If there were a product available right now that lets you connect your phone to your car to use Android Auto without a USB cable, would you go for it? I would, and did, with a simple yet powerful device called AAWireless that does just that - lets me use Android Auto in my car with the phone being connected wirelessly. I've been a huge fan of Android Auto for some years as the primary method of planning car journeys with Google Maps and navigating to where I want to drive: I follow the … [Read more...] about Review: AAWireless gives you wireless Android Auto in your car
SDF 45: The vaccination mess in Europe
When Sam, Thomas and I recorded the 45th episode of our Small Data Forum podcast two weeks ago, who would have imagined that the major topic for us then - the EU's COVID vaccination mess - would continue to be a major topic today, one that's evolved and morphed into something even more alarming than it was then. We were pretty critical of the European Commission, how it is managing the vaccine rollout across the 27 member states, and its communication. The World Health Organisation calls it … [Read more...] about SDF 45: The vaccination mess in Europe
Volkswagen pranks its tarnished reputation on April Fool’s Day
In a time where misinformation, disinformation and outright fake news are features of our online landscapes that diminish trust, you'd think that brands (and Volkswagen in particular) would think twice - at least, think carefully - about actively doing anything that can negatively impact their brand reputation and instead do everything that promotes a sense of trust in their brand. Given that what's good, bad or ugly is often highly subjective it's hard to pinpoint a specific prank done by a … [Read more...] about Volkswagen pranks its tarnished reputation on April Fool’s Day
FIR 205: Are NFTs nifty or not?
The topic of NFTs - non-fungible tokens, to use its full name (one that confounds many people) - occupies a large part of the conversation in the March episode of For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report that Shel and I recorded last weekend. We had a lively discussion, contributed to in part by Chip and Dan chipping in from the chat in our YouTube channel where the discussion was being streamed live, aided greatly by all the analyses, narratives and opinions by others published in … [Read more...] about FIR 205: Are NFTs nifty or not?
Subscribe or Follow a podcast: What’s in a word?
I subscribe to a lot of podcasts. Until now, I've never thought much about the word 'subscribe' and its meaning in the context of podcasts. To get a podcast, you subscribe to it. That's the way it's been since the dawn of podcasting back in the early 00s when we spoke of using a podcatcher to get your content. We needed to know about things like RSS feeds, the prime method for enabling your podcatcher to get a podcast each time one is published. While these things made it relatively easy … [Read more...] about Subscribe or Follow a podcast: What’s in a word?
Get to know ‘non-fungible tokens,’ NFT for short
A phrase you'll probably be hearing or reading about quite a bit in the coming weeks and months is 'non-fungible tokens.' I'd not come across it until I read a Reuters report about a guy who sold a 10-second video artwork by the digital artist known as Beeple for $6.6 million at a Christies auction in Florida last month. He'd bought it last October for just $67 thousand. Nice ROI! While this in itself is an interesting tale, what makes it a notable one is two things: The video clip was … [Read more...] about Get to know ‘non-fungible tokens,’ NFT for short
FIR 204: Won’t you Join Us in our Clubhouse?
How safe is Clubhouse? asks Wired magazine in the latest critical look at the social audio service that appeared in April 2020 - less than a year ago. It's attracting huge attention globally. Alongside the hype and hyperbole that have been hallmarks of the perceived attractiveness and exclusivity of the invitation-only iOS app that passed ten million users in February - a five-fold growth since recording two million in January - there's increasing scrutiny of how the app works and how it … [Read more...] about FIR 204: Won’t you Join Us in our Clubhouse?
SDF 44: Facebook and the robber barons are at it again
Last week Facebook announced that it had decided to up the ante in its fracas with the Australian government and ban mainstream media news on its platform. The move meant that all Facebook users - not just Australians - would not be able to share or view news on Australian news Pages on Facebook. This move by Facebook was in response to the Australian government introducing a new law that would force Big Tech to pay media companies a fee to include their news in their users' news … [Read more...] about SDF 44: Facebook and the robber barons are at it again