MinimalStateTechnology & Telco
Terabyte Delight or Terror Byte?
I have a new post at TEX, looking at the market buzz around terabyte broadband plans. The short version of my argument: whilst there are some users who consistently use a terabyte or more, this is a lot more data than most currently need. Anyway, the post got picked up by the media, being covered [...]
Attribution & Retribution in the age of Aurora and Stuxnet
This post is inspired by my attendance at the Sydney session of the McAfee Focus 2010 Security Seminar and recent discussions around the Stuxnet malware. At McAfee’s Focus 2010 Security Seminar, one of the more interesting sessions was an analysis of Operation Arurora presented by McAfee’s head of Threat Research, Dmitri Alperovitch. Outside of IT [...]
Will telcos have Apple on their faces?
Last Friday, Apple was forced to acknowledge an embarrassing flaw in the iPhone operating system, a flaw present since the release of the original iPhone. As embarrassing as this is for Apple, some mobile network operators may also find this latest development leaves them with … Apple on their faces.
Losing the filter without losing face
This week the Australian Labor Party installed Julia Gillard as its new leader, making her the first female Prime Minister of Australia. This change in leadership provides the government with an opportunity to change its approach to certain policy issues without losing (quite so much) face. The new PM has wasted no time in seizing [...]
NBN not mandatory for ‘smart grids’
One of the claimed benefits of the national broadband network (NBN) is that it will act as an enabler for ‘smart grids’. ’Smart grids’ have been described as electricity distribution networks that: “use sensors, meters, digital controls and analytic tools to automate, monitor and control the two-way flow of energy across operations—from power plant to [...]
NBN Study: Were the right questions asked?
Earlier this month, the Australian government released the implementation study for the National Broadband Network. The scope of the study was to: “advise Government on how best to implement its stated policy objectives, not to evaluate those objectives, given that the policies have already been agreed by Government. This report therefore focuses on translating high-level policy [...]
Telstra’s first Android is mostly Desirable
Just over a year ago, Optus brought the first Android phone to Australia in the form of the HTC Dream. Now Telstra has joined the Android ranks with the launch of the HTC Desire. This recent addition to HTC’s Android lineup is an impressive device and after two weeks of use, the verdict is “mostly [...]
Internet censorship: not dead, just sleeping
With the Australian government delaying introduction of its internet censorship legislation, there’s been some speculation that the policy may be dead. The more likely scenario however is that the policy has simply gone in to hibernation until after the Federal election. Despite the media and blogosphere cries of “backflip”, this is a smart tactical move. Tactically, delaying [...]
First impressions: Motorola DEXT & Backflip
The Android invasion of Australia is set to ramp up with this month with new handsets being launched by both Telstra and Optus. Telstra will be launching the HTC Desire on April 27th, followed by the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 on May 4th. Optus meanwhile, has already hit the market with the Motorola DEXT and [...]
AFACT cry foul – iiNet and Pirate Party respond
In an article published by the Australian yesterday, the Australian Federation against Copyright Theft (AFACT) made the claim that ISPs are refusing to negotiate on Copyright (self) regulation, a claim that ISP iiNet – whom AFACT unsuccessfully sued earlier this year – strongly deny in their responding statement, in which the ISP points out; “The [...]