A classic old 14.4k modem from the early ’90s.  Image from Flickr by Richard Masoner.

Very few people know how the internet developed in Australia and that the research-focused network that gave birth to it is still going strong today. We’ll find out more in the Tech Stream this week.  Plus the fallout from the film industry losing their case against a major internet service provider whose customers downloaded pirated movies and television programs. For more details on the program read on or listen now via the MP3 link above.

We start the program with news that the film and television industry has lost its battle against Australian internet service provider iiNet.  The Australian Federal Court found on Thursday that the company was not responsible for the copyright violations of its customers.  Ali Benton’s report first aired on ABC Radio National Breakfast.  And there is more detail on the case in this report on ABC News Online.

Next we speak with Chris Hancock, CEO of AARNet, the Australian Academic Research Network, about their book “20 Years Of The Internet In Australia”.  There is more details of it on aarnet.edu.au

We also speak with Dr Gordon Howell, Manager Learning Environments, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Dr Howell is also a technical adviser for Divine Word University in Papua New Guinea.  Universities in the country are being hooked up to the Eduroam Federation, giving visiting and local researchers and academics better access to the internet. It is a joint venture between AARNet, Open Systems Consultants, QUT and the universities in Papua New Guinea via their PNGARNet.

We also go hands on with Google’s Nexus One mobile phone. Blogger and technology journalist Neerav Bhatt tells us that it’s the best device he’s used running the Android operating system. Neerav also wrote about it on ABC Unleashed in an article “New Gadget Better than Old Gadget“.

And finally Bajo from Good Game on ABC TV reviews the space RPG Mass Effect 2 from Bioware.

2010. The Future: so close you can almost smell it. Image from plan59.com.

This week in the Tech Stream: Apple unveil their latest, “must-have” device – the iPad.  Technology journalist Danny Gorog joins us with all the details. The full interview with Danny and links to some of the other media coverage is in our blog post from yesterday.

We also crack open our crystal balls, with another look at the top technology trends and ideas for this year and into the next decade and beyond.  We’ll hear from Stephen Prentice, VP and fellow at Gartner, the technology research and advisory company.

And finally Bajo from Good Game on ABC TV returns to forecast the video games trends and releases we’ll be talking about and playing in the year ahead.

Follow the MP3 link above to hear the full program, or subscribe to the podcast or our twitter feed by following the links to the right.

iPad image from apple.com.au

At least a few of the rumours were true:  Apple did indeed unveil their latest portable device today. It’s not called the iSlate or the iTablet though.  It’s not being billed as an eBook reader either, although it does do that.  It might even give the Amazon Kindle a run for its money.  It’s the latest in a fairly unsuccessful line of tablet PCs but it almost needs a catergory of its own. Its called, simply, the iPad.  That’s a picture of it above.  And yes, it’s like a hotted-up version of the iPod Touch.  Or big iPhone without the phone.  It’s coming in March and it could signal a huge change in the way we think about portable devices and even personal computing in general.

Technology journalist and keen Apple-watcher Danny Gorog joined me earlier today to chat about this flashy new gadget, follow the MP3 link above to hear our conversation. Or read on for a summary of some of the more interesting media coverage.

Full coverage of the iPad unveiling in San Fransisco is provided at tech-news websites CNET and Engadget.  Engadget also wrap up their thoughts on the iPad with a special editorial, although the feeling overall seems to be one of disappointment.  Funnily enough the hype didn’t live up to the reality!

There’s more information about the new chip powering the device at Tech Radar and at APC Magazine. Ian Paul an PC World summarizes what we still don’t know about this new gadget.

The New York Times talks about how the iPad blurs the lines between devices and  Jonathon Green writes on the ABC’s opinion and analysis website The Drum about how Apple is “re-writing the business of communication and media” and that this device has the potential to transform the magazine and newspaper industries.

Finally Adam Turner, a regularly contributor to the Tech Stream, asks the question “Is there room for Apple’s iPad in Your Life” in his Gadgets on The Go section of the SMH.  As you can imagine there’s some interesting comments!

Flowers lay on a sign at the entrance to Google’s China headquarters in Beijing’s university district. Photo by Josh Chin from Flickr.

We’ll be looking forward, on this the first Tech Stream radio program of 2010, at the gadgets, technology trends and ideas set to dominate over the next twelve months.  We also wrap up some of the news around Google rethinking its strategy in China, which may involve it pulling out of the country altogether, and find out why governments in Europe are advising their citizens to abandon Microsoft’s popular web browser.   Follow the MP3 link above to hear the program or continue on for more…

We start Tech Stream #36 with the French and German governments warning internet users in Europe to avoid using Microsoft’s popular web browser.

Internet Explorer comes as default with most PCs running Windows. Its thought that China-based cyber-spies and hackers attacked Google and other large companies by exploiting security flaws in the older version 6 of the browser which is still installed on many user’s and organisations PCs.

Dr Mark Gregory, senior lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering at RMIT University told Phillip Kafcaloudes on Radio Australia Today that the widespread use of Internet Explorer makes it vulnerable to these kind of attacks. And writer and futurist Mark Pesce told Kate O’Toole from Hack on Triple J that people using Internet Explorer should upgrade their browser to version 8.

ABC News online also reported this week that the Australian government has started ramping up its “cyber defences”.

In what could be shaping up to be the biggest technology story of the year Internet giant Google is threatening to shut down its operations in China.  The company explained their reasons for this in a post on their official blog entitled “A New Approach to China”.

Karon Snowdon initially filed the report from Tech Stream on our current affairs program Connect Asia, where a full transcript is available.  China played down Google’s threat but the US has called on Beijing to conduct a thorough and transparent review of cyber intrusions against the internet giant. Linda Mottram covered this angle on Connect Asia this morning.

So what happens if Google does pull out of China, and what would it mean to Baidu, the largest website in the country? This article in the Wall Street Journal attempts to answer some of those questions.

We then turn our attention to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held recently in Las Vegas.  Tech Expert Peter Marks from Radio National Breakfast gives us his impressions of the key technology on display.  And Angus Kidman from lifehacker.com.au tells Susan Hill why he’s wary of the hype around 3D TVs.

Want to know more about 3D TV? Try this article from PC Mag “3D TV: The Four Things You Need to Know“.

Finally we get to chat with Morris Miselowski, a business futurist who often comes into Radio Australia Today to talk about the latest technology.  He’s brought his crystal ball into the Tech Stream this week and will give us a glimpse into the most exciting tech trends, gadgets and ideas for 2010… and beyond.

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.

We also cover the ongoing rise of the iPhone and Apple’s iTunes App store. But as you’ll hear there’s also enthusiasm for Google’s Android mobile operating as an alternative.  We discuss eBooks, Windows 7, Chrome, Wave, augmented reality, internet memes, cloud computing, social networks and social media as well as internet search technology.

Joining me in the studio for Tech Stream 035 is:

Georgia Webster from the Byte Into It podcast. Georgia joined us earlier in the year to talk about online language trends and memes.  She is also the General Manager of SYN media.

Simon Goodrich is from Portable Content and helped guide us through the world of social networks and online business trends in 2009. Simon is also the President of the Victorian chapter of AIMIA, the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, and the Australian Ambassador for the Webby Awards.

Danny Gorog, a technology journalist who writes for a variety of publications and websites.  This week on ABC Science he’s taking a look back at The Evolution of the Digital Camera.

And technology journalist Adam Turner, who contributes to the Tech Talk Radio program, among other things. Links to his other work is on his own website adamturner.com.au

We’d love to hear your feedback on the program. Was there a technology story from 2009 that stood out for you, or a particular gadget, device or web service that you discovered during the year that you could no longer live without?  Feel free to leave comments below.

We’re replaying some special repeat versions of the Tech Stream over the next four weeks, but only on our FM relays across Asia and the Pacific. The podcast version returns on January 22nd.

Have a safe festive season and a happy new year!

Ryan

Video game designer David Jaffe provided the keynote speech via video link at GCAP 2009

The Tech Stream program this week is focused entirely on gaming.  It was recorded at the Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2009 (GCAP) conference and expo which took place in Melbourne, Australia from the 6th to the 8th of December.  Follow the MP3 link above to listen or continue reading for details.

Featured in program #34 of Tech Stream are:

Tom Crago – President of the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) and CEO of Tantalus Media

Neil Boyd – GDAA and Head of School at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) in Sydney

Ken Brady – computer teacher at Gympie State High School in Queensland

Dr Stuart Smith – Senior Research Officer, Falls & Balance Research Group, Prince of Wales Hospital

David Hewitt – Creative Director at Tantalus Media

Paul Callahan – freelance writer and co-director of Freeplay, an independent games festival

Farbs – independent game developer and creator of the Captain Forever game series

Steven “Bajo” O’Donnell – presenter of Good Game on ABC TV and regular in the Tech Stream

Jay Wilbur – Vice President, Business Development at Epic Games (full interview here)

Plus conference participants and the game developers taking part in the exhibition.

Here is a full list of the winners in the 2009 GDAA Game Developer and Independent Awards. Congratulations especially to Firemint and also the team behind Heroes Over Europe.

To get a better idea of Farb’s award winning Captain Forever game check out this youtube clip or play the flash game yourself. It’s free.

For more on the students at Gympie State High School and the Certificate IV in Interactive Entertainment on offer there, check out http://gamedesign.edublogs.org

And Bajo’s favourite game of the year is Uncharted 2, for all those taking notes!

I had a chance, as part of the Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2009 conference, to speak with Jay Wilbur from Epic Games.  Jay has been working in the industry for many years and his credits include classics like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake and Commander Keen.   Jay Wilbur is now Vice President – Business Development at Epic Games.  The company’s recent releases include smashes like Gears of War (pictured above) and they also provide the technology under the hood of many other companies’ games – the Unreal Engine.   Follow the MP3 link above to hear Jay Wilbur talking  about “middleware” and Epic’s newly release UDK (Unreal Developers Kit).

The puzzle game Blakely Van De Buckle’s Brass Cabaret being played in the Independent Gamers Exhibition at GCAP 2009. The game was produced by Powderkeg Entertainment.

I’m spending the beginning of this week at a gaming conference and expo in Melbourne. Game Connect: Asia Pacific (GCAP) is organised by the Game Developers’ Association of Australia (GDAA) and is an opportunity for people working in the gaming and interactive entertainment industry to network, share some new ideas and discuss some of the issues they’re facing.   There has also been a focus on serious games, with education and health featuring heavily as themes on day one.

The GDAA Industry Awards took place at the end of day two and not surprisingly the runway smash Flight Control picked up a string of awards including “Best Game”.  Firemint’s popular game for the iPhone and iPod Touch mobile platform has been downloaded from the iTunes App Store more than 1.5 million times.  The President of the GDAA, Tom Crago, noted that “Flight Control has been a phenomenal success and has really been responsible for the creation of an entire new genre on iPhone. We’re very proud that this title was developed in Australia”.  Heroes Over Europe from Transmission Games (which is no longer operating having closed down in October) also picked up three awards, including “Best Console Title”.

The Tech Stream program on Friday will be devoted to gaming and coverage of Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2009.  Make sure you tune in, or subscribe to the podcast to hear it.  In the meantime Mike Bantick has some good coverage over at iTWire, including an overview of the event and a story on the student produced games on show at GCAP.

I’ve also been asking people at the conference what their favourite game of 2009 was.  What’s yours?

Tech Stream returns to cover the Games Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) 2009 conference on December 11th. And then on December 18th we’ll take a look back at the year that was. I’ll do another blog-post closer to then asking for some ideas about standout technology or tech news from the year, so start thinking!

You can follow me on twitter @tech_stream til then where I’ll post some occasional technology-news links… and we might even have some special guest bloggers joining us in coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that!

Ciao!

Ryan

Triple J’s Unearthed.com, a community music site for Australian independent artists and their fans.

In the Tech Stream this week we look at some of the new tools available to music fans and artists to help them discover or share their music online.  Soundcloud, RCRD LBL, We Are Hunted and Triple J Unearthed (pictured) are all featured. We also dig deeper into some of the issues around music file-sharing, free content, online promotion and streaming services.   The MP3 link at the top of this post has the audio, or take the jump for more information.

Featured in this program are (in rough order):

Gerd Leonhard: We first heard from Gerd in Tech Stream 027, he’s a media and technology futurist, author of Music 2.0 and co-author of the Future of Music.  There’s more of his thoughts on the future of free content and music online at mediafuturist.com

Tim Shiel: producer, blogger, DJ and radio presenter. Tim makes music and remixes other people’s tracks under the name Faux Pas. You can hear his radio program, To and Fro, on Melbourne radio station Triple R.

Elliot Aronow: the creative director and co-founder of RCRD LBL.  A full interview with Elliot can be downloaded from this Tech Stream post from 11th of September 2009.

Nick Crocker:  co-founder with Ben Johnson of digital strategy agency Native Digital and online music chart wearehunted.com. Nick blogs about music, marketing and social media at waycooljnr.com.au

Alex Ljung: Berlin-based entrepreneur and co-founder of Soundcloud.

Stephanie Carrick: Producer of triplejunearthed.com

Alain Lecante: Owner of Mangrove Productions, a record label and studio based in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Alain is also one of the judges of Radio Australia’s Pacific Break music competition which was won this year by a Solomon Islands band – Devande.

Shin Fukuzumi: publicist and A&R at P-Vine Records, the largest and longest running independent label in Japan.

The specific music tracks you’ll hear in the program are:

“Make You Mine” by Miami Horror,  released by RCRD LBL, available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license.

“Vanderbilt demo” by Faux Pas.  From a forthcoming album. Used with permission from the artist.

“Girl of My Dream” by One Toks.  Available for download at the Pacific Break website.