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New Life: New Zealand

Slow!
Trying to get around Auckland

In Defence of Auckland
It's not such a bad place after all…

Coffee, among other things: the joys of coffee in New Zealand

Steve's TechBlog

Served: the Lion Server review

The S stands for...same?: The long-awaited iPhone 4S review

Making Power While The Sun Shines: solar power in New Zealand

Going wireless

I'm a regular contributor to Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan and Afternoons with Jim Mora.

To listen to any of my broadcasts, click on the date in bold at the end of the description.

  • The Panel
  • Nine To Noon
  • Web Review

Since 2012, I've been taking part in The Panel on Jim Mora's Afternoons show.

2014
December
Ttraffic enforcement in holiday black spots; Auckland Council and Sky City's $130 million dollar funding gap for the National Convention Centre; smiling; airline pilots flying until the age of 65; Tony Abbott saying women are focussed on the household budget; Joe Cocker.
23 December 2014 Part 1; Part 2

November
Andrew Little; Auckland Council's debt servicing; rising ground-rent prices on Auckland's waterfront; Auckland Museum's live-animal displays; sexual assaults on public transport; Roger Sutton and sexual harassment at work; Auckland Council and banning the scattering of loved ones' ashes.
19 November 2014 Part 1; Part 2

September
The Labour Party and went wrong in the election; John Key's new ideas to tackle child poverty; the cost of NCEA fees is forcing hundreds of Waikato families to apply for financial assistance; what poetry stays with you; reentering the Pike River Mine.
24 August 2014 Part 1; Part 2

August
Telecom to Spark; Adriana Insurance; Rena; Russia; powerful music.
8 August 2014 Part 1; Part 2

June
David Cunliff and Donghua Liu; children, poverty and New Zealand; the BBC's ten pieces of classical music; New Zealand's "pure" reputation; schools and haircuts.
18 June 2014 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

April
Interest rate increases; income inequality; double standards for entry to New Zealand; changed attitudes toward ANZAC Day; Shane Jones' departure from politics.
24 April 2014 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

March
The killing of George Taiaroa and the extent to which you can prejudice a trial through publicity; dealing to these 30 cats in Invercargill; surprising benefits of left-handedness; obvious benefits of trading with China; stealing Bluff oysters out of pottles in supermarkets; self-service in supermarkets; and the defence against being towed at night when you've parked in an empty business carpark while you go to the movies.
19 March 2014 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

January
Facebook; the Government' new initiative for New Zealand schools; a ten dollar bet at the TAB has scored a $300,000 windfall; a new apartment complex exclusively for baby boomers; an extra 58,000 motorists caught speeding because of the lowered speed limit tolerance.
23rd January 2014 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

2013
December

Concealable alcohol sachets at school balls; the final bill to Auckland ratepayers for the inquiry into Mayor Len Brown; claims that Nigella Lawson repeatedly took cocaine; a newly-unsealed 191-page summary of FBI evidence against Kim Dotcom; the New York City council's vote to add electronic cigarettes to the city's strict smoking ban.
23rd December 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

November
The most influential teenagers in the world; 55 New Zealanders fleeced of $1.7 million by a Malaysia-based scam; throwingrocks off a motorway overbridge; a proposal to build a $525 million ferry terminal at Clifford Bay; Auckland's "hidden-gem" suburbs.
14th November 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

October
The New Zealand author Eleanor Catton wins the Booker Prize; Len Brown's affair; legislation to "clarify" the powers of the Government Communications Bureau; new satellite images showing what looks like a boat in the Tasman Sea could be the missing ship, Nina.
16th October 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

September
Re-entry into Pike River mine; a referendum on asset sales; the greatest car of the last 25 years; a public school or a private; the flight attendant who was forced to hand over facebook interactions and bank account information to her employer.
3rd September 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

August
The Fonterra food contamination scandal; removing 85 highly-skilled jobs from AgResearch's Invermay facility; a Stop Phubbing campaign; handing scholarships to make your rugby team better; a license to smoke.
5th August 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

July
The Maori Party; takeaways and fast food; the golden triangle of happiness; insurance, storms and garages; is the Internet worth it, or not?
2nd July 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

May
Crazy Auckland house prices; NZ as a place to live; not trusting the Chinese; not paying school fees.
29th May 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

April
Suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing; a single electricity buyer; Superman; the restoration of the Christchurch Cathedral; Christchurch's hotel shortage.
19th April 2013 Preshow; Part 1; Part 2

March
A smattering of rain in the North Island; the rare earthquakes in Auckland; "a string of incidents" in or near Hamilton Gardens; Pope Francis; 'Younger Generation Lags Behind Its Parents In Wealth-Building', says the New York Times headline.
18th March 2013 preshow (12′51″); Part 1 (23′17″); Part 2 (26′36″)

February
Public scrutiny of Charter Schools; breach of contract notices for Talent2; the minimum wage and the "basic necessities of life;" New Zealand First MP Richard Prosser's anti-Muslim rant; Dick Smith's legal trouble over his company's beetroot tins; banning prostitution from Auckland's troublespots.
14th February 2013 preshow (13′58″); Part 1 (24′02″); Part 2 (26′13″);

January
The PM's state of the nation speech; receiving $10,000 compensation for distress from the Employment Relations Authority; blankets or duvees; should racism in Fawlty Towers be expunged; Jimbo the American Staffordshire.
25th January 2013 preshow (12′13″); Part 1 (23′43″); Part 2 (27′19″)

2012
December
MP Brendan Horan, yesterday expelled by New Zealand First; robbers at a busy family restaurant; friendly and grumpy cats; a club that doesn't allow women as members; primogeniture.
5th December 2012 preshow (15′50″); Part 1 (24′06″); Part 2 (24′31″)

November
The Panel preshowThe US presidential election, with early results coming in from some states; favourite US presidents
7th November 2012 preshow (12′34″); Part 1 (22′14″); Part 2 (26′18″)

October
The Panel Pre-Show; the family of Christie Marceau's crusade to hold judges accountable and tighten bail laws; Google shares suspended; the All Blacks and setting the longest winning streak in test history; police watching motorists closely this Labour Weekend in an effort to reduce the road toll.
19th October 2012 preshow (11′19″); Part 1 (22′33″); Part 2 (27′57″)

September
The Panel preshow; the first share float under the Government's partial asset sales programme; Auckland's statutory Maori board's 49 goals as part of its Maori Plan for Tamaki Makaurau; dropping the word "Empire" from CBEs; the bid to recover costs from atagger; Christchurch City Council CEO Tony Marryatt's ratepayer-funded legal action against city councillors.
3rd September 2012 pre-show (15′57″); Part 1 (26′48″); Part 2 (24′47″)

July
The Panel pre-show; the investigation of John Banks; an Auckland law professorsays that an inquest is a very different thing from a murder trial; National Poetry Day.
27th July 2012 pre-show (13′12″); Part 1 (30′33″) Part 2 (20′27″)

June
The Panel pre-show; the Accident Compensation Corporation and performance pay; the famous scrum-time catch-cry; Paul Krugman and preparation for an alien invasion of Earth.
22nd June 2012 pre-show (14′00″); Part 1 (27′39″); Part 2 (22′37″)

May
The Panel pre-show; The Rena sentencing; the government's 'austerity lite' budget; the price increase on cigarettes; the reality TV show in which you can "win a baby"; and protests against the demolition of the Christchurch cathedral.
25th May 2012 pre-show
(12′06″); Part 1 (35′37″); Part 2 (22′01″)

April
The Panel pre-show; The Hobbit and how far did the government go to keep its production in New Zealand... and sex on the beach; TVNZ7 and its loyal band of determined followers; choosing the best seat on an aeroplane.
27th April, 2012 pre-show (13′49″); Part 1 (23′47″); Part 2(26′33″)

March
The Panel pre-show; double-shot tasers; buying and selling access to David Cameron; Chris Cairns' libel case; Kim Dotcom responds to charges.
28 March, 2012 pre-show (12′41″); Part 1 (25′46″); Part 2 (23′45″)

The Panel pre-show; Otago Rugby Football Union; Kim Dotcom; the risks of being rich; home loans; the new traffic rules.
09 March, 2012 pre-show (14'39"); Part 1 (26'39"); Part 2 (22'23")

Since June 2011 I've been one of Nine To Noon's new technology commentators. I discuss new developments and trends in new technology with presenter Kathryn Ryan.  

2012

October
Apple's New iphone 5 and the evolution of smart phones.
11 O ctober, 2012 (18′41″)

July
Technology developments in education, and how to get schooled online.
12 July, 2012 (14′51″)

April
New law affects cookie use in Britain, Google data-sniffing and the little boy lost who found his mother using Google Earth
19 April 2012 (17′58″)

Facebook buy Instagram, the FlashBack trojan, Girls Around Me, and the life of Jack Tramiel.
12 April, 2012 (15′46″)

2011

December
Cellphones on aeroplanes, Google and Twitter topics of the year, and tracking Santa Claus on the internet.
15 Dec, 2011 (10′52″)

Tracking shoppers by cellphone, shopping by cellphone, and why Netflix won't be coming to NZ any time soon.
01 Dec, 2011 (15′29″)

November
Sandboxing, security and the Apple App Store model.
17 Nov, 2011 (16′35″)

Virtual format wars.
03 Nov, 2011 (17′21″)

October
Microsoft's US$8.5 billion purchase of Skype, Google drops Buzz and the death of software tool creator Dennis Ritchie.
20 Oct, 2011 (18′31″)

The succession issues facing Apple, the $30 Indian tablet and BlackBerry, and government and server failures.
13 Oct, 2011 (20′17″)

September
Net neutrality, Facebook's website tracking and Google+.
29 Sep, 2011 (19′46″)

The dangers of the Web; domain names; and acne... there isn't an app for that.
15 Sep, 2011 (17′54″)

Individual solar generation in NZ, the patent war between Apple and Samsung and why Web surfing makes you work better
01 Sep, 2011 (19′30″)

July
Microblogging service Twitter marks its fifth anniversary; the imminent demise of the optical drive; fake Apple stores in China; more on iPads in schools; and are scientists closing in on the 'God Particle'?
28 Jul, 2011 (20′20″)

June
Apple's annual World-Wide Developers' Conference and Facebook.
09 Jun, 2011 (20′21″)

Since 2012, I've been talking tech for Web Review on Jim Mora's Afternoons show.

2014
December
Midomi: instant music search and discovery - just sing or hum. Micro-financing - allows users to select worthy causes to lend $25, and having trouble chosing you next book to read?
From Afternoons on 9 December 2014

November
'If This Then That', the Matador Network and Goat Simulator.
From Afternoons on 25 November 2014

October
Ello and sGrouples
From Afternoons on 14 October 2014

July
NCEA exams, Internet Movie Database and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Earth edition
From Afternoons on 15 July 2014

June
The Visible Man; Online air-traffic control simulator; GrowVeg.com
From Afternoons on 24 June 2014

IFL Science; No Such Thing As A Fish; Mystery Hour
From Afternoons on 17 June 2014

April
Uncovering people's first tweets; Codecademy; Jim falls for an April Fool joke
From Afternoons on 1 April 2014

March
Mark Kermode's film reviews; Welcome to Night Vale; InnerBody.
From Afternoons on 25 March 2014

2013
August
Steve's favourite web-comic site and the primary portal for the British government.
From Afternoons on 27 Aug 2013

June
Ancestry.com; and fearofflying.com.
From Afternoons on 25 June 2013

April
A Twitter Music App Launches for iPhone and Web; and UJAM For Everyone - you can use it to create music for all the things in your life, for free.
From Afternoons on 24th April 2013

2012

September
SwitchCam - a cross between Pandora/Spotify and YouTube; and Internet Explorer 7.
From Afternoons on 25 September 2012 (5′00″)

July
The freedom of speech rules on Twitter.
From Afternoons on 31 July 2012 (3′06″)

June
Internet Protocol version 6.
From Afternoons on 05 June 2012 (6′38″)