As expected, Telstra and NBN Co have signed a historic agreement worth $11 billion, paving the way for NBN fibre to be rolled out through Telstra’s ducts to Australian homes. The deal also makes it harder for the opposition to roll back the network should they come into power at the next election. More »
A military aircraft crashed during takeoff from a base in Point Mugu, California. The Boeing 707 erupted in flames just off runway with a fire so intense it is melting the fuselage. The older aircraft was used for transport and had three passengers on board. All three escaped safely. The 71,600 kilos of fuel within the plane is burning itself out with a thick, toxic black smoke. Residents are being asked to stay indoors because of the intensity of the smoke and strong winds. [Channel 6 News]
According to reports on Nyleveia.com, Eurogamer, and NeoGAF, Sony’s PlayStation Network password reset system-the one just put in place after the PSN hack-has been compromised, allowing hackers to change a PSN password if they know your email and date… [Kotaku]
Kyodo News agency and several other Japanese outlets are reporting that crisis engineers now fear a breach in the core vessel of nuclear reactor 3 at Fukushima Daiichi, as radiation levels have skyrocketed. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano just announced that all emergency personnel has been evacuated from the plant because of this new incident and have suspended operations. The explanations come as a new cloud has been spotted rising from the plant. Operators initially said that it may be steam. [Kyodo News and AP]
I’m looking at these images from a Hong Kong blog, and my opinion is that they look like The Real Thing™. They are blurry, but those applications and user interface definitely have Apple design. You can see the video capture screen, compass applications, and a voice recorder.
I’m sure the US will cover this in the overnight feed, but this press release from Pioneer Australia just landed in my inbox. Turns out they are leaving TVs – no more Kuros – to focus on car entertainment. Press release below, more to come later: More »
The AP is reporting that two satellites just crashed about 800km above Siberia in the first-ever in-orbit collision of two spacecrafts.
Guess what’s happening in China? Beijing’s CCTV headquarters, the Rem Koolhaas building, is at a major fire risk. Fireworks, from the last day of New Years celebrations here, could be the culprits. Updated
Holy crap! This press release from Vodafone took me completely by surprise. Vodafone and 3 will be merging their operations in a 50:50 partnership in Australia. They will continue to use the Vodafone brand name, although they retain the exclusive rights to maintain and use the 3 brand during the transition (expected to be completed by mid-2009) and thereafter.
So what exactly does this mean for current Vodafone and 3 customers? We’re not 100% certain just yet – we’ve put in the call and we’re waiting to hear back from various people. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more. In the meantime, you can read the press release for yourself below the fold. More »
