Download This Show

What impact is reading on your Kobo or Kindle having on your brain? As AI turns up in writing, reviewing and literary prizes, how do we decide what's genuinely human creativity? And how is the Australian publishing industry changing as a result of BookTok, Bookstagram and Goodreads?
GUESTS:
Anna Burkey, CEO of Australia Reads.
Bec Kavanagh, senior tutor in creative writing and publishing at the University of Melbourne, and former bookseller.
Bec & Anna's book recommendations:
Anna says Jaclyn Moriarty who wrote Time Travel for Beginners (2026) has an incredible way with words.
Bec prefers works in translation (writing translated from one language to another) as well as short fiction writers. She says Rita Bullwinkle's Headshot (2025) was phenomenal, and that Dahlia de la Cerda's Reservoir Bitches (2024) is top of her TBR list.
Voting is still open for the ABC Radio National's Top100 Books countdown. You can vote for your favourite Australian books here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/top-100-books-2026/106621398
------------
This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Burramattagal, Darug, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri peoples.
------------
Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

It's not just phones. How much do our TVs, streaming boxes, and browsers know?
This week, we look at research that suggests some LG TVs may be gathering more information about our viewing habits than we realised. Plus, there's a streaming box promising free access to subscription services. Is it too good to be true? And how much does it know about me?
And, a former white-hat hacker gives us an internet hygiene refresher. Is public wifi risky? Can I save my passwords in my browser? And does multi-factor authentication actually work?
GUESTS:
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, AAP specialist reporter.
Alex Hope, professional ethical hacker and cybersecurity expert.
------------
This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Burramattagal, Darug, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri peoples.
------------
Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

The eSafety Commissioner has accepted a court-enforceable plan from Roblox to address child safety concerns after questions were raised about whether the platform was meeting its obligations under Australia's Online Safety Act. We'll unpack what parents need to know.
Also on the show, Microsoft is putting time limits on its Xbox Cloud Gaming subscribers. What is cloud gaming, and what does this tell us about the future of digital ownership?
Plus, Melbourne International Games Week returns from 2-11 October. Is it worth going?
GUESTS:
Edmond Tran, managing editor of This Week in Video Games
Gemma Driscoll, video game commentator and host of Good Game Spawn Squad.
------------
This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Burramattagal, Darug, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri peoples.
------------
Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Australia's proposed Privacy Act reforms are some of the boldest changes to privacy law we've seen in years. How could it change the tech we use every day? And does this mean Australia is setting a new global privacy standard, or catching up to the rest of the world?
Also on the program, one of Australia's spiciest privacy debates has been the use of wearable cameras. The e-Safety Commissioner has proposed that smart glasses should have an automatic blurring feature. How easy would that be to implement? Would it change the effectiveness of the glasses?
And, there are now cameras in toothbrushes! Specifically, Dyson has just announced an AI-powered toothbrush that helps users water floss their teeth. Will this revamp oral health tech, or is it just another bizarre gadget?
GUESTS:
Alice Clarke, freelance tech journalist and author of the Through The Looking Glass Substack.
Karin Verspoor, Dean of the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University.
------------
This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Burramattagal, Darug, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri peoples.
------------
Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Drones went from being flying cameras to autonomous weapons within a handful of years. Our guest, Cory Alpert, explains what he's seen on the front lines of Ukraine's drone war, and why drone warfare is changing international conflict forever.
Also in this episode, we check in on how drones might be used elsewhere: exploring caves on the Moon, patrolling beneath the ocean and, of course, delivering dinner.
How much of this future is Australia actually ready for? 
GUESTS:
Cory Alpert, researcher at the University of Melbourne and former Biden-era White House staffer. He's also spent the last few months in Ukraine.
Leigh Stark, technology journalist at Pickr.com.au.
------------
This episode was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Burramattagal, Darug, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri peoples.
------------
Get in touch:
We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au
Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.