Category: The Internetz

Internet Filtering – How It Works, How to Work Around It

Internet Filtering – How It Works, How to Work Around It

  With Australian Internet users up in arms about the prospect of mandatory Internet filtering by the government, we thought this would be a timely subject. The purpose of this article is to show what Internet filtering is, and also why it isn’t the best solution to the problem of illegal content online. It is [...]

AI Chatbots Want To Get To Know You

AI Chatbots Want To Get To Know You

All this fussing around about typing on keypads or using a stylus or frobbing buttons… why can’t we just use our voices? Can’t we carry on a conversation with the computer? In the words of the HAL 9000 from the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey: “I’m sorry, Dave, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.” [...]

The Social Web Herd Mentality

The Social Web Herd Mentality

  It’s only been in the past five years or so that we’ve seen the social web revolution roll out. And sociologists and psychiatrists should be watching with interest, because there’s a gold mine of research just lying around waiting to be scooped up. One effect we’ve noticed is the herd mentality. Sites like Digg, [...]

A Look Back at the History Behind Firefox

A Look Back at the History Behind Firefox

In March of this year, according to the official Mozilla blog, Mozilla has celebrated its tenth birthday. But the story of Mozilla’s most successful product, the Firefox web browser, goes even further back into the history of the web itself. And brings it surprisingly close to other web browsers that it competes with – not [...]

How Secure Are Your Web Browsing Habits?

How Secure Are Your Web Browsing Habits?

  Despite the best anti-virus software, despite having firewalls and IT professionals to guard your workplace, and despite all the updates to browser software, the number one path of infection for malware continues to be the web browser. People who use the Internet at work especially need to be aware, because they are ricking their [...]

The Top Seven Ways to Make a Social Fool of Yourself

The Top Seven Ways to Make a Social Fool of Yourself

Hello, and welcome to your first day on the social web! Do you want to be popular, make lots of useful contacts, have a good time, and be the toast of the social web? then don’t do any of these: 1. Ask a question before searching. We swear there’s going to be a brain scientist [...]

A Gadgeteer’s Guide to Image File Formats

A Gadgeteer’s Guide to Image File Formats

Handling images on mobile devices is almost the first thing you think of as soon as you get a phone or a camera. You’ll want to take pictures of the kids and send them to grandma, and pictures of yourself to post to your online profile. You’ll want an avatar for your online forums, perhaps [...]

How the Mobile Device Era Affects Dating

How the Mobile Device Era Affects Dating

Your parents remember the good old days! dating was called “courting” or “spooning” then, dates were had at the corner malt shop, everybody said “swell!” and “gee whiz!”, and your primary means of communication was the telephone. Voice only. the kind connected with wires. Dating in the 21st century has changed drastically. If you’re single [...]

If Tech Companies Could Receive Darwin Awards: part 2

If Tech Companies Could Receive Darwin Awards: part 2

To continue our look at technology companies which, if they were people, could have won a Darwin Award, here’s the other five. These aren’t companies that just plain lost the game fair and square, even if they gave it their best shot. These are companies which should have been winners, but did a really great [...]

Tech That Seems Stuck on the Runway

Tech That Seems Stuck on the Runway

“Our ship is broken. Can you make it go?” – the Pakleds, Star Trek the Next Generation, episode ‘Samaritan Snare’ Every now and then in our exciting world of technology, we pause amidst the rapid pace of change to notice those technology innovations that don’t seem to catch up. The what-ifs, the might-have-beens, and the [...]