General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia, 2010

78% of Australians aged 18 years and over were satisfied with their lives, similar to the 76% who reported being satisfied in 2001, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2010 General Social Survey (GSS). In 2010, 43% were pleased or delighted with their lives, while 34% reported being mostly satisfied. Those who were married (82%), widowed (78%) or never married (76%) were more likely to be satisfied with their lives than those who were divorced (66%) or separated (56%). People who had contact with friends and family outside their household at least weekly were much more likely to be satisfied with their lives (78%) than those who either had no recent contact (33%) or who had no friends or family outside their immediate household (28%).
General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia, 2010

How To Watch The 2011 Grand Finals From Anywhere

Can you watch the AFL Grand Final in HD? Can you catch the NRL Grand Final from overseas? From free-to-air to internet, here are the options (such as they are) for catching the sporting action this weekend.
How To Watch The 2011 Grand Finals From Anywhere

The New Facebook: How to Take Control of Your Privacy

Facebook took a huge step toward ubiquitous sharing with its new timeline and sharing features. And it rightfully creeps some people out. Not everybody wants to share their life story on their profile, see their friends’ activities in real time or have their preferences in music, movies and reading shared as they’re consuming media.
The New Facebook: How to Take Control of Your Privacy

Facebook Privacy: 3 Fights to Expect When You Get the New Timeline

As an adult, you have responsibilities — an income, maybe a mortgage, possibly children. That’s great! Congrats. Now is certainly not the time to be throwing caution to the wind — just know that Facebook will be doing that for you.
Facebook Privacy: 3 Fights to Expect When You Get the New Timeline

Internet Activity, Australia, June 2011

HIGHLIGHTS
- At the end of June 2011, there were 10.9 million internet subscribers in Australia (excluding internet connections through mobile handsets). This represents annual growth of 14.8% and an increase of 4.4% since the end of December 2010.
- The phasing out of dial-up internet connections continued with 95% of internet connections being broadband.
- Australians continued to access increasingly faster download speeds, with 87% of access connections offering a download speed of 1.5Mbps or greater.
- Mobile wireless internet (excluding mobile handset) connections (44%) now exceed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections (41%) in Australia. Mobile wireless (excluding mobile handset connections) was the fastest growing internet access technology in actual numbers, increasing from 4.2 million in December 2010 to 4.8 million in June 2011.
Internet Activity, Australia, June 2011

Hide the Past Before Opening your Facebook Profile to Subscribers

You have been using Facebook all this while to share pictures and other personal stuff with your close friends and suddenly, Facebook added the subscribe button that is enticing you to open your personal profile to the outside world.
Hide the Past Before Opening your Facebook Profile to Subscribers

Simple Performance Boost For Windows

One of the things that I like about Windows is the fact that you can tweak the operating system to suite your needs. You can do that by clicking through menus, editing the Registry, running scripts or using tweaking software. Simple Performance Boost is such a tweaking software for Windows. It comes from the same developers that have created the Windows Repair software. The program itself is offered as a portable version and installer.
Simple Performance Boost For Windows

How To Stop Facebook From Tracking You Across The Internet

If you want to use Facebook, but don’t want Facebook’s tendrils extending all over the internet and following your account, you’ll want this. Facebook Disconnect completely blocks the social network’s ability to track your account across the web.
How To Stop Facebook From Tracking You Across The Internet

How tide predicting, analog computers won World War II

Without Lord Kelvin, there would have been no D-Day. There's some very cool science history in the September issue of Physics Today, centering around a collection of analog computers, developed in the 19th century to predict tides. This was a job that human mathematicians could do, but the computing machines did the job faster and were less prone to small errors that had big, real-world implications.
How tide predicting, analog computers won World War II

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2011

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2011

NASA Details Space Exploration Plans

NASA has just published the Global Exploration Roadmap, a document detailing the agency’s plans for the next 25 years of space exploration. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the future of space technology, travel and exploration.
NASA Details Space Exploration Plans

10 under-appreciated women in science

Over at Smithsonian.com, Sarah Zielinski has a great piece about important female scientists whose names aren't as publicly well-known as they ought to be. She lists 10 smart, sciencey ladies.
10 under-appreciated women in science

Windows Repair, Troubleshoot Windows Issues

When you are using Windows regularly, you likely run into issues eventually. This can be easy to fix stuff like running out of disk space or broken shortcuts to more serious problems like a virus infection or programs that won’t start up anymore. The troubleshooting and repair depends largely on the issue that is experienced on the computer system. If you suspect a virus you’d run up to date antivirus software, if a program does not run anymore you might be tempted to use System Restore or re-install the program to see if it fixes the issue.
Windows Repair, Troubleshoot Windows Issues

Learning that life can be a bit sour

One of the joys of interacting with babies is their complete lack of guile. Whatever they experience and feel — hunger, happiness, fear — is immediately and honestly reflected in their facial expressions.
Learning that life can be a bit sour

Australian Social Trends, Sep 2011

Australian Social Trends draws on a wide range of data, sourced both from ABS and other agencies, to present a picture of Australian society. This publication aims to inform decision-making, research and discussion on social conditions in Australia. It covers social issues of current and ongoing concern, population groups of interest, and changes over time.
Australian Social Trends, Sep 2011

NASA’s Not Sure Where In The World This Satellite Will Crash

The 20-year-old UARS satellite has dropped out of orbit — as old satellites are wont to do — and is reentering the atmosphere. Too bad NASA can’t pinpoint where — or when — exactly it will land. Could be the middle of the Pacific, could be the middle of Paris — it’s a surprise!
NASA’s Not Sure Where In The World This Satellite Will Crash

Top 5 Smelly Things That Should Be Banned In Aeroplanes

The US Department of Transportation wants to ban electronic cigarettes, even while they only produce water vapour that doesn’t contain any cancerous chemicals. They say this will increase the comfort of other passengers. Perhaps they should ban other things first.
Top 5 Smelly Things That Should Be Banned In Aeroplanes

How To Deal With ‘Hand Wash Only’ Clothes

The “hand wash only” label on clothes is as annoying as the “dry clean only”, maybe even more so. How exactly should you wash those delicate silk or wool items? How much soap do you need? Can’t you just stick it in the washing machine?
How To Deal With ‘Hand Wash Only’ Clothes

Download Windows 8 Developer Preview

Microsoft just gave a full fledged preview of Windows 8, which has left many geeks and non-geeks dying to experience the brand new OS. Right from Metro style UI to Touch Gestures to Full screen apps, Microsoft has managed to shake up the way we have been using the Windows OS. Those who saw the keynote today were left astounded by the super-fast boot times of Windows 8, be it on the desktops or laptops or the tablets.
Download Windows 8 Developer Preview for Free!

Everything You Need To Know About Windows 8 In 8 Minutes

Want to get to know Windows 8 but don’t have time to sit through the lengthy keynote? We’ve cut it down to the necessities so you can find out everything you really need to know in only eight minutes.
Everything You Need To Know About Windows 8 In 8 Minutes

Kogan Now Offers Canon, Apple, Nikon, Acer & More

Kogan today began the next phase in our mission to make the latest technology affordable for all. Kogan.com now sells more of the World’s most popular consumer electronics brands and products at the World’s best prices.

In true Kogan style, we are ensuring we smash the competition on price by cutting out the middle-men - sourcing brands like Canon, Nikon, Apple and Samsung higher up in the supply chain, and selling direct to you through Kogan.com.
Kogan Now Offers Canon, Apple, Nikon, Acer & More

Windows 8 Has Finally Updated The Blue Screen Of Death

It took Microsoft long enough, but they’ve finally (FINALLY!) changed the blue screen of death to be something a little more friendly and a little less scary.
Windows 8 Has Finally Updated The Blue Screen Of Death

How To Dual-Boot Windows 7 And Windows 8 Side By Side

The Windows 8 developer preview is out for all to try, but installing it over your main Windows setup is a scary prospect. Here’s how to dual boot them so you can run them both side by side.
How To Dual-Boot Windows 7 And Windows 8 Side By Side

How big are solar flares, really?

Eye opening perspective.
How big are solar flares, really?

Microsoft Launches Windows 8

Say hello to Windows 8, Microsoft’s next-generation operating system. Microsoft is unveiling the new OS at its Build Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The OS, a complete rebuild of Microsoft’s flagship product, is designed to work with both tablets and PCs.
Microsoft Launches Windows 8

10 Signs That An Australian Banknote Might Be Forged

Australia’s banknotes incorporate a huge number of features that make them difficult to counterfeit, but that doesn’t mean criminals don’t have a crack at it now and then. Here are the ten most obvious signs that a note might be a fake.
10 Signs That An Australian Banknote Might Be Forged

How has skyscraper design changed since 9/11?

Miles O'Brien did a report for PBS NewsHour on how the technology and design of skyscrapers has changed since 9/11. Video here, transcript here.
How has skyscraper design changed since 9/11?

Physical Activity in Australia: A Snapshot

Physical activity is an important factor in maintaining good overall health and wellbeing. Being physically active has significant health benefits, including reducing the risk of some chronic conditions, helping to control weight, and improving mental wellbeing. Some forms of physical activity may also help manage long-term conditions, such as arthritis and Type 2 diabetes, by reducing their effects and improving quality of life.
Physical Activity in Australia: A Snapshot

The Quickest Way to Reveal What Really Matters in Life

Are you being bombarded from all sides with a barrage of tasks and people demanding your time? There always seems to be something important to do, and someone else who wants a piece of your attention. Pretty soon it all gets out of control and you struggle to keep a grip on everything. So, we create lengthy To-do lists. We fill our schedules and diaries with appointments and decorate our calendars with red marker pen circles.
The Quickest Way to Reveal What Really Matters in Life

Microsoft out-of-cycle patch to fix DigiNotar bogus certificates

Some weeks ago, nefarious people hacked a digital certificate vendor and issued themselves bogus certificates. The main browser producers are responding. iTWire recommends updating ALL browsers immediately.
Microsoft out-of-cycle patch to fix DigiNotar bogus certificates

TIME: Revisiting 9/11

Today, TIME magazine released its issue commemorating 10 years since 9/11, with a wide array of interviews and photos (including images never before published).
TIME: Revisiting 9/11

NASA Releases High Resolution Photos of Moon Landing Sites

If you’re an astronomy buff with an interest in the lunar program, you don’t want to pass up these newly released high resolution photos of the landing sites and impact craters our moon explorations left behind.
NASA Releases High Resolution Photos of Moon Landing Sites

Photographic proof: the Apollo moon landings were real

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken the clearest images yet of the various Apollo landing sites. Memo to the nay-sayers: the landings really did happen - here's photographic proof.
Photographic proof: the Apollo moon landings were real

Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2009-10

Half the money that Australian households spend on goods and services goes on housing, food and transport, according to a major survey released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest Household Expenditure Survey (HES) showed the average Australian household spent $1,236 per week on goods and services in 2009–10, an increase of 38% ($343 per week) from the previous 2003–04 survey. In contrast, prices as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 19%, indicating a rise in real living standards over the five years.
Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2009-10

Top 10 Repair Projects You Should Never Pay For

Things break down, whether due to accidents, negligence on our part, or just plain wear and tear. Instead of shelling out for an expensive repair or replacement, though, you can often fix the problem yourself for much less. Here are 10 repairs you should never pay for.
Top 10 Repair Projects You Should Never Pay For

New iPhone 5 Clue: Will It Have a 4-Inch Screen?

As we get closer to the rumored release date of the iPhone 5, yet another clue about its true nature has surfaced today. Here’s a new set of extrapolations, taken to a speculative conclusion by our friends at MacRumors. When they snagged a couple of publicly available third-party cases that purport to fit the iPhone 5, they noticed that the case is so much wider that it strongly suggests a 4-inch screen on the new iPhone, larger than the iPhone 4′s 3.5″ display.
New iPhone 5 Clue: Will It Have a 4-Inch Screen?

Increase Windows 7 Performance in 4 Easy Steps

Even if you’ve just bought a brand new computer complete with Windows 7, you may find you’re lacking some power. Most new computers are pretty quick these days, but they are usually set to some default settings that can be tweaked to give you more power for nothing. These tips aim to show you a few easy to change settings that will release some extra power and speed up your computer without having to install anything.
Increase Windows 7 Performance in 4 Easy Steps

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 17/2011

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 17/2011

How Does Your Email Closing Line Come Off?

I’ve long thought using “best” as your email close was insincere at best, and dismissive at worst. But how do other email closers come off? Bobulate‘s chart from 2007 tries to classify.
How Does Your Email Closing Line Come Off?

The 10 Immutable Laws of Security

If you’re looking for a basic primer to share with friends and family who are a bit unclear on their role in their own computer security, this guide from Microsoft can help clear things up. The list is somewhat of a classic Microsoft offering but despite being a few years old it’s a really solid overview, especially for people who are unclear on basic computer security principles.
The 10 Immutable Laws of Security