Dear Lifehacker, Could you recommend some podcasts to me? I've been listening to This American Life, TED and Radiolab and want to broaden my horizons with some fresh content. I'm most interested in podcasts in mp3 format as I like to download them to my phone for later listening (no internet connection required).

There are so many good podcasts out there, but there's only so much time in a day. The Wall Street Journal reported on "podcasts nuts" who make time for podcasts by speeding them up with apps such as Overcast. Like, up to 5x speed. Sure, that saves time, but it also probably spikes your blood pressure and makes listening to podcasts super stressful. So what's the best speed to listen to podcasts in without sacrificing your health or ruining the podcast?

Deep down, we all know we shouldn't crank our music or listen to headphones with the volume really high, but we still do. If you've ever wondered if years of hard rock has done any serious damage, here's an easy way to find out.

We tend to think that being a good listener means being a sponge that absorbs as much information as possible, but Harvard Business Review suggests that's not really the best analogy.

When someone gets interrupted while telling a story to your group, it's the perfect opportunity to make yourself seem more attentive and likeable by asking that person to continue.

The "sandwich" method of feedback, where you squish criticism between compliments to smooth it over, is played out and everyone knows it. Most of us cringe when we hear someone suggest it, and even when it works, it's obvious. Adam Grant, author and professor, says it's time to just give it up, and we agree.

With the right approach, anyone has the ability to turn small talk into an engrossing conversation. These essential rules will help.

You probably know that listening is an important part of effective communication, but so is how you listen. Real listening is more than just hearing. In this animation from the TED-Ed YouTube channel, Katherine Hampsten explains how miscommunication happens and reveals a few helpful tips on how you can avoid it in your daily life.

Letting someone vent off their frustrations makes you a good friend, a caring family member, and a comforting significant other. Being a good listener, however, often requires a little more effort than nodding your head while they rant. You need to make the people you care about feel comfortable, understood, and validated.

Repeating back what someone is saying to you, or what's known as "reflective listening," is a great way to show that you're really hearing what they say. Repeating their exact words like a parrot, however, is not always ideal.

If you want to build your communication skills, you need to be able to listen to others. If you want to listen to others, you need to stop talking every once in a while.

NPR has launched Earbud.fm, a new web site that catalogues the best podcasts as handpicked by celebrities, listeners, and radio hosts.

With lectures, you only get out of them what you're willing to put in. You might be bored by the slides, but that information is still important. If you spend that time thinking from the teacher's perspective, you might get a better grasp of the material.

Some earbuds come with cases that can help prevent tangles, but many don't. If yours didn't (or if you lost it), a wine cork can do the job with just a couple of holes.

Maybe you talk too much in conversation, or maybe you clam up. Either way, communication skills don't come naturally for everyone. For a better conversational flow, use the 50/50 ratio for talking and listening.

Pep talks are hard. You need to boost your friend's morale and listen all while not patronising them. Over on The Wall Street Journal, you can find a set of steps that will help you give the best pep talk ever.

When you want to change someone else's point of view, it's easy to assume that if you talk enough, people will listen. Often, that's not the case, though. In reality, if you want people to come to your side of an issue, it helps to listen to theirs first.

They might seem like one and the same, but responding and reacting in a conversation are very different when you break them down. If you want to practise being a better listener, responding is the better course of action.

Awkward silences and breaks in conversation can be anxiety-inducing experiences. Yet these pauses and breaks provide an opportunity for the other person to ask you a question and get to know you better.