The Audiobook’s Evolution from the Analog Era to AI

Greetings from "The Audiobook’s Evolution from the Analog Era to AI" by Matthew Rubery, from Queen Mary University of London. We are at the the National Library of Australia in Canberra, sponsored by the Australian National University. He started with the origins of recorded audio, pointing out the first recording was a nursery rhyme: Mary had a little lamb. He then moved onto how audiobooks were first for the blind, then a general readership. He ended with an AI version of Melania Trump reading her autobiography.

Switched off Google Gemini in Android Auto

Some weeks ago my car's Android Auto system upgraded itself from Google Assistant to Google Gemini. This has been mildly annoying, until I needed urgent medical care. 

I didn't mind too much, that when I asked to be navigated somewhere Gemini would give me a tediously detailed description of the building, before asking if I wanted directions there. However, this week I was on the highway and needed urgent, but not life threatening, medical attention.  So I asked Gemini the waiting time at the nearest Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, run by the ACT Government.. I was impressed when Gemini immediately responded that there was no waiting time and no patients in the queue. So I headed there, only to find a queue of 8 and a 45 minute wait. It actually took 2 hours to be seen, but then I received excellent care and am fine. 

Had Gemini given correct information, I could have chosen a different medical service. Had my condition proved more serious, the outcome could have been much worse (last time I left the same clinic in an ambulance).

I have switched off Google Gemini in Android Auto. 

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Greetings from the Kuranda Scenic Railway, near Cairns in Queensland. Originally built for mining, it passes waterfalls and views down the mountains to the coast. These two photos were taken from the train at the same location, on from the left window, the other the right.

Tilt Train into Tropic Thunder

Roma Street railway station Brisbane 

Greetings from the Spirit of Queensland train, at Mackay, Queensland. We left Brisbane yesterday afternoon and traveled through the night, past flooded fields. There is Tropical Low 30U in our path ahead and it is unlikely we will reach our destination of Cairns (lows do not get the romantic names of cyclones). This tilt train is comfortable and well equipped. 

First class seat 

I am in first class, with lie flat beds. There is a large video screen for each seat, but with a very limited selection of video & audio entertainment. The seats are comfortable with power adjustment. However, to convert to a bed the staff have to plug in an extra hand controller and manually unfold part of the chair. 

There is one USB & one mains power socket for each seat and a place for a bottle of water (with a complementary bottle in it). There is a pillow, doona, blanket and towel in an overhead locker. There is a toilet and a toilet shower at the end of the carriage (a very large shower by railway standards). The food is good (and included in the ticket price). There is a cafe car in the middle of the train.

While a tilt train, it is not particularly fast, due to the narrow winding track. But the ride is comfortable. We have had to divert around Gladstone due to flooding and there is water lying in the cane fields around Mackay, but the train is only one hour behind schedule. 

The train has no WFi but Telstra's mobile coverage works most of the way. Queensland's tilt trains (there is an electric one to Rockhampton, as well as this diesel service to Cairns) have been remarkably uncontroversial. While other attempts to provide higher speed trains have faltered, the electric tilt train has been running for 28 years. 

Postscript: Train arrived in Cairns only two hours late, with the bonus of another dinner onboard.

Australian Internet Domain Names Licensing Review

Greetings from the .au Licensing Rules Review consultation in Canberra. auDA is a not for profit organization with a legislated license to administer Internet domain names which end in .au 

auDA will be holding face to face consultations in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne, with online consultations as well. auDA is keen to get input. I offered to help by coming up with controversial proposals, such as dutch auctions for domain names: you want the name, you bid the most first, you get it. ;-)

I am here because one of the auDA board suggest I come along. I was a member of the "Internet Cabal" some decades ago, but have not had much to do with it since, apart from paying my domain registration.

There is no proposal for changes, but key issues the panel has identified in the discussion paper are:

1. Domain name monetisation
2. Allocation rules for com.au and net.au
3. Contested .au direct domain names
4. Bad faith and scam registrations
5. Complaint processes
6. Alignment of the .au Licensing Rules with global best practice
7. Anything else

As an example of an issue, companies can make money selling domain names for whatever they think the buyer will pay. Through auDA the public only gets a small fixed amount of this. Perhaps, like mining royalties, there should be a share, based on value, going to the public. 

Another tricky issue is that not-for- profit domain names can't be profited from. But exactly what is not for profit can be unclear. What was interesting was that those presented and others attended searched for analogies to use to understand the unfamiliar and abstract nature of domain names. One used was land speculating. Following this discussion my suggestion of dutch auctions doesn't seem so odd. Perhaps the stock markets providing another analogy.

There was a review in 2018 and changes were made. 

Australia-Taiwan relations: Policy options and priorities for engagement

Greetings from the launch of the USSC report Australia-Taiwan relations: Policy options and priorities for engagement . This is a timely report, given the uncertain geopolitical situation in our part of the world. This afternoon I drafted my presentation for Australian Defense Tech Hackathon, which starts tomorrow. In my presentation I make the point that senior military people look at what universities produce, be it strategic analysis or new drones. 

 The SSSC report recommends stronger economic ties with Taiwan. They also recommend improving understanding of  Australia's One-China Policy. This is a difficult task, as the policy is deliberately ambiguous and contradictory. The report recommends "Operationalise Australia’s whole-of-government approach to deterrence", which sounds like mobilisation for war.

There are perhaps areas Australia can co-operate with Taiwan on defence and industry. Australia has drone submarine and aircraft projects proceeding well with US companies. However there are no armed vehicle or surface vessel equivalents. Perhaps they could be developed with Taiwan. I asked the panel and they suggested the Australian government could  encourage company to company dual use projects. This is a way to avoid upsetting China too much. I guess the projects could be a rugged robot off-road vehicle suitable for mining and an uncrewed offshore windfarm support vessel. The vehicle would be able to carry shipping container size fuel tank which can refuel mining trucks automatically, and also drone aircraft. The ship coul repair wind farms automatically and also rearm submarines.