The idea is to help create a familiar setting for when you’re driving through an unfamiliar city. Or something like that anyway. The first device to boast the feature that is the Uniden TRAX 5000, which hits shelves next week. It’s Sydney and Melbourne only at the moment, but there are plans for Brisbane, Perth, plus Auckland and Wellington in NZ.

I can’t say this particular feature has me ready to upgrade my satnav any time soon. How about you?

It’s far from confirmed, however. At the moment, all we know is that the company behind developing the site into a shopping emporium is “in talks” with Apple over the location. They did, however, use the idea of a flagship Apple store as the front of the new retail mecca in their artistic concept design of the location.

If Apple are to open a store at this location, don’t expect too much info from the Cupertino company until they decide to advertise shop listings on their website…

[SMH]

The inventor of the first Rear Projection Urinal—as they call it—in the world is Horse Bazaar, a pub in Melbourne, Australia. The idea is good, although potentially disturbing—especially when your favourite TV anchor appears or when people instinctively follow the ball and end up peeing on the next guy in line. Yes, this can be disturbing and very wrong. Not as disturbing as the crazy singing clown urinal from Osaka, but close. [Melbourne Pubs]

[Thanks Ryan!]

Thanks God. I was beginning to doubt your existence, but now I see you just work through South Australian ISPs…

Internode turns on free WiFi at the MCG

With the start of the 2009 AFL season, visitors to the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) now have free wireless Internet access thanks to national broadband company Internode.

In fact, Internode delivered its wireless network ahead of schedule to ensure coverage was available for people attending the Sound Relief bushfire fundraising concert, held at the MCG on March 14.

Internode has signed a three-year contract with the Melbourne Cricket Club to provide free wireless Internet access (WiFi) throughout the MCG. As the MCG’s Preferred Internet Service Provider, Internode is managing 26 wireless access points throughout the MCG.

Internode has voluntarily extended its network coverage to provide free wireless web browsing to any MCG visitors with a WiFi-capable notebook, device or mobile phone. This includes access for players, staff, administrators, media, corporate clients and the general public. All visitors to the Internode wireless service will access the facility via an Internode and MCG co-branded landing page.

The MCG is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Australia. As well as hosting approximately 50 AFL games per year, including finals, it offers a world-renowned stadium for international and domestic cricket. During 2008, the MCG had more than three million visitors to sporting and other events.

The non-game day hospitality business is also thriving at the MCG, the venue of choice for a wide variety of functions, conferences, receptions etc, throughout the year. Internode’s WiFi coverage is available at no charge to the many thousands of people who annually visit the MCG on non-game days.

“This partnership with Internode has helped us to improve the services we offer and enhance the experience for visitors to the MCG,” said MCC General Manager, Commercial Operations Lisa Trainor.

“We have worked collaboratively with Internode to ensure a robust WiFi offering is widely available throughout the venue. It helps the MCG remain a destination of choice, not just for visitors to attend sporting events and concerts, but also as a valuable tool for the many businesses and corporate guests who use the WiFi service on other days throughout the year.”

Internode National Sales Manager Daryl Knight said the MCG wireless network would continue to build the Internode brand in Victoria. “By introducing Internode into the world’s greatest sporting arena, we expect to raise the profile of Internode and the services we offer to Home, Business and Corporate users,” he said.

“More than three million people each year, including sporting fanatics and business leaders from Victoria and across Australia, will now have the opportunity to experience Internode – for free.”

Internode’s MCG wireless network is linked to Internode’s national network backbone, which will also support the MCC’s everyday Internet access requirements. To guarantee service uptime, Internode has re-designed the existing wireless network to provide redundancy in access technology.

Unlike Apple, there were no people camping out overnight; there’s no gigantic glass panels or Italian sandstone; instead there’s two levels of Telstra, crowned by a giant 22 x 2.5 metre LCD screen.

As with other T[life] stores, you can tell the obvious Apple Store influence, from the free daily training sessions and demonstrations, areas dedicated to getting your hands on the products and other areas dedicated to business users and home networking. Considering that this is their fifth T[life] store, they must be doing something right as well.

Telstra also used the launch to show off their new QR codes yesterday, and for everybody keeping notes, they refused to discuss the iPhone (although Uncle Sol did pull out the new HTC Touch Diamond for a bit). Uncle Sol did, however, go on to say that Telstra was bigger than Apple.

The locations of the Chatswood and Chadstone stores are not confirmed, but it’s expected that they will open in the shopping centres of each of those suburbs. The Sydney store is located on the corner of George and King Street in the CBD, and is likely to open its doors in June.