Submission + - Apple Loses Tablet Stoush in Australia (smh.com.au)
StrahdVZ writes: Apple has lost its appeal against Samsung in the Australian High Court, meaning the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available for Christmas.
Comment Re:Tree Planting? (Score 1) 638
And these are the same people who are ironically demanding freedom of speech and the right to be skeptical about AGW... in the very same breath they demonise anyone who provides credible evidence for AGW. Hypocrites.
Submission + - Remarkable night-sky photos from Starmus winner (smh.com.au)
StrahdVZ writes: Ukrainian-born Australian Alex Cherney has won the photographic competition at Starmus, in the Canary Islands, for some remarkable photography of the southern night sky. Check them out.
Comment Re:Obama Brought back Jobs and Growth (Score 3, Insightful) 639
I've never understood the Republicans' fear of "frightening expansion of government" while in the same breath they're happy to have the government track and monitor their every move in the interests of national security and tell them what they can and can not watch or read in the interests of morality.
It doesn't make sense. How can you not trust them to give basic services and necessities to the poor, but you can seemingly trust them to listen in on your every move and tell you exactly what you can and can not do?
Isn't the whole point of government to provide services to the community, as opposed to being a nanny?
Comment Re:What filter? (Score 3, Interesting) 222
As stated on Q&A, the vast majority (at least 80%) of legislation is passed through the House of Reps unanimously. Only the contentious legislation is held up for debate.
The ignorant masses need to watch quality current affairs and quality interviews once in a while rather than Today Tonight "OMG the Murdoch media empire said something bad about Labor so it must be true we're all going to die thanks to Labor now lets see how Masterchef is doing".
Comment Re:Good news, but (Score 1) 252
My apologies, factors have changed overnight. He will indeed attempt to repeal the laws immediately.
I guess I was just having a hard time believing that common sense could prevail twice in one day....
Comment Re:Good news, but (Score 2, Interesting) 252
Actually it has NOT been overturned yet. The South Australian Attorney-General declared that he would scrap the laws AFTER the upcoming election. Now this is assuming that he and his party will still be in power after the election (a big assumption indeed).
If he isn't then I'll bet my chops that the Conservatives who are then in power will do everything they can to retain the draconian law.
Comment Typo in Subject line - National Summit (Score 1) 1
Subject line should read National Summit. I could swear I typed the full text into the original submission for subject line...
Submission + - Ballmer lets the "crazy" out at National S 1
StrahdVZ writes: Ballmer doing what he does best — a whole lot of crazy.
http://images.smh.com.au/2009/06/18/584443/steveballmer1-420x0.jpg
Comment Re:World's Worst Jobs (Score 1) 373
Your post brought up memories of this guy, I grew up in the next suburb to this place:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Man_of_La_Perouse
The guy who was running it at the time had been bitten and taken to hospital something like 6-7 times (as of that time - I'm sure the counter would have gone up by now) - Steve Irwin eat your heart out. That photo looks like it may still be the same bloke.
Submission + - Independent Senator opposes Australian net filter
An anonymous reader writes: Independent Australian Senator, Nick Xenophon, who shares a balance of Australian Senate power has joined the Greens and opposition parties who have already indicated they will scuttle legislation toward mandatory ISP-level internet filtering. This leaves only the governing Labor Party (who have a senate minority) and the conservative Family First Senator Steven Fielding in support of the plan — not enough to vote in any legislation that may be required. The plan has also been famously criticised by ISPs, Young Labor (the youth wing of the ruling government party that wants to implement the filter), some child welfare groups and even a vocal conservative Senator "who famously tried to censor the chef Gordon Ramsay's swearing on television".
Submission + - Defendant must tell government his password (volokh.com) 1
sohp writes: "Over at The Volokh Conspiracy, reports are out that the case of a man who invoked the 5th amendment when asked to supply the password to decrypt his hard drive to allow police to search for child pornography has a new development. A judge has overturned the original magistrate's decision allowing the defense and has ordered Sebastien Boucher to supply the prosecutors with a decrypted hard disk. Note that the order is not that he produce the key — just that he provide an unencrypted copy."
Submission + - UK Gov: IWF list should cover 100% of UK broadband (bbc.co.uk) 1
wild_quinine writes: The UK government stated in 2006 that they wished to see 100% of UK consumer broadband ISP's connections covered by blocking, which includes images of child abuse. 95% of ISPs have complied, but children's charities are calling for firmer action by the government as the last 5% cite costs and concerns over the effectiveness of the system. According to Home Office Minister Alan Campbell, "The government is currently looking at ways to progress the final 5%." With a lack of transparency in the IWF list, firm government involvement, and blocking which only 'includes' (but may not be limted to) images of child abuse, it looks like the writing is on the wall for unfiltered, uncensored internet connections in the UK.
Submission + - Leak reveals music industry's copyright strategy (computerworld.co.nz)
Rob O'Neill writes: "A leaked letter from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand shows how the industry wants to implement its three strikes policy before users are disconnected from the internet for alleged copyright infringement. The letter says a draft Code of Practice produced by internet service providers is not acceptable in its present form."
