This barely qualifies as a hint since it is right in front of you, but it took me quite a while to realize.
If you import podcasts into a single "podcast" playlist in iTunes like me, the playlist quickly becomes a mess. It is tricky to see what has recently been added. It turns out you can add a "Date Added" column to the play list view. Simply select "View Options…â€? from the Edit menu and check the "Date Addedâ€? checkbox. Sort by this column and you can then see your podcasts chronologically. Much easier to see what podcasts have recently been added.
You can also use the "Date Added" field to create a smart playlist that just shows podcasts from the last x days.
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050527111748836