Oops... seems my trying to put target="_blank" at the end of my link stuffed up. This is the correct link.

interesting... the article I read about this (as an external observer) indicated that a deal was reached... but this article seems to indicate the opposite.

The Smart TV apps on my LG 50" TV work, but take ages to load. Youtube is good, Netflix isn't available in my region, iView had problems loading the only time I tried it (but works on the Xbox 360 so I use that instead). I've tried the web-browser and it was really slow, and didn't handle forms entry particularly well even when using my phone as a remote control for it - the experience has led me to leave the TV there for watching the TV, and to simultaneously browse the web from either my phone or my android tablet.

Is it wrong that I left them because they screwed me over in other ways (hey, they are an ISP, after all!)?

As an Aussie, I approve of them making a stand against how everyone in this country is ripped off by all the media outlets - especially when our dollar is worth more than the US dollar. And as for making us wait 3-6 months because they don't want us watching... well, the internet tore down that time barrier as well.

Unfortunately the saying "no one ever got fired for buying Cisco" hung around after the Linksys acquisition and subsequent badging.

It wouldn't have been such a problem if they'd kept calling things Linksys, and not put the Cisco Systems logo all over everything. Then releasing all the Linksys kit as Cisco SMB - that was just crazy.

is Steam Big Picture as a desktop environment for ubuntu, or something along those lines - a linux OS which boots up into Steam. So you can build your own steam console with the hardware you want (and is fully upgradeable when new tech comes out) and ready to rock as soon as the OS is installed.

Seems pretty good to me, and doesn't bug you to buy the full version like AVG does.

I think you'll find the Australian authorities had nothing to do with it, since New Zealand is a completely separate country to Australia! ;)

... which is exactly the point of TFA! ;)

Just because they can do that, doesn't make it right, especially when the services are provided in Australia (such as advertising on Google's sites, delivered via Google's equipment in Australia, as one example of many), and it's only the billing which is handled in Ireland, which it most definitely is in the case with Google. I'm not a mathematical genius, but the standard company tax rate in Australia is 30% - and when the ATO can see $1 billion of declared payments (including GST) to Google, and then a total payment of tax of less than 0.0007 of that income earned in Australia, they are right to ask questions. Google's laywers and accountants are taking the piss out of the ATO by avoiding to this extent.

No they haven't been charged with tax evasion. However, as the Australian Taxation Office has seen claims of AU$1b in payments including GST to Google through the quarterly business activity statements that every registered business has to make, there is a very large discrepancy in how much Google are paying taxwise and how much they are earning in Australia. Whilst legally they are financially providing the services from Ireland at the moment and physically providing them in Australia, these measures are being taken to ensure that in future they pay far more in Australian taxes on income earned in Australia, instead of siphoning all this money out of the country.

You clearly haven't encountered Telstra, and all their incompetence.