Broadband Genie news & views
iPad Competition hits market
06 September 2010Samsung have unveiled a new competitor for the iPad with the release of the Galaxy Tab – the latest tablet PC to enter the world market for medium sized, hand held devices. Galaxy Tab is named because, according to Samsung, it offers users "a new galaxy of possibilities" with features such as mobile video conferencing and a video chat function. Weighing in at 380grams and featuring an...
Independents happy with NBN, says Conroy
06 September 2010The Federal Communications Minister says the three rural independents are happy with his costings of the proposed National Broadband Network, after Treasury released its figures on the ALP and Coalition policies without inclusion of the NBN. Stephen Conroy says the trio don’t need a separate cost benefit analysis of the 43 billion project. As part of its pre-election economic update, Treasury said...
Sex Party Smeared
06 September 2010Long time Australian moral crusader Fred Nile says he will come clean over the websites that have been accessed via his parliamentary internet account in a week that has already seen one New South Wales MP fall on his sword over visiting porn and gambling sites from his work account. Mr Nile denies ever accessing pornography, stating his office accessed the adult sites while pursuing legitimate parliamentary business...
Property developers wary of NBN
30 August 2010The lack of a Federal electoral result is casting a shadow over Australian property development with confusion over who will foot the bill for connecting new commercial and residential properties to the network. Under the 11bn deal Telstra struck with the Labor government before the August 21 election, NBN Co was to cover the costs of installing fibre in new property projects, including the backhaul links,...
Gmail falls foul of privacy
30 August 2010Just a few months after the ‘data mining’ scandal rocked global search giant Google, it is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: this time over allegedly trawling personal emails to set up access to its new Gmail web phone service. The new project is designed to challenge online communications pioneer Skype. Aussie users logged-on to their accounts at the weekend to discover phone...
Text Appeal
23 August 2010A British woman has beaten the world text typing record by almost ten seconds following an invitational event sponsored by mobile phone giant Samsung. Melissa Thompson, from Salford, Greater Manchester, texted the required, if strange, passage ‘the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a...
'Sextortion' a disturbing new trend
17 August 2010US experts are reporting a disturbing new internet trend in which teenagers are falling victim to cyber-stalkers encouraging them to take part in lewd acts and then threatening them with exposure unless they participate in further activities against their will. Reports state the nightmare begins with a party and three curious teenage girls with a webcam, visiting an internet chatroom and yielding to...
Labor’s NBN: it’s for your health
17 August 2010Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced a plan to introduce online medical consultations from mid 2012 as part of the ALP’s 2010 Federal Election in Brisbane today. The plan was been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association, with financial incentives for General Practioners and specialists to participate in delivering online services at a cost of 56.8 million. Ms Gillard has also unveiled...
Filter Plan Rejected
17 August 2010The ALP’s hopes of getting its internet filter plan through federal parliament look destined to fail, with the Greens calling for a PC-based approach. Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam released the party's cyber safety policy earlier this week, opposing Labor's mandatory internet service provider (ISP) level filter. The 40 million policy involves PC-based filtering, further research into...
Opposition hints at WiMax option
09 August 2010An Abbott Government would tear apart the Rudd Government’s plans for a 43 billion National Broadband Network should it win the Federal election, raising the spectre of the defeated Opel WiMax returning to the national scene. Opel, a consortium between Optus and rural services company Elders, won a controversial 958 million tender in 2007 to provide WiMax broadband in rural and regional areas. However, the...
