Tech Stream
Archive for the ‘ Social Networks’ Category
Tech Stream 053
21 May 2010
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Is using a mobile phone like this actually safer than we think? (Flickr: André Hengst, aka Vectrus)
In the Tech Stream this week we’ll revisit the privacy and safety debate around the use of social networking websites like Facebook; hear about new research into the link between mobile phone use and cancer; get the inside picture on internet censorship in China; and while we all love the TV program Good Game, are games… good? Listen to the radio program via the MP3 link above, or read on for more information.
Tech Stream 050 – 3DTV health concerns and the NZ Web Harvest
30 April 2010
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The headline of a story on 3D colour televisions in Australia, published in Radio Television & Hobbies, 1958. Image from twitter, posted by @iBleeter.
In the Tech Stream this week we take a look at the health concerns associated with new 3D televisions which have just gone on sale in Australia. We’ll also find out why websites are being harvested in New Zealand; discuss whether regulation is the answer to stamping out racism online; and Hex from Good Game joins us for a review of the role-playing adventure game Torchlight. Take the plunge with the MP3 link above or read on for more information.
Tech Stream 049: Education Special
24 April 2010
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Many students in Australia and elsewhere now have their own laptop for use at home and in the classroom. (Flickr: Christy Tvarok Green)
How is the use of technology changing the way we think about education, and what are some of the new ways we can foster productive and co-operative learning environments through the use of computers? What will the classroom of the future look like? We’ll tackle these questions and more in the Tech Stream this week with a special program focusing on education and digital technology. Follow the MP3 link above to listen to or download the radio program, or read on for more information.
Tech Stream 048
16 April 2010
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One of the many sessions taking place at The Internet Show in Melbourne, Australia this week.
This week in the Tech Stream we take time to talk about the gentle art of doing business online in 2010. We’ll meet some of the speaker from the recent Internet Show in Melbourne who tell us about the strategies being adopted by businesses to drive sales on the web, and analyze the behaviour of their customers. We’ll also spend some time talking about how the rise of Facebook and Twitter is impacting on companies and brands.
We’ll revisit a news story from last week about the possibility that Bebo could be sold off or shut down by their parent company AOL. It was very popular in New Zealand and the Pacific for a while, so what happens to all of the contacts, photos, videos and personal information people have stored there if it closes.
There’s an update on new measures being introduced in South Korea to try and curb the rising number of citizens addicted to the internet; and Bajo joins as with a review of the open world game Just Cause 2. Hear the program from the link above or read on for details.
Tech Stream 047
9 April 2010
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A prototype Mesh Potato, developed as part of the Village Telco Project. (Flickr: Shuttleworth Foundation.)
In the Tech Stream this week we go hands-on with the new Apple iPad; learn about a low cost, community operated phone system, built on wi-fi networks, which is being trialled in East Timor; And we join Kratos on his ultra-violent rampage through mythical Ancient Greece in God of War 3. Follow the MP3 link above to hear the program or read on for more details.
Tech Stream 035 – Year in Review
18 December 2009
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What an incredible year to start covering technology news. I’ve heard 2009 described as being the “year of the internet”. And I’d have to agree. I spent a couple of weeks in the Solomon Islands and Japan where I lost access to the internet on my mobile and it really hit home just how important and valuable this connectivity was to me. So it’s no surprise that I’ve often been drawn to stories this year that related to how we connect with each other via the web. Sometimes this related to new mobile or PC technology. At other times it related to the underlying backbone of the network.
So in the Pacific we had more solid news about new undersea cables that could see the cost of internet access drop as speeds increase. The infrastructure isn’t yet in place though, and its still a struggle to access the kind of internet experience that most people in Australia, for example, now take for granted.
Domestically, here in Australia, we had two major announcements from the federal government – the splitting up of the country’s largest telecommunications provider, Telstra, as part of their National Broadband Network (NBN). And the government’s decision, the details of which became clearer this week, to filter banned content on the internet at an ISP level. Both of these stories are covered in the beginning of our special Year In Review program which you can listen to via the MP3 link above. Or continue reading on for more information.
Tech Stream 032
25 September 2009
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The Screen Worlds exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, ACMI. You can see the giant, white Lara Croft mentioned in this week’s program.
In the Tech Stream this week we’re looking at the use of social media and internet communications technology to connect virtual and physical spaces: from art galleries to government forums. We’ll also meet Yiying Lu, creator of the iconic Twitter “Fail Whale”, whose first solo exhibition also includes augmented reality technology. And come for a guided tour of a new exhibit at ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which has videogames as a major focus. Download or stream the program via the MP3 link above or find out more after the jump.
Tech Stream 028
26 August 2009
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Can you really hide your identity online? Photo by Jamelah from Flickr.
We’re getting in early this week, and it’s a packed Tech Stream program, kicking off with a special look at whether, in light of some recent events, the ability to protect our identity online is under threat. More after the jump, or click the MP3 link at the top of the story to hop straight into it.
Twitter taken down by DDoS attack
7 August 2009
Micro-blogging social media service twitter was taken down overnight by a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Its been suggested that the attack originated in Russia and was targeting a pro-Georgian blogger who is a prominent user of the service. While this is still unconfirmed the attacks have also affected Facebook and Livejournal although both sites are now back up. Twitter remains down as of 15:45 AEST Friday but the company confirmed earlier today that no personal user information had been accessed.
Technology business analyst Shelly Palmer told Associated Press Radio that denial-of-service attacks are a reality of the information age.
“People tend to want to take sites that are very public and go after them,” said Palmer, managing director of Advanced Media Ventures Group. “In fact you’d be surprised how many sites for major companies are really attacked on a daily basis. This is a crime, it’s a real crime and it should be treated that way.”
More at Associated Press and of course plenty of other news outlets, including this interesting article in TIME. You can also follow this program at twitter.com/tech_stream
Tech Stream 024
31 July 2009
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An excellent explanation of what social networking is online, made by commoncraft.com.
In the Tech Stream this week we take a little look at social networking websites and trends in South-East Asia. From one of the longest running, Friendster, to the newest kid on the block, a Cambodian service called AngkorOne. Plus we get the lowdown on social networks in Vietnam and Indonesia. Listen with the MP3 link above or read on for more…
