Gizmodo
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remotes
UK's Sky TV Makes Upside-Down Remote For Australians
In honor of some sport nobody here cares about, British satellite company is releasing upside-down remotes for Australians—because the two are playing each other in said sporting match. [Forever Geek via Technabob]
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By Jason ChenComment by Kaiser-Machead: Sky TV? That's n' odd name. I'da called it Chazwazzer. 7 Responses | Other threads
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recycling
Envirobank Reverse Vending Machines Quench Guilt, Not Thirst
I've always been comfortable with humans' relationship with vending machines: we feed them money, they feed us high-fructose corn syrup, everyone's happy. Envirobank wants to upset this age-old ritual with their "reverse vending machines". More » -
cellphones
Survey: 90% of 15-Year-Olds Have Cellphone, Are Much Cooler Than I Was At Their Age
The Age asks if today's youth is addicted to cellphones after learning 90% of kids aged 15 have them. That was a rhetorical question, right Age? In other news, tonight's forecast is darkness. [The Age] -
art
Reflections on a Baby Crocodile Driving a Pink Motorcycle
Some may frown on this crocodile dying for his art, but mounted on that pink motorbike with the stagnant air in his face, I'd argue he's living more than most of us. More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by CameraShoe_GitEmSteveDave: Needs a little helmet. I find when animals are on motorcycles with helmets, people don't complain. 6 Responses | Other threads
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broadband
Australia To Stimulate Itself With Government-Backed 100-Megabit Fiber Broadband For 90% of Oz
Ozzie prime minister Kevin Rudd has announced what will be one of the biggest government-sanctioned nationwide broadband initiatives in history: an A$43 billion plan to bring a fat 100mbps fiber pipe to 90% of Australians. More »
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By John MahoneyComment by Jitty: It would be easier for Australia than for the USA because Australia isn't that big, it's about as big as... 28 Responses | Other threads
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australia
Australian Censorship Scheme Gets Blocked By Opposition Leaders
Thankfully many of the people down under have their heads the right way around – Australia's proposed censorship regime has been toppled by mass political opposition, which blocked any legislation required to start the scheme. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by The_Gas_Man: "an anti-abortion website that showed photographs of allegedly aborted fetuses (Sure, it's gross and unnecessary-but pro-lifers have the right to... 5 Responses | Other threads
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android
Kogan Agora Australian Android Phone Hands On Reveals It's Going Full Touchscreen
Giz Australia played with that delayed Kogan Agora Android phone, and mostly liked it. Apparently, the final version will ditch QWERTY and go full touch, but if you wanna know how this abortion handles: [GizAU] -
prosthetics
Amputee Engineer Designs, Installs His Own Robotic Arm
After an accidental and tragic arm-lopping, Mark Lesek's early efforts to find a suitable prosthesis didn't really pan out. Lesek, a mechanical engineer by trade, took matters into his own hand(s). He made one. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by Jesus_Jones: Has the amputation stopped him from shaving that thing off his upper lip? 3 Responses | Other threads
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breathalyzers
Car Breathalyzer Mistakes Ice Cream for Alcohol, Doesn't Let Man Drive Home
You may want to hand your keys over after a pint of Ben and Jerry's, because in Australia, a man's car breathalyzer refused to start his engine after he ate an Ice Cream Bar. More »
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Comment by StutiCebriones: Vanilla extract is, per FDA regulations, at least 70 proof; I can't find the Australian regulations but they probably don't... 13 Responses | Other threads
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bathrooms
Leave Big Jobs in Small Spaces with the Collapsible Cirrus MVR Bathroom
The Cirrus MVR bathroom concept keeps your bathroom out of sight and out of mind thanks to its award-winning fold-up design. Just be mindful of the sink—the water is constantly recycled to save resources. More »
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By Jack LoftusComment by Tom Jun: but if i had this in my kitchen.. my kitchen may smell like poo poo.. this may conserve space.. but definitely... 6 Responses | Other threads
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unfounded
Australian Hillbillies Accuse Apple of Trashing Salvageable Computers
An Aussie construction worker and part-time filmmaker (?) was instructed to destroy a substantial quantity of Apple equipment— some of which, he says, was salvageable. But can we really trust his account? More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by Substance_D: They could have at least sold the Mac Pro cases. Honestly, like 2% of the world needs a mac pro.... 9 Responses | Other threads
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Kogan Agora
Kogan Agora, The Australian Android Phone, Delayed Indefinitely
Well shoot—the Kogan Agora, widely believed to become the next Android Handset (as well as Australia's first), is now delayed indefinitely. The reason: potential future compatibility issues with the smartphone's screen. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by nixarn: I am curious what the Android strategy is when it comes to resolution sizes. Should all app scale to all... 2 Responses | Other threads
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how to
How To Repair Your Plasma TV With a Baseball Bat (NSFW)
That rumor that Australian toilets flush the other way isn't true, so lets start a new one: In Australia, you can fix things by beating them. See you in my children, new trivia meme! More »
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By John Herrman
Comment by All Your Base Are Belong To Us: But they do flush the other way... 10 Responses | Other threads
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big brother
Australia, a Country with a Moronic Government, to Block BitTorrent
Australia loves censoring and filtering things on the internet, but its government hasn't had its fill yet. Next up: blocking BitTorrent in the entire country.
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By Adam FrucciComment by jackbling: i wonder what the penalties for circumvention will be? 12 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Hardware Hoarder Builds Australia's Largest Computer Museum In His House
Max Burnet worked with computers for his whole life, and he hasn't strayed far in retirement: he's collected a massive amount of vintage computer hardware in his house, creating the what is claimed to be the largest collection of its kind in Australia, and one of the most extensive in the world. He's got everything from a 20s era electro-mechanical tote board to punch card mainframes to the Apple Lisa in his huge stockpile, and odd curios aren't neglected; he's got early hard drive and RAM specimens, as well as a library of over 6000 vintage computing manuals. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by methane: Does anyone else here remember using a hole-punch to make a 5.25" disk double sided? Or is it just... 7 Responses | Other threads
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wtf
Australian Cage of Death Taunts Crocodiles With Human Food
The Australians, not content to dive in the ocean deep with a mere shark cage, have taken to hopping in the water with 19.6ft long salt water crocodiles using nothing but 4cm of acrylic plastic to keep them safe. As the croc gnashes its teeth against the cage, you piss your pants, the wife takes some pics, and we once again reaffirm why dolphins are actually the dominant species on the planet. More » -
space
NASA Nearly Bombs Australia With 1400lb Ammonia Tank
Jettisoned over a year ago and expected to reenter the Earth's atmosphere on its own time somewhere in the beginning of November, one of the ISS's retired coolant tanks has careened through the Earth's atmosphere in the skies off the coast of Australia. Two lucky things happened here: the reentry took place — and this was completely up to chance — over water, and the atmosphere broke the 1400lb tank into lots of small pieces. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by the facetious feline: Why wouldn't they launch this stuff in the other direction ... you know into the vastness of space instead of... 9 Responses | Other threads
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great ideas
Australian University to Create Real Life Town of 'Eureka'
Eureka happens to be one of my favorite shows on TV, and the fact that the University of Queensland plans to build a nerd nest similar to the fictional stronghold makes me very happy. Especially since they're not tied up with that meddling Department of Defense. The "multibillion-dollar brain city" on the western outskirts of Brisbane will be dedicated to science and technology, while housing about 10,000 people—with the hopes that 4,500 of those residents will be some of the world's best scientists. More » -
vegemite
Australia Building Huge Electric Car Grid: 600,000+ Stations By 2012
Apparently not content with just one giant ongoing infrastructure project, Australia has committed to fully outfitting three of its biggest cities for widespread electric car use. In hardware terms, that amounts to 200,000-250,000 charging stations each for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with an additional 150 battery swap stations scattered between them. The effort will cost $1bn in Australian Dingo Dollars, which is about $667m USD. If that's not ambitious enough for you, consider this: it should be online in three years. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by Dancing Milkcarton: Hopefully this, or something like it, is coming soon to the US. Watching oil-extortion-based thug countries teeter on... 3 Responses | Other threads
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censorship
Australia To Build Great Firewall Down Under
Looks like China won't be the only place with a Great Firewall in place—The Australian government is introducing its own censorship regime that will determine what is or isn't illegal for you to view on the web. The move is said to help stop teenagers from accessing online pornography, but even if you opt-out of the pr0n filter, you'll get put on a different blacklist for “illegal” content. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by jayhawk11: I would expect this from the Canadians....but our kangaroo-loving friends going Big Brother? Really? 6 Responses | Other threads
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solar
Australian Student Invents Cheap Solar Using Nail Polish and a Pizza Oven
An Australian PhD student has found a cheap way to make solar cells with nail polish, a pizza oven and an ink jet printer. 23-year-old Nicole Kuepper's invention, named iJET, doesn't require the pricey clean rooms and high-temperature ovens of traditional solar panel manufacturing plants, thus dramatically lowering the cost of solar and paving the road for introducing the technology to third-world countries. More » -
fuel cells
Much Cheaper Fuel Cells On The Way With New Prototype
Australian researchers have developed a new fuel cell prototype that could lead to much cheaper, more efficient fuel cell vehicles in the near future. Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne created a new cathode that could bypass the need for expensive platinum nanoparticles, which adds about $3500 to $4000 to the sticker price of current fuel cells. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by MerrillBabakin: Very interesting. As a fuel cell scientist, I do not need too many "important details". Just one: how LONG does it... more » | Other threads
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another one bites the dust
Why You Should Carry a Camcorder at All Times-Plus Infrared Goggles, Survival Kits, GPS, and Canned Burgers
Adam already pointed out the need to carry a camera with you at all times to catch amazing pictures. Now, here's one reason to always remember to carry a good videocamera. And survival kits and a GPS and armored suits and canned burgers and infrared goggles or a F-35 helmet. Unlike Lori Mehmen, however, these guys didn't take cover and just kept driving to this huge mother of all dust storms in Australia. Not as dangerous as a tornado, sure, but scary doesn't even start to describe it. [LiveLeak]
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By Jesus DiazComment by Mr.Wilson: @strider_mt2k: They pissed Imhotep off with that techno music, apparently! more » | Other threads
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gaming
Xbox 360 Price Cuts Arrive in Australia, US Probably Following Soon
Normally we'd skip over Australia-only news, but the official Xbox 360 price cuts there most likely means those rumors of a drop in the US are pretty much locked in for sure (even if the European price reduction a few months ago didn't cross over). Kotaku says all three models got slashed, "with the Arcade down $50 to AUD$349, the Pro down a whopping $180 to AUD$499 and the Elite down $80 to AUD$649." With the new sticker of $349, the Xbox 360 Arcade is actually cheaper than the Wii, which is $400. Toilet flushing and the seasons aren't the only things backwards down there now. [Xbox AU via Kotaku]
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By Jason ChenComment by liroku: @Ambiguous Blob 2.0: Don't be too bummed out. Your investment isn't bad if you prefer the games for PS3,... more » | Other threads
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apple
Apple Store in Sydney, Oi Oi Oi!
Our brothers from down under at Giz Australia got a full-on press-packed walkthrough of the new Apple store in Sydney, the first on the continent, and it looks as nice and Apple-y as you'd expect. This long staircase—to places unknown—is especially cool, and unique compared to what we have in the cramped confines of NYC. However, the retail and Genius Bar sections still do look like, in Blam's words, an "evil twin" of the NYC Meatpacking District's store. Hit the link to see the rest of the pics. [Giz AU]
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Comment by Karin's being followed by a moonshadow: @The Magnificen7: "Show him the knife" "That's not a knife." "...yeah it is." "Oh yeah, it is!" Extra points to anyone who can name... more » | Other threads
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tivo
Australia Gets TiVo Minus the Subscription Fees
The Seven Media Group is so excited to distribute TiVos in Australia before the Beijing Olympics (and worried about fierce regional competition) that they're actually offering the boxes with full service sans subscription fees. If you ask the average non-TiVo user why he/she uses an alternative DVR, 9 out of 10 people will probably point to recurring costs. Even with TiVo's lifetime subscription back in action, the company still asks for a lot of money to provide basic DVR services. Not to stereotype here, but you're telling me that Australia gets boxing kangaroos, Crocodile Dundee and free TiVo service? Lucky! [SMH via Zatz Not Funny] -
golf
Electronic Golf Caddy Carries Your Clubs Sans Judgment Or Teen Angst
Yet another job for pimply 16-year-olds has been rendered obsolete with technology, now that golfers can use the Shadow Caddy—a fully autonomous golf club carrying cart that trails behind you automatically. The three-wheeled cart works by following a signal from a transmitter worn on the golfer's body. Switching the caddy's setting from "Follow-Me" to "Park" makes sure it never accidentally follows you into a bunker or onto the green. More »
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By Elaine ChowComment by fastm3driver: Ha, I started work as a engineer at a company in 1997. At that time the owner had already... more » | Other threads
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gps
Use GPS to Find Your Dead In New Forest Graveyards
When you die, instead of having your grave marked by granite, you can now peg it to something even more immutable: latitude and longitude. A new eco-friendly forest graveyard promises a new kind of service, according to the Sydney Morning Herald:The deceased will be buried in biodegradable coffins between gum trees in a protected koala sanctuary...Relatives and friends will require a satellite navigation device to find graves of loved ones.
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dvd
Surreal DVD Subtitles Turn The Queen into Flight of the Conchords
A screening of The Queen for the hard of hearing turned into a farce after the movie was captioned with some of the most surreal subtitles ever seen. Viewers at the event, organised by Ryde Council in Australia, heard Prince Philip, the monarch's husband, claim that "people removed their heads" as he drove past and, my personal favorite, that "every newspaper proprietor has blown in his hands today." Now, while you may think that the British press is run by necrophilia-obsessed onanists, the script said something else: More »
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By AddyDugdaleComment by 001: I have nothing against bad subtitles when they are this hilarious. more » | Other threads
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lightway
Lightway OLED Shutters Could Mean It's Curtains for Curtains
Louvered shutters may not be everyone's idea of a great time, but Damian Savio's spangly, light-up version sure is mine. The 23-year-old industrial design student designed them for his final-year show at the University of Western Sydney. Using OLEDs and advance transparent Photovoltaic Nanoscale technology, the Lightway shutters allow the sunlight in during the day, whilst storing energy in solar cells to power the crazy lights at nighttime. Suddenly I feel like I want to party. More » -
false alarm
Drunk Aussie Threatens to Blow Up City With TV Remote
A 57-year-old man was sentenced to a year's probation for threatening to blow up Brisbane, Australia with his TV remote. Geoffrey Fryatt's drunken stunt prompted Australia to declare a state of emergency in the city, send in paramilitary police to pelt Fryatt with rubber bullets and arrest him. Fryatt expressed concerns that probation would interfere with his trip overseas to do humanitarian aid work. Hmmm, a bit ironic? [Reuters] -
lost and found
Sleuthy NYC Couple Use Deckard Technique to Find Aussie Lost-Camera Owner
It was like a real-life scene from Blade Runner, well, except for the pleasure-model skin jobs, the handguns that sound like laser blasters and the whole Harrison Ford thing. An NYC couple stumbles upon a digital camera left in a cab on New Year's Eve, and decide to turn all sleuthy. More » -
roadkill
iPod May Shuffle You From Rolling Stone to Roadkill, Australian Ad Says
A new ad in Australia highlights the dangers of crossing the road with your MP3 player rumbling your inner ear canal at full volume. And of course, it shows the iPod in a new twist of Apple's original silhouettes campaign, now using the headphones cable as a way to draw the place in which a body lies dead. Ah, nothing like a great morbid image to start up a pre-MacWorld wednesday. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by dcartist: @ninjatales: "I wish I coulda been there to pick up their iPods." Sorry, these ipods are mine. Go kill your own ipod... more » | Other threads
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roundup
Afternoon News: NYPD Gets Scooters, Aussies Get PS3s, China Gets Wiis
• The NYPD will test electric scooters next month. NYPD Blue? More like NYPD Green! (Please, hold your applause.)[Newsday] More » -
destroy
Australian Miners Wreck It
If you have always wondered how Australian miners amuse themselves when they are bored, wonder no longer. It is way cooler than any of us expected: they take a massive mining truck and use it to destroy land cruisers that are found unoccupied, all for funzies. Is there anything more fun than destroying large metal based structures with larger metal based structures? The video of the event indicates that there isn't. Don't believe us? Hit the video for the truth behind real good times. [Liveleak]
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By Haroon MalikComment by yougottabekidding: @wvv: I hadn't seen it before, and from the other comments, it looks like alot of other people hadn't seen... more » | Other threads
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hdtvs
Australia to Ban All Plasmas
And it looks like it just might happen, which would spell bad news for the gadget gurus down under. ABC Australia claims that If a revised Australian energy rating guide gets passed, then all current plasma televisions would be banned from sale by 2011. That's right, all plasmas and even many power-hungry LCDs would be taken off store shelves due to their high energy consumption. But listen to this, it gets worse. More » -
porn for all!
Australian $84 Million Porn Filter Thwarted By 16-Year-Old
After investing a cool $84 million in devising a porn filter the Federal Government in the land down under are now reeling, thanks to a 16-year-old schoolboy. Tom Wood, (who could actually be a porn star with that name), managed to hack the security measure within 30 minutes of it going live, last Tuesday (21/08/07). More »
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By Haroon MalikComment by Simon.Eriksen: This guy is in my family :D Way to go Tom :D more » | Other threads
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call of duty
Man Takes Out 6 Cell Towers In Tank Rampage
Updated with thrilling action video clip More » -
home entertainment
Australian Store Uses Xbox 360 As PS3 Kiosk
Seeing as the PS3 isn't quite available in Australia, it's natural for stores to put mockups of PS3s as placeholders for people to place pre-orders. This Harvey Norman store took it a bit further, as a little bit of detectivework by Flickr user Hiredgoon discovered that workers actually used an Xbox 360 to prop up a PS3 display. More » -
announcements
New Apple Store: Melbourne, Australia
This new Apple store proposal is part of a $200 million redevelopment in Melbourne, Australia. It features a glass atrium ceiling, and will be adjacent to a hotel and shopping complex connected by a clear, circular-panel walkway. Over the last 100 years, this site has been redeveloped twice, most recently housing the Fun Factory, a historical amusement center that had fallen into disrepair. More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by D-Zyner: Well I'm from Melbourne (Prahran actually) & I think an Apple store would be brilliant. I am in London at... more » | Other threads
australia
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