Tech Stream
Posts Tagged ‘ hack’
Tech Stream 029
4 September 2009
Listen and download: MP3
Photo from Flickr by John Johnston.
In the Tech Stream this week we ask whether internet addiction is a clinical disorder; the lowdown on Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 from Blizzard’s annual conference; how new undersea cable networks in the Pacific could deliver high-speed, affordable broadband internet to the region; and look at how the goings on in Australian parliament are being documented and shared in a way that enhances our experience of democracy. Jump straight into the program with the MP3 link above or read on for more details.
Tech Stream 010
24 April 2009
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Photo from Flickr by Giorgio Montersino.
We’re celebrating our tenth episode in the Tech Stream this week with a special discussion on travel related technology and web services.
Tech Stream 008
9 April 2009
Listen and download: MP3
Audio technology is our focus in the Tech Stream this weekend with an extended chat about the future of music production, and how changes in technology have impacted on the home recording musician. Joining us is Jim Moynihan, who records under the name Spoonbill (you can hear some of his music in the podcast too). We also have Brad Watts from Audio Technology magazine.
Also this week a quick look at the proposed national broadband network announcement from Australia. See our previous post for more details or check out a special Radio Australia News feature. The report in the program was from Triple J’s HACK radio program and was produced by Juliette O’Brien. It was originally broadcast on Tuesday 7th of April 2009 where they also interviewed the Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
Death of the Newspaper
25 March 2009
Triple J Hack has also investigated this week the supposed death of the physical newspaper. Newspapers around the world are declaring bankruptcy and some have switched off their printers altogether. The loss of advertising dollars to the internet seems to be a major cause of the problem. Reporter Antoinette Chiha looks into whether an Australian newspaper could be next. And does this mark the death of quality journalism? You can watch this story online and you can track the death of newspapers in the US via the wonderfully titled newspaperdeathwatch.com.
I buy newspapers on the weekend to read over a slow breakfast, and then get all my updates via online news sites and RSS or twitter feeds during the week. But I would miss physical newspapers if they went away. Where do you get your news from? Why do we usually associate ‘quality journalism’ with newspapers? Do you have a favourite online news outlet or news application for your mobile device or computer?
Wiki Wars
25 March 2009
Was pavlova invented in New Zealand or Australia? Is Daffy Duck a dad? What genre is Nickelback? Pop rock? Soft rock? Post grunge? Or as one user suggested, buttrock?
These are just some of the wars going on amongst Wikipedia editors. We all know the site’s gimmick, anyone can change almost anything. But what are the practical implications of that? And how is it policed? Turns out Wikipedia isn’t as free love as it looks.
Juliette O’Brien and Michael Atkin from Triple J’s Hack radio program investigated. Take a listen (link to MP3 file).
Tech Stream 003
6 March 2009
Listen and download: MP3
In the Tech Stream radio and podcast program this week we chat with Danny Gorog about new Apple desktops and the Safari browser; think about green technology with sustainability expert Tony Hodgson; join Kate Sawrey from Triple J’s Hack behind the scenes with Aussie indie games companies; and Georgia Webster gives us the lowdown on textonyms. Use the MP3 link in this story or to the right to hear the full program.
We ran out of time to cover the rumours overnight about Youtube being blocked in China, and the announcement that the Beatles are coming to your gaming console in September. But apparently we can report that ninety-five percent of mobile phones in hospitals are infected with at least one kind of bacteria. Gross!
Indie game producers remain positive
3 March 2009
Listen and download: MP3
In tough times, like the current economic conditions, people still seem to find money for entertainment, especially when it involves long periods on the couch, rather than going out to a restaurant or to see a new movie. The big spend up on giant TVs, home entertainment systems and gaming consoles over the last few years is being put to good use in loungerooms across the world. Coupled with record breaking sales figures toward the end of 2008 for games, some bloggers and technology journalists have speculated that the gaming industry might be recession proof.
This positive attitude by some in the media hasn’t stopped share prices toppling in line with the rest of the technology sector, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride for many of the bigger games producers. Making a big game like Grand Theft Auto, for example, costs about as much as a Hollywood movie and requires hundreds of people working on it. And it still costs up to AU$100 for a new release game, which will be out of reach for many.
So as overseas games publishers freak out during the economic crisis, the Australian gaming industry is bracing itself for potential cutbacks as well. Already a major studio in Brisbane has been shut down, another one in Melbourne is in big trouble, and with no local publishers in Australia, what will happen to the industry? Surprisingly, the economic downturn could be a blessing in diguise for smaller independent games producers.
Kaitlyn Sawrey investigated for Hack, Triple J’s daily youth current affairs program here in Australia. Indiegames.com is a great international resource for new independant games and gaming news. You can also find more links from this story and details on the Hack blog. Follow the MP3 link above to hear the story.
Jason Hill also blogged in The Age online today about the economic downturn and its effects on the gaming industry. He ponders in a post on Screen Play about which console manufacturers might be most hurt by the recession.
