For the last few weeks I have been producing a Hangout on Air which I’m calling Technology for Good. I produce the show live on Friday’s at 2pm CET and it is recorded, and automatically published on Youtube subsequently.
The show discusses news stories from the previous seven days, focusing specifically on pieces where technology works to benefit people’s lives. Those benefits can be in any number of areas. Last week, for example I discussed the latest related news under the headings of Microsoft (Microsoft had quite a bit of news to announce last week, hence it was given a heading of its own), Electric Vehicles, the Internet of Things, Big Data and Privacy, and I had a Miscellaneous heading at the end for any stories which didn’t fit in the previous categories, but still were interesting enough to be featured.
I’ll be producing this show every week, so feel free to look in on it, and to join in the discussions while the show is happening. Also, if you are aware of any news you think I should be featuring on the show, do ping me (@tomraftery on Twitter, or tom at redmonk.com for good old fashioned email). Also, I’ll have guests to co-host the show and interview, so if you think you’d like to be on the show, or if you know someone else that you think would be really good, do let me know.
If you can’t make it while the show is on, you can always catch up with it subsequently on my YouTube Channel
Here are the stories which made the cut for last week’s show:
Intro
Your Warming world http://warmingworld.newscientistapps.comMicrosoft
Microsoft reveals its server designs and releases open source code http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/microsoft-reveals-its-server-designs-and-releases-open-source-code/A Major Step Forward: Combining the Fuel Cell and the Server http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft-green/archive/2014/02/05/a-major-step-forward-combining-the-fuel-cell-and-the-server.aspx
Introducing Microsoft’s new CEO: Satya Nadella http://blogs.technet.com/b/firehose/archive/2014/02/04/test.aspx
Satya Nadella: His first interview as CEO of Microsoft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8JwNZBJ_wI
Electric Vehicles
Father-daughter duo finish first Tesla Model S coast-to-coast drive in less than a week http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175564-father-daughter-duo-finish-first-tesla-model-s-coast-to-coast-drive-in-less-than-a-weekCross Country Rally: Across the Finish Line http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/cross-country-rally-across-finish-line
Internet of Things
How to Be 100x More Productive: The 35 Best IFTTT Recipes http://alliworthington.com/productivity-ifttt/Internet of Things – Big List of Companies, Products, Devices and Software by Sector http://startup88.com/internet-of-things/2013/10/28/internet-of-things-big-list-of-companies-products-devices-and-software-by-sectorsiddharth-khare-edited/1254
Apple Executives Met With F.D.A. to Discuss Mobile Medical Applications http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/apple-meets-with-f-d-a-regulators-for-mobile-medical-applications/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Enabling Things to Talk http://ibmresearchnews.blogspot.ch/2014/02/enabling-things-to-talk.html
Big Data and Privacy
Alessandro Acquisti: Why privacy matters http://www.ted.com/talks/alessandro_acquisti_why_privacy_matters.htmlRefresh unveils Google Glass app that presents ‘instant dossiers’ on people you meet http://venturebeat.com/2014/02/06/refresh-unveils-google-glass-app-that-presents-instant-dossiers-on-people-you-meet/
New York Police Department is beta-testing Google Glass http://venturebeat.com/2014/02/05/nypd-google-glass/
Cryptography Breakthrough Could Make Software Unhackable http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/cryptography-breakthrough/
Microsoft, Facebook, Google and Yahoo release US surveillance requests http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/03/microsoft-facebook-google-yahoo-fisa-surveillance-requests
Introducing Twitter Data Grants https://blog.twitter.com/2014/introducing-twitter-data-grants
Miscellaneous
HEATWORKS MODEL 1: Your next water heater! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1132758406/heatworks-model-1-your-next-water-heater?ref=categoryGraphene circuit’s wireless promise http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25944824
Apple and Microsoft join US carriers in $750 million commitment to education http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/4/5377012/apple-and-microsoft-join-us-carriers-in-750-million-commitment-to
Price Of Solar Much Lower Than Solar Savings http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/01/real-cost-solar/