Tech for Good Live

Happy International Women's Day everyone! And yep if you’re asking… there is an International Men’s Day. Also, be a better person.

This week we’re talking about automated benefit cuts, WWF foul play, Facial recognition for dog shelters, and finalists for the Impact Awards, and I guess, more foul play?

We also make fun of robots, again. And we’re probably high up on their kill list by now.

Joining us this week we have the usuals: Amelia, Sacha, Sophie and Bex, with Mills producing this week because you know, women.

And we have a guest! Helen has worked in the voluntary sector for over 15 years in EU/Govt/local authority policy influencing and campaigning roles.

You may have noticed something different this week; in honour of International Women’s Day we’ll be featuring an all women podcast!

This week's stories:

Stat of the week: 8000 face incorrect benefit cuts from automated fraud detector

https://news.sky.com/story/thousands-face-incorrect-benefit-cuts-from-automated-fraud-detector-11651031

Charity news of the week:

WWF’s Secret War: One Of The World’s Biggest Charities Funds Guards Who Have Tortured And Killed People

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomwarren/wwf-world-wide-fund-nature-parks-torture-death

PetRescue uses facial recognition to turn spotlight on rescue dogs

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/02/20/turning-likes-action-petrescue-uses-facial-recognition-turn-spotlight-rescue-dogs

Donations to animal rescue groups dry up as charity PetRescue doubles in size

https://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/donations-to-animal-rescue-groups-dry-up-as-charity-petrescue-doubles-in-size/news-story/7743dac3940fbd5da216e9dee64875fe

Tech news of the week:

With the finalists named for the Impact Awards what about talking about some of them?

https://www.impact-awards.co.uk/finalists

Rant of the week:

https://twitter.com/ndimichino/status/1098621012990664705

And finally....

https://twitter.com/thecodinglove/status/1079695971884453889?s=21

Thanks to the magnificent PR Agency One who try to make sense of this mess. Also, thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the second episode of “Making Friends With…” - a new special series where the Tech for Good Live team sit down for an in-depth interview with someone who is doing exceptional work in the tech industry.

In this episode, Bex and Jonny chat with Richard Wilson, co-founder of Stop Funding Hate.

They talk about the origins of the organisation. The push back from the media. Supporters. Trolls. And how they managed to make the campaign such a huge success.

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please drop us a review on iTunes, and if you’d like to hear more interviews and conversations like this, let us know who you’d recommend we interview. Send thoughts, suggestions and feedback on Twitter @techforgoodlive.

Thanks!

We have a whole host of interesting topics to talk about this week, such as charities and the Mail on Sunday engaging in verbal fisticuffs, a VR project to help young people suffering from mental health conditions and the fascinating secret lives of the Facebook moderators.

Joining host Ben White this week are Jonny Rae-Evans, Harry Bailey and Producer Paul.

Stat of the week:

The Mail on Sunday says that ten of the UK's largest charities spent more than £225m on support and governance costs. Charity Sector pushes back:

https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/sector-hits-back-mail-sunday-story-spending/finance/article/1562776

Charity news of the week:

A charity’s virtual reality project to help young people overcome mental health issues has scooped two technology awards.

The Children’s Society’s Reality Check project was one of four organisations to win a best not-for-profit gong at the inaugural Vodafone Techstarter awards.

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/02/14/vodafone-techstarter-awards-charity-winners-revealed/

Tech news of the week:

The secret lives of Facebook moderators:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18229714/cognizant-facebook-content-moderator-interviews-trauma-working-conditions-arizona

YouTube are banning antivaxers :

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1099134307518566401?s=21

Rant of the week:

Facebook sweeps up personal information yet people keep using it.

https://twitter.com/schoofsfeed/status/1098999479141752832?s=21

And finally...

https://thispersondoesnotexist.com

Thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

In this week's episode we discuss whether parents trust social networks to protect their kids online, Instagram gaining a donation option and the end of Amazons New York HQ plans.

Along the way we ask the big question on everyone's minds this week, how many towels is the right amount of towels? And finally, the recently engaged Greg finds his dream wedding venue.

Stats of the week:

6/10 parents do not think social networks protect children from risks such as sexual grooming and inappropriate content around self-harm and suicide:

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/02/15/parents-back-charitys-call-for-tough-social-media-regulation/

Charity news of the week:

Instagram to launch donations function:

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/02/13/instagram-to-launch-donation-feature/

Great Ormond Street Hospital launch VR tour:

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/02/15/hospital-charity-launches-virtual-reality-tour/

Tech news of the week:

Amazon cancels plans to set up in New York, most likely due to a scathing reporting of the issue:

https://slate.com/technology/2019/02/amazon-hq2-new-york-cancelled.html

https://slate.com/technology/2019/02/amazon-new-york-hq2-resist-cities-tech.html

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/15/amazon_no_tax/

Rant of the week:

Government failing at key regulation:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/12/commons_science_committee_biometrics_inquiry/

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/06/uk_autonomous_vehicles_code_2019/

And finally...

New robot science museum will construct itself in Seoul

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/maa-robot-science-museum-seoul-02-19-19/

Thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

If you are listening to this on the release day, it’s Valentine’s Day! That means the faint smells of love and capitalist greed are in the air. Such joy. Much happiness. Such card purchases.

We have a jam packed show this week, filled with stories about islamophobia on twitter, we talk about cockroaches and how they relate to technology. Germany are being the heroes we all need now in the fight against intrusive advertising. AND we even have some time to talk about Captain Marvel. Because she’s totally all about using Kree technology - but only for good.

Bex is back hosting this week, she's joined by a expletive heavy Greg Aston, Jonny Rae-Evans, and Dsposal's Tom Passmore.

Our special guest this week is Jo Morfee from the excellent InnovateHer. You can find her on Twitter (@JoMorfee)

Find out more about InnovateHer at:

https://www.innovateher.co.uk/

This weeks topics:

Stats of the week:

New algorithm finds 48% of tweets from 45 far right accounts contain weak to strong Islamophobia:

https://theconversation.com/how-we-built-a-tool-that-detects-the-strength-of-islamophobic-hate-speech-on-twitter-102536

Charity news of the week:

Hemsley Conservation centre have great campaign idea for valentines, name a cockroach after your ex:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8175258/name-cockroach-ex-boyfriend-valentines-day/

Which was then stolen by a Texan zoo:

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/08/692823603/this-zoo-will-name-a-cockroach-after-your-ex-and-feed-it-to-meerkats?t=1549817744495

Tech news of the week:

Facebook advertising business could be outlawed in Germany and they’ve explained why this is an antitrust issue, a first step to reducing the power of their empire:

https://www.wired.com/story/germany-facebook-antitrust-ruling/

Rant of the week:

Ignorance or just plain apathy:

https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/james-mullarkey-charities-change-relationship-big-tech-firms/digital/article/1525530

And finally...

Captain Marvel promoters try to make a retro website but piss off some geeks:

https://twitter.com/backlon/status/1094033539308314624?s=19

Thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune.

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

Hot on the heels of our WorkerTech podcast, we look at promotion opportunities for part time staff. A charity has created a new cancer support map. Facebook and Google go to war with Apple. And have the police gone too far? … Is now the time of facial recognition software?

Bex was away in lovely Bristol and we are sadly guestless due to the dreaded winter lurgy, but thankfully host Jonny-Rae Evans, Greg Aston, Ben White and Producer Paul held down the fort.

This weeks topics:

Part-time workers have just 21% chance of being promoted as opposed to full-time which is 45%

And 78% are working beyond their contracted hours:

https://www.workingfamilies.orghttps://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/news/mfi_2019/.uk/news/mfi_2019/

Dimbleby Cancer Care launches cancercaremap.org:

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/01/30/charity-creates-online-cancer-support-map/

Facebook caught sucking up data, the problem wasn’t they broke the law, they broke Apple’s terms of service….and then Google got caught too:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/29/facebook-project-atlas/

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/30/googles-also-peddling-a-data-collector-through-apples-back-door/

Police facial recognition test:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/facial-recognition-cameras-technology-london-trial-met-police-face-cover-man-fined-a8756936.html

And finally...

Oh no! Terrifying news you can hide a computer virus in DNA...wait, did anyone miss the amazing fact you can put code into DNA?

https://www.wired.com/story/malware-dna-hack/

Thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune.

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

Welcome everyone to yet another joyous edition of the Tech for Good Live podcast. We have much to talk about. Such as… Porn! Suicide! Terrifying rogue japanese robots! And the beginning of the end for fundraising platform MyDonate.

In the studio this week is Ben White, who has been away for a while, rearing children. He's joined by pod regular Jonny Rae-Evans and host Bex.

AND WE HAVE A GUEST! Lauren Coulman lent us her wonderful voice.

Lauren is a social entrepreneur, and founder of social impact consultancy Noisy Cricket, which builds people-powered movements through bringing diverse voices together to create social change.

Things discussed:

Stat of the week:

An “Internet Matters” report has found that 83% of parents support government plans to introduce age-verification on porn sights to increase online safety

https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/8-out-of-10-parents-back-governments-pornography-age-verification-plans/

Charity news of the week:

BT to close fundraising platform “My Donate”

https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/bt-to-close-fundraising-platform-mydonate.html

Tech news of the week:

Instagram helped kill my daughter:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-46966009/instagram-helped-kill-my-daughter

Facebook to integrate Whatsapp, Messenger and Facebook?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47001460

And finally 2 mins

Terrifying:

https://boingboing.net/2019/01/23/a-psychotic-rogue-japanese-ott.html

If you’ve enjoyed listening to this podcast, please drop us a friendly review on iTunes.

You can hear more episodes like this, and also some special additions, on iTunes, Spotify and your regular podcast providers.

Also, thanks to podcast.co, they know everything about podcasting and host us in a fancy studio in Manchester. You can hire it too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

If you want to talk to us or send complaints, which is clearly more likely, our twitter is @techforgoodlive.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

Welcome to “Making Friends With…” - a new special series where the Tech for Good Live team sit down for an in-depth interview with someone who is doing exceptional work in the tech industry.

In this episode, Bex and Jonny chat with user research extrordinaire Steve Portigal, author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Dangers and Dead Batteries.

They talk about the role of the user researcher, the increasingly blurry line between design and research, design ethics, and Steve’s favourite stories from user researchers out in the field.

We hope you enjoy the episode. Please drop us a review on iTunes, and if you’d like to hear more interviews and conversations like this, let us know who you’d recommend we interview. Send thoughts, suggestions and feedback on Twitter @techforgoodlive.

Thanks!

This week we chat about fake news and the crap news reporting it. We also discuss new toys for charity shops, the future of advertising and fake ethics, and discover our new favourite game... 'When will the tape measure bend!?'

In the studio are Greg Ashton, Producer Paul and this weeks host, Harry Bailey. They are joined by special guest, Fianna Hornby.

Fianna works in marketing at AutoTrader as well as with our friends at Ladies that UX. She has many, yes many, claims to fame. Besides increasing volunteering at AutoTrader from 1 to 25%, she has also appeared on Songs of Praise twice and had her speaking line in the film Northern Soul cut. You can find her on Twitter @fiannahornby

Topics discussed this week:

Over 65s 7 times more likely to share fake news:

https://apnews.com/c2e7517984a64c6a922e84d550e1e041

Which sounds shocking until you find out in another article that the rate of sharing fake news was extremely low:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/facebook-fake-news-2016-election.html 

New tool for increasing gift aid in charity shop donations:

https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/01/16/charity-retail-tool-updated-to-boost-gift-aid-claims/

Future of advertising?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/19/from-whatsapp-to-alexa-why-the-ad-free-era-is-over

https://digiday.com/media/new-york-times-gdpr-cut-off-ad-exchanges-europe-ad-revenue/

The ongoing topic of facial recognition is enough to rent about but the opportunistic claims of “ethics” is a growing trend:

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/01/20/face-recognition-surveillance-issue-amazon-google-microsoft-column/2581992002/

And finally:

Never lose workshop work again:

http://www.e-beam.com/smartmarker.html

Thanks to podcast.co for hosting us in a beautiful mirrored studio. Which you can’t see. But it is pretty.

Special thanks to @geekytom for the theme tune

Get in touch:

Twitter: @techforgoodlive

Instagram: techforgoodlive

Email: [email protected]

Happy new year! The festivities are over. Songs are no longer being sung. Sleigh Bells are no longer ringing. And smiles and happiness feel like a distant memory. That’s right - it must be time for the Tech for Good Live podcast to return.

On this weeks show we talk about the impact of AI on smart hearing aids, 400k being spent on three charity projects for digital inclusion, Facebook’s loss is Apples gain, and a Rollercoaster ride that you will definitely need to use the toilet on.

Host Bex and pod regular Jonny are joined by offical "Friends of TFGL", Tom and Sophie from Dsposal.

Our special guest this week is writer and human rights activist Richard Wilson, co-founder of the excellent Stop Funding Hate campaign group.

Launched in August 2016, the campaign aims to make media hate and discrimination unprofitable by encouraging companies to pull their advertising from the Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express.