February 2010 archive

Education in the Digital Age

Over the next couple of weeks, I need to give some thought to the next course I will be undertaking as part of my Masters of Science degree. That got me thinking about how the Internet has changed education opportunities for many people including those who work full time (such as myself) and people who …

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Attorney-General: Gamers Scarier Than Bikers

In a story picked up by SMH today, the South Australian Attorney-General has been quoted having said: “I feel that my family and I are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me.” Leading on from my earlier blogs on video game classification and the attack …

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Windows 7 – No Worries Mate!

I thought I would post about Windows 7 given that in two weeks time, the Release Candidate version (which I happen to run on my desktop) will start shutting down every two hours until it expires on 01/06/2010. I backup my computer daily so for me to format and reinstall isn’t such a big deal …

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Is “Unlimited” a Dirty Word?

In news today, AAPT has launched an unlimited ADSL2+ broadband plan according to Australian IT. In the past, ISPs have been caught short for using the term “unlimited” with the ACCC with fine print about usage caps, speed throttling, peak and off peak quotas, etc. Otherwise, those who have been brave enough to offer truly …

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Rechargable Batteries – Handy or a Hassle?

USB Cell (Recharging)

Since leaving home about six years ago I have been using rechargeable batteries in various devices (such as remote controls, wireless keyboards, wireless mice, Wiimotes, etc). I don’t know why my folks were never keen on using them but I’ve always disliked the idea of single use batteries especially as people become more environmentally conscious. …

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Full Body Scanners – Are You Concerned About Your Health & Privacy?

A recurring topic that has appeared in the news the last few weeks has been about the use of full body scanners at Australian airports. In particular, this ZDNet article echoes previous concerns about privacy and how the naked images of those who are scanned could be redistributed. A good example highlighting such a misuse …

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Mobile Internet – A Great Communications Enabler

SCG Cricket @ 20100212 (Raining)

I am out to watch the cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground today which got me thinking about how mobile access to the Internet has changed modern communication. I am writing this from my iPhone which I have also used to take a couple of photos to accompany this update. When I finished school just …

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My Take on the Toyota Prius Brake Recall

Before I get started, I’ll preface this entry with the fact that I own a 2008 Toyota Prius (second generation) which is not affected by the current recall of the third generation Prius. It seems to me that the media has sensationalised what is effectively a nuance in the way a Toyota hybrid vehicle brakes. …

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Google Chrome Bug Bounty – Cheap or Considerate?

I came across a news article today on ZDNet Australia about Google starting a reward scheme for people who find and report bugs in its Chrome browser. There are some questions and answers about what constitutes an eligible bug at the Chromium blog but in a nutshell, the base reward starts at US$500 (similar to …

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On Sale – Super Mario Bros Wii for AU$1.6m

In news following on the feels of the legal case between AFACT and iiNet (covered in an earlier blog entry), James Burt of Brisbane has found himself owning the most expensive copy of Super Mario Bros Wii in the world after being fined over one million dollars for illegally distributing the game online about a …

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