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Breakfast Wrap: Best Of The Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 7:05 AM on September 8, 2008

breakfast-eggsbenedict.jpgCanon's Moonlit Teaser Advert Hints at EOS 5D Mark II in Highlights
This proves nothing. Come on Canon - Announce it already!

Intel's Atom Roadmap Revealed: Next Gen 'Pineview' Chips Due Fall 2009
What? More new chips? With new names? How's a man supposed to keep up?

Rumour: New iTunes Visualiser will be the Stunning Magnetosphere
Captivating. Don't know if I'd ever use it, but nice none the less...

New Windows Ad Just an 'Icebreaker'
I can't believe how much negative press the ad is getting. It's an ad people - when did you start caring about ads?

Ballpoint Pen Doubles as an Emergency Mobile Phone Charger
Anything that can charge my phone on the go is a winner in my book.

Panasonic's 65VX100U Premiere Kuro-Killing Plasma Reviewed (Verdict: Best Flat Panel to Date)
...Until Pioneer's next-gen panels are released of course. I think this war migt get interesting.

The Shocking Inside Story of the Epic Defects That Killed Millions of Xbox 360s

MS will need a whole new Seinfeld campaign to counter this...

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Question of the Day: Have You Made Google Chrome Your Default Browser?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:00 AM on September 6, 2008

It's been a few days since Google Chrome was released, so you should have a fairly decent idea of what the deal is by now. Obviously, it is still in beta, so there are bugs to work out and scary EULAs to be freaked out by—which is why I'm curious to know how many of you have taken the bold step of running it as your default browser. I'm also interested in knowing whether or not you plan on keeping it that way.


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10 Gadgets That Turn Your Empty Kid's Room Into a Den of Depravity (NSFW)

Posted by Sean Fallon at 6:00 AM on September 6, 2008

Sending a child off to college can be a sad, lonely time for parents. That is, until they decide to take advantage of their newfound freedom. Why not travel, take a pottery class or turn your empty kid's room into a tricked-out den of depravity? Wait, what? I can't believe I just wrote that. It's perverted and wrong...just the way you like it. So grab the Mrs. and a suitcase full of Viagra because things are about to get crazy over in the burbs.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Thursday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 9:42 AM on September 5, 2008

breakfast-fruit.jpgApple Multi-Touch Data Fusion Adds Camera, Voice, Force Sensors
It looks like multi-touch is really starting to get interesting, if not useful.

Brilliant: HP Packages Laptop in its Own Bag
It's good to see companies thinking outside the box. Literally.

How Firearms Work In Super-Slow-Motion
It's slow-mo day, from the looks of it, but this is the pick.

Good News, Everyone!
Anyone interested in the inner-workings of Giz US, know that Blam has been promoted to Editorial Director and Chen is now editor. Here's hoping we see more pantsings...

First Person View of an Epic Parachute Fail
Ouch. Ouch ouch.

Sony's Prototype 400-Disc Blu-ray Mega Changer Spied in Dark Corner
As it said in the article - if only there were 400 Blu-ray movies worth watching...

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Question of the Day: What Gadgets Do You Use to Keep Your Life Organised?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:20 AM on September 5, 2008

I have to admit, I am nothing without my mobile—my whole life is crammed into that thing. Back in the day I wandered around aimlessly—my appointments scribbled down here and there on random scraps of paper. Fortunately, I manage to keep up these days because the software makes it easy and my phone is always close at hand. That having been said, I'm curious to know what tools you use to keep your schedule organised.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best Of Wednesday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:06 AM on September 4, 2008

breakfast-peanutbutter.jpg
Monster Slays Vampire Power with New Power Strips, Slays Wallets Too
Sure it's expensive, but I reckon it could be worth the money over time...

Spectacular Night Photography of London Causes Awe, Vertigo

This is the first time London has ever looked nice to me.

Google Chrome EULA Claims Ownership of Everything You Create on Chrome, From Blog Posts to Emails
Turns out it was a mistake, but still - not something you want to be reading a day after trying out the software...

Samsung: Blu-ray Will Be Dead in Five Years
That doesn't sound too promising Samsung...

Rumour: iTunes 8 Brings 'Genius', A Smart Music Grouping and Recommendation Engine
I've always wanted something like Sony Ericsson's SensMe in iTunes... I hope this is it!

Microsoft to Set IE8 Apart From Chrome by Giving It Twice the Bloat
Yay, Internet Explorer!

Dr. Frankenstein's Browser: The Strangely Obvious Ancestry of Google Chrome
Yes, it's another chrome post, but this one's actually a very interesting read...

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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Tuesday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:18 AM on September 3, 2008

breakfast-muesli.jpgStanford's UAV Helicopters Learn to Fly Themselves by Watching
The end of the world won't be too long now...

Dell Inspiron 910 Gets Release Date: This Friday, September 5th.
Unconfirmed at this stage, but everyone here has their fingers and toes crossed.

The Deadly Aftermath of a Rocket Explosion Seconds After Launch
If only the commentary on this clip was a Samuel L. Jackson soliloquy, I reckon I might find religion.

Microsoft Patents Page Up and Page Down
Patents are stupid.

New iPods Coming on September 9, Apple Let's Rock Event
Anyone care to guess what's coming?

Google Chrome Hands On and First Impressions
Go on - download it now and tell the Internet what you think of it. Everyone else is.

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Question of the Day: Do You Listen to an MP3 Player While Working Out?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:00 AM on September 3, 2008

The news about new iPods coming out on September 9th combined with observations during my daily visits to the gym have got me wondering about how many of you use an MP3 player while working out. Based on these observations alone, it seems that somewhere around 40 to 50% percent of gym goers rely on an MP3 player to pump them up. It is a good thing too because most studies show that listening to music you enjoy while working out improves results. So, do you use an MP3 player during your workout? How do you use it? Do you exercise at all?


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Monday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 7:11 AM on September 2, 2008

breakfast-pastry.jpgThanks to the US long weekend, the wrap will be amazingly short this morning:

Amazing Magic Mirror Changes Fabrics On the Fly
The video doesn't really capture this fully, but the potential could be huge.

Chrome: Google's Open Source Browser
Oh, another browser option. Fantastic!

SkyMarket: Windows Mobile's App Store

Funny, I asked MS specifically about this a little while ago and they said it wouldn't happen. Why would they lie to me?

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Breakfast Wrap: Best Of The Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 7:08 AM on September 1, 2008

breakfast-pancakes.jpgIt's a long weekend over in the US, and the team has given themselves a bit of a break from their usual weekend post-a-thon. I love it, because it means less work for me, but it also makes for a shorter wrap:
Samsung X360 Laptop is Skinny, Marches into MacBook Air, Lenovo X300 Territory
As Jesus says: No OS X for me means no sale.

Wireless Roaming Wi-Fi 802.11r Standard Beats 11n to Completion
802.11r? Well that was unexpected.

Religious Group Now Protesting Online Porn in the Sky While God Smiles Suspiciously

Religious fanatics - who needs them?

Samsung Ultrathin TV Looks Like Giant iPhone 3G

I definitely want one of these....


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Thursday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:11 AM on August 29, 2008

breakfast-cows.jpgThere was lots of stuff out of IFA in Berlin overnight. Check it all out here.

Sony ZX1 9.9mm-Thick TV Gives Me a Large Hadron Collider Right in My Pants
A TV thinner than my finger. It just doesn't make sense.

BlackBerry Storm Has Multiple Personalities: is BlackBerry Thunder
Well, I for one am glad that's cleaned up. Now, who's up for a beer?

Philips Cinema One Squeezes Home Theatre System into Tiny Round Box
That is a tiny box for a home theatre. Hope we get that in Australia...

Bloomberg News Accidentally Publishes Draft of Steve Jobs's Obituary
Tomorrow they'll be accurately publishing the person who stuffed up here's obit though, so it all evens out.

Pro Gamers Are Doping Too
Somehow I don't think it's the same...

OLPC Origin: Bittersweet Success and Future of the XO Laptop

The third and final part of Wilson's in-depth feature, we finally see how the Eee PC was born from the OLPCs unholy "alliance" with Intel.

Apple Acknowledges Huge iPhone Security Flaw, Calls It 'Minor', Announces Fix
I don't think this would effect as many people as the US are making out - most people I know don't even bother password locking their device. But Apple's reaction is still a bit disappointing...

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Question of the Day: How Fast Can You Type? (Test Yourself)

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:00 AM on August 29, 2008

With all of that time spent on the computer, I would imagine that most of you can type at a pretty good clip. Back in elementary school I managed a personal best of 88 WPM (Not that great, but I still had to cheat by working over the same paragraph for an hour or so *shhhhh*). Anyway, I'm curious to know what the average is, so pick the closest figure to your WPM score in the poll after the break. If you don't know your WPM, take this typing test to find out (set on default: 1 min, Zebra, WPM). Make sure to enter in your net speed figure.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best Of Wednesday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:02 AM on August 28, 2008

breakfast-fryup.jpgHuge iPhone Security Flaw Puts All Private Information at Risk
Well that doesn't sound the least bit melodramatic, does it?

Guy Builds Full Lego Boba Fett Costume, Somehow Manages to Keep Marriage Intact
Is it awe or exasperation that I'm feeling?

Rumour: New Dual-Touchscreen Nintendo DS in Early '09
Yeah, I've heard this before. A few times, in fact. Wait for a flat-out denial from Nintendo any moment now...

Palm Treo Pro Review
Short version: Good if you can handle Windows Mobile.

OLPC Origins: US and Taiwan's Hardware Lovechild
Part two of Wilson's awesome in-depth feature into the birth of the OLPC and its competitors.

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Question of the Day: How Many USB Ports Are You Using?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:10 AM on August 28, 2008

If you are anything like me, you have waaaay too many gadgets plugged into your USB ports. I have a hub of course, but it is still hard to keep up with the insane amount of stuff you can plug in these days. That having been said, I am curious to know how bad things have really gotten. So, how many USB ports are currently in use on your computer?


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Giz Explains: Batteries, Tech's Choke Point

Posted by Matt Buchanan at 4:00 AM on August 28, 2008

The biggest chokepoint in technology is a single roadblock: batteries. Amidst all of the amazing advances in the last 50 years, battery tech has remained fundamentally unchanged, engineers incrementally squeezing out a few extra drops of power from old tech each year. With better batteries, you wouldn't just be able to make it through the day with your iPhone 3G on a single charge, but laptops and phones could run faster, electric cars would rule the highways--it'd be like a brand new world. There are like a million different kinds, but here's a rundown of the most common ones we're stuck with in gadgets for now, and their strengths and weaknesses.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Tuesday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:41 AM on August 27, 2008

breakfast coffee and muffin.jpgiControlPad Game Accessory for iPhone Has Shoulder Buttons
I'm not entirely sure how this will work, but retro gaming on the go is awesome.

PlayStation 3 Firmware 2.5 To Bring Screengrabbing?
Finally! How did we all survive without the ability to take screenshots?

Panasonic Updates 103-inch Plasma, Drops Price by One Car
the quetion now is how can you afford not to own one.

Phew: Cute iPhone Factory Girl Didn't Get Fired
Thank God! I don't know about you guys, but I was really worried.

Secret Origin of the OLPC: Genius, Hubris and the Birth of the Netbook
A fascinating exclusive look at the start of the Netbook fad.

Kindle Rumours Say Next Version Coming Fall Will Be Thinner, Cheaper, Much More Stylish
But don't expect to see it in Australia...

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Question of the Day: How Much Money Have You Spent on iPhone Apps So Far?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:10 AM on August 27, 2008

Crashing problems aside, I am loving the App Store. I have no problem spending money on an app, but there are definitely a surprising number of quality freebies out there. With that in mind, I am kind of curious to know how much money iPhone owners have been willing to drop on apps given all of the free choices.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Monday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 10:28 AM on August 26, 2008

fruit yoghurt and granola breakfast.jpgPanasonic's DMR-BR630V Blu-ray Disc Recorder Does VHS Tapes Too
It sounds so stupid it hurts, but what's the bet Panny sell truckloads of them?

Swedish Scientists Test iPhone 3G's Antenna: It's Fine

That's right! It's not Apple, but Optus, Telstra and Vodafone that are screwing with your 3G signal.

Free iPhone Tetris Getting Pulled from App Store
Quick - get it while you still can!

Geek Licence Plates Show Just How Geeky the Road Can Get (Very)
Any of you geeks got anything better out there?

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update Comes in November
It's like an early Christmas present from Nintendo Microsoft

Wind Turbines Murdering Bats By Popping Their Lungs
Won't somebody pleeeaaassee think of the bats!?!

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Question of the Day: Would You Ever Consider Buying a Palmtop MID?

Posted by John Herrman at 8:40 AM on August 26, 2008

At the Intel Developer Forum last week, a lot of the buzz on the demo floor was around new Atom hardware. There were the requisite netbooks and EeeClones floating around, but it seemed like peculiar little quasi-computers, or palmtop Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) stole the show. Sure, it's impressive to see a full, net-connected Vista or Ubuntu desktop running on something the size of a Sega Game Gear, but who exactly is supposed to buy these?


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Breakfast Wrap: Best Of The Weekend

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 6:49 AM on August 25, 2008

breakfast-porridge.jpgPSP 3000 Photos Emerge: New Bright Screen is New, Bright
Mmm... Strawberries.

A Comprehensive List of Ultraportables, Netbooks, Mini-Notebooks, Or Whatever You Call Them
That's a lot of ultraportables... and at about $500 a pop, you could almost own one of each for the price of a fully-specced Mac Pro.

Sexual Gadgets Can Now Be Seized at US Borders Too
is it just me, or do the lawmakers in the US seem dumber than usual at the moment?

Apple To Crank Out 45 Million iPhone 3Gs Over the Next 12 Months
No word on how many of them will work properly, though.

Mexico's Rich Embedding GPS-Assisted RFID Tags Under Their Skin In Case of Kidnapping
Ahh - to be rich, stupid and living in Mexico...

Pioneer Sneaks Out US$2200 Elite BDP-09FD; First Blu-ray Player That Crushes the PS3
A 20kg Blu-ray player? Most expensive paperweight ever!

Ohio Voting Machines Lose Votes, Cannot Be Fixed Before Election Day
Oh. My. God. How can they knowingly hold an election when they know the voting hardware malfunctions?

MIT Developing a Battery Half the Size of a Human Cell
Isn't this how the Apocalypse begins? Who cares, so long as it gives my iPhone better battery life, I guess.

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Question of the Day: Do You Use an All-You-Can-Eat Subscription Music Service?

Posted by John Mahoney at 8:10 AM on August 23, 2008

I've never really understood music subscription services. Despite the conveniences, to date I have never, ever felt the need to lease something that can get imprinted on your heart like only music really can. It needs to be mine. But this week rumours kicked up again regarding an iTunes all-you-can-eat subscription-based model coming as early as September--the same rumours we've heard time and time again. While this time around the whispers are shaky at best, this rumour just won't die, and it's not a complete impossibility that it someday may actually happen. A lifetime iTunes subscription may be the one thing that could change my subscription-hatin' ways (maybe). Is there anyone else with me? Who else doesn't really buy the whole subscription model, and if not, would an all-you-can-eat iTunes change your mind?


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10 Gadgets That Help You Play Like an Olympian

Posted by Sean Fallon at 6:00 AM on August 23, 2008

It has been quite an Olympics hasn't it? From the spectacular opening ceremonies, to the amazing performances by Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt (not to mention all of the controversy stirred up by the Chinese government). In years past I can't say that I was all that excited about the Olympics--but I will be kind of sad to see this one go. The good news is that just because the games are over doesn't mean you can't carry the torch...literally. So, check out the following ten gadgets to learn how to play like an Olympian.


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Thursday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:23 AM on August 22, 2008

breakfast-muffins.jpgKDDI's Concept Mobile Phone is Half Transformer, Half Musical Box
At least it's not a Nokia - Nokia Transformers are Decepticons, remember?

Bloo Balls Custom PC Case Mod is a Whole New Kind of Punk
I could actually consider moving back to Windows for one of these...

Kitchen Oil Fires Have Pretty, Weird Solution: Flower Fire Extinguishers
What's the bet the inventors of this were smoking something when they came up with the idea?

Cut-the-Crap iPhone Headset Battlemodo
Quite the handy guide here, if you're looking to replace the white buds...

Exporting Songs From Rock Band 1 to Rock Band 2 Will Require Code, Five Bucks, HDD Space
F%*k! This game keeps getting better, yet we still can't buy it legitimately!

iTunes Blocked in China Over Free Tibet Album?
Come on China... did you think we wouldn't notice?

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Question of the Day: Would You Prefer a Bidet Over a Regular Toilet Setup?

Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:00 AM on August 22, 2008

For some reason, bidets have yet to catch on in a big way here in the States. It can be expensive, it takes up space and it may have an effeminate vibe to it, but let me tell you--there ain't nothin' wrong with a good butt washing now and then. Besides, billions of foreigners love it--they can't all be wrong. But what about you? Would you / do you prefer a bidet over a regular toilet?


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Breakfast Wrap: Best of Wednesday Night

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 9:51 AM on August 21, 2008

breakfast-coffee.jpgiPhone Copy and Paste Between Applications Is Here, But Not from Apple
Well, it's a start...

Emily Isn't Real, But Would You Have Guessed?
Wow. Virtual sex is starting to look a little bit more appealing, wouldn't you think?

Motorola Insider Blame Game: Engineers Shoved Designers Aside
The only way to really settle this is a fight to the death.

Sony Makes PSP-3000 Official

And yet still no second analogue controller -- I can't wait forever, Sony!

BlackBerry Bold Plagued by Same 3G Problems as iPhone
Any local Bold users experiencing these problems?