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Comments for Mark and Kevin can now be left on the new comment line: 1 206-333-1327 or you can email mevans@nationalpost.com or check out Mark's blog at http://evans.blogware.com/blog

.16 - Mark sets things up by declaring 2006 the year of the video and YouTube in particular. The recent deal with Warner, coupled with Microsoft's announcement of the beta "YouTube for middle aged people," Soapbox, leads into a copyright discussion.

1.29 - Kevin loves the unregulated nature of video sharing but wonders how long left it has in its current form.

2.38 - Mark speculates that investment may be a part of the Warner Brothers deal which suggests YouTube will have to go legit and therefore become less compelling.

3.39 - Kevin would pay for high quality clips, on an a la carte, one off basis.

4.25 - Mark draws comparisons between YouTube (video) and Napster (music) and says that big media companies are being forced to sign agreements before the genie gets out of the bottle. He wonders what the business model will be and predicts a formalized agreement with content producers.

5.50 - Kevin responds to Mark's assertion that this isn't the first time Microsoft has been late to a party (browser and search in particular). He thinks that Microsoft just doesn't have that cool factor with consumer products and, although it'll make money with Soapbox, will never catch YouTube; it would have been easier to buy the traffic and the content.

6.54 - Mark brings some perspective and reminds us of Microsoft's record in playing catch up in the browser market and the gaming industry.

7.30 - The guys segue way into a discussion on the Wii - a completely different gaming console that may change the industry in the way Xbox online changed it a few years ago. The new device has been priced at $250 and is looking at a fall release which could herald a renaissance for Nintendo.

9.18 - Mark is very impressed with the "triple crown" Blackberry Pearl, and with the form of RIM's CEOs in particular. A Freudian slip may suggest a new entrant to the mobile email market? The sure-type key board works really well but people may wait for the Qwerty version.

10.42 - Kevin reveals what he'll be looking for from the RIM analyst briefing he's going to. He's impressed with the market that's opened up for the company after the introduction of more consumer-type functions such as the camera.

12.13 - Mark rounds things off by predicting more positive changes for the show.

As always, the music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can now be left on the new comment line: 1 206-333-1327 or you can email mevans@nationalpost.com

http://evans.blogware.com/blog

0:16 - Mark welcomes listeners and delivers a shameless plug for Starbucks to sponsor Talking Tech.

0:51 - The theme of the week is hardware with Microsoft's Zune and the raft of Apple announcements including the iTV.  Mark starts with the, non-iPod killer, Zune - 30gb, wireless connection, track sampling for up to three plays over three days and the new Urge music service.

1:33 - Kevin addresses the question of whether it will become a viable iPod competitor and says that Microsoft have learnt from the mistakes of other hardware vendors.  Kevin predicts a very viable number of sales for Microsoft but doubts they can catch up with the iPod's 'cool' factor, no matter what the technology.

3:12 - Kevin says the biggest mistake competitors made was that their devices just weren't as cool, functional or elegant.  The iPod, and Apple, just deliver a great experience.  Kevin says the Zune is a good step forward but notes that Microsoft products aren't as user friendly as Apple's.

4:02 - Mark believes that the iPod's Achilles heel is the fact that users become married to other Apple products - which has helped Apple, as iTunes is such a good product.  Will Microsoft offer enough be able to tempt people away?

4:43 - Mark goes on to talk about iTV, which wirelessly connects your television to your Mac  He notes that the digital living room is, potentially, a huge market but Kevin thinks it's too early and too geeky  to be mainstream right now, despite the buzz it generated.  Mark disagrees and says that Apple's user friendly heritage means he's giving Apple the benefit of the doubt.

7:02 - Mark asks Kevin for his thoughts on Apple's new movie download service.  Kevin is skeptical that people will want to watch movies on their iPods or even their computers.  However he predicts the industry will get behind it as it will curb piracy and Mark draws comparisons between now and the launch of iTunes.  Kevin adds a caveat saying that file sizes are currently too large and network capacities are too small for people to download enough movies to change the industry.

9:49 - Mark brings up TIFF and suggests a download service for the niche films shown in festivals that aren't often shown in theatres - like The Last King of Scotland.  Kevin is a big movie fan and would love that sort of service, however he says that the impetus isn't there for the movie industry to change in the same way as the music industry had to.  Yet.

12:27 - It's been a huge week for Telus with their stock rising following income trust conversion plans, winning a five year contract with the Government of Ontario from Bell and breaking ground at the Telus Tower.  Mark reviews his interview with CEO Darren Entwistle and Kevin confirms that Bob McFarlen, the CFO, was the most excited he's ever seen him, when talking about Telus' future.

14:10 - Mark brings it back to the big picture and looks at the competitive landscape with Shaw, Bell, Rogers, EDS, IBM and others for consumer and corporate telco business.  The industry still has challenges to overcome and the guys urge caution as the industry is being driven by wireless phones.

15:59 - Kevin comments on the potential movement into consumer services from Telus, despite their lack of owned networks, in Ontario and Quebec.  It won't be easy but Mark says they could leverage their existing structure with wireless technology to get into new markets.

18:10 - Mark announces that they are choosing logos for the show and directs listeners to his blog to feedback on the candidates.  Mark and Kevin thank Dave Jones and Ed Lee, from Fleishman-Hillard, along with Neil Johnson and Steve Coppola from iStudio for their help in the podcast's makeover.

Comments for Mark and Kevin can now be left on the new comment line: 1 206-333-1327.

The music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke which is available on the pod safe music network.

Share your comments, feedback and questions with us at Mark's blog or send an email to mevans@nationalpost.com.

0.14 - Mark welcomes back listeners, explains the gap between shows and introduces a new name for the show.  Mark and Kevin then discuss Kevin's departure from the National Post to become a senior analyst at the SeaBoard Group.

2.56 - Research in Motion (RIM) has finally launched the new Blackberry Pearl.  Kevin believes that the device is worth the hype, but urges caution over RIM's stock price, and says that consumers are closer to having the all-in-one device they crave although they're not there yet.

4.59 - Mark, a regular Blackberry user, is not impressed by the Motorola Moto Q, which isn't intuitive enough, but says he finds the new Nokia E62 promising. 

6.20 - Mark brings up Toronto Hydro's new wi-fi network in downtown Toronto.  Kevin thinks that the overall strategy is aggressive, despite the limited coverage zone of the initial execution.  He then compares the pricing and access speeds between Bell's and Rogers's "Portable Internet" product to Toronto Hydro.

7.40 - Kevin reports that Toronto Hydro had 200,000 simultaneous users within the six squared kilometers network when they went live and predicts this will shake up the industry. 

8.00 - Mark is especially interested by the pricing and wonders if the low cost of access will lead to a price war, noting that the major broadband providers all have similar pricing plans.

9.17 - Kevin agrees that Rogers and Bell will have to lower their pricing if they want to stay competitive in the space. 

10.00 - Mark asks about increasing the network's coverage, to include the new buildings that are being developed. Kevin goes through the five zones Toronto Hydro wants to have covered before the end of the year.

11.18 - Mark takes a look at the municipal Wi-Fi phenomenon and the reasons behind this new movement.

12.17 - Kevin thinks this is the way of the future and that municipalities want to brand themselves as tourist friendly places with the rise of portable digital devices.  He references a conversation with the CEO of BelAir Networks, Bernard Herscovich to illustrate the demand across North America for equipment.

13.04 - Mark wraps things up with a heartfelt admission and predicts changes in the way the show is produced.  But Starbucks is still the natural home for Talking Tech!

The new music is No Mojo by Anthony Stauffer and Holy Smoke and is available on the pod safe music network.