FOXTEL, iPads, areas that allow teenagers to listen to music and conference rooms open until 11pm - libraries are evolving into one of the coolest places for kids to hang out.
Hi-tech features are increasingly being added to attract teenagers once reluctant to frequent services with a reputation of being quiet and boring.
At the forefront of the innovation is the Campbelltown Library at Newton, which includes a "magic tree" that uses audio and visual technology to create effects from starry nights to bright pink ripples and sounds like birds singing as children read.
An outdoor reading area is another recent feature.
Library services manager Ursula Hickey said the north-eastern suburbs book hub had grown in popularity, especially among teens, since the new look was unveiled in September.
"Teenagers can be noisy, they can watch Foxtel and listen to music or they can sit quietly and study," she said. "It's the type of thing a lot of libraries are making small moves towards."
Architecture firm DesignInc Adelaide managing director Richard Stafford, whose business created the new look at Newton, said bookstore cafes have had a significant influence on the change in community libraries.
"There was a time when you couldn't eat or talk in libraries and now you can do both," he said.
Sam Jonas, 15, liked a library where you could "make a bit of noise".
"I usually go to do research for school projects, but I think it's cool you can use technology and not be scared to make a little bit of noise."
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Paper vs Pad
The iPad's role in saving newspapers is far from certain
ANDREA CARSON
June 9, 2010
It may make delivery easier, but a different partnership is needed for quality stories.
THE young man with a new iPad sat in a city cafe, sipping a short black as he swiped electronic pages, seemingly effortlessly. A dozen or so of us gazed at him through the cafe window. And why not? This machine is many things: lightweight, clever, portable and - having outpaced the iPhone with 2 million sales worldwide in two months - also popular. But will this tablet technology be the miracle panacea for the uncertain future newspapers face?
Newspapers are expensive to own and run. The ''rivers of gold'' advertising revenue of the heady 1980s have slowed as new online tributaries compete for market share. Today, any popular online site can attract advertising. As competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel can testify, healthy competition drops prices. Advertising rates are no exception.
This paper's technology editor, Gordon Farrer, is optimistic the iPad will provide the ''smart interface'', backed by a company's track record, to get consumers to pay for content. But writing online, Eric Beecher - whose long newspaper experience includes writing, editing and publishing - says it is unclear how the iPad will create advertising revenue for newspapers.
The truth is it's hard to know who's right, because the iPad is an infant. Like all infants, it brings excitement, has wonderful potential, and has some growing up to do.
But it is a winner for Apple chief executive Steve Jobs's marketing team. Even though it has built the iPad without convenient modern features such as a USB port, camera, memory card, Adobe flash and multi-tasking capabilities, Apple has forced a deliberate market space for the new device. It has ensured consumers ''need'' a laptop, an iPhone, an iPod and now an iPad. Why merge functions when you can sell more products?
This model is perhaps a precursor to a better servant for newspapers, but not yet. Salvation waits.
Here are some facts about newspapers:
■The internet is barely a teenager. Western newspaper readership decline began before the internet became a word in the dictionary.
■British research shows quality newspapers have lost fewer readers relative to their circulations than tabloids.
■Quality journalism builds public trust. US media doyen Philip Meyer asserts democracy is strongest when several conditions are met, including survival of ''quality'' newspapers. This is supported by studies showing a positive correlation between healthy democracies and hard-copy newspapers. Meyer says the internet serves democracy as a distributor of information rather than an originator.
■Research shows that online newspaper content is less diverse and more entertainment focused than its print equivalents. Content converges when a medium relies solely on advertising revenue rather than a mix of sources.
For journalism to serve democracy, it seems clear that the content is of most importance. With this in mind, the question is less about whether the iPad is the right delivery method and more about how to sponsor good journalism.
Relying on subscription-based online delivery is flawed because the modern trend is free, free, and free. Rupert Murdoch may think readers will pay for content, but that genie is out of the bottle. Also passe are family-owned newspapers. Moreover, public broadcasters provide a quality non-subscription alternative.
Only niche publications such as business mastheads can get away with charging for content because credible information is specific and not easily found free.
In the United States, quality journalism has been funded by philanthropy. The success story is ProPublica, which recently won a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative journalism. But a philanthropic model requires a steady flow of donations and goodwill. And there is a risk of perceived and actual conflicts of interest. Some Scandinavian and European governments subsidise newspapers. But seeing as we already have the excellent ABC, this seems indulgent.
A more effective model builds on this idea. Innovative partnerships such as a recent one between The Age and the ABC delivered a bigger audience and broader coverage of an important story about Securency, a Reserve Bank subsidiary, and allegations of corruption involving its polymer note contracts.
Time will tell if the iPad was a step in the right direction for delivering newspapers. But clever partnerships to pursue public interest journalism? That is cause for optimism.
Andrea Carson is working on a PhD on the role investigative journalism in broadsheet newspapers plays in a democracy.
ANDREA CARSON
June 9, 2010
It may make delivery easier, but a different partnership is needed for quality stories.
THE young man with a new iPad sat in a city cafe, sipping a short black as he swiped electronic pages, seemingly effortlessly. A dozen or so of us gazed at him through the cafe window. And why not? This machine is many things: lightweight, clever, portable and - having outpaced the iPhone with 2 million sales worldwide in two months - also popular. But will this tablet technology be the miracle panacea for the uncertain future newspapers face?
Newspapers are expensive to own and run. The ''rivers of gold'' advertising revenue of the heady 1980s have slowed as new online tributaries compete for market share. Today, any popular online site can attract advertising. As competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel can testify, healthy competition drops prices. Advertising rates are no exception.
This paper's technology editor, Gordon Farrer, is optimistic the iPad will provide the ''smart interface'', backed by a company's track record, to get consumers to pay for content. But writing online, Eric Beecher - whose long newspaper experience includes writing, editing and publishing - says it is unclear how the iPad will create advertising revenue for newspapers.
The truth is it's hard to know who's right, because the iPad is an infant. Like all infants, it brings excitement, has wonderful potential, and has some growing up to do.
But it is a winner for Apple chief executive Steve Jobs's marketing team. Even though it has built the iPad without convenient modern features such as a USB port, camera, memory card, Adobe flash and multi-tasking capabilities, Apple has forced a deliberate market space for the new device. It has ensured consumers ''need'' a laptop, an iPhone, an iPod and now an iPad. Why merge functions when you can sell more products?
This model is perhaps a precursor to a better servant for newspapers, but not yet. Salvation waits.
Here are some facts about newspapers:
■The internet is barely a teenager. Western newspaper readership decline began before the internet became a word in the dictionary.
■British research shows quality newspapers have lost fewer readers relative to their circulations than tabloids.
■Quality journalism builds public trust. US media doyen Philip Meyer asserts democracy is strongest when several conditions are met, including survival of ''quality'' newspapers. This is supported by studies showing a positive correlation between healthy democracies and hard-copy newspapers. Meyer says the internet serves democracy as a distributor of information rather than an originator.
■Research shows that online newspaper content is less diverse and more entertainment focused than its print equivalents. Content converges when a medium relies solely on advertising revenue rather than a mix of sources.
For journalism to serve democracy, it seems clear that the content is of most importance. With this in mind, the question is less about whether the iPad is the right delivery method and more about how to sponsor good journalism.
Relying on subscription-based online delivery is flawed because the modern trend is free, free, and free. Rupert Murdoch may think readers will pay for content, but that genie is out of the bottle. Also passe are family-owned newspapers. Moreover, public broadcasters provide a quality non-subscription alternative.
Only niche publications such as business mastheads can get away with charging for content because credible information is specific and not easily found free.
In the United States, quality journalism has been funded by philanthropy. The success story is ProPublica, which recently won a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative journalism. But a philanthropic model requires a steady flow of donations and goodwill. And there is a risk of perceived and actual conflicts of interest. Some Scandinavian and European governments subsidise newspapers. But seeing as we already have the excellent ABC, this seems indulgent.
A more effective model builds on this idea. Innovative partnerships such as a recent one between The Age and the ABC delivered a bigger audience and broader coverage of an important story about Securency, a Reserve Bank subsidiary, and allegations of corruption involving its polymer note contracts.
Time will tell if the iPad was a step in the right direction for delivering newspapers. But clever partnerships to pursue public interest journalism? That is cause for optimism.
Andrea Carson is working on a PhD on the role investigative journalism in broadsheet newspapers plays in a democracy.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cure for fog
Fog plan hits turbulence
ANDREW HEASLEY
June 5, 2010
MELBOURNE Airport is supposed to be ''fog-proof'' after a $17 million infrastructure upgrade but as this week's flight diversions showed, the planes and flight crew are not.
Not all of Australia's domestic aircraft fleet are equipped, or pilots trained, to make use of the airport's new low-visibility landing system.
On Thursday, fog caused havoc with airline schedules as several morning flights were unable to land at Melbourne and had to be diverted to Sydney or Adelaide.
Air Services Australia spokesman Matt Wardell said the system primarily benefited international arrivals, as modern long-haul planes had more sophisticated avionics in the cockpit and pilots were trained to use the Category 3 low-visibility Instrument Landing System (Cat-3).
''It's not practical or economical to mandate aircraft to be fitted with it because there are only a few airports Australia-wide that are affected by fog,'' Mr Wardell said.
Melbourne is the only Australian airport to have the system installed.
Mr Wardell said the system was used on Thursday for landings, allowing suitably equipped planes and trained crew to land safely while Melbourne was shrouded in fog.
All of Qantas's Airbuses and Boeing 747s, 767s and 737-800s are equipped with the ''Cat-3'' gear and its pilots trained in its use.
A spokesman said Qantas had 21 older 737s-400s and smaller aircraft flying domestically that were not equipped with Cat-3.
While Jetstar has the equipment on its Airbus fleet used here and abroad and its international pilots are trained in its use, its domestic-only pilots are not trained to use the system.
Tiger Airways and Virgin Blue's planes are not Cat-3 equipped, either, though Virgin is evaluating the technology for its next aircraft purchases.
The airlines said the reason the planes did not have the technology was that until two months ago no Australian airport had it either.
Despite downtown Melbourne looking grey all day yesterday from the ground up, airlines reported that flights were landing and leaving normally.
ANDREW HEASLEY
June 5, 2010
MELBOURNE Airport is supposed to be ''fog-proof'' after a $17 million infrastructure upgrade but as this week's flight diversions showed, the planes and flight crew are not.
Not all of Australia's domestic aircraft fleet are equipped, or pilots trained, to make use of the airport's new low-visibility landing system.
On Thursday, fog caused havoc with airline schedules as several morning flights were unable to land at Melbourne and had to be diverted to Sydney or Adelaide.
Air Services Australia spokesman Matt Wardell said the system primarily benefited international arrivals, as modern long-haul planes had more sophisticated avionics in the cockpit and pilots were trained to use the Category 3 low-visibility Instrument Landing System (Cat-3).
''It's not practical or economical to mandate aircraft to be fitted with it because there are only a few airports Australia-wide that are affected by fog,'' Mr Wardell said.
Melbourne is the only Australian airport to have the system installed.
Mr Wardell said the system was used on Thursday for landings, allowing suitably equipped planes and trained crew to land safely while Melbourne was shrouded in fog.
All of Qantas's Airbuses and Boeing 747s, 767s and 737-800s are equipped with the ''Cat-3'' gear and its pilots trained in its use.
A spokesman said Qantas had 21 older 737s-400s and smaller aircraft flying domestically that were not equipped with Cat-3.
While Jetstar has the equipment on its Airbus fleet used here and abroad and its international pilots are trained in its use, its domestic-only pilots are not trained to use the system.
Tiger Airways and Virgin Blue's planes are not Cat-3 equipped, either, though Virgin is evaluating the technology for its next aircraft purchases.
The airlines said the reason the planes did not have the technology was that until two months ago no Australian airport had it either.
Despite downtown Melbourne looking grey all day yesterday from the ground up, airlines reported that flights were landing and leaving normally.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Is this why Skype is touchy lately? R more people using Skype?
Five million ready to make Skype calls over 3G
June 3, 2010 - 1:06PM
Nearly five million people have downloaded a Skype phone application launched on Sunday, allowing iPhone users to make Skype calls over mobile networks.
Before the launch of the application for use on high-speed third generation (3G) networks on May 30, consumers could only use Skype on their iPhone when they had access to Wi-Fi. Although some exclusive deals with operators in some countries, such as 3 Mobile in Australia, have allowed calls on the operator's network from different phones from time to time.
"We've had millions of downloads to date," Russ Shaw, Skype's general manager for mobile, told Reuters, referring to global iPhone users. "That's really positive."
A Skype spokeswoman said the number of downloads of the application was nearly five million by Wednesday morning US Eastern Time.
Shaw said the app saw a good mix of demand across Skype's three main operating regions: Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
However, Skype faced a lot of complaints from web commentators after it also said on Sunday that it would start charging for 3G calls between Skype users next year.
This was seen as a big turnaround since the main reason Skype became popular was because Skype-to-Skype calls have always been free whether subscribers use it on their computer or their mobile phone.
Shaw said the company needs to start charging for the service so that it can fund the investments needed to ensure that the quality of 3G Skype calls stays high.
He declined to give specific details about pricing plans except to say that the service would still be competitive with rival services including traditional cellphone calls.
"We're not going to want to price ourselves out of the market," he said. "I can't ignore the fact that consumers (currently) use us for free."
Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone on June 7. Shaw said Skype would hope to support the next iPhone too but noted that he had no details about Apple's announcement. AT&T Inc is currently the exclusive US iPhone provider.
June 3, 2010 - 1:06PM
Nearly five million people have downloaded a Skype phone application launched on Sunday, allowing iPhone users to make Skype calls over mobile networks.
Before the launch of the application for use on high-speed third generation (3G) networks on May 30, consumers could only use Skype on their iPhone when they had access to Wi-Fi. Although some exclusive deals with operators in some countries, such as 3 Mobile in Australia, have allowed calls on the operator's network from different phones from time to time.
"We've had millions of downloads to date," Russ Shaw, Skype's general manager for mobile, told Reuters, referring to global iPhone users. "That's really positive."
A Skype spokeswoman said the number of downloads of the application was nearly five million by Wednesday morning US Eastern Time.
Shaw said the app saw a good mix of demand across Skype's three main operating regions: Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
However, Skype faced a lot of complaints from web commentators after it also said on Sunday that it would start charging for 3G calls between Skype users next year.
This was seen as a big turnaround since the main reason Skype became popular was because Skype-to-Skype calls have always been free whether subscribers use it on their computer or their mobile phone.
Shaw said the company needs to start charging for the service so that it can fund the investments needed to ensure that the quality of 3G Skype calls stays high.
He declined to give specific details about pricing plans except to say that the service would still be competitive with rival services including traditional cellphone calls.
"We're not going to want to price ourselves out of the market," he said. "I can't ignore the fact that consumers (currently) use us for free."
Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone on June 7. Shaw said Skype would hope to support the next iPhone too but noted that he had no details about Apple's announcement. AT&T Inc is currently the exclusive US iPhone provider.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
all the goss on iPad
Despite some flaws, Apple's iPad sets a benchmark
STEPHEN HUTCHEON
May 26, 2010 - 9:31AM
iPad - to buy or not to buy?
You can finally buy an ipad in Australia. But are they any good? Technology Editors Stephen Hutcheon and Asher Moses investigate.
Apple must have surely smeared the iPad in a thick coat of Teflon because nothing that is being flung at it by the critics appears to be sticking.
Here is a device which has been pilloried, publicly eviscerated and subjected to death by blender, baseball bat and even microwave.
App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.
App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.
It has been attacked for being part of a hermetically sealed platform that is designed to keep its users trapped inside Apple's family-friendly content biosphere.
And its reputation has been tarnished by lists of hardware and software short-comings which have been plastered all over cyberspace.
Yet in spite of this, the mere mention of the name or sighting of its smooth glass facade can still set off a ripple of excitement.
Apple says demand has been "off the charts" and sales have exceeded all pre-launch expectations. Apple shipped a million plus in the US in the first month alone and on going stock shortages have resulted in a delay in the international release.
Even in Australia, the delivery date for pre-orders has been pushed back twice since Apple began taking orders on May 10. First it was May 28, then June 7. If you pre-order your iPad today, the delivery advice on Apple's online store just says "June".
And I would be gobsmacked if there weren't crowds gathering outside Apple Stores around the country on Thursday night ahead of Friday's launch.
Is the iPad really "magical and revolutionary", as Apple calls it? Or, are buyers locking themselves into a premium-priced, first generation model which will soon be outflanked by less expensive rivals offering the same touch-screen experience but without the platform constraints?
Here's my take after putting the top-of-the-range 64GB Wi-Fi plus 3G iPad (on the Telstra network) through its paces over the past few days. (See pricing details below).
First, some credit where credit is due. Having conquered the portable music device market and become the world's most profitable mobile phone company inside three years, Apple has once again set the benchmark.
Tablet computers are going to be the next big. Research firm IDC says that Apple's entry into this market segment will lead to a sixfold increase in worldwide shipments of tablet computers by 2014.
The iPad is yet another triumph from the hit-making team led by Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs and his humble design czar, Jonathan Ive, who does amazing things with glass and aluminum.
Weighing 680 grams, the iPad feels heavier than I expected but not so that it becomes a dead weight in a briefcase or (over-sized) handbag.
Using a modified version of the iPhone operating system, the iPad boots up in second. There's no wait, no delay. It's instant-on. And its 1 GHz A4 processor keeps the iPad purring along at a very decent clip.
The 25 cm screen (measured diagonally) displays everything in brilliant resolution, including fingerprints. Apple has used the same oleophobic (oil resistant) coating used on the iPhone 3GS, but for some reason it doesn't seem to work as well on the larger screen. It pays to keep a wiping cloth handy.
No complaints about the battery life either. Apple rates it at ten hours using just Wi-Fi and slightly less when it uses a 3G connection. Either way, the iPad still had ample charge left in the tank even after constant use during a wet Saturday spent mostly indoors.
As you'd expect, it's great for web browsing and using the email functions. The virtual keyboard is not to everyone's taste, but I found it adequate for typing in search terms and rattling off the odd email.
I have more reservation when it comes to any serious word processing. The iPad is not something I'd take out on a reporting assignment, unless it's a quickie.
The iPad really shines when it comes to using it to play games and watch videos. If only videos sold through the iTunes store were cheaper.
The iPad's other big selling point is as an e-book reader. While Apple's iBookstore will be available at launch, it only contains out-of-copyright books. That's fine if you want to catch up some Charles Dickens, but disappointing if you're after something by Stieg Larsson.
Apple is still negotiating rights with local publishers. However, recently-published e-books can still be purchased and read using the Kindle and Borders apps.
The bad bits
The same, however, can't be said for reading magazines, books and iPad-ified versions of newspapers such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
It's often hard to work out when to scroll vertically and when to do it horizontally and I find the absence of a "back button" in these type of apps immensely frustrating.
I have yet to come across the type of jaw-dropping interactive magazine apps which have been bandied about in prototype. The result is a so-so experience which feels as if you're just reading a glorified PDF.
As was the case the iPhone, it's the apps which will make or break this device. So far there are about 5000 specifically made for the iPad plus another 200,000 iPhone/iPod touch apps which can be used on the new device.
My biggest gripe is with the iPad is the omission of built-in slots for SD camera cards and USB memory sticks. You can buy a camera connection kit ($39) but that doesn't excuse the fact that these are standard ports in any device and should have been included.
Moreover, when I did upload some video from a small Kodak video camera, I found that the iPad does not recognise .mov videos files. There no such problem when the same files are uploaded to a MacBook.
Another criticism I have is the decision to leave out a built-in webcam. That's just nuts. You can bet that any competitor is going to include one and that the next generation of the iPad will also sport one.
To date, Apple has the market to itself. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard appear to have shelved their plans to enter the field. But that's not the case for the Taiwanese. And you won't have to wait long to see what companies such as ASUS and Acer up to.
Expect to see maybe a dozen tablet computers - some of them using Google's Android platform - go on show at next month Computex computer show in Taiwan. Only then will we get a true measure of the iPad.
In summary
This is not a substitute for a laptop or desktop computer. The iPad is a completely new class of product which sits between the laptop and the smartphone - a position which makes it a very discretionary purchase.
At first I thought this would be a purely at home device, something you hook up to your Wi-Fi and use when you multitask in front of the TV.
But the added 3G capability - and you will need to take up a separate data plan with one of the telcos because the iPad doesn't support USB modems - makes this a much more versatile device.
Of the peripherals that Apple is offering, the only one I would say is a must is the $49 microfibre case. It protects your iPad and doubles as a angled stand that allows you to type, browse or watch videos without having to prop it up.
Despite its short-comings, the iPad is indeed a trail blazer and I'm sure the second generation will be even better.
All the details
iPad models
Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:
* 16GB - $629
* 32GB - $759
* 64GB - $879
For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:
* 16GB- $799
* 32GB - $928
* 64GB - $1049
The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.
Apps
The iPad's fate will rest on the supply and variety of applications (or apps). The iPhone took off on a wave of apps made by third-party developers and the same needs to happen if the iPad is to succeed.
Apple says the iPad will run most of the 200,000-plus iPhone/iPod touch apps on the App Store - although some reportedly don't look so good when they are scaled up for the bigger screen. And third-party developers have created more than 5000 new apps designed specifically for the new device.
Apple has three productivity apps for sale: Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Each is priced at $12.99.
Peripherals
iPad Keyboard dock - $89
iPad dock - $39
iPad 10W USB Power Adapter - $39
iPad case - $48
iPad Camera Connection kit - $39
iPad dock connector to VGA Adapter - $39
Data plans
Telstra is offering the following pre-paid plans:
* 1GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 6GB - $60
* 9GB - $80
* 12GB - $100
Telstra says all data plans will be available without a contract, on a month-by-month basis, meaning plans can be cancelled and reactivated at any time. The data allowance is valid for 30 days.
More details: http://www.telstra.com.au/latest_offers/ipad/index.html
Optus is offering both post-pad and pre-paid iPad data plans.
The BYO month-to-month post-paid plans are:
* 2GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 8GB - $60
The pre-paid plans are:
Recharge | Included Data | Validity
* $30 SIM Starter Kit | 2GB | 30 Days
* $15 | 500MB | 15 Days
* $20 | 1GB | 15 Days
* $30 | 3GB | 30 Days
* $40 | 4GB | 30 Days
* $50 | 5GB | 30 Days
* $70 | 9GB | 60 Days
* $80 | 8GB | 186 Days
* $100 | 12GB | 60 Days
* $130 | 14GB | 60 Days
All pre-paid plans come with 1GB bonus data which is available until 30/9/10.
More details: http://optusbefirst.com.au/
Vodafone Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee
* 250MB | $9.95
* 1GB | $14.95
* 4GB | $29.95
* Unlimited | $49.95
More details at: http://www.vodafone.com.au/ipad
3 Mobile Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee
* 500MB (+ 1GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $15
* 2GB (+ 2GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $29
* 3 mobile pre-paid plans include a 200MB one-time bonus when activated online.
More details at: http://www.three.com.au/iPad
Source: smh.com.au
STEPHEN HUTCHEON
May 26, 2010 - 9:31AM
iPad - to buy or not to buy?
You can finally buy an ipad in Australia. But are they any good? Technology Editors Stephen Hutcheon and Asher Moses investigate.
Apple must have surely smeared the iPad in a thick coat of Teflon because nothing that is being flung at it by the critics appears to be sticking.
Here is a device which has been pilloried, publicly eviscerated and subjected to death by blender, baseball bat and even microwave.
App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.
App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.
It has been attacked for being part of a hermetically sealed platform that is designed to keep its users trapped inside Apple's family-friendly content biosphere.
And its reputation has been tarnished by lists of hardware and software short-comings which have been plastered all over cyberspace.
Yet in spite of this, the mere mention of the name or sighting of its smooth glass facade can still set off a ripple of excitement.
Apple says demand has been "off the charts" and sales have exceeded all pre-launch expectations. Apple shipped a million plus in the US in the first month alone and on going stock shortages have resulted in a delay in the international release.
Even in Australia, the delivery date for pre-orders has been pushed back twice since Apple began taking orders on May 10. First it was May 28, then June 7. If you pre-order your iPad today, the delivery advice on Apple's online store just says "June".
And I would be gobsmacked if there weren't crowds gathering outside Apple Stores around the country on Thursday night ahead of Friday's launch.
Is the iPad really "magical and revolutionary", as Apple calls it? Or, are buyers locking themselves into a premium-priced, first generation model which will soon be outflanked by less expensive rivals offering the same touch-screen experience but without the platform constraints?
Here's my take after putting the top-of-the-range 64GB Wi-Fi plus 3G iPad (on the Telstra network) through its paces over the past few days. (See pricing details below).
First, some credit where credit is due. Having conquered the portable music device market and become the world's most profitable mobile phone company inside three years, Apple has once again set the benchmark.
Tablet computers are going to be the next big. Research firm IDC says that Apple's entry into this market segment will lead to a sixfold increase in worldwide shipments of tablet computers by 2014.
The iPad is yet another triumph from the hit-making team led by Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs and his humble design czar, Jonathan Ive, who does amazing things with glass and aluminum.
Weighing 680 grams, the iPad feels heavier than I expected but not so that it becomes a dead weight in a briefcase or (over-sized) handbag.
Using a modified version of the iPhone operating system, the iPad boots up in second. There's no wait, no delay. It's instant-on. And its 1 GHz A4 processor keeps the iPad purring along at a very decent clip.
The 25 cm screen (measured diagonally) displays everything in brilliant resolution, including fingerprints. Apple has used the same oleophobic (oil resistant) coating used on the iPhone 3GS, but for some reason it doesn't seem to work as well on the larger screen. It pays to keep a wiping cloth handy.
No complaints about the battery life either. Apple rates it at ten hours using just Wi-Fi and slightly less when it uses a 3G connection. Either way, the iPad still had ample charge left in the tank even after constant use during a wet Saturday spent mostly indoors.
As you'd expect, it's great for web browsing and using the email functions. The virtual keyboard is not to everyone's taste, but I found it adequate for typing in search terms and rattling off the odd email.
I have more reservation when it comes to any serious word processing. The iPad is not something I'd take out on a reporting assignment, unless it's a quickie.
The iPad really shines when it comes to using it to play games and watch videos. If only videos sold through the iTunes store were cheaper.
The iPad's other big selling point is as an e-book reader. While Apple's iBookstore will be available at launch, it only contains out-of-copyright books. That's fine if you want to catch up some Charles Dickens, but disappointing if you're after something by Stieg Larsson.
Apple is still negotiating rights with local publishers. However, recently-published e-books can still be purchased and read using the Kindle and Borders apps.
The bad bits
The same, however, can't be said for reading magazines, books and iPad-ified versions of newspapers such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
It's often hard to work out when to scroll vertically and when to do it horizontally and I find the absence of a "back button" in these type of apps immensely frustrating.
I have yet to come across the type of jaw-dropping interactive magazine apps which have been bandied about in prototype. The result is a so-so experience which feels as if you're just reading a glorified PDF.
As was the case the iPhone, it's the apps which will make or break this device. So far there are about 5000 specifically made for the iPad plus another 200,000 iPhone/iPod touch apps which can be used on the new device.
My biggest gripe is with the iPad is the omission of built-in slots for SD camera cards and USB memory sticks. You can buy a camera connection kit ($39) but that doesn't excuse the fact that these are standard ports in any device and should have been included.
Moreover, when I did upload some video from a small Kodak video camera, I found that the iPad does not recognise .mov videos files. There no such problem when the same files are uploaded to a MacBook.
Another criticism I have is the decision to leave out a built-in webcam. That's just nuts. You can bet that any competitor is going to include one and that the next generation of the iPad will also sport one.
To date, Apple has the market to itself. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard appear to have shelved their plans to enter the field. But that's not the case for the Taiwanese. And you won't have to wait long to see what companies such as ASUS and Acer up to.
Expect to see maybe a dozen tablet computers - some of them using Google's Android platform - go on show at next month Computex computer show in Taiwan. Only then will we get a true measure of the iPad.
In summary
This is not a substitute for a laptop or desktop computer. The iPad is a completely new class of product which sits between the laptop and the smartphone - a position which makes it a very discretionary purchase.
At first I thought this would be a purely at home device, something you hook up to your Wi-Fi and use when you multitask in front of the TV.
But the added 3G capability - and you will need to take up a separate data plan with one of the telcos because the iPad doesn't support USB modems - makes this a much more versatile device.
Of the peripherals that Apple is offering, the only one I would say is a must is the $49 microfibre case. It protects your iPad and doubles as a angled stand that allows you to type, browse or watch videos without having to prop it up.
Despite its short-comings, the iPad is indeed a trail blazer and I'm sure the second generation will be even better.
All the details
iPad models
Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:
* 16GB - $629
* 32GB - $759
* 64GB - $879
For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:
* 16GB- $799
* 32GB - $928
* 64GB - $1049
The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.
Apps
The iPad's fate will rest on the supply and variety of applications (or apps). The iPhone took off on a wave of apps made by third-party developers and the same needs to happen if the iPad is to succeed.
Apple says the iPad will run most of the 200,000-plus iPhone/iPod touch apps on the App Store - although some reportedly don't look so good when they are scaled up for the bigger screen. And third-party developers have created more than 5000 new apps designed specifically for the new device.
Apple has three productivity apps for sale: Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Each is priced at $12.99.
Peripherals
iPad Keyboard dock - $89
iPad dock - $39
iPad 10W USB Power Adapter - $39
iPad case - $48
iPad Camera Connection kit - $39
iPad dock connector to VGA Adapter - $39
Data plans
Telstra is offering the following pre-paid plans:
* 1GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 6GB - $60
* 9GB - $80
* 12GB - $100
Telstra says all data plans will be available without a contract, on a month-by-month basis, meaning plans can be cancelled and reactivated at any time. The data allowance is valid for 30 days.
More details: http://www.telstra.com.au/latest_offers/ipad/index.html
Optus is offering both post-pad and pre-paid iPad data plans.
The BYO month-to-month post-paid plans are:
* 2GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 8GB - $60
The pre-paid plans are:
Recharge | Included Data | Validity
* $30 SIM Starter Kit | 2GB | 30 Days
* $15 | 500MB | 15 Days
* $20 | 1GB | 15 Days
* $30 | 3GB | 30 Days
* $40 | 4GB | 30 Days
* $50 | 5GB | 30 Days
* $70 | 9GB | 60 Days
* $80 | 8GB | 186 Days
* $100 | 12GB | 60 Days
* $130 | 14GB | 60 Days
All pre-paid plans come with 1GB bonus data which is available until 30/9/10.
More details: http://optusbefirst.com.au/
Vodafone Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee
* 250MB | $9.95
* 1GB | $14.95
* 4GB | $29.95
* Unlimited | $49.95
More details at: http://www.vodafone.com.au/ipad
3 Mobile Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee
* 500MB (+ 1GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $15
* 2GB (+ 2GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $29
* 3 mobile pre-paid plans include a 200MB one-time bonus when activated online.
More details at: http://www.three.com.au/iPad
Source: smh.com.au
Saturday, May 22, 2010
google tv
Google premieres web TV
May 21, 2010 - 11:35AM
Google TV concept launched
Google expands its kingdom into the living room with an ambitious new service that meshes television viewing with surfing the web.
Internet giant Google is out to expand its kingdom to the living room with an ambitious new service that lets people mesh television viewing with surfing the web.
Google TV, developed in partnership with technology titans Sony, Intel and Logitech and launched in the US overnight, fuses the freedom of the internet with television programming.
Google executives vowed their TV platform would succeed where offerings such as Apple TV have foundered and hopefully capture some of the $US70 billion ($85 billion) American TV advertising market.
Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma
Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma
"Google TV is a new platform that we believe will change the future of television," Google group product manager Rishi Chandra said after unveiling the new service at a software developers' conference in San Francisco.
"Users don't have to choose between TV and web; they can have both."
Google TV, which is powered by Google's Android software and Chrome web browser, can be accessed using upcoming web-enabled television sets from Sony or set-top boxes from Logitech that route web content to existing TV sets.
The set-top box is key to Google TV. It's a search box, just like on Google's web site. It looks through live programs, DVR recordings and the web, delivering a relatively compact list of results that can be accessed with a push of the button.
Web television has been a minefield for the world's most creative and deep-pocketed companies and, in a sign of the challenge, embarrassed Google engineers struggled initially to get their TV demonstration running, asking the audience to turn off their cellphones, which were interfering with TV remote controls.
Web surfers have never left their desktops for the living room, and television watchers have kept their remotes pointed toward familiar territory despite attempts by Microsoft and by Apple, which was the focus of frequent jokes.
Sony and Logitech said the sets and boxes would be available in the United States in time for Christmas and would be rolled out internationally next year.
"The transition from TV to web is totally seamless," he said during the demonstration for thousands of developers which featured a few technical glitches.
"To the user it doesn't matter where I get my content, whether it be live TV, DVR, or the web. They just want access to it," Chandra said.
Initially, advertising served on Google TV will be the same as seen now by television viewers or web surfers but the internet firm said it was pondering ways to tailor advertising to the platform.
"Millions" of channels
Google TV product manager Salahuddin Choudhary said in a blog post that Google TV would allow TV viewers to get "all the [TV] channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day".
"This opens up your TV from a few hundred channels to millions of channels of entertainment across TV and the web," Choudhary said. "With the entire internet in your living room, your TV becomes more than a TV - it can be a photo slide-show viewer, a gaming console, a music player and much more."
Not the first
Google is not the first technology company to attempt to unite the TV set and the internet and a number of electronics manufacturers are already offering web-enabled televisions or digital set-top boxes.
Yahoo jumped into the internet television arena more than a year ago, teaming up with manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, VIZIO, and LG to embed software "widgets" that let viewers link directly to designated websites.
Google executives said previous efforts had failed because proponents of the technology had dumbed down the web for television, closed it to participation by others and made people choose between using the web or television.
"It's much harder to marry a 50-year-old technology and a brand new technology than those of us in the brand new technology industry thought," Google chief executive Eric Schmidt acknowledged to the audience of developers.
Yahoo responded to Google's announcement with word that it was expanding its service to new devices.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the next phase of the internet revolution will be televised," said Yahoo Connected TV chief architect Ronald Jacoby.
Choudhary said the internet-enabled televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes from Sony and Logitech, which are powered by Intel Atom computer chips, would be available in the American autumn through Best Buy stores.
Logitech boxes will feature computer keyboards that act as Google TV remote controls. On-screen home pages will let people search television programming as they do the internet.
Sony chief executive Howard Stringer described it as "a very big deal".
"I can't stress that enough," Stringer said on stage. "When you put all this, as we've done for the [autumn], into the world's first internet television, the opportunities are, in a sense, just mind-boggling."
Google did not announce pricing for the TV sets or the set-top boxes.
Sony is among the electronics companies that brought internet-capable televisions to market, but those sets have typically been limited to letting people access specific websites such as Yahoo or YouTube.
"This is a much broader platform," Stringer said of Google TV. "This is a much more robust platform, which is expandable and grows. It's going to be an eye opener."
Android as remote
Engineers showed off new versions of the Android mobile phone platform, which competes with Apple's iPhone. Android also will run Google TV, turning Android phones into controls that can be used in the same room as the television or remotely across the web.
AFP, Reuters
May 21, 2010 - 11:35AM
Google TV concept launched
Google expands its kingdom into the living room with an ambitious new service that meshes television viewing with surfing the web.
Internet giant Google is out to expand its kingdom to the living room with an ambitious new service that lets people mesh television viewing with surfing the web.
Google TV, developed in partnership with technology titans Sony, Intel and Logitech and launched in the US overnight, fuses the freedom of the internet with television programming.
Google executives vowed their TV platform would succeed where offerings such as Apple TV have foundered and hopefully capture some of the $US70 billion ($85 billion) American TV advertising market.
Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma
Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma
"Google TV is a new platform that we believe will change the future of television," Google group product manager Rishi Chandra said after unveiling the new service at a software developers' conference in San Francisco.
"Users don't have to choose between TV and web; they can have both."
Google TV, which is powered by Google's Android software and Chrome web browser, can be accessed using upcoming web-enabled television sets from Sony or set-top boxes from Logitech that route web content to existing TV sets.
The set-top box is key to Google TV. It's a search box, just like on Google's web site. It looks through live programs, DVR recordings and the web, delivering a relatively compact list of results that can be accessed with a push of the button.
Web television has been a minefield for the world's most creative and deep-pocketed companies and, in a sign of the challenge, embarrassed Google engineers struggled initially to get their TV demonstration running, asking the audience to turn off their cellphones, which were interfering with TV remote controls.
Web surfers have never left their desktops for the living room, and television watchers have kept their remotes pointed toward familiar territory despite attempts by Microsoft and by Apple, which was the focus of frequent jokes.
Sony and Logitech said the sets and boxes would be available in the United States in time for Christmas and would be rolled out internationally next year.
"The transition from TV to web is totally seamless," he said during the demonstration for thousands of developers which featured a few technical glitches.
"To the user it doesn't matter where I get my content, whether it be live TV, DVR, or the web. They just want access to it," Chandra said.
Initially, advertising served on Google TV will be the same as seen now by television viewers or web surfers but the internet firm said it was pondering ways to tailor advertising to the platform.
"Millions" of channels
Google TV product manager Salahuddin Choudhary said in a blog post that Google TV would allow TV viewers to get "all the [TV] channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day".
"This opens up your TV from a few hundred channels to millions of channels of entertainment across TV and the web," Choudhary said. "With the entire internet in your living room, your TV becomes more than a TV - it can be a photo slide-show viewer, a gaming console, a music player and much more."
Not the first
Google is not the first technology company to attempt to unite the TV set and the internet and a number of electronics manufacturers are already offering web-enabled televisions or digital set-top boxes.
Yahoo jumped into the internet television arena more than a year ago, teaming up with manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, VIZIO, and LG to embed software "widgets" that let viewers link directly to designated websites.
Google executives said previous efforts had failed because proponents of the technology had dumbed down the web for television, closed it to participation by others and made people choose between using the web or television.
"It's much harder to marry a 50-year-old technology and a brand new technology than those of us in the brand new technology industry thought," Google chief executive Eric Schmidt acknowledged to the audience of developers.
Yahoo responded to Google's announcement with word that it was expanding its service to new devices.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the next phase of the internet revolution will be televised," said Yahoo Connected TV chief architect Ronald Jacoby.
Choudhary said the internet-enabled televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes from Sony and Logitech, which are powered by Intel Atom computer chips, would be available in the American autumn through Best Buy stores.
Logitech boxes will feature computer keyboards that act as Google TV remote controls. On-screen home pages will let people search television programming as they do the internet.
Sony chief executive Howard Stringer described it as "a very big deal".
"I can't stress that enough," Stringer said on stage. "When you put all this, as we've done for the [autumn], into the world's first internet television, the opportunities are, in a sense, just mind-boggling."
Google did not announce pricing for the TV sets or the set-top boxes.
Sony is among the electronics companies that brought internet-capable televisions to market, but those sets have typically been limited to letting people access specific websites such as Yahoo or YouTube.
"This is a much broader platform," Stringer said of Google TV. "This is a much more robust platform, which is expandable and grows. It's going to be an eye opener."
Android as remote
Engineers showed off new versions of the Android mobile phone platform, which competes with Apple's iPhone. Android also will run Google TV, turning Android phones into controls that can be used in the same room as the television or remotely across the web.
AFP, Reuters
Saturday, May 8, 2010
will u b the proud owner of an iPad
Apple sets local iPad launch date and prices
STEPHEN HUTCHEON
May 8, 2010 - 1:26AM
Apple says it will launch the iPad in Australlia on May 28.
Apple has announced that the iPad will go on sale in Australia on May 28 with the base model priced at $629.
The launch, which was delayed for almost two months, comes after Apple's announced earlier in the week that it had sold over one million of the tablet computers since they went on sale in the US on April 3.
In addition, iPad users in the US have downloaded over 12 million apps and over 1.5 million e-books.
The same six iPad models will be available in Australia, three Wi-Fi only and three that will also be able to access to high-speed 3G mobile phone network.
Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:
* 16GB - $629
* 32GB - $759
* 64GB - $879
For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:
* 16GB- $799
* 32GB - $928
* 64GB - $1049
The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.
Apple's late night announcement also says that the iBookstore electronic book service will be operational at launch indicating that a range of e-books will be available for download from day one.
Local publishers have not yet announced e-book prices in the iBookstore, but in the US average prices range from $US9.99 to $US12.99. There are also many free book downloads available in the form of public-domain books and give-away books by authors hoping to be discovered.
May 28 is also iPad launch day in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on the same day.
And Apple also announced plans tonight to begin the third stage of the global iPad roll-out in July when the device will go on sale in an additional nine countries including New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
"Apple has laid out a paradigm of the next 20 years of personal computing," respected analyst and Apple watcher Michael Gartenberg wrote in a blog post earlier this week.
"The rest of the market is not going to cede that to them without a fight. Expect to see weak challenges for the next 30-60 days but some very strong competition as we get into the second part of this year."
Source: smh.com.au
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Drop Bears make Facebook
Mythical bear creates Facebook monster
AMY BRADNEY-GEORGE
April 27, 2010 - 11:31AM
Surprise success: Nick Getley created the Drop Bears fan group on Facebook
A man and his imaginary animal have shown what a quirky idea, a Facebook page and like-minded people can do.
In the world of Facebook, anything goes. From competitive titles such as "Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback" to the neurotically skewed "Inbox (1) makes me nervous", the variety of pages available on this social-networking giant is both overwhelming and hilarious.
It's not hard to spend hours browsing through Facebook, finding out friends "hate it when inanimate objects look like they have scary faces", "pretend to text in awkward situations" and thought they were the only ones to experience "The Mini Spaz Attack When Your (sic) In Bed, Half Asleep And Imagine Your (sic) Falling".
With millions of Facebook members becoming fans of these pages, it's one of the quickest ways for people to share common beliefs, interests and experiences online. It can also be an unlikely place for business ideas.
Facebook says pages give "public figures, businesses, organisations and other entities" an opportunity to create a public presence on the site.
While they can be used as a way to connect with fans, the user-generated pages seem to be more about connecting people through experiences. In the process, many page creators are learning about business sense within social networking sites like Facebook.
Nick Getley, who created a page for the mythological Australian drop bear (see below), says he originally wanted a humorous way for Australians to relate to each other online.
"As far as I [can] see, I have created a monster, there were only pages for official products at the time and now there are fan pages of everything," he says.
With 72,605 people liking the page, at last count, Getley says he gets hundreds of posts every week.
"They range from nostalgic stories of people who had their fathers scare them with drop bear stories, people who have played a prank on tourists, to foreigners actually seeing the page as evidence itself and then writing their concern as to why people would be a fan of vicious wildlife," he says. "The most fun we have is referencing the 'Great Drop Bear Massacre of 1999' - a fictitious event, obviously, but of Lord of the Rings proportions."
While Drop Bears was Getley's first page creation, he is also involved in managing another 20 or more pages. Getley has even liaised with some businesses about pages he wanted to create, such as the page for Streets Ice Cream's Bubble O'Bill.
"I always liked Bubble O'Bill [ice creams], so when I created a page for them and the fans started growing I asked for permission to get the page verified," he says.
Before Facebook's recent introduction of "community pages" for users who "share similar interests or experiences", Getley says page owners could be asked to verify their legitimacy. To sustain the Drop Bears page he even created a website selling Drop Bear T-shirts.
"I never wanted to make money from the page but we had something like three weeks to authenticate it as a sort of business, so I designed drop bear T-shirts and made a website to keep the page going," he says.
"I like being involved in pages because it's a lot of fun being able to talk to so many fans. It's been a real eye-opener career-wise, too."
User-generated
He says that while he is a fan of bands and businesses on Facebook, he thinks the user-generated pages are a more unique part of his social-networking experience.
"[These] fan pages have the same feeling you got when you were a kid in high school and you were a fan of something that felt obscure, or overlooked," he says. "At least once a week on my fan pages I see posts that say, 'Wow, I had no idea you could be a fan of this!"'
On the other side of the screen are the Facebook members clicking away in agreement. Kelly Hodder, a member who admits to being a "serial page joiner", says it is a fun way to explore Facebook.
"My first impression is that [these] pages are funny - well some of them. Some of the pages I've joined are because I agree with the subject of the pages and want to show my support," she says.
Hodder, who is a fan of pages like "Lindt", "Bubblewrap", "Yelling At Inanimate Objects" and "I Wish Music Played During Epic Moments of My Life and Not Just in Movies", says she never realised how many pages she was actually joining.
"I've been on Facebook for a couple of years now and I guess they add up," she says.
"The bulk of the pages that I join are ones that my friends have joined and they pop up in my news feed ... it's definitely a serial thing [for me] to join."
While Getley says there can be a sense of community around these types of pages, Hodder thinks they are more a surface-level aspect of Facebook.
"I mainly go on there to 'connect' with my friends who I don't see much any more ... I guess it communicates some of my thoughts, beliefs, interests to my friends without me having to actually tell them," she says.
But when visiting pages such as "When I Was Younger I Put My Face Close To The Fan To Hear My Robot Voice" or "When I was your age, everyone wanted a Nokia 3310. Not an iPhone", the level of interaction on the sites shows how much of a community is being built by this technology.
Regardless of whether people have "become fans", or "liked" a page after the recent changes, they add a quirkiness to Facebook that is endearing.
After all, there's nothing quite like signing on and seeing one of your friends enjoys "Looking through a textbook and pointing at pictures and going, 'that's you"'.
Legends of the fall
Drop bears are vicious, deadly animals created in the spirit of true Australian humour to scare unsuspecting people. While the stories and descriptions vary from person to person, drop bears are generally said to resemble koalas, sit in gum trees and drop on unsuspecting victims. Tourists are the most common targets for drop bear stories and it's common for a group of Australians to join in with the joke once someone starts it.
Drop bears have also been popularised by writer Terry Pratchett in his novel The Last Continent and in an ad campaign for Bundaberg Rum.
Another way to engage your customers
Facebook pages are designed as a way for public figures, organisations and businesses to connect with Facebook users.
To create a page, you can go to facebook.com/pages, click on "Create Page" and select what type of page you want to set up. While personal information is not included on a page, Facebook does require that it is linked to an individual person's Facebook account.
After creating the page, the process is similar to setting up a user profile, with sections for information about the focus of the page, photos and other customisable tabs available.
Once active, the page can be suggested to Facebook users and the more people clicking "like" to a page, the more opportunity there is for advertising.
Pages are connected to users' news feeds and the "suggestions" section of the home page, which means updates from the page and responses from users connected to it are spread through a range of networks on Facebook.
The most successful pages are ones that actively connect with fans. Optus has a section of its page dedicated to news from celebrity Kim Kardashian, who is on tour in Australia.
As well as being able to upload photos and videos of the celebrity, the section is linked to her Twitter feed, which is an effective use of new-media cross-promotion.
Another strategy, used on pages such as Pandora Jewellery, is to regularly post status updates asking people to share stories on the page. Companies can then hear directly from the people and those voices are broadcast across each of the user's networks in connection with that company.
Facebook also offers free reporting by measuring people's engagement with the page, the impact it is having and basic data on the types of people accessing it.
When used effectively, Facebook pages may be an asset to online marketing for businesses, organisations and public figures.
Source: smh.com.au
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Fontainebleau - McCubbins Retreat
McCubbin's retreat is crumbling
GABRIELLA COSLOVICH
April 24, 2010
HIDDEN away on the north side of Mount Macedon, the wild and under-developed side, an important part of Australian art history lies neglected and crumbling. Its name is Fontainebleau and it is the former country property of the much-loved Australian painter Frederick McCubbin.
Few know of Fontainebleau's existence; even people steeped in the arts are unaware that the woods of Mount Macedon harbour McCubbin's former home. And yet, it is real, and remarkably intact, a Gothic timber cottage virtually unchanged since when McCubbin painted some of his best-known works there early last century, including The Pioneer.
But its future may be in jeopardy. That it has remained untouched and spared from the bulldozer or soul-stripping renovations is greatly due to Fontainebleau's discreet owners of the past 31 years - brothers Mark and Paul Cutler, who no longer reside at the property. The Age tracked them down this week.
The Cutlers set up a not-for-profit trust to buy Fontainebleau, paying about $75,000 for the property in 1979. It is now valued at between $1 million to $1.5 million. Astonishingly, despite the home's great cultural significance, no one else cared a jot about it back in 1979.
''It was up for private sale and nobody bought it, nobody wanted to know it,'' says Mark Cutler, ''We kept it going to the extent we could, but nature is winning that battle. Without us living there and being there it would have fallen over many, many years ago.''
The Cutlers are now living in Hobart and Fontainebleau's sole resident is ''property manager'' Trevor Hoare. But the Cutlers do not have the resources to maintain the home and its seven hectares of garden and bush. Nor do they want to sell it. The last thing Mark Cutler wants to see is Fontainebleau ''turned into a resort or a multi-millionaire's weekend playground''.
It was brother Paul who was instrumental in the purchase of Fontainebleau. A teacher, he had been looking for a secluded property close to Melbourne that he could turn into a place of education, contemplation and creativity.
Just as McCubbin fell in love with Fontainebleau when he stumbled upon it during a Christmas holiday in Woodend in 1901, so too did Paul Cutler, even though he was initially unaware of its history. He quickly learnt of the McCubbin legacy and saw it as perfectly synchronised to his own goals. But Paul Cutler's plans to transform Fontainebleau into a retreat never eventuated. He lived at Fontainbleau for 21 years, and raised his children there.
In 2000, Paul Cutler moved to Hobart, where he is completing a PhD on Buddhist philosophies - and still holding on to his dream for Fontainebleau. But finding someone willing to help fund that vision is another issue entirely.
About five years ago, Mark Cutler met Ian Roberts, from the Harold Mitchell Foundation, to talk about the future of Fontainebleau. At that time, the foundation was looking for a place to set up residential artist studios in Victoria, but that is no longer a priority.
''Look, I do think it's a pity, but I have to add that I used to work in the old Ministry for the Arts and Arts Victoria and I know the number of historic buildings; there are many, many historic buildings of great consequence. The purchase of them is one thing, the upkeep of them is another,'' said Roberts, the foundation's executive officer.
The decline of Fontainebleau has been a major concern for the Woodend and District Heritage Society, which has watched with despair as the property ages. Recently, former National Gallery of Victoria curator John Jones brought a group of curators to Fontainebleau ahead of a major exhibition of the artist's last decade of work, which opens at the Bendigo Art Gallery today. ''The bushland (around Fontainebleau) is so important because, after Heidelberg, it really is the most famous Australian painting spot,'' Jones says.
Fontainebleau's addition to the Victorian Heritage Register this month has buoyed hopes for the property's preservation.
The heritage listing affords some protection to Fontainebleau - no significant works can be done without a permit - and also means the owners are eligible for financial assistance to help with conservation works.
The Cutler vision for Fontainebleau is closely aligned with that of McCubbin's great-grandson David , who is heartened to learn that the house is owned by two brothers who are sensitive to its spirit and legacy. ''It's a huge relief to know that it's not some snide, pernicious little turd who has inherited the property. Sounds like their heart is exactly in the right spot,'' he said.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Privacy or not!
10 nations complain: Google betrays privacy
April 21, 2010
Officials from New Zealand, Canada, France and seven other countries are raising privacy concerns about Google's mapping service and the company's fumbled foray into social networking.
Although the concerns they raise are not new, the officials said the online search leader too often forgets people's privacy rights as it rolls out new technologies.
The bulk of the complaints are over Buzz, which Google launched in February as part of its Gmail service. Buzz quickly came under fire for automatically creating public circles of friends for users, based on their most frequent email contacts. After complaints, the company apologised and made changes to the service.
But in a letter sent this week to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, privacy and data-protection officials from the 10 countries said they are still "extremely concerned about how a product with such significant privacy issues was launched in the first place."
It said Buzz "betrayed a disappointing disregard for fundamental privacy norms and laws. Moreover, this was not the first time you have failed to take adequate account of privacy considerations when launching new services."
Google Street View, a mapping service that includes street-level photos taken by cameras mounted on cars that sweep through neighborhoods, is another area of concern. The officials complained that Google launched it in various countries without "due consideration of privacy and data protection laws and cultural norms."
"In that instance, you addressed privacy concerns related to such matters as the retention of unblurred facial images only after the fact, and there is continued concern about the adequacy of the information you provide before the images are captured," officials said in their letter, posted on the Web site of Canada's privacy commissioner.
Google said it has "discussed all these issues publicly many times before and have nothing to add to today's letter."
"Of course we do not get everything 100 per cent right — that is why we acted so quickly on Buzz following the user feedback we received," the company said in a statement, adding that it tries very hard to be upfront about what data it collects from users and how it uses the information.
The other countries that signed the letter are Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Australia was not included.
The officials called on Google to create default settings that protect users' privacy and to ensure that privacy control settings are prominent and easy to use.
"We recognize that Google is not the only online company with a history of introducing services without due regard for the privacy of its users," the letter says. "As a leader in the online world, we hope that your company will set an example for others to follow."
Facebook is one such company, drawing the ire of officials in Canada, Germany and elsewhere for the way it handles user privacy. Canada's privacy commissioner has been investigating changes Facebook made late last year to its privacy settings. Those had given users more granular controls but also nudged them to reveal more to the public.
AP
Source: smh.com.au
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Got to love Skype?!
Aussie stranded by ash marries via Skype
LOUISA HEARN
April 20, 2010 - 12:44PM
Technology has saved a Australian-British couple's wedding after they were stranded in Dubai by the volcanic ash cloud disrupting flights in and out of Europe.
Relatives and friends watched Sean Murtagh, 24, from west London, and Natalie Mead, a 30-year-old Australian, take their vows on a laptop fitted with a webcam which was broadcast via Skype to assembled family and friends in Britain.
The groom borrowed his smart shirt and trousers while the bride wore a dress she had in her luggage and the airport hotel donated flowers, balloons and a wedding cake as other stranded passengers joined in on the celebration.
"They have decorated the lobby of the hotel. They made us a three-tier wedding cake, set up a laptop with Skype and a projector," Sean Murtagh said.
"It's spellbinding the amount they have done for us.
"It's been an incredible day. We were never going to forget it anyway but we certainly won't forget it now."
Although the couple were recently married at a civil wedding in Brisbane, they had also planned a ceremony for family and friends in Ealing, west London.
Natalie Mead told Gulf News: "Passengers stranded in the hotel were getting excited for the first time in days when they heard about our wedding; some even helped me with my hair and make-up. It was also great to see everyone in the UK on our wedding day, even if it was via webcam.
"It has been an amazing day and we are just so grateful for everything that everyone has done for us. It is definitely a story to tell the grandchildren. There was no way we were going to let this volcano stop us [from] getting married."
Caroline Black, a celebrant who conducted the online ceremony from London, said: "It was just like any other wedding except the bride and groom weren't there."
"We have seen an increase in the past few days in terms of video-calling because of the [flight disruption] situation," a Skype spokesman told AFP.
"I've heard of executives stuck in the US on the way back to London running their companies via Skype."
Cisco said that the disruption of flights in Europe due to a dangerous layer of ash spewed into the sky by a volcano in Iceland had led to a surge in interest in its "telepresence" technology for online meetings.
"We have seen a huge spike in usage," said Fredrik Halvorsen, newly minted vice-president of Cisco's telepresence technology group.
"We have had all our demo centres and all our video rooms across the world populated by everything from big corporate clients to [small- or medium-size businesses] to government ministries."
- with AFP
Source: smh.com.au
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The home phone catches up with the 21st century
FOR years, it was the only way we could reach the outside world, but with the introduction of mobiles and the internet, it soon became something many of us could live without.
Just as the home phone was becoming an endangered species, Telstra this week introduced a new product that it says has completely reinvented it.
The new T-Hub combines the power of the internet with the convenience of a landline. It is a tablet console with an 18cm colour touchscreen and cordless handset.
Using the touchscreen, users can make and receive hands-free calls as well as send and receive SMS messages to other Telstra mobiles and T-Hubs.
Jenny Young, Telstra's executive director for consumer marketing channels, says bringing the internet and the home phone together is a "milestone".
"We're really excited about it," she said. "We're sure Australians are going to enjoy the capabilities it delivers."
The screen is filled with icons that are short cuts to websites. They are accessed wirelessly using a BigPond broadband connection.
Users can log on to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and access information like the weather forecast and news and sports headlines or videos.
The T-Hub will be available to customers in various bundles including a home phone with unlimited local calls, a BigPond broadband plan and a wireless modem gateway. Existing Telstra home phone and internet customers can buy the T-Hub for $299.
While the home phone looks to the future, Tristan O'Brien, of Belair, was admiring its past at Antique Market in Grote St yesterday. "It's good to keep a bit of history . . . especially if they're collectable," he said. "I think some of the things we can do with echnology these days are not necessary, things like social networking. But I guess it enables people to keep in touch easily."
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Podcasts & Wikis turn cafes into lecture halls
NATALIE CRAIG
April 11, 2010
Monash University economics-law student Evelyn Young enjoys a coffee while listening to lectures downloaded on to her laptop.
Monash University economics-law student Evelyn Young enjoys a coffee while listening to lectures downloaded on to her laptop. Photo: Craig Sillitoe
Many university students are using new technology to catch up on missed lectures.
FIRST-YEAR tertiary students are spending less time on campus and more time online, as podcasts of lectures become increasingly common.
Three out of four students use podcasts of lectures and a third believe online lecture materials can be a replacement for attending classes, according to the nationwide survey of 2422 first-year students by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne.
Students spent an average of four days a week on campus in 2009, compared with 4.4 days a week in 1994.
They were studying online for 6.5 hours a week, compared with 4.2 hours in 2004 (the earliest online study data available).
Better computer access and an increase in students' work commitments had fuelled the changes, centre director Richard James said.
While students believed online lecture notes could be a replacement for attending classes, he said there was no evidence to suggest that they routinely did that.
''Student engagement is multifaceted and not necessarily indicated by the time spent on campus … For most students, e-learning complements, but does not replace, face-to-face classes,'' he said.
Universities cannot force students to attend lectures, although some tutorials carry a ''participation'' mark.
Many warn students that lecture recordings are not a substitute for attendance, and are designed for revision only.
But while academics and students say attendance at lectures is declining in all year levels, universities say study patterns are more nuanced as students use technology to complement traditional teaching methods.
Monash University has this year added visual content to audio recordings of lectures - with the potential for more than 1 million downloads a week.
Pro-vice-chancellor Marnie Hughes Warrington said that while physical attendance at lectures could be declining, the system had increased participation overall, with students using the technology in different ways.
''Mature-age students listen to the lectures multiple times for reassurance, while students with family commitments now have access to university study … For some, listening to lectures in another space, like a library, where you're next to other people doing the same thing, is understood by some people as being in a lecture in some way.''
Evelyn Young, a fourth-year economics and law student at Monash University, listens to all her lectures online at home, and says she learns best by meticulously transcribing notes.
''It helps me absorb the information better. It takes, like, five hours to type a two-hour lecture but I generally break for coffee,'' she said.
She rents in Glen Waverley and works 25 hours a week as a sales assistant. Her grades are good and she emails any queries to her lecturers. But they would like to see more of her.
Last year, her international law lecturer threatened to turn off the audio-recorder at crucial moments. ''He hated the recording system and he warned us, 'Sometimes I'll just turn it off if I'm going to say something important' … He thought it was bad for us.''
But e-learning technology could be vital to the survival of universities. The federal government has promised funding to universities to increase participation of people from non-traditional backgrounds, so that 40 per cent of the population has a degree by 2025.
Online access to lectures, tutorial discussions and readings is already allowing regional students and those with family commitments a chance to study.
La Trobe University is overcoming the tyranny of distance for remote students of teaching, who are part of a pilot program using iPod Touch to create a ''virtual classroom'' off campus.
Deakin lecturer Paul Nicholson is teaching a course to students at the Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool campuses called ''creating effective learning environments''. There are no physical lectures.
''It's a mediaeval technology, the lecture, and it's so inefficient,'' he said. The cross-campus course instead uses online materials, podcasts and a collaborative ''wiki'' website.
Universities, once the gatekeepers of knowledge, are now disseminating free information online on sites such as iTunes U and Academic Earth.
So why bother going to campus - and why bother paying? ''Students are continually telling us … there's a sea of information out there. I need somebody to guide me through it,'' RMIT deputy vice-chancellor Professor Reid said.
And if students still stay away? ''Good teachers will always attract a crowd.''
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
iPad buyers react
'Like a gorgeous woman': iPad buyers react
April 5, 2010 - 9:56AM
Apple sold between 600,000 and 700,000 iPads on launch day in the US, with analysts predicting over 7.1 million of the tablets will be sold worldwide this year.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster noted that the iPad was doing better than the iPhone, which sold about half a million units in its first weekend in 2007.
But now that the iPad is in the hands of early adopters, the hard work for Apple begins.
Andreas Schobel reacts after being among the first to purchase an Apple iPad.
Andreas Schobel reacts after being among the first to purchase an Apple iPad. Photo: Reuters
Eager customers intent on being among the first owners of this new class of gadgetry stood in long lines across the US on Saturday. They seemed willing to buy first - and discover uses for the iPad later.
In some ways, it was reminiscent of the lines and hoopla surrounding the 2007 launch of the first iPhone. The difference: People knew then that the iPhone would replace their existing cell phone, an appliance that has become a must-have for everyone from uber-geeks to stay-at-home mums.
With the iPad, which fits somewhere between phone and computer, Apple must convince people who already have smart phones, laptops, e-book readers, set-top boxes and home broadband connections that they need another device that serves many of the same purposes.
Apple customer Andres Schobel holds up his two new iPads at an Apple store in San Francisco. Hundreds of people lined up hours before the Apple store opened to purchase the new iPad which debuted overnight. Click for more photos
Many of the earliest iPad buyers say they will have a better idea of what they'll use it for only after they've had it for a while.
That didn't stop them from imagining, though.
Beth Goza has had iPhones and other smart phones, along with a MacBook Air laptop, yet she believes the iPad has a place in her digital lineup. She likened it to a professional tennis player owning different sneakers for grass, clay and concrete courts.
"At the end of the day, you can get by with one or the other," she said outside an Apple store in Seattle's University Village mall.
But she clearly doesn't want to just "get by." She's already dreaming up specific uses for her iPad, such as knitting applications to help her keep track of her place in a complicated pattern.
Danita Shneidman, a woman in her 60s, wanted one to look at photos and videos of her first grandchild, born this week in Boston.
And then there's Ray Majewski, who went to an Apple store in Freehold, N.J., with his 10-year-old daughter, Julia. The iPad is partly as a reward for her straight A's in school, and partly a present for himself.
"I like the electronic books, and my daughter is really getting into them as well," Majewski said. "I was thinking of getting a Kindle (e-book reader) but then said to myself, 'Why not get an iPad because I can get so much more from that than just reading books?'"
The iPad is essentially a much larger version of Apple's popular iPhone, without the calling capabilities. Just a half-inch thick, the device has a touch screen that measures 9.7 inches on the diagonal - nearly three times the iPhone's. Also like the iPhone, it has no physical keyboard.
For now, Apple is selling iPads that only connect to the internet using Wi-Fi. Those models start at $US499. Versions that also have a 3G broadband data connection will be available by the end of the month. They will cost $US130 more, with the most expensive at $US829.
In Apple stores in Seattle and on New York's Fifth Avenue, the atmosphere was festive, with employees cheering and clapping as customers entered and left. One kid arrived at a San Francisco store in a homemade iPad costume.
Some analysts had predicted the gadget would sell out on Saturday. Although there didn't seem to be problems with supply at Apple stores, two Best Buy stores in the Washington, D.C., area didn't have iPads in stock for sale when they opened.
People could also "pre-order" iPads online to arrive Saturday. Prasad Thammineni did just that, but had to chase the UPS guy down the block from his office in Cambridge, Mass., to get his iPad.
After playing with it for a few hours, his impressions were mostly positive. Typing on the on-screen keyboard wasn't as comfortable as using a laptop with a regular keyboard, and Thammineni said he found himself using several fingers but not touch-typing normally. Still, he said, it was much easier to use than a Kindle keyboard.
But the weight of the device might keep him from typing on the go. Thammineni said that after about two minutes of holding up the device with one hand and typing with the other, it got too heavy, even at a mere 1.5 pounds.
Once the initial iPad excitement settles, Apple may have to work harder to persuade a broader swath of people to buy one. Many companies have tried to sell tablet computers before, but none has caught on with mainstream consumers. And while early adopters who pre-ordered an iPad in recent weeks have gushed about all the ways they hope to use it, skeptics point to all the ways the iPad comes up short.
They argue the on-screen keyboard is hard to use and complain that it lacks a camera and ports for media storage cards and USB devices such as printers. They also bemoan the fact that the iPad can't play Flash video, which means many websites with embedded video clips will look broken to web surfers using Apple's Safari browser. And the iPad can't run more than one program at a time, which even fans hope will change one day soon.
College student Brett Meulmester stood in line at an Apple store in Arlington, Va., to try one out without buying one yet because of cost.
Lower prices could push wider adoption, but when Apple slashed prices for the iPhone just months after its release, early buyers were irate. Tom Quinn, of Sea Girt, N.J., wasn't worried about paying a premium for being one of the first to have an iPad.
"When that happened with the iPhone, they gave out $US100 credit," he said. "If the same thing happens with the iPad, I'm sure they'll do something similar."
For others, cost was clearly not an issue - nor convenience, it seemed. Siggi Manz, a software developer who lives near Frankfurt, Germany, was spending just 20 hours in New York to snag one. Manz, who already carries Apple's MacBook Pro and iPhone, said the iPad would be ideal for note-taking.
"Opening a laptop is sometimes impersonal because the monitor is between us, and the iPhone is too little to really honestly type," Manz said.
James Stuart trekked to Seattle from Canada, where, like Australia, the iPad won't be on sale for another month - too long, in his mind.
"It's like a gorgeous woman - you just want to touch it," he said.
In San Francisco, tattoo artist Max Ackermann is convinced the iPad will "define a giant change in how we perceive computers in general."
Exactly how, Ackermann isn't sure. He and others admit their belief in the iPad grows out of an unwavering devotion to Apple and its products.
Standing outside an Apple store in Arlington, Va., Saturday, was John Kay, a 27-year-old employee of AT&T. He would pay for just about anything Apple made and said, "If they came out with a $US1000 microwave, I'd buy the microwave."
AP with Asher Moses
Source: smh.com.au
Friday, April 2, 2010
Google faces new book-scanning lawsuit
April 1, 2010 - 11:14AM
French publishers will launch a second lawsuit against internet giant Google for digitally scanning their books for its vast online library, one of them said on Wednesday.
"We are taking our turn at going into battle (against Google), along with some of our fellow publishers," Antoine Gallimard, the chief executive of major French publisher Gallimard, told AFP at Paris's annual book fair.
He said that three other big French publishers Albin Michel, Flammarion and Eyrolles would join the action.
Google "has been making us promises for months... and yet continues with its illegal digitisation," without the publishers' consent and in breach of their copyright, Gallimard said.
Google France declined to comment to AFP on the case on Wednesday.
A French court in December ruled that Google had breached the copyright of three publishers owned by the La Martiniere group by scanning entire books or excerpts and putting them online.
It ordered Google to pay 300,000 euros ($442,000) in damages to the publishers and to stop digitising French books without publishers' approval. Google has appealed the decision.
Opponents of Google's scanning activities have also brought a challenge in a US court against its book-scanning agreement with US authors and publishers.
In France, digitisation has become bound up with the sensitive issue of protecting French cultural and intellectual property in recent months.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a major government plan to scan the country's national treasures and vowed to protect French heritage at a time of suspicions over Google's digitisation drive.
Google said this month that it had reached agreement with the Italian culture ministry to scan up to a million books housed in the national libraries of Rome and Florence.
AFP
Source: smh.com.au
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Brandkarma
Brands on notice as rating website launches
JULIAN LEE
March 26, 2010 - 10:04AM
The wisdom of the crowds as well as its collective buying power is being harnessed to reward companies that treat the planet and workers well and punish those that don't. A web-based service created by an Australian launches this week to enable shoppers to vote on which companies treat their staff, customers, suppliers, investors and the environment the best.
Thought to be the first of its kind the service invites users to comment and rate a company based on up-to-the-minute information it publishes about the world's top 300 brands.
By aggregting the individual opinions of thousands of users 'the crowd' determines how good or bad a company is. High-scoring companies are likely to attract more custom from communities of concerned shoppers, while lower-scoring one will be encouraged to do better.
Brandkarma founder Craig Davis said it adds "another voice in the room" to balance those of NGOs, corporations and governments in the debate around sustainability.
"The question around the choices that we make is becoming more significant. People exercise those choices - in effect their vote - every time they buy something," said Mr Davis, whose day job is chief creative officer at Sydney advertising agency Publicis Mojo.
After more than 20 years of creating ads for global companies such as Nestle, Shell, Unilever and Ford, Mr Davis said he asked himself the question: "What kind of world do you want to live in - and leave to your kids." The answer is a service that borrows social networking tools to create a Facebook of brands that claims its mission is to "help people help each other make better brand choices and encourage companies to be good to all their stakeholders".
A brand's overall performance is easured by its appearance on the website – red is bad while green is good – and by its overall score that can allow comparisons to be made with competitors. He said he was not worried about companies that were receiving poor ratings rorting the system as they "would eventually be found out". He would make money out of selling the insights gleaned from the data back to companies to "make better brands" but would not divulge any personal information of users. Experts in the field of ethical or consumer activism welcomed the idea. Oliver Wagg, the managing editor of Ethical Investor magazine, said that Australian consumers who were interested in shopping sustainably had few places to turn to for information.
"An increasing number of directories and websites are emerging to help consumers make the right decision about 'green' products and services. But these sources generally point consumers to products and services that brand themselves as 'green', leaving them to carry out their own verification and of course open to false advertising, or 'greenwashing'," he said.
Although Brandkarma is thought to be the first service of its kind in the world, consumer activism in generally has already taken root.
A US-based service called Carrotmob is gaining traction with its co-ordinated grassroots efforts that leverage consumer power.
In October its Australian debut attracted 200 people who shopped exclusively at a Surry Hills supermarket that had pledged 20 per cent of its sales to go towards the "greening" of the store. More such events are planned.
Source: smh.com.au
JULIAN LEE
March 26, 2010 - 10:04AM
The wisdom of the crowds as well as its collective buying power is being harnessed to reward companies that treat the planet and workers well and punish those that don't. A web-based service created by an Australian launches this week to enable shoppers to vote on which companies treat their staff, customers, suppliers, investors and the environment the best.
Thought to be the first of its kind the service invites users to comment and rate a company based on up-to-the-minute information it publishes about the world's top 300 brands.
By aggregting the individual opinions of thousands of users 'the crowd' determines how good or bad a company is. High-scoring companies are likely to attract more custom from communities of concerned shoppers, while lower-scoring one will be encouraged to do better.
Brandkarma founder Craig Davis said it adds "another voice in the room" to balance those of NGOs, corporations and governments in the debate around sustainability.
"The question around the choices that we make is becoming more significant. People exercise those choices - in effect their vote - every time they buy something," said Mr Davis, whose day job is chief creative officer at Sydney advertising agency Publicis Mojo.
After more than 20 years of creating ads for global companies such as Nestle, Shell, Unilever and Ford, Mr Davis said he asked himself the question: "What kind of world do you want to live in - and leave to your kids." The answer is a service that borrows social networking tools to create a Facebook of brands that claims its mission is to "help people help each other make better brand choices and encourage companies to be good to all their stakeholders".
A brand's overall performance is easured by its appearance on the website – red is bad while green is good – and by its overall score that can allow comparisons to be made with competitors. He said he was not worried about companies that were receiving poor ratings rorting the system as they "would eventually be found out". He would make money out of selling the insights gleaned from the data back to companies to "make better brands" but would not divulge any personal information of users. Experts in the field of ethical or consumer activism welcomed the idea. Oliver Wagg, the managing editor of Ethical Investor magazine, said that Australian consumers who were interested in shopping sustainably had few places to turn to for information.
"An increasing number of directories and websites are emerging to help consumers make the right decision about 'green' products and services. But these sources generally point consumers to products and services that brand themselves as 'green', leaving them to carry out their own verification and of course open to false advertising, or 'greenwashing'," he said.
Although Brandkarma is thought to be the first service of its kind in the world, consumer activism in generally has already taken root.
A US-based service called Carrotmob is gaining traction with its co-ordinated grassroots efforts that leverage consumer power.
In October its Australian debut attracted 200 people who shopped exclusively at a Surry Hills supermarket that had pledged 20 per cent of its sales to go towards the "greening" of the store. More such events are planned.
Source: smh.com.au
Friday, March 12, 2010
YouTube becomes a TV Station
YouTube becomes a TV station tomorrow
JULIAN LEE
March 12, 2010 - 12:02PM
YouTube's first major move away from being a video-sharing site and towards an online TV destination begins early tomorrow morning when it begins streaming free live Indian Premier Cricket League matches.
The Google-owned YouTube yesterday unveiled eight sponsors, half of which are global brand names. HSBC, Hewlett Packard, Coca Cola, Samsung, Indian mobile phone company, Airtel, Honda motorcycles, an Indian university, and one of the teams, the Bangalore-based Royal Challenger team were named as sponsors of the initial 56 matches of this season.
YouTube does not disclose the dollar size of the sponsorship packages but interviews with executives have indicated that because this initiative is a new one they are not asking advertisers to pay over the odds.
At least 32, 30-second ads will appear during the play in each match watched live or on demand later.
The cricket deal is part of YouTube's ambition to become a destination for internet users as a place not just to upload content but watch it, in the form of movies, sport and concerts, said Leigh Terry managing partner of media buyers OMD.
"Rather than just going to YouTube and searching for a video they hope to become a destination much like a portal where people can go for a variety of content, not just sports," he said
"I have a feeling that this is just going to be the first [of others] to come."
Mr Terry said that while YouTube's success at attracting audiences was not in doubt - an estimated 36 million videos are watched by Australians each month - it had struggled to gain advertising dollars. "The audience hasn't been the problem, it's the quality and the exclusivity of the content," he said, adding that initiatives such as this addressed that.
Source: smh.com.au
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Internet access seen as a right:
Internet access seen as a right: poll
March 9, 2010 - 11:20AM
More than three-quarters of people across the world believe access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll carried out for the BBC indicates.
The poll, which questioned more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries, suggested strong support globally for access to the web.
The findings released on Monday come as efforts are stepped up across the world to increase net access, with the United Nations leading a push for more people to be given the opportunity to get online.
Countries including Finland and Estonia have already ruled it is a human right, said the BBC.
"The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, told the broadcaster.
"The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created."
Almost 79 per cent of those questioned said they strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the description of the internet as a "fundamental right of all people." This included people who had access and those who did not.
A total of 87 per cent of internet users questioned in the poll, carried out by GlobeScan for the BBC, felt access should be a right, while more than 70 per cent of non-users agreed with this view.
Mexico, Brazil and Turkey were among countries where support was highest, according to the survey.
The findings also suggested people in a diverse range of countries felt the web was a vital part of their lives. Three-quarters in Japan, Mexico and Russia said they could not cope without it.
South Korea, where nearly all citizens enjoy high-speed net access, had the greatest majority of people - 96 per cent - who believed access was a fundamental right.
The US Treasury Department on Monday eased sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to allow exports by US companies of services related to web browsing, blogging, email, instant messaging, chat, social networking and photo- and movie-sharing.
"We're supporting the right of free expression," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday
The decision to allow exports of web tools to Iran was intended to allow Iranians to "communicate without being blocked by their own government", she explained.
AFP
Source: smh.com.au
Friday, March 5, 2010
botnet
Spanish botnet could have paralysed an 'entire country'
March 4, 2010 - 10:33AM
Spanish criminals who stole bank details from computers around the world did not realise the power of the illegal network they had created which could have paralysed an entire country's computer systems, police said.
Police gave a news conference on Wednesday, a day after they arrested three people for what they believe to have been one of the biggest computer crimes ever detected.
They declined to identify the men, aged between 25 and 31, from small Spanish towns, whom they suspect of infecting more than 13 million computers with spyware.
Police believe the men were not expert hackers and bought their virus program on the black market before using it to take over other people's computers in order to create a "botnet," a network of enslaved computers.
"Fortunately this botnet of 13 million computers was controlled by someone who hadn't realised how powerful it was," Juan Salon, the head of the cybercrime unit of Spain's Civil Guard Police, told a news conference.
The network would have had much more computing power than the one used in a notorious "cyber-attack" on Estonia, police said, adding that it could in theory have been used for a similar assault on a nation's vital computer infrastructure.
Estonia accused Russia of being behind the 2007 attack, which swamped websites belonging to many of the country's institutions, putting them out of action. "Thank God, their criminal mentality wasn't very sophisticated," said Salon, who said the men apparently tried to offer their botnet to criminal gangs for hire, but do not seem to have made huge profits although they made a comfortable living.
The criminals used the virus to infect machines - initially exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser - which then allowed them to record key strokes and login credentials. This botnet was known as "Mariposa" - the Spanish word for butterfly.
The leader of the gang was caught with personal details of 800,000 people, said the Civil Guard. Government institutions and companies had also been affected, it said, although it declined to give more details.
The Age, 5th March 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Facebook for who?
AS YOUNGER generation Y users are turning away from Facebook, their grandparents are filling their places on the social networking site.
Computer users aged 55 and over are the fastest growing group to sign up to sites such as Facebook and MySpace, often using them to keep up to date with the lives of family and friends, especially grandchildren interstate and overseas - assuming they aren't among the growing number of younger users abandoning the social networking sites.
Figures show that the number of older users of Facebook increased nearly tenfold in America last year, while university-age users declined by 55 per cent.
Australian figures show that about one in five over the age of 55 is connecting through Facebook, with 550,000 logging in. Facebook claims to have more than 7 million users.
Social network strategist Laurel Papworth said Australia's take-up rate was generally about 2 to 3 per cent higher than the US for computer use.
The online community has responded by creating groups such as ''My grandma is on Facebook'', ''My granny is on Facebook and I love it!'' and ''Proud Nannas, Grandmas, Pas and Grandpas on Facebook''.
''Senior citizens are time rich and want to go where their grandchildren will go,'' Ms Papworth said.
Deakin University marketing and consumer behaviour specialist Associate Professor David Bednall said the 55-plus generation had used computers in the workplace and many now had the time to devote to social networking sites. He said the increase in usage came off a low base.
''If they have the mechanism and, particularly, if they have the time to do it, they are now learning what all the fuss is about … it's a catch-up,'' Professor Bednall said.
He said older users accessed social networking sites for the information they wanted and then logged off, whereas younger users tended to use the sites for long periods.
''[Older people] are not doing it for the sake of it; they might find somebody, or get in contact with someone but it is more purposeful rather than just enjoying the dialogue,'' he said.
Children's author Goldie Alexander used Facebook recently to advertise her latest book, Hedgeburners.
She became a Facebook user three years ago to keep in touch with her grandchildren but found it had its limits. She now has 41 Facebook friends but uses it only ''spasmodically''. ''It is mostly only when people contact me because I never remember the password,'' Alexander said.
''Mostly it is for the grandchildren and when other writers contact me, although I have convinced one grandchild to email me instead.''
Alexander, who says she is well into the 55-plus age bracket, is an avid user of other technologies such as Skype and YouTube.
''I think every generation has their own way of communicating. This generation is partnering later, and I think it keeps them from being lonely, so they spend more time on it than the older generation,'' she said.
But some older users have a harder time adapting to the social networking world, said Ms Papworth. ''All the [senior citizens] I have come across start off really nervous, but they get more confidence.''
Ms Papworth said the concept of the Facebook ''friend'' puzzled some. ''Some people would come to me saying, 'I don't understand why people I don't know want to be my friend; isn't that rude if I say no?'.''
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Strange weather we are having or not!
SEASONAL CALENDARS FOR THE MELBOURNE AREA
Compiled by Dr. Beth Gott of the School of Biological Sciences, Monash University.
All over Australia, Aborigines had their own local yearly calendars. Just as the climate in Kakadu is very different from that of Melbourne, so the Wurundjeri had their own way of marking the changing seasons. The division of the year into four seasons comes from Northern Europe, and does not fit Melbourne. We still think of winter as an unfavourable season for plants, when northern European trees drop their leaves and become dormant, but for our native plants, especially the small tuberous herbs, winter is a season of growth. At this time the bush is green, and the temperatures are rarely low enough to stop growth. The unfavourable season is high summer, when water is scarce, and much of the ground flora becomes brown and dies off. Water-plants such as Cumbungi are usually green during the summer, they die off during the winter.
Alan Reid originally suggested a calendar for the Middle Yarra region which has six seasons. Autumn, Winter, Pre-spring, True Spring, Early Summer and Late Summer. Glen Jameson (Victorian Naturalist 1996, Vol. 1 13 pp.26,67,123,269,313. 1997, Vol. 1 14, p.4S.) has modified this to: Late Summer, Early Winter, Deep Winter, Early Spring, True Spring, and High Summer, and has given lists of many plants and animals to be found in each of these seasons. Alan Reid agrees with Jameson, but emphasises that the seasons vary from place to place - for example the coastal seasons of the Bunwurrung would have been different.
Jones, Mackay and Pisani, from the University of Adelaide (Jones, D., Mackay, S. & Pisani, A. 1997 Patterns in the Valley of the Christmas Bush: a seasonal calendar for the upper Yarra Valley. Victorian Naturalist 114(5):246-249.) have proposed a seven season calendar.
This has Kangaroo Apple Season (December), Dry Season (Jan-Feb), Eel Season (March), Wombat Season (April-August), Orchid Season (September), Tadpole Season (October), Grass-flowering Season (November). The Museum of Victoria has chosen to follow this pattern in its displays in Melbourne and at Coranderrk. The Museum have named the seasons after the Woiwurrung language names for eels, wombats, and orchid, tadpoles and grass, but it is not known if these names were used by the Woiwurrung.
All the above are attempts to find the natural seasonal divisions of the area based on modern observations. Although William Thomas gave some seasonal happenings, that also did not represent the Aboriginal view. In the seasonal descriptions which follow we have combined elements of Jameson and Thomas, and have tried to include the activities of the people.
Lifestyle depended very much on the rhythm of the seasons. People moved over their extensive territories in regular cycles, maximising the availability of food and shelter. When food was plentiful there were opportunities to carry out ritual responsibilities and opportunities for ceremonial gatherings.
They were always mindful of the seasons in selecting the localities in which to spend their time, taking into account not only the natural features of the ground, but the facilities for obtaining food.
Much was known about the stars and the seasons. People could read the sky. For example, they would know that when a particular constellation appeared it was time to hunt a particular animal, or dig up a particular plant. See Thomas v.21, p98 "they are great observers of the starry heavens" for details. The flowering of particular plants was often used to mark seasonal events. Even today, fisherman use the flowering of the Coast Tea-tree in early November to mark the entry of Snapper into Port Phillip Bay.
We will start our survey in March, because this marked the end of the dry summer.
Late Summer, February - Mid March.
After the dry hot summer, the Autumn rains arrived and the days became cooler. People started burning those parts of the land where the scrub or tussock grass had become too dense during the summer, but they were advised by their elders where and when to burn, taking the weather into account so that the fires did not spread too far. It was important to clear the undergrowth and provide fertilising ash so that the small tuberous food plants could grow well after the rains came in March. Burning also made it easier to catch animals. Plants which had suffered from lack of water during the summer were now able to renew growth. DJAAK, Wattle gum wattle gum, was plentiful, and in the middle of this month the WARRAK Banksia or Honeysuckle, Long-leaf Box and Silver-leaf Stringybark came into blossom, providing sweet nectar, and attracting birds. March has been called the Eel Season, Eel because the female Short-finned eels were moving down the streams to the sea; the male eels had been leaving in smaller numbers during the spring and summer. These were an important food, and among the vegetables there were the starchy roots of the water plants, which began to die down after their summer growth. Some late summer fruits such as mistletoe berries were also available. Birds started to flock before heading north for the winter, to be replaced by other birds which will soon start to arrive from Tasmania.
Early Winter, April & May.
All sorts of fungi appeared with the rains, while the ground was still warm. BUNJIL, the Eagle, was building his nest, and the Brush-tail and Ringtail Possums were mating. Bolin Bolin billabong started to fill. Many different moths emerged, and were food for birds during the day and for Sugar and Feathertail gliders at night. Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Wallabies fed on the new growth.
Deep Winter- June, mid July
This cold time of the year slowed down but did not stop plant growth. Animals such as Echidnas were breeding, birds nesting. The flats near the rivers and creeks were often flooded; and the low lands generally were wet and cold, and unsuitable for camping, so people moved to the best sheltered spots on the uplands, where they were able to catch koalas, possums, and wombats, and to find grubs in the trees The leaves of the water plants had become dry and brown, but the small tuberous herbs were green and growing; the roots of both were good food. Fragrant nectar came from BURGILBURGIL, Honey-pots, Acrotriche serrulata, a small shrub which hid its flowers close to the ground. BULAIT- Cherry Ballart formed fruit. People constructed good bark WILLAMS (shelters) and kept fires burning for warmth. They wrapped themselves in rugs made from possum skins.
Early Spring - Mid July, August
As early as mid-July, MUYAN, Silver Wattle, started to flower, the first of the wattles to do so. It earned the name of 'Barak's Wattle' because when he died at Coranderrk on August 15th 1903, MUYAN was in full golden bloom. Yellow Box also flowered, providing much nectar. Early Nancy was the first of the small food plants to flower, and by late August the MURNONG was budding.Pacific Black Duck People moved slowly towards the lower lands as the spring temperatures rose, there they were able to snare ducks, to catch other kinds of wild-fowl, and, as the season advanced, to get eggs from the nests of all kinds of birds.
True Spring- September, October.
This was a time of plenty. Lilies, Orchids and MURNONG floweredmurnong, and still provided root vegetables. Greens were consumed in large quantities. Flowers were everywhere -Wattles, Hop Goodenia, Burgan, Kangaroo Apple, as well as orchids and small lilies which had been building their tubers over the winter. Snakes and Lizards became active, young Kangaroos came out of the pouch. Migrant birds - the Sacred Kingfisher for example, returned from the north. Tadpoles appeared in ponds, and the river, fed by melting snows from the mountains, flowed into the flood-plains and replenished the billabongs. Water-plants put on green leaves. Nowadays this flooding is prevented.
High Summer November, December, January
WARRA WARRAP/GARRONG, late Black Wattle, with pale yellow blossoms, flowered in November. As the summer advanced, the land began to dry, and people congregated around the reliable water-sources, the creeks, rivers and billabongs. Fish was an important food - Galaxias moved up the river from the sea. Where rocky falls blocked the river, as in the Prince's Bridge area and at Dight's Fails, fish would accumulate in large numbers, and could be easily taken. Eels started to come downriver. Fish traps were set. Water sources were important for the wildlife, so large animals such as Kangaroos and Emus would come to drink and could be caught. Lizards and snakes were active. Grasses flowered - Kangaroo Grass, Wallaby Grass, Spear Grass, Tussock Grass and the Common Reed. Fruits ripened -, MORR - Currant-bush, GARRAWANG - Apple-berry, White Elderberry, Kangaroo Apples and sweet LAAP - Manna, could be collected beneath the WURUN - Manna Gums The small tuberous plants died back, but the women still knew where they could dig for their roots, which at this time were at their best. . When people went up into the mountain gullies to get firedrills, they ate the pith from the centre of the treeferns. In the warm weather, big shelters were not needed unless it rained.
As food was plentiful, large gatherings of the tribes and clans took place. With permission from Bunurong clans, people went to the sea-coast to swim and gather shellfish and the fruits of Pigface and Coast Beard-heath. Flounder and Flathead could be speared or netted in the shallows, and shellfish were gathered.
The Dandenong Ranges were the hunting grounds for both the Bunurong (Western Port tribe) whose land lay to the south, and the Wurundjeri (Yarra Yarra) tribe whose land lay to the north and west. When the first pastoralists came: Blacks from the Western Port and Yarra Yarra tribes were frequently seen during the summer months, hunting in the forest for wallaby, possum and koalas.
Our knowledge of pre-European life in Victoria is fragmentary and sometimes confusing. Below is listed some of the names of Aboriginal seasons as recorded by three writers working separately during the nineteenth century.
Season Thomas
(Wurundjeri) McCrae
(Bunurong) Blake
(Wurundjeri)
Winter Per-ring-nger-wein, Perrin
(perein = no more sun)
Moode-bo-ram Perrin Birrin
birrin
(mudangan,
wudawiin = cold weather)
Spring Moo-de-e-ram Pareip Pareip
Summer 1 Nerrem-nre-wein
Nerrim-ngerwein
Nger-wein = sun) Bullarto n'yoweenth
(plenty sun) Pareip
Summer 2 -Wygabil-ny-ewin
(Old Man sun)
Autumn Berrip Manemit (?good) birrin
from the Herring Island website
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