Weekly Wrap 409: Four cities, surveillance, and podcasts

Dawn over QueenslandThis is yet another Fortnightly Wrap, covering Monday 19 March to Sunday 1 April 2018, and it was dominated by domestic travel, nostalgia, and soju.

Podcasts

  • “The 9pm Public House Forum 6 / Hometown Forum”, being The 9pm Edict episode 75, was recorded and streamed live from Adelaide on Saturday 24 March. It’s also on SoundCloud and Speaker.
  • I also recorded a bonus extra podcast with Dr Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist at Flinders University. That episode will be posted by the end of the coming week.

Articles

Media Appearances

  • On Monday 26 March, I spoke about the continuing Facebook / Cambridge Analytica debacle on ABC Adelaide.

Corporate Largesse

  • This doesn’t really count as largesse, because it was work, but my recent road trip — more accurate a flying trip — to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Sydney was for tech distributor Alloys, who were introducing their customers to products from Chinese video surveillance hardware manufacturer Zhejiang Uniview Technologies Co Ltd. I didn’t do anything sales-related. I gave a 20-minute presentation on the future of video surveillance in the age of artificial intelligence. That said, at the end of the project, Uniview shouted me a soju-sodden meal at Myeongdong Korean Restaurant in North Strathfield. I seem to recall that it was very good.

The Week Ahead

It’s Easter Monday, but I’m still doing work, such as writing this for you.

Tuesday through Friday will be dominated by two things. One, I’m series editor on a new investigative journalism project for Crikey, which I’ll tell you about in due course. And two, I’ve got a queue of stuff to write for ZDNet. Those two threads of work will be woven around the need to be in Sydney on Wednesday for medical and other appointments, and finishing that production on that extra podcast.

The weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

The only definite commitments are a couple of cybersecurity conferences.

[Photo: Dawn over Queensland. The view from Virgin Australia flight VA1384 from BNE to ADL, somewhere over Queensland, on 22 March 2018.]

Weekly Wrap 407: New projects abound, plus a rabbit

Waiting for the train at Kings CrossThis is really another Fortnightly Wrap, covering Monday 5 to Sunday 18 March 2018. I’ve been busy, and I’ll be busy for the next couple of weeks.

Articles

I’ve also written a piece for ZDNet which will appear on Monday.

Podcasts

None, but see below.

Media Appearances

  • On Tuesday 6 March, I spoke about medical device security on ABC Adelaide. I probably won’t be posting a recording of that one.

Corporate Largesse

The Week Ahead

I’m travelling to a few cities to present at a corporate event, in Melbourne on Tue 20 Mar, Brisbane on Wed 21, Adelaide on Thu 22 (and staying there through the weekend). In between all that, I’m finishing the third batch of content for DirectorTech, and starting a new editorial project which I’ll tell you about soon.

On Saturday I’m recording The 9pm Hometown Forum at an Adelaide pub still to be chosen.

I’ll kinda stressed about whether I’ll be able to achieve all of this.

On Sunday I’ll have a lazy day in my hometown.

Further Ahead

The following Monday 26 March, I’m recording another interview in Adelaide, then doing a radio spot on ABC Adelaide that afternoon. On Tuesday, I fly back to Sydney for the final corporate gig, then back to the Blue Mountains. I’ll worry about the rest of the week after that.

Looking way further ahead:

  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference, Canberra, 10–12 April.
  • Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.

[Photo: Waiting for the train at Kings Cross. A passenger waits on the platform at Sydney’s King Cross station as a train arrives on 16 March 2018.]

Weekly Wrap 405: Too much hospitality in Tasmania

Crossing the DerwentMy week of Monday 26 February to Sunday 4 March 2018 began in Launceston, passed through Hobart and Sydney, and returned to Wentworth Falls.

Many thanks to my Pozible supporters, as well as my generous hosts and guides in Tasmania. I think I’ve put on about 35kg thanks to you.

Podcasts

Articles

Media Appearances

  • On Tuesday afternoon, or Tuesday morning their time, I spoke about the futility of trying to “recall” an email on ABC South-West WA. I won’t be posting the recording.
  • Also on Tuesday afternoon, I spoke about goats and read goat poetry on ABC Hobart. I won’t post that recording either.
  • On Wednesday, I spoke about goats and crowdfunding on Tasmania Talks across northern Tasmania. You can listen at Psychic goat predicts hung parliament in state election.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

This week is primarily a writing and editing week, apart from a scheduled day trip to Sydney on Wednesday. I won’t schedule it any more tightly than that. The weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

I’m travelling to a few cities to present at a commercial event. Details TBA, but I’ll be in Melbourne on Tue 20 Mar, Brisbane on Wed 21, Adelaide on Thu 22 (and staying there through the weekend, I hope), and Sydney on Tue 27.

I’ve launched another Pozible campaign, The 9pm Hometown Forum, which aims to fund a Public House Forum episode of the Edict on Saturday 24 March.

Looking way further ahead:

  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference, Canberra, 10–12 April.
  • Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.

[Photo: Crossing the Derwent. Two seabirds skim the wetlands as I cross the Derwent River at Bridgewater, Tasmania, on 26 February 2018.]

Weekly Wrap 404: The gorge, then the goats

Piper in the GorgeMy week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 February 2018 was a good one. So good, in fact, that I don’t have time to give you more than the essential details.

Podcasts

Articles

Media Appearances

  • On Tuesday, I spoke about the South Australian government’s new plan for broadband on ABC Radio, and was interrupted by a drunk man complaining that I was talking too loudly. A recording will be posted very soon.
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  • On Thursday, The Weeky Times mentioned that I’d be at GoatFest Tasmania, but somehow I got listed as an “ABC celebrity”.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

The week begins in Tasmania. On Monday, the morning is the bus ride from Launceston to Hobart, the afternoon is the highly-regarded Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), and the evening is dinner with some friends at Bar Wa Izakaya. Don’t worry, they’re paying.

Tuesday morning will be a much-needed lazy one, then I’m on ABC Hobart talking about goats at 1335 AEDT.

On the evening of Tuesday 27 February, I’m recording a Pivate House Forum episode of The 9pm Edict, a panel show like the Public House Forum episodes but without a live audience. I’m expecting that to be streamed live from Hobart at 2100 AEDT.

Wednesday is a free-ish day in Hobart, before a late afternoon flight back to Sydney. Thursday and Friday are writing days.

Further Ahead

I’m travelling to a few cities to present at a commercial event. Details TBA, but I’ll be in Melbourne on Tue 20 Mar, Brisbane on Wed 21, Adelaide on Thu 22 (and staying there through the weekend, I hope), and Sydney on Tue 27.

I’ve launched another Pozible campaign, The 9pm Hometown Forum, which aims to fund a Public House Forum episode of the Edict on Saturday 24 March.

Looking way further ahead:

  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference, Canberra, 10–12 April.
  • Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.

[Photo: Piper in the Gorge. A piper busks on the path through Cataract Gorge near Launceston, Tasmania, on 24 February 2018.]

Weekly Wrap 402: When goats were being considered

Narrow PlatformMy fortnight from Monday 28 January to Sunday 11 February 2018 is documented here, along with some plans for the future.

Articles

A fourth piece I wrote has yet to appear.

Media Appearances

Podcasts

None. But as you’ll have seen, I’ve launched The 9pm GoatFest Tasmania crowdfunding campaign to finance a podcast from GoatFest Tasmania on Sunday 25 February, and then a Public House Forum on Tuesday 28 February. Stay tuned for updates.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

I’ve avoided locking my goals into specific days of the week, because it just ramps up stress for no real benefit. But this week must have a fixed pattern.

On Monday, I’m shopping in Penrith Katoomba for various personal items, while writing for ZDNet and doing other bits and pieces en route.

On Tuesday, I’m heading to Sydney for the wedding of my ZDNet commissioning editor Chris Duckett during the afternoon and on into the evening. I plan to stay in Sydney overnight, which I consider to be a sensible precaution. I’ve kept Wednesday free of commitments too. On Thursday, there’s a media lunch with CrowdStrike, before a return train back to the Blue Mountains and, that evening, wrapping up the Pozible campaign.

Friday will be a writing day, I suspect.

Further Ahead

If all goes well, I’ll be at GoatFest Tasmania in Launceston on Sun 25 Feb, then recording a Public House Forum podcast in Hobart on Tue 27 Feb.

Looking way further ahead:

  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference, Canberra, 10–12 April.
  • Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.

Update 12 February 2018: Edited to reflect a schedule change for Monday.

[Photo: Narrow Platform. A woman walks along Platform 2 at Wentworth Falls station just before a train arrives on 9 February 2018.]

Weekly Wrap 400: New year, with too many spiders

HuntsmanThis Weekly Wrap covers five weeks, from Monday 25 December 2017 to Sunday 28 January 2018. Much of this time I treated as a rough holiday.

So, spiders.

On 21 January, I had a Spider Adventure. Scroll down for an edited version of my Twitter thread. There’s lost of different spiders around here right now.

Articles

Podcasts

None. Announcements soon.

Corporate Largesse

  • There was plenty of food and drink at Linux.conf.au, but I can’t remember who all the sponsors were. IBM was one, though, sponsoring a professional networking event on Thursday night. And Wargaming.net paid for the conference’s coffee.

Media Appearances

The Week Ahead

I won’t plan ahead in too much detail. This is the week when Australia returns from its long summer slumber. I know I’ll have errands in Katoomba on Monday. But I’ll also be doing a bunch of writing during the first part of the week, and perhaps right through to the end.

I’ll also sketch out the first few months of the year, especially the podcasts and such. Expect announcements via Twitter.

Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 400: New year, with too many spiders”