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Technology for Good – episode six

March 3, 2014 by Tom Raftery

In episode 6 of the Technology for Good hangout we had lots to talk about, and I had Mr Chris Adams on with me to co-host. It was, of course, the week of IBM’s Pulse conference, as well as the Mobile World Congress, so there were lots of very exciting stories in the Mobile, Internet of Things, and security spaces, amongst others. The links to the stories are below.

As always, if you know of any stories you think we should cover, or someone we should be talking to, feel free to get in touch (@tomraftery on Twitter, or tom at redmonk.com on good old-fashioned email!).

And, here as promised, are the stories which made the cut for episode 6 of the Technology for Good hangout:

Intro

The NOAA’s National Climate Data Center released their Global Analysis for 2013 http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2013/13

IBM Pulse

IBM buys nosql startup Cloudant http://gigaom.com/2014/02/24/ibm-buys-nosql-cloud-database-startup-cloudant/

IBM Service Engage https://www.ibmserviceengage.com/

IBM BlueMix http://www-01.ibm.com/software/ebusiness/jstart/bluemix/

Security

OpenID Connect Identity Protocol Launches With Support From Google, Microsoft & Others http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/26/openid-foundation-launches-openid-connect-identity-protocol-with-support-from-google-microsoft-others/

Treasure trove’ of personal details found http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26351123

Energy firm cyber-defence ‘too weak http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26358042

Android malware using TOR anonymity network makes a debut http://www.pcworld.com/article/2102080/android-malware-using-tor-anonymity-network-makes-a-debut.html

MasterCard testing security feature that okays purchases based on phone location http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/25/mastercard-security-phone-location/

Optic Nerve: millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted by GCHQ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/gchq-nsa-webcam-images-internet-yahoo

To see if you’ve been hacked – HaveIBeenPawned https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Mobile

The Fingerprint Scanner On The Samsung Galaxy S5 Will Be Accessible By Developers http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/26/the-fingerprint-scanner-on-the-samsung-galaxy-s5-will-be-accessible-by-developers/

Lock up your digital valuables with Latch, the digital padlock http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/26/digital-valuables-latch-digital-padlock

Samsung unveils hexa-core and 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos chips http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-unveils-hexa-core-and-2-1-ghz-octa-core-exynos-chips-20140225/

LINE takes on Skype and Hangouts with new, cheap, Call service http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/line-call-voice-service/

Google Quietly Begins Pushing Its Photo Backup Software To Google+ Users http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/google-quietly-begins-pushing-its-photo-backup-software-to-google-users/

EA founder Trip Hawkins raises $6.5m for If You Can learning games http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/26/trip-hawkins-if-you-can-games

Even your toothbrush could be ‘connected’ http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/even-your-toothbrush-could-be-connected/

Heavy Industry

Blowing Up: Tesla’s Gigafactory Is Going To Revolutionize The Auto And Utility Industries http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2014/02/26/blowing-up-teslas-gigafactory-is-going-to-revolutionize-the-auto-and-utility-industries/

Rolls-Royce Drone Ships Challenge $375 Billion Industry: Freight http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/rolls-royce-drone-ships-challenge-375-billion-industry-freight.html

747s as flying Unix hosts: SCADA in the sky http://boingboing.net/2011/09/25/747s-as-flying-unix-hosts-scada-in-the-sky.html

America

Apple to Arizona: Anti-gay bill puts Mesa sapphire plant at risk http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2014/02/25/apple-arizona-gay-discrimination/

Arizona governor vetoes anti-gay bill passed by right-wing legislature http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/arizona-governor-vetoes-anti-gay-bill

The minority report: Chicago’s new police computer predicts crimes, but is it racist? http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/19/5419854/the-minority-report-this-computer-predicts-crime-but-is-it-racist

Misc

New online tool tracks tree loss in ‘near real time’ http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26287137

Facebook-Led Internet.org Partners With Nokia On SocialEDU In Rwanda, Unilever In India, Ericsson On New Lab To Connect Developing Economies http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/24/facebook-led-internet-org-partners-with-nokia-on-socialedu-in-rwanda-unilever-in-india-ericsson-on-new-lab-to-connect-developing-economies/

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Why electric cars are the future

September 8, 2009 by Tom Raftery

Photo credit Djof

I was talking to an American friend the other day who had recently taken delivery of their new Tesla Roadster. He was really enthused about it. What was the thing which impressed him most?

He took the car for a spin over the weekend. He went over 100 miles on the journey. When he got home, he plugged it in to recharge it (the car is rated at over 200 miles on a single charge so it would have done the 100 miles very comfortably). When he entered the cost per kWh from his utility, it turned out that the 100 miles had cost him $3.50!

Now with gas prices currently averaging around $3.20 in California, and his previous car averaging around 18mpg, a similar journey would have cost him around $17.50! As well as that electric cars do not require routine oil changes, they do not have any tailpipe emissions and therefore do not require any muffler or exhaust system work, and they do not require replacement spark plugs, pistons, hoses or belts.

Electric vehicles are still in their infancy but when they deliver demonstrable savings on running costs as above, and produce no tailpipe emissions, you start to see that they really are the future

June 29th GreenMonk Energy and Sustainability show

June 30, 2009 by Tom Raftery

Here is the chatstream from yesterday’s Energy & Sustainability show (above) – there were a couple of technical hitches which I have now sorted out and which shouldn’t present problems next week:

03:31 Tom Raftery: Do we have audio & video
03:32 cgarvey: yup, both working
03:34 SukiFuller: I’m gonna be listening but not able to type
03:35 Tom Raftery: http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/06/15/Global-warming-causing-mass-migration/UPI-51151245080561
03:37 Tom Raftery: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-peril-below-the-ice
03:39 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55M0XT20090623
03:40 Tom Raftery: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=car-exhaust-premature-birth
03:43 MikeTheBee: In more ways than one!
03:44 Tom Raftery: http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/policy/i/2193/
03:45 Doc_Manhattan: Hello Tom great show so far
03:46 Tom Raftery: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/business/energy-environment/29biofuel.html?_r=2
03:47 Tom Raftery: http://www.algasolrenewables.com/en/home
03:49 Doc_Manhattan: too cool on the algae
03:49 Tom Raftery: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/23753/
03:49 cgarvey: More good news .. http://url.ie/1xmu .. all the big mobile phone companies have signed up for a common charger standard to start to appear from 2010.
03:51 Tom Raftery: http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-cars-us-based-oil-company-debuts-100-electric-car-ev-sharing-program
03:52 Tom Raftery: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/27/mulally-fords-path-to-profitability-based-on-electrification
03:53 cgarvey: There is an issue with Firefox and comments (I’ll email you separately)
03:54 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUST9767820090623
03:54 MikeTheBee: Comments okay on Mac but not for me *again” on FF win
03:55 Tom Raftery: http://www.pcworld.com/article/167503/cisco_promotes_telecommuting.html
03:56 Doc_Manhattan: our group works together as a worldwide team on www.reactiongrid.com using a VW to meet so we’re participating!
03:56 MikeTheBee: @cgarvey Me too pls, I thought I had it sussed with cookies previously
03:57 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55S1XZ20090629
03:58 MikeTheBee: Ah good, mini USB is at least a standard of sorts
03:58 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE55N3ZV20090624
03:59 MikeTheBee: Scotland have no money of their own
04:01 cgarvey: mailing you now on both
04:01 MikeTheBee: @cgarvey Thx
04:01 SukiFuller: I have no technical issues. 🙂 Some great links today, awesome show Tom!
04:02 cgarvey: Thanks again Tom
04:02 MikeTheBee: Ell done again . cheers all.
04:02 Tom Raftery: Thanks everyone for a great show – apols for tech issues
04:14 cgarvey: Just a small correction: the new mobile charger standard is Micro USB, not Mini USB. Pic comparing them: http://url.ie/1xn9 .. WikiPedia article: http://url.ie/1xna Info