Tech Stream

Tech Stream 027

21 August 2009

Listen and download: MP3

Photo and vinylville stencil by vieeART from Flickr.

We’re joined in the Tech Stream this week by the author of Music 2.0 Gerd Leonhard. He’s a futurist who focuses on trends in technology, media and content.  Gerd has some very interesting ideas about the ways we’ll be accessing and sharing music online.  We’ll also be tweeting aliens and the latest technology news from the week.  More after the jump, or just jump right into the program with the MP3 above.We start the program with Wilson da Silva, the editor of Cosmos Magazine who tells us more about the Hello From Earth campaign for Australia’s National Science Week.  You can end a message into space until August 24th via their website. For more great science stories check out ABC Science.

Futurist Gerd Leonhard is in Sydney this week for the Australian Music Business Conference (AMBC). You can check out more of his thoughts on music, the internet, telecommunications, advertising and digital content at mediafuturist.com and his book Music 2.0 is available as a free download.

I spoke with Gerd Leonhard for almost 40 minutes, so we may hear more from him in the weeks to come. I’m planning a special program just on music, so I’d be keen on your thoughts or suggestions for interesting websites or artists who are pushing the envelope online.  For an example, check out how Amanda Palmer is using twitter to connect with her fans and generate income away from CD and music download sales.

Google has been accused of overcharging advertising clients by as much as ten percent.  AM’s business editor Peter Ryan speaks with Professor Benjamin Edelman from the Harvard Business School in the United States about his claims. There’s a full transcript on ABC AM program website.

We should also note that since going to air on AM, a Google spokesman has refuted the claims, saying Professors Edelman’s allegations are tainted because he is consulting for one of Google’s chief rivals, Microsoft.  The New Statesman though has an interesting article – provocatively titled Is Google Evil? – which raises concerns about it’s dominance of online advertising and the company’s use of private data.  And for a more lighthearted look at that particular issue I recommend The Onion’s recent satirical ‘story’ on the Google Opt Out Village.

And finally we catch up with Bajo from ABC TV’s Good Game program to chat about blockbuster games and whether mainstream games developers are obsessed with providing a cinematic experience at the expense of game-play.

Feel free to leave a comment about these stories below or you can email me direct techstream (at) radioaustralia.net.au