Podcasting allows public radio junkies to take their favorite shows along wherever they may be going-and to listen to them when it's convenient, not when their local stations decide to air them. But sometimes you want to hear a story you heard teased-on the actual radio-and didn't catch. Or, a friend tells you about a great story from Morning Edition as she drops you off at the bus stop after work and you know you'll forget to stream it by the time you get home.

NPR's mobile service, m.npr.org (which you're often routed to if you access www.npr.org from your mobile) lets you listen via live stream on your smartphone or PDA or - even - dial a dedicated line to hear the story of your choice via a phone connection.

Check your data package to see whether radical cost difference might influence your choice. You'll want to have an unlimited plan if you do a lot of streaming.

In addition to the day's top news features, the mobile NPR site offers fun stuff like a Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me news quiz you can take and then send to a friend. Story of the Day and Song of the Day are also accessible from the mobile home page. Just another way to feed the habit-but don't let it sway you from contributing locally at pledge time.