose and what longer-term significance might arise from the news. The story behind the story might focus on a single product revealed at an Apple event, the appointment of a new CEO at a major tech company, or even the relaunch/rebranding of a Social Media web site.