Be Prepared: Emergency Communications
In a natural (or even man-made) disaster, communication on the ground is crucial for coordinating rescue operations but normal communication technologies like cellphones don't work. That's because a l…
Spark ups the ante in Queenstown
Queenstown just received a massive upgrade to its mobile capability with Spark's rollout of next generation mobile technology.
4.5G offers 400Mbit/s to happy customers with the right handsets.
Brislen on Tech
In which Paul Brislen seeks out a new job as this one has limited reach... Farmers need to think about a new approach as pharming takes off... and fall out from Fuji Xerox's accounting scandal claims …
Mandatory data breach reporting in Australia
Mandatory data breach reporting has been on the agenda in New Zealand for some time. While they may have some ground to make up on the rugby field, it is one area where our trans-Tasman cousins have s…
The Folly of the Short Game in IT
In 2002 Sun Microsystems was considering purchasing Microsoft Office for its 35,000 staff. They worked out the per-seat cost (taking into accounts volume discounts) and instead decided it would be mo…
Brislen on Tech
In which we discuss cryptography and why politicians should understand the internet... Apple releases a slew of new products... and man sentence extended for another three years.
What's in a name? - Enforcement powers and the Naming Policy under New Zealand's Privacy Act
New Zealand's Privacy Act provides a number of enforcement options to deal with information privacy breaches by organisations holding and using personal information (referred to in the Act as 'agencie…
Another win for the computers - predictive coding discovery endorsed in Australian court
Late last year, the Supreme Court of Victoria released a judgment that resolutely approved the use of predictive coding (or TAR - technology assisted review) for the purpose of discovery in a large li…
AWS comes to town - an inside story
It was the kind of glorious morning that makes you vow to wake up early more often. Through the waning drizzle, I plodded down Quay Street and couldn't help but marvel at the gorgeous sunrise framed b…
Brislen on Tech
In which we close out the Copper Age, discover people do actually use this thing called the internet and that if teachers can grasp the nettle, so can you.
A different approach to digital technology in schools
It's 2017 in New Zealand, and our schools aren't producing enough confident, informed digital participants. Sure, they can play games like a boss, but that's just digital consumption. Ask them to do s…
Teachers embrace digital learning technologies
A survey of primary and intermediate school teachers and principals finds that most believe digital technologies are enhancing classrooms and student learning.
US laptop ban on flights could extend to all flights…
Long haul flights are already a tedious prospect for many travellers but soon they could be even worse if US plans to launch a full scale laptop ban to all flights are introduced.
Brislen on Tech
In which Kiwis can not only fly, they can reach orbit... what the budget means for you... what the tech sector would very much like the country's political leaders to consider in the lead up to the el…
Learning from Looking Backwards
In our fast-paced world, new technology is leap-frogging old technology and everyone is trying to guess what the next great thing will be. So yes, it is important to keep looking forward and planning …
Tech sector releases major manifesto ahead of election
A consortium of New Zealand's 20 leading professional bodies and tech associations today released a Manifesto for the future of New Zealand from a tech perspective.
The manifesto is wide-ranging an…
Bridging the Digital Language Divide: Is Your Email Ready for the Global Market?
Email connects the globe with a click. And it is critical for more than just sending messages; we use email addresses to log in to social networks, identify ourselves for government services, and as t…
Having a Service Mentality
Being "of service" to others - what does that mean? Many people talk about giving good "customer service" and think it is simply doing business with a smile. Being "of service" goes way beyond that. H…
Update from ITPNZ
It's been a busy week or two at ITP, with a really strong focus on skills development and especially SFIA.
This week's update looks at the Beijing workshop on Asia-Pacific Skills Recognition, getti…
Brislen on Tech
In which we look back at a telecommunications world that never was (thankfully)... consider the fallout from WannaCry... and raise a glass to the Hi-Tech Award winners for 2017.
