Tech Stream
Archive for the ‘ Environment’ Category
Tech Stream 051 – NBN, Clean Technology and the Webby Awards
7 May 2010
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Nasturtium Droplet. An example of nature inspiring innovation. (Flickr: Kevin Krejci)
In the Tech Stream this week – behind the long awaited study into the implementation of a national broadband network (NBN) in Australia, which suggests the government can build the infrastructure without Telstra, and deliver it to more people for less than was thought; we also take a look at the clean and green technologies that are getting investors excited… and the part nanotechnology is playing in their development; plus the big winners in this year’s Academy Awards for websites, the Webbys… Find out via the MP3 link above, or read on for more information.
Tech Stream 042
5 March 2010
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USB ports – Photo from Flickr by Philippa Willitts.
This week in the Tech Stream we’ll find out whether “Green IT” is still the buzz phrase for business that it was 12 months ago and look at moves by one company in Asia to convert internet cable landing stations into next generation data centres. These will be capable of satisfying a growing demand for high bandwidth content in the region. Plus we road-test the latest USB3 enabled technology; and Bajo from Good Game looks at why we don’t finish our video games and what developers are doing to keep us hooked. Plus all the latest technology news from the week, just click the MP3 link at the top of this story to listen or read on after the jump for more details.
Tech Stream 041
26 February 2010
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E-Waste: Discarded PC cases in a dump in Guiyu, China. Photo by Bert Van Dijk from Flickr.
In the Tech Stream this week we look at a new UN report into the management of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) in developing countries. We also hear from two sides of the nanotechnology debate. Do we really understand the implications of the developments in this science, and are the proper regulations in place? There’s more on mobile telco Digicel’s expansion in the Pacific with its new license to operate in French Polynesia… and finally Bajo reviews the film-noir video game Heavy Rain. More details after the jump or follow the MP3 link above to start listening to the program.
Tech Stream 026
14 August 2009
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Kong Pharith’s solar-powered electric jeep hits the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Solar and other renewable energy sources could one day be powering all of our cars. At least that’s the long-term hope for those who understand the impacts that the current methods for powering our vehicles has on the planet.
In the Tech Stream this week we hear about the battery technology which is making this future possible now; the rollout of an electric vehicle recharge network in Australia and how an industrious inventor in Cambodia decided he couldn’t wait any longer so built his own solar-powered electric jeep (see the photo above). More details after the jump, or follow the MP3 link above to hear the program right away.
Electric cars for Canberra
14 August 2009
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Plug it in: goodbye petrol, hello electricity from renewable sources.
The infrastructure required to support battery-powered electric cars is being rolled out in Australia, with the national’s capital the first city to take part in the project. Better Place Australia will begin building an the electric vehicle recharge network in Canberra in 2011 and start supporting customers who have electric vehicles by 2012.
I asked their director of government affairs Guy Pross how the system will work and why Canberra was chosen for this initial roll-out. You can hear the full interview via the MP3 at the top of this post.
Tech Stream 016
5 June 2009
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Electronic waste waiting to be recycled. Photo from Flickr by Eric Dykstra.
We’re marking World Environment Day in the Tech Stream this week. Jeff Angel, Executive Director of the Total Environment Centre tells us about Australia’s new electronic waste recycling scheme. Janet Leslie from Canon Australia explains their e-waste initiatives and ‘green’ calculators. And Elanto Wijayono from Green Map Indonesia introduces us to Open Green Maps – a set of online tools to help communities map natural, cultural and sustainable resources in their area.
But we kick off the program with the blocking of websites like Twitter and Flickr in China this week. Thursday was the 20th anniversary of the Chinese military’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Myself and Steve Holland from Connect Asia speak with a local Twitter user as well as Jeremy Goldkorn from Danwei.org and Beijing-based technology observer Kaiser Kuo. Radio Australia News Online also has a great feature on the anniversary. Lastly, technology journalist Adam Turner has the lowdown on Google Wave.
The entire program can be heard from the MP3 link at the top, and you can subscribe to the podcast with the link on the right. Feel free to leave a comment below on any of the content in the Tech Stream this week.
CeBIT: Greening Government
14 May 2009
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We’ve discussed the concept of Green IT in the Tech Stream previously, but often in reference to how you and I can make changes in the way we use the electrical appliances, like PCs in our own homes. If we all do our bit to reduce the electricity we use we can not only save money, but also significantly reduce the impact we have on the environment. Governments and business too are looking at ways to do this.
Tech Stream 011
1 May 2009
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Voxopop’s audio message boards are popular with people learning English.
In the Tech Stream this week, Firemint’s Robert Murray talks about their mobile game Flight Control which is a #1 worldwide hit; discover a social-networking discussion site Voxopop.com which allows people to start audio-based forums and has been taken up by English language learners across the world; Danny Gorog takes us under the hood of the Kindle 2 eBook reader; we learn how to reduce the impact our PCs have on the environment; and the increasing popularity of shanzhai phones in China.
You can listen to the full Tech Stream program with the MP3 link above or the “Listen Now” link on the right. Feel free to comment on any of these stories or suggest something we can follow up in future programs. You can also subscribe to the podcast too!
Universal chargers for our gadgets
10 March 2009
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We spoke on Friday in the Tech Stream about ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Using our gadgets and electrical devices in more sensible ways can help cut our electricity use. This saves us money and since most of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, it is also better for the planet. We can also do our bit by thinking about what kind of gadgets we buy and how we dispose of them.
Having different chargers and power adapters for our different bits of gear seems like such a giant waste. It takes energy and materials to make them, and then there are more of them to dispose of when we upgrade to the next bit of equipment that often uses a different plug! It’s also annoying when you lose one or have to travel with two or three different types of charger.
Fran Kelly from ABC Radio National Breakfast spoke with their technology editor Peter Marks about a better solution to power our gadgets. You can listen to the interview through the MP3 link above.
Its not easy being green
3 March 2009
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We talk about the latest gadgets and gizmos a lot here in the Tech Stream, and its easy to forget that the kind of electronic equipment we buy, the way we use it and then how we dispose of it, can have a huge impact on the environment.
Tony Hodgson is from Sustainable IT and he works with organisations in reducing their environmental impact and improving their sustainability. He’s going to join us regularly to chat about how we can use our own technology in more environmentally friendly ways. For our first chat, we decided to tackle the broader concept of Green IT.
