PRI's The World: Technology Podcast 205
August 08, 2008
Yep, it's Friday, and that means it's time for the latest edition (WTP 205) of The World's Technology Podcast, courtesy of the BBC World Service, PRI, and WGBH Boston. This week's podcast even comes complete with an audio slideshow, but more on that below.
We lead this week with the news that the US Department of Justice busted a global cyber-crime ring. Eleven suspects were arrested, three of them American. The others were from Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, and China. The scary part is how easy it was for them to do it. They just went wardriving, found open wireless networks at big retail stores, and hacked into their systems. The haul -- a reported 40 million or so debit and credit card numbers. We have a report on the arrests, along with a primer on global credit card fraud from Jim Lewis, Director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in DC.
But for my money, the best part is our correspondent's unused interview with Bruce Schneier, Chief Technology Security Officer at BT Global Services. Schneier, who regularly blogs on computer security issues, started the interview by saying, "I'm not sure why you're doing this story. There's nothing new here. I'm not even blogging it." Fair enough, if you listen to the points he makes in the interview.
Then, we go to Ghana to hear about the problem with electronic waste, or e-waste as it's called. Discovery looked at the problem here in the US in this video. But the real dumping ground for this stuff is quickly becoming the developing world. For background, listen to how we covered the subject in Tech Podcast 179.
This week, we also have a funny look at some new research into boredom. Specifically, that yawning might only be contagious between humans, but contagious between humans...and dogs.
And, my personal highlight for the week...
I do a regular audio check-in with a blogging outfit called AfriGadget for the Tech Podcast. This time, though, AfriGadget founder Erik Hersman came back with some amazing photographs from his recent trip to Nairobi, Kenya. The best bit is to see just how easy it is for Hersman to get his cell phone fixed.
In closing, I'll mention that you can follow all of The World's technology coverage via Twitter, or Facebook. You can also place the widget below on your own website, and get automatic updates.
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