Word-whore. I write 'em. I talk 'em. Information, politics, media, and the cybers. I drink. I use bad words. All publication is a political act. All communication is propaganda. All art is pornography. All business is personal. All hail Eris! Vive les poissons rouges sauvages!
This week the Albanese Labor government’s legislation program continued to focus on health, aged care, and the environment, but there’s still a few items of interest to us.
Continue reading “Digital developments in Labor’s second week of Parliament”
My week of Monday 6 to Sunday 12 November 2017 was a quite a productive one, especially with some organisational things done in the background. Je suis happy.
The big achievement was launching the crowdfunding campaign for The 9pm Edict Summer Series, to fund extra episodes of The 9pm Edict podcast over summer. As I write this on Sunday evening, 21 supporters have already taken us 45% of the way to Target One. Je suis even very happier.
None.
On Monday, I’m writing for ZDNet, then going through my notes and recordings to see what else I should be writing about before the end of the year.
Tuesday is a Sydney day, primarily to go to a press lunch with cybersecurity company CQR. I may add some meetings, however, so place your bids.
The remainder of the week is mostly work for DirectorTech, but I’ll probably write something for ZDNet too.
The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded on Thursday 23 November at 2100 AEST. As has become traditional, it will be streamed live via stilgherrian.com/edict/live/.
This episode will include the wrap-up of the Pozible campaign for The 9pm Edict Summer Series.
[Photo: Track in the Mist, being one of the tracks leading to Bunjaree Cottages photographed late on the misty morning of 5 November 2017. While it was misty early in the week, it ended with some bright sunny days.]
I seem to have settled into semi-regular radio spots on ABC 774 Melbourne, talking about technology news roughly once a month. I did one of these on Thursday.
The main item was the legal battle between Apple and the FBI over an iPhone that belonged to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino shootings of December 2015. While there’s plenty of coverage of this case, I will mention that the FBI’s hack may never reach Apple, and the only winners are the shareholders of cybersecurity companies, because more people will see security as important.
The other item was the announcement on Thursday of the IOT Group’s new product, the ROAM-e drone for taking flying selfies. Yes, that’s what I said.
Heres the full 22-minute conversation with presenter Casey Bennetto, who was filling in for Lindy Burns.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (14.3MB)
This audio is ©2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australia’s mandatory data retention legislation is back in the news again, in part because ABC journalist Will Ockenden put a year’s worth of his so-called “metadata” online and invited people to trawl through it.
This morning I spoke a little about the concept on ABC 105.7 Darwin with breakfast presenter Alan Steer.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)
The audio is of course ©2015 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Given that there’s bound to be quite a bit about data surveillance in the news again soon, here’s three of my articles on the topic that’ll set the mood.
My week of Monday 1 to Sunday 7 June 2015 has been both productive and exhausting, covering two conferences in two states.
It’s a long time since I’ve written five articles in week. It’s at least six months since I’ve done four, which is as far back as I could be bothered scrolling let alone five. But of course, there’s podcasts and other projects that have generated revenue, including random geekery and technical consultancy, so “number of articles” isn’t a fair measure.
Still, this has been one of my most productive weeks in a while. Excellent.
None. The next episode of The 9pm Edict is scheduled for Monday 15 June, or the day after.
There were two editions of 5at5 this week, on Monday, and Sunday. To save me having to tell you this, you could just subscribe.
Monday is a public holiday for the Queen’s Birthday, but nevertheless I’ll be working. I’ll be writing a feature for ZDNet, as well as returning to Wentworth Falls after a week away.
From Tuesday to Thursday, I’ll be working on another feature for ZDNet, as well as my “regular” column, as well as the running so late it’s embarrassing ebook. I see there’s an Apple keynote at 0300 AEST on Tuesday, so that may feed into something. [It didn’t.] And I’ve got an interview to do on Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, I’ll be heading down to Sydney for a media briefing by Cisco. Friday is another writing day.
I’m not sure how the weekend will go, but I see that there’s Poetry in the Pub in Katoomba on Sunday afternoon. I happened to be there last month, and I thought it might be interesting for The 9pm Edict podcast. We’ll see.
Update 11 June 2015: Edited to reflect the abandoning of the Friday trip to Sydney.
[Photo: Sunset on the Gold Coast, Photographed from the 16th floor of the RACV Royal Pines Resort on 3 June 2015.]
Encased in a steel cage and with people prevented from choosing their own drinks, yesterday’s Newtown Festival ceased being a true community event and became yet another “officially-sanctioned party.” It’ll never be the same again. But why should it be that way?