Windows outage causes havoc

• A major outage has affected Windows computer systems, starting at about 1am ET. Companies using CrowdStrike Falcon, a piece of software designed to prevent network attacks, discovered that their computers had shut down and were unable to reboot. This forced broadcasters, banks, supermarkets and airlines to shut down. Australia was worst hit, where the issue started at 3pm AEST.

  • While it is unlikely to affect podcast hosting (which generally use Linux servers), it is likely to significantly affect staff like customer support teams, sales processes and other back-end systems. Fixing the issue needs manual work, likely requiring IT team members to have physical access to computers.

• “Using AI to read a personal endorsement—unless done for accessibility purposes—is both disingenuous and unethical.” So says ADOPTER Media, which has announced clear limits on the use of AI voice-cloning for host-read ads.

• Tink Media is five years old today. The growth and discovery company is celebrating with a free webinar - How to make podcast friends - and a discount on the popular Podcast Therapy consultancy sessions.

• Podcast Movement has announced that Gabriel Soto from Edison Research will keynote, investigating the world of true crime podcasts with audiochuck. A number of other speakers have also been announced. (Our Editor will, of course, be there too!) Prices go up shortly - use code PODNEWS to save.

• Christmas time is here again - at least, according to SiriusXM Media, which has released The Advertiser’s Guide to the Holidays, with everything you need to implement a successful audio campaign this season.

• Dan Carlin is interviewed by Reason. He tells the magazine that he doesn’t want to know much about his audience. “I feel like their privacy is valuable to them like mine is to me, and what the podcasting services give us is enough.”

People News

• Didier Sibellas has joined Wondercraft as Head of Design. Wondercraft calls itself “Canva for Audio”; Sibellas worked at Canva for eight years, and was Canva’s first full-time Product Designer and Head of Digital Design.

• Michael Green has joined Transistor as Support Engineer. He has been working for the company on a part-time basis for the last year, and is now a full-time team member.

Tips and tricks - with Memberful

• Justin Jackson tells us how to do an audio and a video podcast at the same time.

Podcast News

In the Podnews Weekly Review this week, Gordon Firemark (the Podcast Lawyer) talks about copyright, licences and fair use; and Sam and James discuss all the week’s news, including the new Overcast and a music licence for podcasting in the UK.

Wow If True is the first podcast to join the Multitude podcast collective via its Open Doors program - a one-stop internet culture shop, explaining how what’s happening online shapes the real world. It’s hosted by tech culture journalist Amanda Silberling and science fiction author slash attorney Isabel J. Kim, Esq.

There are many popular Catholic podcasts out there - but For Better, For Worse is one with a difference, focusing on Catholic Dating. The show, which launched this month, offers a unique blend of heartfelt narratives and practical advice that resonates deeply with the Catholic community.

Will AI take over your jobs? Is AI secure enough? AI and You is a 10-episode podcast series answering the burning questions revolving around the present and future impact of artificial intelligence on our lives. This Europod series is available in 6 languages (EN, FR, ES, IT, PL, DE) and is broadcast by three European media partners.

Small Town Dicks is hosting Beyond Recognition: The Ruxton Murders from today. Based on the forensic science bestseller, “Ruxton: The First Modern Murder,” it will unfold over six episodes, releasing weekly on Fridays. It’s hosted by Yeardley Smith.

Music and entertainment podcast And That’s That On That is back for a third season. The show broke into the top 50 podcast charts on Apple Music after only the second episode; but it’s taken a hiatus recently - it returns today with video segments and more exclusive content.