Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast is a weekly podcast that looks at technology and how it impacts our daily lives. We tell the untold tech stories fro...
Capturing shooting stars with your doorbell cam
We’ve had the first meteor shower of 2025 – you may have missed it but your doorbell cam may have recorded it. The Quadrantids shower has captivated both amateur and professional astronomers, some of whom are now working together to find the meteors once they land on the Earth’s surface. When this occurs, there is a strong likelihood that the aptly named UK Fireball Alliance will identify them. This alliance consolidates images and videos from various sources, including doorbell cameras, dash-cams, security systems, and professional telescopes. The primary objective is to issue a comprehensive alert to scientists, indicating where they can locate the fallen meteors. Gareth met with Luke Daly, a lecturer in planetary geoscience at the University of Glasgow. He is also the treasurer of the UK Fireball Alliance and is on the show to tell us more.
EdTech Apps – are they any good?
The EdTech App market is worth billions of dollars a year but many of these apps are, in fact, counterproductive and may be causing more harm than good. That’s according to an Educational Technology researcher who has recently expressed her concerns in the journal Nature. Natalia Kucirkova, the Director of the International Centre for EdTech Impact and a professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway, is concerned that educational institutions, along with families, are squandering resources on apps that do not yield effective results. As she tells Gareth, better testing of these apps is needed, as is a certification process to identify those that are truly beneficial to children.
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Angelica Mari.
More on this week's stories:
UK Fireball Alliance
Educational apps are worth billions. We need to make sure they work
Production Manager: Liz Tuohy
Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz
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33:45
How to keep your data safe when protesting
How to keep your data safe when protesting
The government of Georgia is set to deport 25 foreign nationals who were involved in protests that occurred late last year. This information has been reported by several news outlets referencing the Interior Ministry of Georgia. The demonstrations arose in response to the parliamentary elections held in the country. Considering the protests and the subsequent actions taken by the authorities, the digital rights organisation Access Now has issued a series of cybersecurity recommendations for individuals participating in peaceful demonstrations. During a protest, particularly if the situation escalates, it can be challenging to focus on cybersecurity when personal safety is at stake. Therefore, Access Now's guidance emphasizes the importance of securing one's devices prior to attending a protest. Much of the advice provided consists of fundamental digital hygiene practices that everyone should adopt, which is why we invited Access Now onto our podcast at the start of the year, a time when many are looking to establish positive habits. Mohammed Al-Maskati serves as the Director of the Digital Security Helpline at Access Now and is on the show.
New Year, New Tech Resolutions
The team discuss their New Year’s Tech Resolutions – and ask for yours in return.
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Angelica Mari.
More on this week's stories:
Access Now – Digital Safety Tips for Peaceful Gatherings
Production Manager: Liz Tuohy
Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz
For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link for the PodExtra edition:
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Join our Facebook group
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BlueSky
If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Contact us by email: [email protected]
Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484
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37:14
Your favourite SOEP shows from 2024
Your favourite SOEP shows from 2024
Thank you for all your suggestions and comments; we have selected the most popular choices and put them together in our final show of 2024. From our special programme with Jimmy Wales, to the reliability of French language chatbots, we look at what you thought were our best bits of the year.
The PodExtra - The Creator Economy
This week we have a completely new episode for our paid for subscribers. Angelica Mari hosted a Podcast Live at Web Summit in Lisbon where she discussed the evolving landscape of the creator economy, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced by content creators. She highlighted the importance of monetisation, the role of data, and the potential of immersive experiences in driving sales. But there's more to the creator economy - even though the push for more and more contact is great, ethical considerations (especially the need for authenticity and responsible use of technology), are vital to keep up trust with subscribers and clients.
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ania Lichtarowicz.
More on this week's stories:
Somewhere on Earth
Production Manager: Liz Tuohy
Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz
Audio: Ion Minas Belesis at All is Joy Studios in London
For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link for additional subscription extra material:
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Join our Facebook group
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Bluesky
If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts
Contact us by email: [email protected]
Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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36:00
Biometrics – do we have a choice in who has this data and how they use it?
Biometrics – do we have a choice in who has this data and how they use it?
This week we dive deep into the world of biometrics, with a particular focus on facial recognition technology. What is the current state of facial recognition, and why are legal experts and privacy advocates so concerned? Additionally, we’ll explore the realm of health data; is there a necessary compromise between collecting our biometric information for improved health outcomes and safeguarding our privacy? Or can we find a way to achieve both? Joining us is Dr. Stephanie Hare, the author of Technology is Not Neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics.
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ghislaine Boddington.
More on this week's stories:
Dr. Stephanie Hare
Production Manager: Liz Tuohy
Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz
Audio: All is Joy Studios
For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:
https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/
Follow us on the socials:
Join our Facebook group
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Twitter/X
If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts
Contact us by email: [email protected]
Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484
Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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30:47
How technology led to the rise of HTS and the fall of Assad in Syria
How technology led to the rise of HTS and the fall of Assad in Syria
HTS presented the removal of a brutal dictatorship that had lasted for five decades as a straightforward task accomplished in a matter of days. Currently, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has assumed control in Syria, while former president Bashar al-Assad reportedly resides in Russia. Although the narrative often emphasizes the use of armoured vehicles and firearms, many analyses overlook the significant impact of technology on HTS's achievements, including innovations such as 3D printing and drones. To explore this topic in greater depth, we will engage in a discussion with Broderick McDonald, a researcher specializing in conflict at King’s College London.
Our demand for nickel is destroying a way of life in Indonesia
Peter Guest, one of Somewhere on Earth’s regular studio experts, has been on the nickel trail in Indonesia He provides a firsthand account of the environmental repercussions associated with the nickel sector, which supplies components for electric vehicles on our roads. Peter has undertaken a 2,000-kilometer journey across Sulawesi, examining the detrimental impacts of the nickel industry on both the environment and human rights. This investigation was for the Gecko Project.
The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Peter Guest.
More on this week's stories:
Broderick McDonald
Dust Money
Production Manager: Liz Tuohy
Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz
Audio: Ion Minas Belesis at All is Joy Studios in London
For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:
https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/
Follow us on:
Join our Facebook group
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Linkedin
Bluesky
YouTube
If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts
Contact us by email: [email protected]
Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484
Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Acerca de Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast
Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast is a weekly podcast that looks at technology and how it impacts our daily lives. We tell the untold tech stories from Somewhere on Earth. We don’t do new toys and gadgets, but look at new trends, new tech and new ways we use that tech in our everyday lives.
We discuss how the ever evolving digital world is changing our culture and our societies, but we don’t shy away from the news of the day, looking at the tech behind the top stories affecting our world.
Find a story + Make it News = Change the World.
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