Best Vodafone Smart Tech Podcasts (2024)

1
Smart Dust Investigates: Is the current Metaverse trend a first step towards it being possible that we are living in a convincing simulation? 41:08

2+ y ago41:08

41:08

In the third and final part of the 'Smart Dust Investigates' series, we interview Microsoft Hololens' Asia Pacific Director, Lawrence Crumpton and things really heat up as we dive deep on all things from immersive virtual reality and mixed reality to the much talked about metaverse. And Nick and Douglas make their conclusions on whether, maybe, jus…

1
Smart Dust Investigates: Is it possible that we are living in a simulation? Part 1 with Rodney Ascher 39:41

2+ y ago39:41

39:41

In the first of a three-part 'Smart Dust Investigates' series, we will take you on an adventure through the possible truths behind one of techs biggest (and possibly craziest) theories - “Is it possible that we live in a simulation”? Elon Musk believes we are living in a sim – he says “There is a billion to one chance we are living in a true base r…

1
Smart Dust Investigates: Is it possible that we are living in a simulation? Part 2 with Rizwan Virk 31:52

2+ y ago31:52

31:52

In the second instalment of the 'Smart Dust Investigates' podcast series, we interview MIT Games Lab founder and author of the new book “The Simulated Multiverse” (and “The Simulation Hypothesis”), Rizwan Virk. Want to explore the possibilities for XR to create an immersive virtual world? Tune into part 2.…

1
Smart Dust with Amy Webb on crypto, assistive reality and emotional AI 28:02

3y ago28:02

28:02

Exponential advances in technology are changing our world at a rapid pace, and for most of us, predicting what comes next feels a little like gazing into a cloudy crystal ball. Enter this week’s very special guest, Amy Webb. A world-renowned futurist, Amy’s expertise in the realm of emerging technologies is second to none. She’s the CEO and founder…

1
Smart Dust with Dr Kirstin Ferguson on leadership, gender equality and diversity in the COVID-19 era 33:56

3y ago33:56

33:56

Kirstin Ferguson knows a thing or two about career diversity. At just 17 she enrolled at the Australian Defence Force Academy, graduating as a Flying Officer and Dux of her class. But not one to rest on her laurels, Kirstin juggled her Royal Australian Air Force service with study, earning a law degree that facilitated a move out of the military an…

1
Smart Dust with Julie Inman Grant on e-Safety, online threats and legislative responses aimed at keeping us safe 37:48

3y ago37:48

37:48

With lives increasingly lived online, safety in the digital world has never been more important. That’s why we sat down with Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. Having worked across the not-for-profit, public and private sector – filling key roles at Microsoft, Twitter and Adobe – there’s simply no better person to talk to about on…

1
Smart Dust with Minister Fletcher on the ACCC's proposed code, NBN, 5G and Cyber abuse 27:18

3y ago27:18

27:18

In this episode Douglas and Nick are joined by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the impact of the ACCC’s proposed code to require the tech giants to pay media companies for the content they use. Potentially a big global precedent and very much being watched by tech…

1
Smart Dust Tech Trends: Predictions for 2021 43:06

3+ y ago43:06

43:06

2021 is shaping up to be an exciting year, mainly because it’s not 2020. But that’s not all – 2021 also promises to be a massive year for tech. In this episode, we talk six tech trends that could help shape and define the new year, including cyber warfare, synthetics, managing your personal carbon footprint, AI, smart glasses, and trading our bio d…

1
Smart Dust with David Thodey on upcoming tech and what makes a successful disruptor? 46:52

3+ y ago46:52

46:52

What makes a successful disruptor? Is 5G really all it’s cracked up to be? And what other upcoming technologies can we expect to challenge industry standards as we know them? Who would be better placed to tackle these questions than technologist David Thodey: as the Chair of the Commonwealth Science, Industry & Research Organisation (CSIRO), accoun…

1
Smart Dust with The Hon. Victor Dominello on Digital Transformation and government services 30:28

3+ y ago30:28

30:28

NSW’s journey to be a digital powerhouse is underway and the man at the helm is Victor Dominello, Member for Ryde and Australia’s very first Minister for Customer Service. His role in this new portfolio is to optimise the citizen experience through a range of digital initiatives, with quite a few already underway. In this episode, we talk about the…

1
Smart Dust with Nicole Sparshott on Business & Sustainability 32:23

3+ y ago32:23

32:23

What does a purpose-led global business look like? Nicole Sparshott knows; she’s leading two of them through their biggest transformation yet. CEO of Unilever ANZ and Global CEO of T2, Nicole is spearheading a sustainability revolution in Unilever – one of Australia’s most iconic FMCG brands – and well on her way to making T2 certified sustainable …

1
Smart Dust with Mark Tanner: Qwilr, Innovation and Effectiveness 23:46

3+ y ago23:46

23:46

Having taken on a market considered to be ‘conquered’ by Google and Microsoft, Mark Tanner is living proof that entrepreneurs can still re-write the competitor landscape. Frustrated by PowerPoint and PDF, Mark and co-founder Dylan Baskin created Qwilr – a now global operation offering software for businesses to create elegant web-based forms, propo…

1
Smart Dust with Andy Tsao discussing the current global start up scene, which countries are getting it right, the impact of Covid19 on IPO’s, diversity in the start-up community and China’s answer to ... 30:38

3+ y ago30:38

30:38

Has innovation taken a back seat during COVID-19? Andy Tsao, Managing Director or Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) joins us from Santa Clara to find out. Andy is leader of SVB’s Global Gateway, which assists emerging market innovation companies as they seek US market entry and US companies looking to expand abroad. SVB is a US-based commercial bank with o…

1
Smart Dust: Tech Trends - Neural Implants, managing your personal carbon footprint and the extraordinary IPO of Lemonade 27:05

3+ y ago27:05

27:05

In this episode we chat about the world of neural implants where recent advances in computing and bioelectronics have enabled true bidirectional interactions between machines and the human brain. No keyboard, no voice interaction required. It is truly inspiring what these advances can do for medicine. Also, we look at how tech is helping individual…

1
Tim Reed on Investment Strategies and Good Leadership 40:26

3+ y ago40:26

40:26

In this episode we chat with the amazing Tim Reed , the President of the Business Council Of Australia, the peak body for business in Australia. The BCA comprises of the CEO’s of more than 100 of the top companies, who employ over 1 million Australian workers, including all 4 of the big banks, the major mining companies and supermarkets and the big…

1
Smart Dust with David Gonski on Creative Intelligence, education and his secret to giving good career advice 25:49

4y ago25:49

25:49

In this episode Douglas and Nick interview one of Australia’s most respected business leaders, David Gonski. Gonski holds a number of impressive board titles, including Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Chancellor of the University of New South Wales, President of the Art Gallery of NSW Trust and Chair of ANZ Bank, just to na…

1
Smart Dust: COVID19 impacts on tech, innovation and online services 26:02

4y ago26:02

26:02

In this episode of Smart Dust, we explore how COVID19 has sparked diversification with global tech giants like Google, as they move into the healthcare space. We also discuss how software company Tableau has engineered a COVID-19 Data Hub for collating the latest in the virus outbreak and management. Douglas and Nick chat about the role of social p…

1
Smart Dust: Ashley Friedlein on digital transformation, entrepreneurship & unified communications 44:52

4y ago44:52

44:52

In this episode of Smart Dust we chat to Ashley Friedlein, the Founder of Econsultancy, an international marketing consultancy agency. Nick questions Ashley on how Covid-19 has impacted his Marketing & Digital Trends 2020-2030 report, before exploring the role of digital platforms in shaping internal corporate communications. Ashley shares his succ…

1
Animal Logic's Zareh Nalbandian on animation and creativity 35:56

4y ago35:56

35:56

Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian co-founded the animation company in Crows Nest, Sydney in 1991. Their films include the Academy award-winning Happy Feet, The Lego Movie, and Peter Rabbit. In this episode, Zareh speaks to Douglas and Nick about how animation has developed over past 30 years, how the studio has grown and changed, and where he sees …

1
German Ramirez: Staying relevant in the age of blockchain 28:33

4y ago28:33

28:33

What German Ramirez's job is to focus on the relevance of blockchain. Whether it's renewable energy companies, cryptocurrency or the property market, he's looking to how to harness his 20+ years in digital innovation to understand this will impact on industries across the world and how to market to them. In this episode, German, who is the CEO is S…

1
Amy Webb's 2020 tech trends 1:07:19

4y ago1:07:19

1:07:19

What are the forthcoming strategic technology trends that will shape and affect businesses, governments, education, and media this year, and for years to come? Each year quantitative futurist Amy Webb, CEO of the Future Today Institute releases a Tech Trends Report. In this episode, The Works' Douglas Nicol and Norton Rose Fulbright's Nick Abrahams…

1
Bem Le Hunte: how we can all utilise creative intelligence to solve problems 29:05

4+ y ago29:05

29:05

By Douglas Nicol

1
Deep fakes, Instagram shopping and space tourism 27:15

4+ y ago27:15

27:15

By Daresay / The Works / Norton Rose Fulbright

1
Food tech trends, Fortnite and the Great Hack 32:28

4+ y ago32:28

32:28

This episode covers food tech, gaming, and data, although not necessarily all combined. With the human population projected to hit 10 billion by 2050, it's clear we'll have problems feeding everyone. So how can food tech help, and when even fast food restaurants are offering plant based alternatives, how is this shifting how we consume food. The po…

1
Success and Cryptocurrencies with Finder.com Co-Founder, Fred Schebesta. 48:46

4+ y ago48:46

48:46

Fred Schebesta is an iconic Australian entrepreneur, award-winning marketer, and media commentator. His company, Finder.com, is the world’s foremost comparison website. Active in over 80 countries, Fred explains that it operates as a global – rather than Australian – company. On this episode of Smart Dust, Fred reflects on his company’s incredible …

1
Paul X McCarthy on Australia’s Promising Startup Landscape and How Technology Has Rewritten the Laws of Economics 37:11

4+ y ago37:11

37:11

Paul X McCarthy is a technology consultant, speaker and author. His company, Online Gravity Consulting, is a global digital consulting firm. He is also the co-founder of League of Scholars, an enterprise looking at analytics in the research and innovation space. On this episode, we discuss one of Paul’s greatest passions: the Australian startup sph…

1
The Future of Tech Trends and AI with Amy Webb. 40:38

4+ y ago40:38

40:38

Amy Webb is a quantitative futurist, author and professor at the Stern School of Business at the New York University. She is also the founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute. The Institute is globally respected and recognised for their annual Tech Trends Report, which is now in its twelfth year of publication. During this episode, Amy explain…

1
The Future of Robotics with Osaka University’s Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro & Furhat Robotics’ Chief Scientist Gabriel Skantze. 38:00

4+ y ago38:00

38:00

This month on Smart Dust, we’re talking to two robotics leaders from opposite ends of the globe, who are both pioneering the race to create ‘human-like’ robotics. First up is Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, Japan. Dr. Ishiguro has dedicated his life’s work to create a robot that will be…

1
AI Conversation Design with Wally Brill 29:32

5y ago29:32

29:32

In this episode we talk to Wally Brill from Google who is a global expert in conversation design. Australia per capita is one of the fastest growing smart speaker markets in the world and this means our relationship with computing is changing. Talking is the new typing and this has profound implications for business and marketing. Wally is a leader…

1
China’s most influential Martech executive, Bessie Lee on the ’AI revolution in China’, TikTok and data privacy. 23:30

5y ago23:30

23:30

This episode, we’re talking to one of China’s most influential executives, Bessie Lee. Bessie Lee is Founder of Withinlink, a China-based startup incubator and early-stage venture fund focused on MarTech. Prior to founding Withinlink, Lee was CEO of WPP China and at SXSW was one of the few speakers who got an ‘encore’ performance. This episode we d…

1
Microsoft’s Mike Pell on smart information & data, plus blowing up the HCD status quo. 23:33

5y ago23:33

23:33

We’re talking design and data with Microsoft Garage’s Envisoneer and Design Lead, Mike Pell. Following on from his first book, ‘Envisioning Holograms’, Pell has just released his second book called ‘The Age of Smart Information’ that envisions how AI and XR will fundamentally change the nature of information and our relationship with it. We discuss…

1
Neuroscientist Heather Berlin on Creative Flow, Brain Implants and Rappers 32:48

5y ago32:48

32:48

This episode on Smart Dust, we’re delving in the brain of Heather Berlin; cognitive neuroscientist, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. She is also a television host across a myriad of science programs on BBC, History Channel, Netflix and even Bill Nye: Science Guy. We explore the world of neuro…

1
The state of self-driving cars with Alex Horwitz and Eddie Alterman from Autonomy. 23:46

5y ago23:46

23:46

This month we talk about the technological advancement pinned to change the world – autonomous vehicles. With Director Alex Horwitz and Executive Producer Eddie Alterman from the first documentary on self-driving cars, Autonomy (produced by Malcolm Gladwell), we explore the big questions. From how humans relate to and react to advancements in techn…

1
SXSW Special: 10 Days of Ideas and 6 Top Tech Trends 33:32

5y ago33:32

33:32

This month we’re going live from Austin, Texas with a special South by South West feature! SXSW is a worldwide celebration of what happens when creative ideas and technology merge; and with 75,000 people in attendance and 5,000 speakers from just the interactive section alone, it’s big. So, we’ve condensed 10-days of innovative ideas into 6 of the …

1
China: the social credit system, extraordinary start-ups and TikTok. 30:25

5y ago30:25

30:25

China goes under the microscope in this week’s episode of Smart Dust. When we talk about innovation we often immediately turn to the US and the UK – overlooking the second largest economy in the world. So, this week we discuss the hottest topics in China’s technology industry - and as the world’s leader in Artificial Intelligence, there is a lot ha…

1
Inside The World Of CES 33:57

5y ago33:57

33:57

This month we go deep inside CES Las Vegas – the home of ground-breaking and often wacky innovations in the consumer electronics space. We have a look at the latest tech trends that dominated, like bendable screens and voice EVERYTHING. As emerging startups are unveiled, we discuss which may actually go the distance, and ponder a big question – wil…

1
The Future of Transport, Biohacking and Start Ups Disrupting Australia 31:08

5+ y ago31:08

31:08

This month on Smart Dust, we’re exploring curious world of biohacking, from the 10,000 people in the world who currently have a chip implanted to the Lovetron 9000, which, well you’ll have to listen to find out. We delve into the extraordinary start-ups currently disrupting Australia, everything from mattresses to a Conor McGregor endorsed teeth wh…

1
The Peak of Content, 5G & Elon Musk 30:53

5+ y ago30:53

30:53

As usual, no shortage of important things to discuss in the world of tech and innovation: 5G is set to take effect, doubling our download speed and saving our battery life. But what does this mean for automotive, healthcare and of course, the NBN? But with faster speeds comes more content consumption and never have we had so much content choice. Ha…

1
The Magic of Quantum Computing 38:27

5+ y ago38:27

38:27

The race to be the leader in Quantum Computing is in full-force – something that has been described as the 'space race' of our time. This month on Smart Dust, we explore what is Quantum computing? Who is winning the race? What problems will it solve? And could there be a Lex Luthor effect? Wielding a double-edged sword, preparing cybersecurity for …

1
Facebook's Share Plunge, Ransom Hackers & The Solar T-shirt 24:22

5+ y ago24:22

24:22

In this episode of Smart Dust, we question the future of social media as more than $119 billion is wiped off Facebook’s market value in just one day, the deep dark web of 16-year-old ransom hackers and three innovative projects that will shape our future and create more inclusive cities.By The Works & Norton Rose Fullbright

1
The Future of Work 23:19

6y ago23:19

23:19

All these movies about robots taking over the planet, might not be as far-fetched as they seem. A technological revolution is on its way, and we’re expecting it to disrupt 55% of jobs in the next 20 years. Is your job safe from the inevitable AI takeover? Will this insurgence create the opportunity that over 40% of unhappy workers need to find a ne…

1
Esports, Synthetic Voice & Smart Cities 21:58

6y ago21:58

21:58

In this episode, we talk: - eSports, the global gaming competition projected to be worth $3 billion and an Olympic medal event. Forget golf, get those thumbs working! - MIT found a way to read your thoughts, Orwell was ahead of his time with Thoughtcrime and if that’s not creepy enough, we discuss if Google’s new voice assistant means the demise of…

1
GDPR. Traditional Retailers. Emotional AI & Robot Love. 32:14

6y ago32:14

32:14

GDPR On 25 May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation becomes effective, including its penalty of up to 4% of global revenue for non-compliance. We talk about how users of personal information will access it under increasingly stricter regimes. We look at Barbara Streisand’s quest to be forgotten. It looks like “memories light the corners” of…

1
March 2018: Faceprints. Autonomous vehicles. Cryptocurrencies. 24:56

6y ago24:56

24:56

At the Smart Dust podcast, we don’t drone on – we talk about them! In this episode, we chat about drones that deliver use cases beyond just pizza delivery, autonomous vehicles, how cryptocurrencies are changing business, and China’s use of facial recognition technology to stop jaywalkers in their tracks.…

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