The Australian today published a story built around an interview with Telstra’s Phil Burgess, and it presents one of the most cogent summaries of the issues facing Communication Minister Stephen Conroy I’ve yet seen. For Conroy, there are huge issues to deal with. Can Telstra be trusted to charge fairly, especially now that it’s officially demanding an 18% profit margin? Is the G9 for real? If somebody other than Telstra starts messing with the copper in the local loop, is Telstra going to sue their pants off?
If you’re interested in the future of broadband in Australia, it’s definitely worth a read. Click on the link to do just that. [The Australian]
(You can also check out the initial reveal of the 18% demand from Telstra here.)
Ars Technica has the scoop on some new research that shows how it would be possible to print thin film transistors (TFTs) — that is the technology used for LCD screens — using inkjet technology. The inkjet effectively “prints” the silver wiring used in the TFTs.
It’s all very theoretical for now, but if it can be made to work, it might make the manufacture of LCDs considerably cheaper. [Ars Technica]
Thanks to a blog entry by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, there has been some fairly wild speculation flying around the Internets that the next version of Windows, due in 2010, will be modular. That is, you will be able to pick and choose components to have at install time, allowing you to build a version of Windows most suitable to the task at hand.
It would, I suppose, look something a little like Linux, where you have the core kernel and a range of optional add-in services and applications built around that. Theoretically Microsoft could set up a licensing system wherein you only pay for the modules you use.
John Mayer is the guitarist who sometimes closes Apple events with a small gig (he comes right after you turn off the Quicktime broadcast to check the Apple Store,) and Steve Jobs’ favourite music poster boy this side of Bob Dylan. Last week, Mayer contacted Apple about a problem with iTunes using the bug reporting tool which appears after a crash. Having sent my own share of bug reports, from neutral to humorous to sarcastic to plain mad-I’m-going-to-kill-you-all-with-a-spoon, I find his diatribe rather charming and candid:
A new prototype device developed by Raytheon Co. can bash through concrete walls like nobody’s business. Plans for the 100 pound (45.5kg) Controlled Impact Rescue Tool, or CIRT, will place the device in the hands of firefighters, military personnel and search teams as part of a program developed by the Department of Homeland Security. Hit the jump to see the CIRT in action.
Physicists at the University of Maryland have demonstrated that graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of graphite, has a greater ability to conduct electricity than any other known material at room temperature. In fact, electrons can travel up to 100 times faster in graphine than silicon, making it a likely candidate to replace it as a semiconductor material in devices like computer chips and sensors.
Finally, Harmonix has announced that Rock Band will rock its way to the Wii in the US starting on June 22nd for US$170. A special edition bundle will include the game, drums, a guitar and a mic. Gamers can also grab standalone instruments if they choose. The game will feature 63 songs (including five bonus songs), but our friends at Kotaku have discovered that there will not be any downloadable content in the foreseeable future.
The Foot Flush is a bathroom mechanism that hooks to your toilet flusher and pulls the handle down when you step on the foot pedal, creating a hands-free toilet experience. It might expose your lack of taste in interior decor and make you appear socially inept. But be damned if you let that germ incubator masquerading as your bathroom launch an all-out attack on your immune system. The Foot Flush is available in the US now for US$20. [Foot Flush via MSN via DVICE]
While we were off scoffing our Darrell Lea nougat-filled Easter eggs, the guys at the US branch of Gizmodo have turned out approximately two million stories over the long weekend. Here are some of the highlights:
Every South Park Ever Online for Free (Legally!)
Though you have to watch them on a PC.
LEGO Futurama Fan Set Makes Official Line a Must
The epitome of nerdiness. I totally want one.
WiMAX Operator Calls It a “Disaster”
And an Australian company too. This doesn’t bode well for future wireless broadband.
Broken ATM Doubles Withdrawals (While Supplies Last)
If only they all worked like that.
Sony Has the Balls to Charge You $50 to Not Install Bloatware on Your New PC
…and the embarrassing backdown:
Sony Shamed Into Making ‘Fresh Start’ Free
Not exactly the response Microsoft was hoping for.
Emirates the First Airline to Allow Inflight Calls from Passenger Mobile Phones
Of course, if you want to fly in peace you may want to now avoid Emirates.
You might recall a couple of weeks ago, a dude got hassled by airport security because they couldn’t make sense of his MacBook Air. Turns out, it actually does look “very different” than 99 percent of the notebooks they’re used to seeing under the scanner, in a way that would “pique some interest” of security personnel, according to the TSA’s Blogger Bob.
