PAULSPAIN.COM

NZ Tech Podcast: Webstock special

2012-02-23T09:10:24Z

This special edition of the NZ Tech Podcast features interviews from Webstock 2012. Paul Spain spoke with guests Raffi Krikorian (Twitter), Scott Hanselman (Microsoft) and Derek Handley (The Hyperfactory). He also chatted with Tim Fraser and Jeremy Geros from GoVocab who won the BNZ Startup Alley competition featured at Webstock.

Would you like to join the NZ Tech Podcast live? Most Tuesday evenings around 6pm or thereabouts we join with Geekzone for a live audio stream from the studio and a hosted chat room. Details here.

Get the Podcast here:

Please look out for the latest NZ Tech Podcast updates via Twitter @NZTechPodcast, the NZTechPodcast.com website and facebook page.

First Ultra Fast Broadband (Fibre) pricing announced for Auckland and Christchurch

2012-02-11T09:28:48Z

Today the NZ Tech Podcast NZ UFB page was updated with some big news. Featured is the first pricing for residential (and business) Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) services in Auckland and Christchurch. This first pricing announcement comes from WorldNet – a central Auckland based Internet Service Provider (ISP).

As first mover WorldNet have an opportunity to dictate initial pricing in the market. Based on WorldNet’s ADSL pricing plans compared with other ISPs it’s likely there will be some variance when others start announcing pricing soon.

WorldNet (Auckland, Christchurch) – residential UFB packages:

30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 10G data, 1 phone line: $69.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 50G data, 1 phone line: $79.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 100G data, 1 phone line: $89.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 150G data, 1 phone line: $99.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 200G data, 1 phone line: $109.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 250G data, 1 phone line: $119.95
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 300G data, 1 phone line: $129.95

WorldNet (Auckland, Christchurch) – business UFB packages:

30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 50G data, 1 phone line: $99
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 100G data, 1 phone line: $119
30Mb/s (down), 10Mb/s (up), 200G data, 1 phone line: $189
100Mb/s (down), 50Mb/s (up), 350G data: $299
100Mb/s (down), 50Mb/s (up), 550G data: $439

Pricing for Whangarei has been available for sometime as UFB has been available in the region since last year.

Ubergroup (Whangarei) – residential and business UFB packages:

50Mb/s (up/down), 150GB data, 1 phone line: $99
50Mb/s (up/down), 250GB data, 1 phone line: $199

More detailed coverage can be found on the original NZ Tech Podcast page covering UFB in NZ. Also, be sure to check out NZ Tech Podcast – Episode 43 where John Greenhough – CTO of Crown Fibre Holdings was interviewed.

The unlikely winner of CES 2012 – Windows Phone

2012-01-23T03:13:00Z

It’s clear from market statistics that Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are the predominant smartphone platforms currently. But if the buzz at CES is anything to go by, Windows Phone will soon emerge as a strong contender to sit alongside these brands and associated ecosystems.

So how with its small market share how did Windows Phone come out as the winner at CES? It would have seemed unlikely heading into CES – particularly as there were dozens of other products vying for attention - from new cars (Ford launched the 2013 Fusion/Mondeo at CES), to dozens of Android tablets and handsets, OLED TVs, Ultrabooks amongst others.

Summing up why Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform got so much attention at CES is actually simple: Windows Phone is ready in just about every way. To break that down a little more there are five areas where it stands out:

Ecosystem – In the US at least, Microsoft have built a broad ecosystem around Windows Phone (and their other platforms). Music, Video, Xbox Live Gaming, Bing Search, Maps and more. Microsoft assures me this ecosystem will continue to expand globally in 2012.
Native compatibility - Windows Phone naturally ties closely with Xbox and Windows. These are the world’s top gaming, entertainment and computing platforms. And built in compatibility with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft Office, Exchange Server and Microsoft’s cloud offerings are second to none.
Wow factor – the newest Windows Phones have it, particularly the Nokia Lumia 900, it’s sibling the Lumia 800 and some handsets from HTC and Samsung.
Ease of Use – this is probably the easiest mobile platform to use right now. Most people would expect Apple to get that crown, but Microsoft are in the process of reinventing the touch user interface with Metro – a ‘design language’ that will soon span Windows Phone, Xbox 360 and Windows 8. If you’re using another platform and don’t believe me I suggest you try out a Windows Phone handset loaded with your email, contacts and social networks.
Nokia – Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia is invaluable. Though Nokia lost market share in recent years their brand still carries a lot of weight and they still sell more mobile phones than anyone else. When Nokia came to CES with the Lumia 900, pro journalists, bloggers and podcasters alike took notice. It’s a gorgeous Windows Phone 4G handset featuring a beautiful large screen, Carl Zeiss cameras and bundled apps that are actually useful.

To be fair, Windows Phone isn’t perfect yet, though neither are the other mobile platforms. It’s main shortcoming is missing apps. The current pool of 50,000+ apps meets most needs – but if you’ve been using another platform there is a chance one or more of your favourite apps isn’t launched on Windows Phone just yet.

Longer term missing apps should be less of a problem as analysts predict that Windows Phone will be more popular than the iPhone by sometime in 2015. And when popularity arrives, so do apps.

Despite a few shortcoming I see Windows Phone as the winner of CES 2012. Now when will Vodafone, Telecom and 2degrees launch some new Windows Phones into the NZ market? (Apparently very soon in the case of Vodafone and Telecom)

You can catch more coverage of CES 2012 by listening to recent episodes of the NZ Tech Podcast. For more on Windows Phone visit Windows Phone NZ.

We want you! IT & Network Support

2011-11-11T00:30:14Z

Good news - Gorilla Technology is looking for a keen and enthusiastic person to join our team. Could that be you?

I’m looking for someone who both learns technical things quickly and has great people skills.

If you’re just looking for ‘another job’ then this probably isn’t the role for you. At Gorilla we work differently from other companies and we’re looking for someone who stands out from the crowd.

There is much to Gorilla’s special sauce (we call it ‘The Gorilla Way’) that differentiates us. From an employee perspective you’ll benefit from:
• Being part of a tight knit and friendly team who work closely together – supporting and learning from each other while sharing knowledge and ideas
• Working with the newest and best technologies available. As part of ‘The Gorilla Way’ we leverage fresh technology to make ourselves and our customers more successful. As an example virtually all of our PC users run Windows 7 (and naturally we work with Mac too). And in-house we’re testing Windows 8.
• Huge growth potential - most people move ahead faster than the industry standard for career development whilst at Gorilla
At Gorilla though, we don’t believe in technology for technology’s sake – using it has to make business sense so we teach all our staff about business and communication so we can relate the benefits to our clients.
Attributes you must have:
• Permit to work in NZ
• Great spoken and written English
• Ability to start within 4 weeks
• Experience in the Auckland arena

Skills that would be beneficial for you to bring to the table include:
• Great people skills and an ability to communicate with people at all levels
• Technical skills: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008/R2, Mac OS X, Exchange Server 2007/2010, ISA/TMG Server, Cisco, Firewalls, TCP/IP
Note that applicants will need a drivers license and their own vehicle.

If this sounds like you, please drop us a line with a covering letter and your CV to: careers2011@gorillatechnology.com

NZ Tech Podcast: Remembering Steve Jobs

2011-10-13T10:30:07Z

Episode 36 sees the NZ Tech Podcast speak with NZ’s world beating Free Range Robotics team and remember Apple founder Steve Jobs who sadly passed away last week.

Other highlights covered include the Apple iPhone 4s, the new Facebook app for iPad, Sony’s Netflix box and a review of the HD Homerun.

As usual you will find our latest updates via Twitter @NZTechPodcast, the NZTechPodcast.com website and our facebook page.

Get the Podcast here:

NZ Tech Podcast talks Social Media

2011-10-02T11:30:41Z

In this special episode of the NZ Tech Podcast two of NZ’s most experienced social media strategists. Piero Liguori (ex 2degrees) and Tom Bates (Contagion, ex Air NZ) joined Paul Spain to discuss a range of topics. High on the agenda was the new Facebook including new features such as Facebook Timeline and associated privacy concerns. And we pondered what opportunity Google+ has since opening up the beta gates so anyone can join without an invite.

General news topics this week included discussion of the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 (Android), Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) and we discuss November iPhone 5 availability in New Zealand.

And The Onion’s ‘Facebook CIA Project’ was a point of entertainment – if you haven’t seen it before this is well worth a quick watch.

<\/param><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt="">

Video discussed during NZ Tech Podcast episode 34: Facebook CIA Project

You can stay tuned for latest NZ Tech Podcast updates via Twitter @NZTechPodcast, the NZTechPodcast.com website and the facebook page.

Get the Podcast here:

Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’ update available

2011-09-28T03:38:23Z

Microsoft have started offering end users the full release version of the Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’ update for existing Windows Phone 7 handsets. This the first major upgrade since the release of Windows Phone 7 in late 2010 – offering over 500 new features. It’s a move which is expected to help Microsoft establish a stronger position in the smartphone market over the coming year.

The update appears to be shipping to a mix of handsets from different manufacturers and carriers according to user feedback online. There is also a technique to speed up the update process for those who are not seeing the update listed on their phone or via the Zune client.

Around 10pm NZ time on Tuesday, 27 September Microsoft launched a new website for Windows Phone 7 – with regional specific variations available locally including in NZ.

At a similar time they also updated the ‘Where’s my phone update’ page which highlighted that the Windows Phone 7.5 update is approved by every Windows Phone 7 carrier globally with the exception of Sprint (US) and Telefonica (Spain) who are listed as still testing the update.Within hours the website was updated to indicate that the ‘Mango’ update was rolling out to users.

As we announced on Monday the Mango update will load directly onto most devices – even developer updated handsets with interim developer builds. This is in contrast to Microsoft’s original advice when installing developer builds and makes life much easier for this community and others who had managed to gain early access to the various pre-release versions of the Mango operating system software update.

To keep up-to-date with the latest breaking news on Windows Phone 7.5 and other tech news be sure to follow @WindowsPhoneNZ, @PaulSpain and @NZTechPodcast on twitter.

NZ Tech Podcast: Windows 8

2011-09-19T11:06:05Z

In recent days Windows 8 has been revealed to the world – so we discuss details of this dramatic change for Microsoft on the NZ Tech Podcast.

Other topics this week - Apple’s iCloud and OS X 10.7.2 beta, Red Hat’s Fedora 15 and Hewlett-Packard NZ changes data centre plans.

You can stay tuned for latest updates via Twitter @NZTechPodcast, the NZTechPodcast.com website and our facebook page.

Get the Podcast here:

First Look at Windows 8: Wow!

2011-09-13T18:41:16Z

This morning, Microsoft gave their first detailed demonstration of Windows 8 to an audience of developers at the BUILD conference in Anaheim, California (and via live video feed globally). I’ll tell you some of the highlights and how to download it.

And was it good? No, Windows 8 looks incredible. When compared with the difference between Windows Vista and Windows 7 this is a much bigger change. Actually Windows 8 is a quantum leap forward, and such a dramatic change in so many ways it leaves me wondering how Apple will respond.

So, what is new? Well first up Windows can now boot in as little as 2 or 3 seconds on some hardware. Oh, and the core operating system actually used about 1/3 less memory than Windows 7. So it’s fast and light.

Windows 8 uses a Metro style user interface. It’s a fresh approach to computing and one which I think users will grow to appreciate quite quickly (though I’m certain will put some users off).

This operating system is equally at home on a tablet as on a full blown desktop PC. And in many cases I think users will opt for a device that does both - operates as a tablet when needed but docks to deliver a full PC experience in the office.

With Windows 8 Microsoft have made it easy for developers of all types to put together great applications in a small amount of time. And rich applications that draw on the cloud, local content, and the Metro style user experience. I expect to see a lot of applications designed specifically for Windows 8 and ready by the time in launches.

Curious what features are in Windows 8? Here’s a sampling:

Support for sensors (gyroscope, compass, GPS, etc)
USB 3
Near Field Communications (NFC)
Smart handling of mobile data roaming (Incl 3G/4G)
Synchronisation and backup of key settings such as email accounts, favourites, photos between systems (via the cloud)
Runs 100% of Windows 7 applications
Built in spell checking functionality
Runs across existing Intel/AMD 32-bit and 64-bit systems and new ARM based systems
Security baked in including free Antivirus and Antimalware
A system level mechanism so applications can share data and images with other apps
‘Reset & Refresh’ option to return a PC to an initial state without losing data and settings
Improved search across the web and Windows applications
Simple Metro style application development using multiple development methods including: HTML/CSS, JavaScript, C#, VB, C, C++ (and easy porting of apps to Windows Phone 7.5)
Friendlier Windows Update and notifications
Cloud storage built in to leverage SkyDrive
Includes Metro based Email and Calendar client
Lock screen shows key information such a new emails or missed IM conversations(similar to Windows Phone 7)
A user interface that is works well via touch, mouse or keyboard
Improve multi-monitor support
Windows Store for acquiring and distributing applications

So, what’s the cycle for bringing Windows 8 to release? It looks like this – with my predicated dates alongside:

Windows 8 Preview (today)
Windows 8 beta (early January 2012)
Release Candidate (February/March 2012)
Release to Manufacturing (April 2012)
General Availability (June 2012)

The preview release of Windows 8 is available now from this link.

The keynote presentation including Windows 8 demos and hardware is available to watch here.

I will update with further details as they come to hand. I will also be discussing Windows 8 in detail on the next episode of the NZ Tech Podcast – you can also follow me via Twitter: @paulspain

NZ Tech Podcast: Windows Phone 7 giveaway, iPhone 5 and one million robots

2011-08-11T02:10:21Z

This week on the NZ Tech Podcast topics included Windows Phone 7 Mango, iPhone 5, Patent Wars, Black Hat and Chrome OS, Google TV, 1 million new robots for Foxconn, Gnome 3, Zotac ZBox, Open Source news, Microsoft Tech Ed.

Also announced was the Windows Phone Mango Treasure Hunt Competition which is a chance for listeners to win one of two Windows Phone 7 handsets (HTC Trophy). Stay tuned for latest NZ Tech Podcast updates via Twitter @NZTechPodcast or the NZTechPodcast.com website.

You can also Listen to Episode 27 directly, Subscribe and listen via iTunes or Subscribe and listen via Zune.