September 2012 – Page 3

04 September 201204 September 2012

Talking about names on ABC Radio’s “Life Matters”

I had the very great pleasure last week of joining ABC Radio National’s Life Matters for a talkback about names, nicknames and pseudonyms — live via Skype from my hotel room in San Francisco.

“What’s in a name?” We have heard these famous words of Shakespeare’s many times, but have you ever considered just how much of our identities are wrapped up in our names?

It’s often the first thing we’re asked. It’s how we identify ourselves to others. But do you like the name you’ve been given? Are your parents to blame, do you think?

You have the ability to change it — would you? Have you? Have you taken your partner’s surname? Is your name hard to pronounce? Do you constantly correct people on how to say or spell it?

Maybe you have a nickname which has basically become your ‘real’ name? How did you get it? Do you use it to go online to chat or date anonymously? Or on social media?

I smile at the title of the session, because that was also used as the headline for my story for ABC’s The Drum last year.

Here’s the full hour of the program, embedded from the ABC website.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (25.4MB)

[Photo: Live from San Francisco: me at my desk at the Omni San Francisco Hotel connecting to ABC Radio National in Australia via Skype.]

04 September 201204 September 2012

Talking Apple versus Samsung on 2SER’s “The Wire”

I ended up talking about Apple versus Samsung on Radio 2SER’s current affairs program The Wire as well, syndicated via community radio stations around Australia.

The journalist was Tawar Razaghi, and their website introduces the story like this:

Apple wants Samsung to take eight mobile models off the market after it won a landmark patent case against Samsung over the design of its mobile phones. Apple was awarded $1.5 billion in damages and now has the exclusive rights to pinch-and-zoom gestures on their touch-screen technologies.

Patent law is intended to reward innovation but with companies engaged in patent turf wars this case highlights how patents may inhibit innovation instead.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.1MB)

04 September 201205 September 2012

Talking Apple versus Samsung on Balls Radio, FM 99.3

The billion-dollar legal penalty that a US court imposed on Samsung for allegedly copying Apple was the topic for my spot on Phil Dobbie’s Balls Radio on 28 August 2012.

Here’s the audio of my segment. If you’d like more, Mr Dobbie has posted the full episode.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:38 — 6.6MB)

You can of course hear us talk live every Tuesday night from 7pm AEST on Sydney’s FM 99.3 Northside Radio.

I’m fairly sure that copyright remains with Mr Dobbie rather than being transferred to Northside Radio, but I’ll figure that out later.

02 September 201202 September 2012

Weekly Wrap 116: Porn, planes and presentations

Here’s my week Monday 20 to Sunday 26 August 2012. Once more it’s nothing but the facts, ma’am, because I’m so far behind in these posts.

Podcasts

Patch Monday episode 151, “Porn industry innovates itself to death”, a conversation with Jeff Sparrow about his new book, Money Shot: a journey into porn and censorship.
In a surprise to me as much as to you, The 9pm Edict episode 21 appeared.

Articles

Anonymous hacks Sony again, except no they didn’t, CSO Online, 20 August 2012.
Samsung’s unremarkable copy shop, Technology Spectator, 24 August 2012. The Samsung Experience Store opened in the same block of Sydney’s George Street as the Apple Store, making comparisons inevitable

Media Appearances

On Monday afternoon I was quoted in Margaret Gee’s post, Twitter and journalism — where does the reporting end? Would anyone like me to expand on these thoughts?
On Tuesday there was my usual spot on Phil Dobbie’s Balls Radio, this time about the potential collapse of Facebook and the entire second dotcom bubble.
On Saturday I spoke at Consilium about the way the internet is changing power relationships. I’ll be posting the audio once I’ve obtained permission from the participants I namechecked, as the event was held under a modified Chatham House Rule.

Corporate Largesse

On Wednesday I attended the launch party for the Samsung Experience Store in Sydney, where of course they provided food and drink.
On Thursday through Saturday I attended Consilium at the Palmer Coolum Resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The Centre for Independent Studies covered by flight from Sydney to Sunshine Coast, accommodation, food and drink, a limousine from the resort to Brisbane airport, and a flight back to Sydney — but I wasn’t paid for my appearance at the event.
On Sunday I flew from Sydney via Los Angeles to San Francisco to attend the VMworld event at VMware’s expense. I’ll list all of the freebies from that event on the next Weekly Wrap.

[Photo: View from Millers Point, taken from my room at The Sebel Pier One Hotel in Sydney. On the left is Pier 2/3, and across Sydney Harbour is Harry Seidler’s controversial Blues Point Tower.]