PRI's The World: Technology Podcast 230

February 08, 2009

In last week's podcast (WTP 229), we featured an in-depth look at Google. We asked, where could the "do no evil" crowd be headed to next? This week, Technology Podcast 230 gives you a couple of answers. First underwater, courtesy of Google Ocean, which is part of the latest release of Google Earth. Finally, there seems to be some realization that the vast majority of the Earth's surface is covered with water. We'll get an assessment Google Ocean from Carl Safina, of the Blue Ocean Institute. And, just because it's still the middle of winter here in Boston, why not take a tour of the Mediterranean?

Most of the reaction to Google Ocean has been positive. But another Google product that just came out recently has some privacy advocates in a tizzy. It's called Google Latitude. You can put it on your computer or your mobile phone, and it allows you to share your location, with anyone, anywhere in the world. Now Google claims that the user has complete control over what location information is or isn't shared, and with whom. But Simon Davies of Privacy International doesn't buy it, and he tells us his reasons why on the podcast.

Also, the kind folks over at the BBC's Digital Planet program rang me up to ask me about a blogger who has recently taken up residence in Washington. You may have heard of him -- Barack Obama? Yes, the White House website features a "blog" of sorts now, although fans of Mr. Obama's more personal tone during the campaign may be a bit disappointed. It's part and parcel of what happens when the desire to reach out digitally meets the reality of governing in a place like Washington. Or at least that seems to be what I told Digital Planet. We'll have an excerpt on WTP 230.

And we check-in with freelancer and author Cyrus Farivar, who tells us about Estonia's bid to use some of its homegrown high-tech (Skype, anyone?) to help keep costs low at local hotels in the face of a growing global recession. Cyrus' forthcoming book, The Internet of Elsewhere, includes a chapter on Estonia, or E-stonia as the budding tech hub of the Baltic has branded itself. So, will free Skype calls from hotel rooms in Tallinn be enough to lure back the British bachelor party crowd? Listen in.

Estonia also figures into one other story on this week's podcast. You may remember that back in 2007, some fairly nasty cyberattacks took place in Estonia. The Estonians blamed the Russians, and the Russian government denied it. To date, only one ethnic Russian hacker in Estonia has been arrested in connection with the attacks. But the attacks so crippled Estonia's computer systems that NATO took note. The organization has made cyberdefense a priority, and has even opened a special unit at its headquarters outside of Brussels to deal with it. We get a behind-the-scenes look at ops there, courtesy of BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner.

 And we end with a super-secret hidden track...an update on a story we've covered before. Yep, it's the Skycar, and it's making its way over the Sahara desert en route to Timbuktu in Mali. We check in with expedition leader Neil Laughton.

As always, we like to remind you that you can subscibe to The World's Technology Podcast via RSS, and via iTunes. You can also find us via internet radio aggregator services such as radiotime. Of course, if you'd like to sample before you subscribe, you can simply play episdode 230 below.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Privacy fears over Google tracker (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Google 'puts spy in your pocket' (bbc.co.uk)
• Google Earth Shows Ocean Depths, Martian Peaks and Goes Back in Time (takepart.com)

Comments

[Francisco]

I aim to update my podcasts 3 times a week but that's not always possible. I listen to all my podcasts, including this one, whilst travelling, shopping, doing housework, cooking, eating, etc.