While the focus of the election from a geek standpoint has shifted from internet filtering to the NBN given the fact the Libs and Greens have both promised to block the filter in the senate, that doesn’t mean online safety has gone away as an election issue. The Greens today announced their policy, and to give them credit, it’s a common-sense approach.
There are a number of reasons you could reasonably assume the government would block out 90 per cent of a document obtained using the freedom of information. If the document threatened national security, for example, it would make sense to keep that information confidential. But as Ben Grubb has reported on the SMH today, the Government has blocked out 90 per cent of a document about their plan to monitor all Australian’s web usage for the pathetic excuse that it may cause “premature, unnecessary debate”. So much for democracy, huh?
The Battery Replacement Service FAQ on Apple’s USsite outlines their policy for handling iPads with diminished battery capacity, and it is a surprisingly generous: for a $US99 service fee, they’ll send you a brand new iPad.
This week’s New York Times Magazine looks at China’s human-flesh searches, a widespread practice in which “netizens” systematically track and harass individuals ranging from adulterers to corrupt local officials. But the searches tread a fine line between justice and revenge.
