productivity – Page 10

24 April 201627 April 2016

Weekly Wrap 307: Cockatoos and cybers, more or less

My week of Monday 18 to Sunday 24 April 2016 went pretty much to plan, with productivity when it was needed, and some relaxation when that was needed.

Articles

Panama Papers only the beginning for high-tech investigative journalism, Crikey, 19 April 2016. This is my first Crikey yarn in quite some time, but there may be more soon.
A ‘big science’ approach for Australian cybersecurity research?, ZDNet Australia, 19 April 2016. This is the final article from the ACSC Conference.
Turnbull sets the scene for a ‘Stop the Bytes’ election, ZDNet Australia, 21 April 2016.

Podcasts

None.

Media Appearances

On Thursday, I did four radio spots about the Cyber Security Strategy, on ABC 105.7 Darwin, ABC 936 Hobart, Sydney radio 2UE, and ABC 666 Canberra. I posted them all because they’re all a bit different.
I was the guest on Friday’s episode of the Humans of Twitter podcast.

Corporate Largesse

On Monday, I went to a lunchtime briefing by Nuix, and they provided food and drink.

The Week Ahead

I’ll be spending another whole week in Sydney, staying at my usual SEKRIT cave in Lilyfield.

[Update 26 April 2016: I’ve had to rearrange my week, because my decision to eat all the leftovers on Monday was a poor choice, and because I didn’t allow quite enough time for moving my data to the loaner MacBook Pro. Update 27 April 2016: More schedule changes. This is not a low-entropy week.]

Monday is Anzac Day, but instead of enjoying the public holiday, I’ll be ~~catching up on some geek-for-hire work, and finishing the script for an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast. I’ll also be~~ collecting a loaner MacBook Pro, for use while mine goes in for repair some time in the following days, and loading it with data.

On Tuesday, I’ll be ~~writing for Crikey, getting a briefing from Verizon on their new Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), probably writing for ZDNet, and recording that podcast~~ catching up on some geek-for-hire work, ~~finishing the script for an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast,~~ and at 1900 AEST doing a radio spot for ABC 774 Melbourne.

~~On Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be going to some of the Amazon Web Services Summit Sydney.~~ ~~On Wednesday evening, I’ll be recording that podcast.~~

On Wednesday, I’m posting the audio from Tuesday night, working on the much-delayed geek-for-hire projects, and proposing some topics for Thursday night’s videos. I’ll also be battling considerable nausea. The geek-for-hire work continues on Thursday morning.

On Thursday afternoon I’m dealing with the computer repairs repairs (if I haven’t already done so), then in the evening recording some videos for ZDNet.

On Friday, I’ll finally be recording that podcast.

Somewhere in there I’m doing some writing for ZDNet.

Further Ahead

On 3 May, I’m covering the inaugural National Fintech Cyber Security Summit in Sydney. Then on 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast.

[Photo: Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos at Wentworth Falls. Wentworth Falls is home to a clan of sulphur-crested cockatoos numbering about 50. I managed to capture some of them in flight while waiting for a train on 20 April 2016.]

13 March 2016

Weekly Wrap 301: Canberra, with quite a few cybers

My week of Monday 7 to Sunday 13 March 2016 was another moderately steady improvement, in both productivity and mood. I am moderately pleased.

The Canberra trip went well, as you’ll see immediately below, but it was also exhausting. The rest of the week was therefore relatively quiet.

If you follow my Twitter stream, you already know all of this, and more.

Articles

Both of these articles are derived from material presented at the Australian Internet Industry Association (AIIA) Navigating Privacy and Security Summit on Tuesday.

Opt-out e-health a ‘fundamental breach of trust’: Victorian regulator, ZDNet Australia, 9 March 2016.
Australia needs a ‘national discussion’ on security and civil liberties, ZDNet Australia, 11 March 2016. The conference presentations by two of the people quoted in this article are now available on YouTube: Dr Tobias Feakin, director of the International Cyber Policy Centre, and a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI); and Mike Burgess, chief information security officer at Telstra.

Podcasts

None. I know you’ve heard this before, but I do want to wrap up that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast very soon. See below.

Media Appearances

None.

Corporate Largesse

I travelled to Canberra as a guest of the Australian Internet Industry Association (AIIA). They paid for my flights, plus one night of my stay at the Little National Hotel. And of course there was plenty of food at the Navigating Privacy and Security Summit.

The Week Ahead

On Monday, I’m heading a few kilometres up the Great Western Highway to Leura for part of Tech Leaders, namely a keynote by Labor’s communications spokesperson Jason Clare, and then reporting on same for ZDNet. I’ll probably have lunch in Katoomba after that.

I then plan to spend the rest of the week working on three geek-for-hire projects that have fallen behind schedule, and catching up a big chunk of that bookkeeping for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

That said, I hope to make the day trip to Sydney one day for a medical appointment and various errands. I’m also looking at doing that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast one evening. And I should probably write a ZDNet column in there somewhere too.

I can’t make final arrangements until Monday afternoon, however, and I need to keep the pace reasonable, so stay tuned for details.

Further Ahead

The following two weeks are the two short weeks either side of the Easter long weekend, and will mostly be an extension of the plan just described.

I then plan to be in Canberra on 12-14 April for the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference. The trick will be organising travel and accommodation.

I’ll definitely be on the Gold Coast on 24-27 May for the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference.

[Photo: The End of Summer. These are the colours of an Australian summer, as you can also see from last week’s photo â€” and we’ve had a long one this year. Photographed from VA654 on final approach to Canberra airport (CBR) on 7 March 2016.]

28 February 2016

Weekly Wrap 299: Ale and altitude, kind of

My week of Monday 22 to Sunday 28 February 2016 was another relative unproductive one, for reasons explained last time, but it was an improvement. Improvement is good.

A personal update will be posted in the next few days. For now, on with the show…

Podcasts

None, but I do want to wrap up that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast very soon. See below.

Articles

None, but I have a ZDNet column being published on Monday.

Media Appearances

I spoke about Apple’s Error 53 problem and (briefly) about the company’s battle with the FBI on this week’s Balls Radio. You can hear me 46 min 41 sec into the program.
On Wednesday, I spoke about smartphone data usage and battery life on ABC South West WA. I don’t have a recording, but it’s more or less the same information as last week’s chat on ABC Kimberley and in the ABC News story, Simple tricks to double your phone’s battery life and halve your data usage.
Also on Wednesday, I spoke about Li-Fi on ABC 666 Canberra. I don’t have a recording, but you can read the ABC News story, Li-fi ‘100 times faster than wi-fi’ at shine of a light presented at Mobile World Congress.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

This will be the first is a series of quite structured weeks for me, which will be a challenge. I daresay I may have to change a few things as I go along. But with that said, here’s the plan…

On Monday, I’ll catch the 0734 train to Sydney, completing my ZDNet column en route. At 1100, I’ll catch VA834 SYD-MEL. Once I’ve checked in to my hotel, I’ll bring my various geek-for-hire projects up to date.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I’ll be covering the APIdays conference for ZDNet, and catching up with friends in the evenings. On Thursday, I’ll be writing for ZDNet, and having a couple of work-related meetings, before catching VA859 MEL-SYD at 1600. I’ll probably return to Wentworth Falls that night.

Friday through Saturday? Well, that depends on my energy levels. But I hope to get that podcast done somewhere in there.

Further Ahead

The following week, I’ll be in Canberra from Monday 7 March for the Australian Internet Industry Association (AIIA) Navigating Privacy and Security Summit on Tuesday. I’ll probably stay in Canberra on Wednesday. Then on Sunday, I’ll be back in the Blue Mountains for Tech Leaders.

I’ll be in Canberra again 12-14 April for the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference. And I’ll be on the Gold Coast on 24-27 May for the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference.

[Photo: Beer Bubbles, specifically the Katoomba Brewing Company Great Western Golden Ale, photographed on 22 February 2016.]

21 September 201522 September 2015

Weekly Wrap 276: Pain, flowers, and a high-level podcast

My week of Monday 14 to Sunday 20 September began in pain, thanks to lugging around a heavy back of recording equipment and an old shoulder injury.

The pain lasted most of the week. My shoulder was returned to its correct configuration on Thursday. But a day of writing on Friday — that is, keyboard work and poor posture — really wasn’t the rest that my tendons and alleged muscles were demanding. Codeine to the rescue!

All that said, the spring weather helped me make a return to productivity at the very end of the week, as the rest of this Weekly Wrap reveals.

Podcasts

“The 9pm Malcolmgasm”, being The 9pm Edict episode 50, was recorded and posted on Sunday. It’s mostly about Australia’s new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and my interactions with him over the last four years, but there’s plenty of other stuff there too.

Articles

Could Australia replace dwindling coal exports with military kit?, ZDNet Australia, 18 September 2015.

Media Appearances

None.

5at5

The was one, on Friday. Why not subscribe so you’ll get all the future ones?

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

It’s a busy one, starting off with a Monday that is planned to include writing ~~two columns~~ one column for ZDNet, ~~as well as some routine systems administration task,~~ as well as running a couple errands locally in Sydney’s inner west — which is where I’ll be based for the week.

Tuesday will start off with some systems administration and administrivia, including bookkeeping and the analysis of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh, and perhaps some writing, and then I’ll be turning my UTS lecture from the other day into some sort of online presentation.

On Wednesday, I’m popping into the ABC at Ultimo to be interviewed about crowdfunding and the media, and then taking the afternoon off — because at 1821 AEST it’s the Equinox, and I’d like to celebrate appropriately, and then I’m probably covering the Labor for Innovation panel discussion, The Future of Work in a ‘Gig Economy’.

On Thursday, I’m writing for ZDNet, I think, and then heading out for drinks with Sapphire Communications and some of their clients.

Friday through Saturday are unplanned, at least in detail, though I’ll need to address the backlog of supporter-sponsored content for The 9pm Edict, and work on a couple of SEKRIT projects. Stay tuned.

Update 1830 AEDT: Edited to reflect some changes to the plan for this week.

[Photo: Floral Orbit, photographed on 20 September 2015.]

02 August 2015

Weekly Wrap 269: Winning, mostly, with three kinds of fire

My week of Monday 27 July to Sunday 2 August 2015 represented a remarkable turnaround — perhaps the turnaround that I’d been detecting in the winds since June. And then there’s the bushfire. It’s all so complicated!

Why? It was a full week with a properly-working computer — a week spent in a house with a properly-working kitchen, heating, and inspiring view — and that brought back some of the clarity of thought which I’ve been sorely lacking. I got plenty done, the most important in many ways being the launch — finally! — of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh.

I was very pleased when people started contributing to this crowdfunding campaign just as soon as it was launched. I’m even more pleased to report that as I write this, roughly half-way through the campaign period, we’ve reached 54% of the initial target. That means we’re likely to succeed.

The stress of not having a working computer is subsiding, but I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched.

People who write or perform for a living will also understand the importance of the kind of reassurance that comes with people supporting the plan which, until then, had existed solely in your own head.

That has helped. Thank you. If you haven’t done so already, please check out The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh

Thanks also to the many people who asked whether I was in any danger from this weekend’s bushfire at Wentworth Falls. No, I’m not.

The fire is only 3km from Bunjaree Cottages, but between it and me there’s some significantly challenging terrain, and the wind has been taking the fire in a different direction. More than 100 volunteers from the NSW Rural Fire Service have been keeping us safe.

I’m certainly paying attention to what’s happening, though, and I see that there’s a wind change forecast for Monday. Depending on how the RFS people go with their plans for the rest of today and overnight, well, my risk assessment may change.

Just as I write this, the alert for the fire area has been raised from WATCH AND ACT to EMERGENCY WARNING — the latter being described thusly:

You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.

I must stress again, though, that I am not in the alert area, and I currently face no risk.

Articles

ACSC publishes first threat report, but… ho hum, ZDNet Australia, 30 July 2015. The Australian Cyber Security Centre lost a real opportunity here.
Should we let cyber espionage victims hack back?, ZDNet Australia, 31 July 2015. This idea was raised during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council in Washington, and it horrifies me.

Podcasts

On Friday, I posted “The 9pm I Can’t Believe Itâ€™s Not a Planet”, being The 9pm Edict episode 46. I turned out better than its convoluted production process led me to imagine. I may tell you about that during the week.

Media Appearances

On Thursday, I spoke about the ACSC cyber threat report on 1395 FIVEaa Adelaide.

5at5

The hiatus has ended. There were two editions, on Thursday and Friday. Why not subscribe so you’ll get all the future ones?

Corporate Largesse

None. But there’s quite a bit scheduled for the coming week.

The Week Ahead

This is going to be a better-structured one, folks.

Monday will be a media production day — but I’ll decide the exact details on the day, depending on the bushfire threat level.

On Tuesday, I’ll be catching the 0706 train to Sydney, because on Tuesday and Wednesday I’ll be covering the ADMA Global Forum, presented by the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising. Also, at 2030 AEST on Tuesday night, I’ll be a guest on ABC Local Radio around NSW. And on Wednesday night, I’ll be going to Text100’s (in)famous Christmas in August event, a preview of their clients’ consumer technology for Christmas.

On Thursday, I’ll be going to a lunchtime briefing by NetSuite, and writing something for ZDNet, before taking the train back to the Blue Mountains. Thursday is also the last day of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh, with the campaign ending at 2100 AEST that evening.

On Friday, I’ll be confirming what’ll happen with the funds so raised.

[Photo: The Final Redoubt, photographed on 2 August 2015. Should I ever need a final hiding place from a severe bushfire — and everything has happened so quickly that we skipped straight past three levels of warning, the fire jumped the road and railway, and all escape routes were blocked — then this cutting on Railway Parade near Wentworth Falls is where I’d wrap myself in wet woollen items and hope for the best.]

28 July 201509 August 2015

Launching “The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh”

I’ve finally launched the Pozible crowdfunding campaign to get myself a replacement computer, The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh. This chart shows the progress so far.

There’s plenty of information on the Pozible page. But if you want the full back story, check out the original announcement, and the follow-up post. An episode of The 9pm Edict podcast is in pieces on the dining room table, and will be assembled on Wednesday.

[Update 9 August 2015: As the graphic indicates, the campaign was successful, reaching 144% of its initial funding target. For further details, see the Updates on the Pozible page.]