Australia

Will Facebook kill anti-Aboriginal pages? No

Facebook is normally desperate to embrace its openness toward all opinions, vile or otherwise.

It has consistently tolerated many Holocaust denial pages, for example. (Breast-feeding pictures, not so much.)

So it is slightly surprising that the company was said to have bowed to public concern and removed a page featuring Aboriginal memes that insulted the indigenous people of Australia.

According to the Herald Sun, Facebook took down the page, which also depicted Aboriginals as drunks and welfare cheats.

And yet, when I contacted Facebook, I was told by a spokesman: "While obviously distasteful and not any views that Facebook … Read more

Samsung accuses Apple of influencing witnesses

Samsung counsel Katrina Howard has opened the second week of hearings on the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung in Australia by accusing Apple's lawyers of covertly meeting with experts, in order to change their minds on evidence already provided to the court.

An expert report on the three 3G patents that Samsung claims Apple infringed upon in the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 was finalized on August 1. However, Howard today told the court that at 10 p.m. Sunday Australian Eastern Time, Samsung was served with a "joint errata expert report" seeking to … Read more

First Android 4.1 update halted due to emergency call snafu

The world's first update to Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean, was pushed back by Vodafone Australia because the new iteration of the operating system wasn't up to the country's standards for emergency phone calls.

The update was supposed to give Nexus S users with the carrier the latest version of Android. The Next Web first reported on the issue.

"We've just been advised that the roll-out the of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to Vodafone Australia customers has been delayed," the carrier said in a blog post. "At this … Read more

Life-size Lego trees, flowers sprout up in Australia

Australia is know for big spiders, big kangaroo feet, and, now, big Legos. Broken Hill in New South Wales is sometimes referred to as the capital of the Outback. It is home to around 19,000 people and a temporary forest of massive Legos.

The Lego installation consists of 15 pine trees and flower sets that are 66 times bigger than a standard Lego. The iconic designs are installed in a flat area of red earth around an old hotel. … Read more

Google and Lego launch brick building for your browser

Find yourself a little bored at work, or maybe want to embark on a half-hour adventure away from the norm?

Wander over to Build, a virtual Lego play set placed upon a Google Maps view of the land Down Under. The interactive Web site, perfect for amateur architects, uses 3D graphics powered by WebGL -- supported by most modern browsers such as Chrome and Firefox (Internet Explorer 9, however, provided a nonfunctional experience).

To start, each user picks a plot of land in Australia or New Zealand. Builders choose from 12 different basic brick styles, as well as a door and window. The opportunities seem slightly limited with such a small selection of bricks, but at least you can choose from a range of prismatic hues. … Read more

Australian judge OKs $2.25M fine against Apple over iPad

An Australian judge has approved a $2.25 million fine against Apple for misleading consumers Down Under with advertising for its 4G iPad.

The settlement, which was proposed and approved by Apple two weeks ago, puts to rest a lawsuit brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in March that accused Apple of violating the country's consumer law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable. While the branding on the device specifically said "Wi-Fi + 4G," there aren't any 4G networks compatible with the device in Australia.

The third-generation iPad comes in two varieties: … Read more

Fermented fashion: Dress made out of wine scum

I have often held a nice glass of red wine up into the light and said, "What a pretty color!" I just didn't take my thinking as far as Bioalloy has. The result of its idea -- creating textiles from fermented grapes -- is a dress that is essentially made of wine.

The Bioalloy project from the University of Western Australia is described as "an ongoing research endeavor into artistic cyborgian systems." Cool.… Read more

Samsung aims to void 4 Apple patents in Galaxy Tab case

Samsung is seeking to invalidate several patents held by U.S. tech giant Apple in Australia, taking the Australian Commissioner of Patents to court.

Samsung filed its case against the commissioner at the end of May, according to documents sighted by ZDNet Australia, seeking for the Federal Court to invalidate four patents granted to Apple between 2009 and 2010.

The Korean company has alleged that the four patents were granted "ultra vires," or beyond the powers held by the commissioner of patents. Samsung alleges in its application that it is "aggrieved by the patents" because a … Read more

Apple settles Australian iPad 4G case for $2.25M

Apple has agreed to pay a $2.25 million settlement today for allegedly misbranding its third-generation iPads in Australia's online store, according to the Apple news blog 9to5Mac.

The complaint was brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in March and alleged that the computer giant violated the country's consumer law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable -- the crux being that there aren't any 4G networks compatible with the device in Australia. The branding specifically said, "Wi-Fi + 4G."

"The ACCC alleges that Apple's recent promotion of the new 'iPad … Read more

Spotify launches in Australia and New Zealand

Spotify launched its streaming service in Australia and New Zealand today, bringing the total number of countries served to 15.

"Australians are massive music fans and we've created a service that we know they'll love", said co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek in a press release.

As in the US, customers in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to choose between a free account, Unlimited (AU$6.99) or Premium (AU$11.99).

Spotify has also announced localized apps including one from youth broadcaster Triple J and licensing deals with all four major Australian music labels, APRA (… Read more