My week of Monday 5 to Sunday 11 May 2014 was another productive one again, which is a pleasant happenstance.
Articles
- No invasion of privacy law under current government: Information Commissioner, ZDNet Australia, 8 May 2014.
- Dropbox drops the security notification ball, again, ZDNet Australia, 8 May 2014.
Podcasts
The resurrection of The 9pm Edict has continued to be delayed by the continuing self-satire of the Australian government and my own busy schedule. Once it had overflowed its original allocated slot in my work plan, it’s had to wait until everything more time-critical is out of the way. We’ve nearly reached that point.
Media Appearances
- On Monday I spoke about digital privacy on ABC 891 Adelaide.
- Also on Monday, I spoke about internet security on 2SER’s “The Wire”.
- On Tuesday I spoke about digital metadata on 3RRR’s “Spoke”.
- Also on Tuesday, I spoke about mobile app privacy on radio 2MFM.
- On Wednesday I spoke about online theft on 1395 FIVEaa Adelaide.
5at5
Only two this week. But why don’t you subscribe to 5at5, and then I don’t need to keep telling you about it.
- 5at5 number 46, 8 May 2013.
- 5at5 number 47, 9 May 2013.
Corporate Largesse
- On Monday I covered the iappANZ Gilbert + Tobin Privacy Breakfast Debate, held at the offices of law firm Gilbert + Tobin. Breakfast was provided.
- On Wednesday I went to the launch of new research on security and the Internet of Things by AVG Technologies. This was done over lunch at the Bentley Restaurant & Bar at Sydney’s Radisson Blu Hotel. I had the pork cheek with garlic and yoghurt purée, radicchio and jamon, and the Moreton Bay bugs and snapper in seafood broth plus a side of vegetables.
- On Friday night I went to the Optus IT Journalism Awards (the “Lizzies”) at Luna Park, where there was of course food and much wine. The sponsors were Optus, Watterson Marketing Communication, Epson and NEC Australia.
- On Saturday I began an expedition to the United States to cover NetSuite’s SuiteWorld conference in San Jose. They’re covering flights, transport, accommodation, and quite a bit of food and drink, as well as various extra-curricular activities. I’ll provide the full list in the next Weekly Wrap once it’s all over.
The Week Ahead
As I write this, it’s already Monday in Australia, but it’s still Sunday morning here in San Francisco. This afternoon NetSuite is taking us on a tour of the Sonoma Valley, visiting the Cline and Gloria Ferrer wineries, then returning to San Francisco for pre-dinner drinks and “a special surprise guest” at Cafe Tosca in North Beach and dinner at the Americano Restaurant.
On Monday we make the journey to San Jose, with a meet-and-and-greet cocktail party in the evening. SuiteWorld proper then runs Tuesday to Thursday, with the evening events including dinner at the Thomas Fogarty Winery on Tuesday and the conference party on Wednesday.
On Friday I plan to catch the Caltrain back to San Francisco, recording part of the next episode of The 9pm Edict en route. My schedule is then open through to Sunday night, when I catch a late evening flight back to Sydney.
[Photo: Touchdown San Francisco, the view from United Airlines flight UA870 as it was about to touch down at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Saturday 10 May 2014.]
Tweeting leads to media coverage once more. I wondered aloud why a $50,000 theft from a real estate agency in Broome, Western Australia, had gone unreported when that amount stolen from a physical shop or pub would have been major news.
Here’s the final of this week’s media spots that was triggered by Privacy Awareness Week, a chat about the privacy issues relating to mobile apps on Sydney’s Muslim community radio station 
Last week I recorded an interview on the state of internet security with The Wire, the current affairs program for Australia’s community radio network produced by 2SER in Sydney. It went to air on Monday night, 5 May.
I always enjoy the opportunity to explain some of the subtleties of the politics behind the digital surveillance debate, so I was glad to get the chance to discuss the concept of “metadata” on Melbourne’s 
This is Privacy Awareness Week in Australia, so most of the media I’ve been involved in making is focused on privacy — although of course that’s a common topic for me in any event.