Episode 289 – Aussie Tech Heads Shownotes

posted in: Show Notes

Wolfenstein 3D celebrates 20th anniverary with free game

20th anniversary in style by offering seasoned veterans and curious youngsters alike the chance to play Wolfenstein 3D online, for free.

http://wolfenstein.bethsoft.com/

For limited time, iOS users can download Wolfenstein 3D Classic Platinum for free on iTunes.


You could be fired for ‘liking’ a Facebook page

FROM MILO

Six workers in the US were fired for ‘liking’ the Facebook page of their boss’s political opponent after a federal judge ruled that clicking the ‘like’ button is not constitutionally protected speech.

“People don’t go to the pub and talk to a few mates anymore, they get on a computer and talk to 10 million people, so they need to be that much more careful,” says Robin Young, a partner at the Sydney-based law firm Holman Webb.

n the case in the US, Sheriff B.J. Roberts of Hampton, Virginia, fired six of his staff members for liking the Facebook page of his running opponent in the 2009 election.
He said that their actions had “hindered the harmony and efficiency of the office”.
The staff members sued, claiming that their First Amendment rights had been violated.
However, Judge Raymond A. Jackson of the Federal District Court said in his ruling that clicking the “like” button did not amount to expressive speech.
Essentially, because there was no actual writing or speech involved, the act of clicking a button is not afforded constitutional protection under the ruling.


Google Plus Hangouts On Air feature goes public

Google has announced that its Hangouts On Air feature is now live, allowing users to broadcast themselves to other Google Plus and YouTube users live across the web – simply check the ‘Enable Hangouts On Air’ box to stream yourself across the globe in real-time.
Features include being able to see how many people are watching your live stream, as well as the ability to upload a recording to YouTube, enabling your wit and charisma to be discussed and scrutinized by the insightful online masses.


iPhone 5 launch date leaked

Apple’s iPhone 5 should go on sale this September with an expected announcement at the Apple WWDC on June 11th.
Pegatron, an Apple manufacturer, has just received orders for the new iPhone 5 with a launch date of September. The new iPhone is expected to be shown in June at the worldwide developer conference in June.


Microsoft issues largest ever security bulletin

Microsoft has issued seven security bulletins for Patch Tuesday, with three rated critical, and the other four are rated important.
The seven combined address 23 separate vulnerabilities impacting Microsoft Windows, Office, Silverlight, and the Net Framework. Customers should plan to install all of these updates as soon as possible.

the vulnerabilities can result in remote code execution, elevation of privilege, or denial of service.

“MS12-034 is the largest security bulletin I’ve seen Microsoft put out,” Jason Miller, R&D manager at VMware, told CRN.
“The sheer size of this thing is immense because they are covering a lot of products and a lot of operating systems. There are about 120 types of product/service packs combinations where this patch would be applicable and there are 39 different patches associated with this one bulletin. So this is going to be all over the network. Pretty much all of your machines are going to be involved.”


 

Apple stomps on bugs with new update

Apple today unleashed iOS 5.1.1, the latest version of its iOS operating system. Also a large update for MacOSX Lion. 729.6Mb.

The 5.1.1 update improves the reliability of HDR photos when you’re using the lock screen shortcut, fixes bugs that were affecting AirPlay video playback, fixes bugs preventing you from switching between 2G and 3G networks on the new iPad, improves the reliability of syncing Safari bookmarks and your Reading List, and finally fixes a problem where you were given an “Unable to purchase” message after buying something.
Apple is expected to release a larger update at its worldwide developer conference in June.


Federal Government pours millions into NBN ads

The 2012/2013 budget allocated $20 million of spending in the current financial year (2011/12) on initiatives “to improve public understanding, address misconceptions and provide updated information about the National Broadband Network (NBN)”, with specific emphasis on audiences in regional and rural Australia.

The Government-owned company has even gone to the extreme of booking advertisements on talk-back radio – only to pull them when announcers took to criticising the company on-air.
NBN Co’s $9 billion deal with Telstra includes a clause obligating the network wholesaler to provide a public information campaign on the network


Aussies last in line for Galaxy S III

Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone will not arrive in Australia any time soon, according to the phone maker.
announcing the launch of the hotly-awaited smartphoneand its availability in global markets, including Asia which usually encompasses Australia, Samsung australia says the phone will not make it to Aussie shores at the same time.


 

Optus to appeal TV Now decision

speaking at the telco’s full year results today Mr O’Sullivan OPTUS chief executive confirmed the company would appeal that decision to the High Court of Australia.

“Australian consumers want legitimate access to content on any device regardless of the genre and we want to continue making the latest technologies available to Australians to meet this demand.”

“This is a very important public policy issue that needs to be determined by the highest court in the land, to give clarity to both consumers and the industry.”


Facebook is getting its own app store for all devices, all platforms, all prices

Facebook is launching a new App Center, “a place to find social web, desktop, and mobile apps” — and not just Facebook apps.

The App Center will bring Facebook’s 900 million users all the best in iOS apps, Android apps, web apps, mobile web apps, and even desktop apps. “The goal is to solve the app discovery problem… based on what you and your friends enjoy,” a Facebook rep said

App developers are today being asked to go to Facebook and create an “app detail” page with descriptions and screenshots, just like they’d do for Google Play or the iTunes App Store. Creating these pages is a requirement for being listed in the App Center.



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