Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News

Google's Pixel 7a has leaked a month early, but is there much there worth getting excited about?  Speaking of getting excited, Samsung has been a bit naughty around its Space Zoom feature and how it takes photos of the moon -- or has it? Meanwhile, EV sales continue to grow, but what's the reality like for EV buyers in Australia? Special guests AAP's Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson (@jendudley) and Pickr's Leigh Stark(@leighlo) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Can Sonos' new smart speakers take on Apple's mighty HomePods? Is a product "new" if it's just in a new colour? Guest Pickr's Leigh Stark (@leighlo) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

What were the fancy new phones and gadgets from MWC 2023? What features are a must-have (or must-avoid) when buying your next new smartphone? Special guests Pickr's Leigh Stark (@leighlo) and Whistleout's Alex Choros! (@a_choros)! Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. 0:01 Show Intro 3:12 Boost Mobile vs Optus 6:20 New iPhone SE model for 2024? 9:46 Kissing robots -- who asked for this? 11:26 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona! 12:00 TCL Phones and Tablets 14:50 Oppo jumps into the foldable space outside of China 17:27 Motorola's rollable concept RIZR 20:29 Lenovo's Rollable laptop concept 22:28 Huawei has a watch... has it given up? 25:55 HMD/Nokia goes for repairable mobiles 28:27 Realme's insane 240W charging phone 32:00 Telstra's 5G hits 100km range... sort of 34:00 Mobile Phone Buyer's Guide 41:00 Closing thoughts ve

Who's raring to pay Meta $300 per year to get a blue tick on Instagram or Facebook -- and why are they charging for features that should be free? How is one Aussie game dev doing their part to make FPS games more accessible to deaf gamers? Special guests Angus Kidman (@gusworldau) and Kotaku Australia's David Smith! (@rhunwords)! Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. Segments: 0:00 Show Intro 1:51 Consumer Gps brand Navman exits the market. 3:43 Skymaster vs. Starlink. 8:28 What is ray tracing audio and how does it work? 11:20 Sectors Edge changing the way games present audio 18:41 The secret word 21:34 Why on earth would you want to be verified on facebook? 27:02 Paying for account support - why isn't it free? 29:50 Making twitter open-source - is it going to happen? verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

What would an Australian "right to be forgotten" law look like? Google's promising to track you less on Android phones... but can it be trusted? Special guest Consumer Policy Research Centre's digital policy director Chandni Gupta (@__chandnigupta) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Microsoft and Google are going all in on AI-assisted search with Bard and Prometheus, but what effect on our online searches will this have? And can an AI write sitcoms and make them funny, or are they funny because an AI is writing them? Special Guest The Register's Simon Sharwood (@ssharwood)! Segments 1:32: Are Google and Microsoft’s AI Chatbots a good idea… or a very bad idea? 2:25 Don’t forget Ernie – the new AI Chatbot from Baidu! 3:20 When big tech creates algorithmic services, bad things happen 6:20 The pitfalls of relying on ChatGPT 7:54: Can we apply a little cynicism and caution before jumping in? 8:48: Is this a bigger gamble for Google or Microsoft? 10:27 There’s nobody in my life that disrespects my choices in the same way that Microsoft and Apple do… 11:14 Is this just more of a ploy to learn more about us? 12:31: Could this make Google search useful and relevant again? 14:18 Is Google just playing catchup (for once?) 16:43: Are Google and Microsoft opening themselves up for serious lawsuits? 1

Does the Australian government's independent games fund go far enough? Samsung's bringing the hype, but can the Galaxy S23 Ultra live up to it -- and who needs a pricey premium flagship phone in 2023 anyway? Special guests Digitally Downloaded's Matt Sainsbury (@MattSainsb), Telsyte's Foad Fadaghi (@foadfadaghi) and Pickr's Leigh Stark (@leighlo) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Why is Microsoft dropping $14 billion into ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and what's the future for these kinds of AI-generators? Why is the ACCC probing into the review activities of Aussie influencers? Special guests David Braue (@zyzzyvamedia) and Consumer Policy Research Centre CEO Erin Turner! (@erinlturner) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week.  verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

How does the new M2 Pro/Max Apple Silicon and HomePod 2 stack up? What can Aussies expect from electric vehicles in 2023? Guest AAP future transport reporter Jen Dudley-Nicholson (@jendudley) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

What does Seven and Foxtel's $1.5b rights deal mean for Aussie cricket fans? How does the streaming landscape look in 2023 and who will struggle to survive? Guest TV Blackbox viewer advocate Steve Molk (@stevemolk) Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

From privacy breaches and social media meltdowns, to crypto implosions and broadband breakdowns, why did so much go wrong in tech in 2022? And what's there to look forward to in 2023? Guests Finder editor-in-chief Angus Kidman (@gusworldau) and The Oz's Alice Clarke (@Alicedkc) - Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Where did gaming shine brightest in 2022 -- and where did it fall flat? Which games were the biggest timesinks, and which ones were critically overlooked? Special Guests Kotaku Australia's David Smith (@Rhunwords) and Ruby Innes(@rubyinnes)! Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. www.verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

What will NBN Co's plan to write-down $31 billion, rather than claw it back from customers, mean for the future of broadband speeds and prices in Australia? Guests tech journalist Nick Ross (@nickrosstech) and Aussie Broadband CTO John Reisinger. Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Can Elon Musk declare war on Apple and win? How will the fallout from FTX's collapse impact the world of Crypto? Guest The Guardian's Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week.  verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Will the advent of 60 minute pickup windows further change how we shop online -- and how do we compare on a global scale? Meanwhile, the TIO says most telcos are seeing complaints go down en masse -- are they finally starting to work with consumers, instead of against them? Special guest Finder's Angus Kidman (@gusworldau) Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

How is the ACCC cracking down on big tech and protecting our rights? Who is in the firing line and why? What's holding back EV sales in Australia and what will it take to shift things into gear? Guest Consumer Policy Research Centre CEO Erin Turner @ErinLTurner - Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

As Elon Musk continues to stagger from crisis to disaster over his Twitter ownership and Meta fires thousands of staff members, are we seeing the decline of social media as a force, or can open platforms like Mastadon fill the gap? And with new consumer VR gear on the way, what's in the future for the VR space? Special Guest Byteside's Seamus Byrne! (@Byteside) Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week.  verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Elon Musk finally owns Twitter, but is the social media giant circling the drain or about to become something entirely new? Should Medibank pay the ransom to keep customers' sensitive medical data safe? Guest Stilgherrian (@stigherrian) - Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Will the budget initiatives around EVs finally make them affordable for the everyday Aussie driver? Speaking of saving money, does the switch to solar power still make sense -- and what are the pitfalls? And what does the Disney+/Doctor Who tieup mean for future streaming rights deals? Special guests TV Blackbox viewer advocate Steve Molk (@stevemolk) Gizmodo Australia's Zac Kelly (@ZachariahK_) and Finder's Mariam Gabaji! (@mariiiamg) Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week.  verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau

Will Netflix fans stop sharing passwords and sit through old-school ad breaks? What can we expect from Apple's refreshed iPads and new Apple TV set top box? Special guests TV Blackbox viewer advocate Steve Molk (@stevemolk) and Pickr editor Leigh Stark (@leighlo) - Vertical Hold is brought to you by Aussie Broadband – changing the game with their award-winning network and Australian based support. Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News - podcast hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman speak to Australia's leading technology journalists every Friday to get the stories behind the tech news of the week. verticalhold.com.au facebook.com/VerticalHoldAU @verticalholdau