Tech Stream
Archive for April, 2009
Twitter for breakfast
9 April 2009
Listen and download: MP3
I’ve found myself becoming a reluctant evangelist for Twitter in the past couple of weeks, and I’m not the only one. Many people in the media, marketing and technology industry seem to be in the same boat. This will change, and in fact it already is as more people start using the service. But being able to clearly define what makes it such an interesting and effective communication and networking tool is still a little hard to do.
National Broadband Networks
7 April 2009
Australia’s Prime Minister Kevid Rudd this morning announced that the government plans to build a $US30 billion national broadband communications network.
Tech Stream 007
3 April 2009
Listen and download: MP3
In the Tech Stream this week we’re speaking with IT journalist Patrick Gray about the Conficker worm; Google gives internet users in China access to free music downloads in an attempt to capture more of the lucrative search market; Georgia Webster joins us to talk about the way capital letters are used and abused online; and tech-journo Adam Turner charts the rising popularity of the Blu Ray disc.
You can listen to the full program with the MP3 link above or the “Listen Now” link on the right. Feel free to comment on any of these stories below or suggest something we can follow up in future programs.
It doesn’t Ad up
3 April 2009
I’m quite fond of my ad blockers. In all the browsers I run across my work and home computers there are these tricky little ad blocking software or plugins, working away under the surface, trying their darndest to stop pop-ups and other nasty advertising delivery methods. My eyes rarely land upon embedded ads in pages either, and I can’t remember the last time I clicked through on a banner ad. I guess I’m like most people in this way and perhaps we’re just not taking the best interests of our favourite websites into account. ABC News Online’s Nic MacBean writes that:
There is a variety of ad-blocking software available for free and for purchase, with versions for the major internet browsers, and it’s easy to see why ad-blocking software is gaining in popularity among internet users. The Firefox version is being downloaded at a rate of 759,000 a week, and almost 45 million people have the software on their browsers.
With these sort of figures for just one of the major browsers, it’s clear that the intrusive ads are not making it through to all their intended audiences. And advertisers will not be willing to shell out money for ads that are simply being blocked by internet users, and that presents a serious problem for websites. It’s prompted one digital advertising expert to suggest people who really value the content that they read should consider disabling their ad blocker.
You can read more on ABC News Online. What do you think about this idea of disabling ad blockers in order to save websites? Sounds a bit rich to me, but as advertising dollars diminish in the face of a global recession it is getting harder to fund entertainment and media outlets, both online and off. But perhaps advertisers need to think of better, less intrusive ways to get their message across rather than using pop-ups.
In the loungeroom with Blu Ray
3 April 2009
Listen and download: MP3
Blu Ray drives are starting to appear in more PCs, even some laptops. Photo from Flickr by lingolook [cc license].
Technology Journalist Adam Turner joins us again in the Tech Stream for a closer look at the BLU-RAY high definition optical discs format. You can listen to our chat via the MP3 link at the top of this post.
Its Conficker, you Fools!
3 April 2009
Listen and download: MP3
The Conficker computer virus (or worm) has been infecting computers across the world since November 2008. It was supposed to unleash itself on April 1st, but the day came and went with little evidence of widespread destruction or mass chaos. In some parts of the media people wondered whether it could have been an elaborate hoax?
IT security analysts certainly took the threat seriously, in fact Microsoft offered a quater of a million dollar bounty for information on the people behind the virus. A majority of infected computers are in Asia and in the last couple of days experts have noticed increased activity as the virus instructs terminals to call home… but the cataclysmic effects just didn’t materialise.
IT journalist Patrick Gray presents the Risky Business security podcast and is the managing editor of Risky.Biz, an information security news outlet. He wrote an interesting opinion piece for ABC News Online prior to April 1st and spoke with me late yesterday about the media hype around Conficker leading up to April Fools Day. You can listen to the interview via the MP3 link at the top of this post.
The PM program on ABC Radio also covered the story, on Tuesday 31st of March and then on the evening of April 1st.
April Fool
1 April 2009
The online April Fool jokes are flowing thick and fast this morning. And since those of us “Down Under” are ahead of the rest of the world, we’re getting them first. But unlike some countries, Australia’s pranks end at noon. So if you are planning one of your own time has almost run out.
Of course the best April Fool pranks are those that could almost be true. For example, Gamespot are reporting that a new Rockband game for Australia is going to be released which features tunes from iconic country star Slim Dusty and pre-school favourites The Wiggles. I somehow doubt it. Another, possibly brand initiated prank, on the Australian IT site features new GPS technology fitted into footballs, enabling sports fans to track the ball online with Google maps. Hmm, I smell a rat.
There’s also a few pranks that involve the proposed internet filtering scheme in Australia. ZDNet report that the controversial plan has been scrapped in favour of a “whitelist” of banned sites voted on by TV viewers. Broadband website Whirlpool have reported that Stephen Conroy, Australia’s communications minister has been sacked and ITWire also have a great story which suggests Australians will have to register and pay a licence fee to access the internet from June this year.
But in more serious news everyone is getting a little nervous about whether the Conficker virus will be an April 1st hoax or not. IT journalist Patrick Gray examines its roots in an interesting opinion piece on ABC News Online today. PM on ABC radio also covered the Conficker virus last night.
Feel free to share any interesting hoaxes you come across today in other parts of the world. ABC News online has few more famous April Fools jokes for your enjoyment too.
