The software development industry moves at a rapid pace and it is constantly changing, making it increasingly difficult to stay updated on the latest and greatest advancements. Over the years, I have tried multiple methods to keep up but have landed on three ways that seem to really do the trick.
Podcast
A podcast can be an easy, informative way to see what is going on in any particular industry. I am a huge fan of them because I can listen to them during my commute, cleaning the house or even during my workout. While there are a lot of them available to you on a number of subjects, here are some of my personal favorites.
Android Developers Backstage
An Android-focused podcast from two engineers on the Android Team at Google, they talk about features, API and technologies they feel would be of interest and importance to Android developers.
AutoComplete
Autocomplete is a show discussing the indie developer scene. Hosts Jay Ohms and Jordan Beck of TwentyFive Squares give perspective on mobile apps, software development, and specifically Android.
/Dev/Hell
A podcast that focuses on JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, and other tech as they relate to web development.
Fragmented
A bi-weekly podcast about Android development, hosts Donn Felker and Kaushik Gopal bring in guest speakers to talk about different aspects of development in each episode.
WordPress Weekly
You guessed it, WordPress Weekly is a podcast about everything WordPress. They talk about new features, plugins and more.
If you are new to podcasts, I recommend using Pocketcasts to manage and listen to them. It has a beautiful UI and is very easy to use.
Reddit is good for more than just cat pictures and memes. Interesting articles and insightful discussion topics shared, and the best ones are voted to the top so you’re better able to filter out some of the least helpful articles. Some of my most visited subreddits are:
- /r/AndroidDev
- /r/Android
- /r/CSS
- /r/Frontend
- /r/HTML5
- /r/iOSDev
- /r/iOSProgramming
- /r/Java
- /r/JavaScript
- /r/jQuery
- /r/PHP
- /r/Programming
- /r/ProgrammerHumor
- /r/Technology
- /r/WebDev
- /r/web_dev
- /r/Wordpress
Meetups
Meetup is a great way to physically talk with other industry-related people. Sometimes having an in-person discussion is really the best way to learn – and can be a helpful networking tool as well. Since these completely vary based on your location, I recommend checking out Meetup.com and searching for your areas of interest.
Sometimes keeping up with technology can feel like trying to take a drink from a firehouse. Finding and taking advantage of tools such as podcasts, Reddit or Meetup, to help aggregate and filter the most useful tidbits can be a lifesaver.
