Jon Tullett, Toby Shapshak, Brett Haggard and Simon Dingle are the crew this week. We discuss:

• Intel IDF.
• Microsoft’s Courier tablet device.
• Livescribe Pulse Smartpens.
• 3D video.
• Will Blu-ray be the last optical disk format of its kind?
• App stores and why most are failing.

Our picks and pick-ons of the week:

• Toby Shapshak: Pick – The Big Bang Theory.
• Jon Tullett: Pick – Prototype.
• Brett Haggard: Pick – iPhone Configuration Utility.

Direct file download (25MB)

Three geeks gather amidst public holidays to discuss:

• Mobile broadband and then some.
• The power of Chinese manufacturing.
• Oracle to buy Sun Microsystems. What would this mean for MySQL?
• Windows 7 RC1 leaked.
• Netbooks, nettops and the operating systems that make them work.
• Chips. Again.
• Adobe pens deal to have Flash embedded in hardware.
• Symantec announces detection of a Mac botnet.
• Pirate Bay founders found guilty.
• The new Nintendo DSi is apparently selling like hotcakes.

And more…

Our choice technologies of the week:

• Brett Haggard: Live streaming IPL cricket.
• Simon Dingle: Nambu – a Twitter client.
• Jon Tullett: Nothing really, but sort of Travian.

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This week’s panel includes Simon Dingle, Jon Tullett from TechTarget and Saul Kropman from The Digital Edge podcast. On the cards:

• Netbook price discrepancies. Jon bought an Aspire One in the UK for next to nothing. Why are we paying through our teeth in SA?
• Tweaks and hacks for netbooks.
• Neotel’s NeoFlex Data offering being launched last week. We talk caps, prices and practical use.
• Informal collusion in South African tech pricing.
• We dive into Windows 7 Beta and Internet Explorer 8.
• Vista Service Pack 2 delayed.
• A new Worm threatens the world’s computers. Apparently.
• The Macintosh platform finally has a real virus doing the round. Again – apparently.
• MacOS X developer group CocoaHeads now has a South African chapter.
• Application roll-out on smartphones and the BlackBerry app store.
• Canonical is reaching its goal of becoming self-sustaining.
• Some of the Tech in the Obama inauguration, courtesy of CNN.

And much more…

We apologise for the cellular buzz that occurs in a section of this recording. It stops after a few minutes… we promise.

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The unit provided to ZA Tech for testing shipped with Windows XP Home Edition, one gigabyte of RAM, Intel Atom processor running at 1.6GHz, 120 gigabyte hard drive and extended battery pack. Like its predecessor, the new Aspire One also includes built-in webcam and microphone, and a carry pouch.

The internal 3G modem performed as promised and connecting to Vodacom’s 3G network using the included GlobeTrotter Connect software was as easy as falling over a log. Simply insert the SIM card, clip the battery on, turn on the Aspire One, load Connect and click on ‘connect’ after a network has been detected. The Aspire One also includes a handy switch on the front of the device for enabling and disabling the WiFi adapter and 3G modem – handy for saving battery life or making sure you don’t run up a huge bandwidth bill with your mobile provider by accident.

The extended battery pack increases the battery life of the Aspire One to five hours in my experience, but this decreases drastically with the 3G modem in use. The Aspire One also retains battery charge very well, losing about 10 percent per day while hibernating.

The combination of tiny form-factor, Windows XP and included 3G modem makes this a serious road-warrior of a netbook with the ability to run virtually any office application and keep you connected just about anywhere. The keyboard is rather cramped however, as is the trackpad with mouse buttons on either side – but I’m sure one would get used to that quickly. Less easy to adjust to is the 7″ screen with 1024×600 resolution, but one has to pay for the tiny footprint somewhere.

Intel’s Atom processor also deserves a mention here offering impressive performance and multi-tasking on the tiny Aspire One platform. Obviously you’re not going to play Crysis on this platform, but flicking through office applications and browser windows is seamless. Application load times are also snappy.

All in all the Aspire One is a robust netbook solution and the addition of internal 3G modem makes it one of the most appealing offerings in the space. But with a recommended retail price of R8499 the new Aspire One is priced out of the league of netbook and you could buy an entry level laptop with money to spare on financing a revolution, for the same price.

In episode 29 of ZA Tech Show Alastair Otter from Tectonic drops by and lends us his insights into the Linux environment. Lots of technology news on the cards this week and we discuss:

• Duncan spoke to Dark Fibre Africa and gives us the low-down on capacity, clients and why your car’s rims are being destroyed in the name of bandwidth.
• MTN is taking on Telkom in the consumer broadband space with the launch of an HSPA router.
• Google partnering with O3B to bring more satellite bandwidth to South Africa. Will it amount to anything?
• Mark Shuttleworth is ploughing resources into changing desktop environments on Linux.
• Simon spoke to the Google project manager of Chrome and provides more information on where Google is going in the browser space.
• Internet Explorer 8, Chrome, Microsoft Silverlight, Flash and other technologies impacting on your experience of the Web.
• The second Microsoft advertisement featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld.
• Apple’s September announcements including new iPods and iTunes 8 with the Genius feature.
• Much anticipated game Spore has been released, but tight DRM is harming online sentiment.
• Piracy as a distribution model. Steal This Movie and other players are investigating the space.
• A Facebook movie is being made.
• HP has a new notebook in the form of the EliteBook 6930p it claims will deliver 24 hours of battery life off a single charge.
• Lenovo and Acer are pulling back on their offerings of laptops with Linux.
• More about the Acer Aspire One and our hacking thereof.

And more…

Direct file download (33MB)

In this episode:

• We get our hands on the Acer Aspire One, both in Linux and Windows.
• The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook.
• Apple’s September 9 announcement and the possibility of an Apple netbook-slash-tablet.
• Sony’s massive Vaio recall.
• Google’s Chrome browser.
• Where operating systems are going.
• The first Microsoft ad with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates is here. And weird.
• The big Xbox 360 price cut.
• Cross-platform gaming, online console services and how better bandwidth will bring it all home.
• The new deal signed by MTN, Vodacom, Neotel, Telkom and Infraco to get going on the west coast cable.

And more…

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This week we have a studio audience (even). And we discuss:

• The massive changes taking place in South African television.
• When and if we’ll ever see DVB-H in South Africa.
• Initial impressions on the Nokia N96, now that we have one to review – and how much we love the E71.
• Mobile phones on aeroplanes and why we can’t use them. Really.
• Acer finally letting us know when we’ll see the Aspire One locally, with pricing.
• Where netbooks belong and what they should cost.
• WiMAX and Intel’s announced support for the technology.
• Intel Centrino 2 and how it will change mobile computers.
• USB 3.0 and Firewire 3200.
• Cancelling cell contracts in South Africa.
• Vodacom versus ICASA.

And Brett talks about his light saber. It makes him happy.

Direct file download (26MB)

This week Duncan’s in Ghana. Something about CNN. He Skypes in and we discuss:

• Why Google didn’t do a doodle for Madiba’s birthday.
• The HP 2133 sub-notebook. Or ‘netbook’, if you will. Brett has one to play with.
• Nokia’s Music store launching in South Africa.
• The Apple versus Psystar court case.
• The WOW Glider court case.
• Nintendo’s Wii taking the lead in US console sales.
• Neotel launching its enterprise services.
• Apple blocking VoIP on the new 3G iPhone.
• Updates on the Viacom vs. Youtube case.
• BT rolling out fibre in the UK.

And more…

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In our 20th episode of ZA Tech Show we discuss:

• The international launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone.
• Pieter Uys taking over from Alan Knott-Craig as Vodacom Group CEO.
• Vodacom’s content adaption service status.
• ASUS Eee PC 1000 and the growing netbook market.
• Multichoice’s new DSTV dual-view offering and the approaching launch of DSTV HD.
• Digital media distribution and licensing.
• Musica selling counterfeit Playstation accessories.
• ISO’s rejection of the OOXML appeal.
• The global DNS security update.

And more…

Direct file download (35.9MB)

This week we have two guests on ZA Tech Show – Simon from Have2Have and Justin from WantItAll who join us to discuss:

• Amazon’s decision to stop posting orders to South Africa.
• The arrival of the ASUS Eee PC 901.
• More info on the Acer Aspire One.
• Ping.fm
• The Spore Creature Creator.
• The future of software delivery.
• The High Court’s ruling on Telkom.
• New ICASA regulations for WiMAX frequency spectrum.
• ICASA regulations regarding cellular handset subsidies.
• Increases in line rentals from Telkom.

And more…

Direct file download.