What's important in Australian life?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) launched a national conversation today, asking:

What do you think is important in Australian life?
What do you think is important in Australia’s society, economy and environment?

To kick start the conversation, we asked Michael Stutchbury, Economics Editor of The Australian, and Richard Aedy, host of Radio National's Life Matters program to share their views.
What's important in Australian life?

Hurricane Irene: Top 5 Online Sources for Weathering the Storm

Now that Hurricane Irene is attacking the East Coast in earnest, it’s time to keep a close eye on current hurricane conditions — that is, if you’re lucky enough to still have some sort of Internet connection.
Hurricane Irene: Top 5 Online Sources for Weathering the Storm

Men and women are both living longer

Women are still living longer than men, but men are closing the gap, according to a new publication released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. Over the last ten years life expectancy at birth has increased at a greater rate for men (by 3 years) than for women (by 2 years). However, women continue to have a higher life expectancy at birth (now 84 years for women and 79 years for men).
Men and women are both living longer

Hurricane Irene, as seen from space (video, and snapshot by astronaut)

From 230 miles above the Earth, cameras on the International Space Station captured new views of powerful Hurricane Irene as it churned over the Bahamas at 3:10 p.m. EDT on August 24, 2011. Irene is moving to the northwest as a Category 3 hurricane, packing winds of 120 miles an hour. Irene is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm as it heads toward the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Eastern Seaboard and the middle Atlantic and New England states.
Hurricane Irene, as seen from space (video, and snapshot by astronaut

How the first image of the whole Earth was taken

The very first image of the whole Earth was made in 1966. It was fax quality, sent back by the Lunar Orbit 1. Most remarkable was the ingenious contraption that took a picture, developed the film, scanned it and transmitted it back, all in analog, with mechanical moving parts, in zero gravity and a total vacuum.
How the first image of the whole Earth was taken

Fukushima technician gives behind-the-scenes look at the cleanup operation

New details about the robotics deployed to help clean up Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant have emerged, thanks to a series of blog posts penned by an anonymous technician.
Fukushima technician gives behind-the-scenes look at the cleanup operation

TravelSIM Lets You Receive Calls Free In 117 Countries

One of the big disincentives to use your mobile phone overseas is the roaming charge double-whammy: not only does the caller pay to ring you, but you get slugged with a charge as well. Roaming SIM provider TravelSIM has eased that pain a little, offering free receipt of calls in 117 countries.
TravelSIM Lets You Receive Calls Free In 117 Countries

Inside Antarctica’s ice caves

Kayla Iacovino is a Ph.D. student who works on Antarctica's Mount Erebus, the southernmost volcano in the world. Ironically, for a volcano, Erebus is also home to some truly stunning ice caves, carved out of nearby ice and snowpack by hot, volcanic gases.
Inside Antarctica’s ice caves

How to Remove Passwords from Adobe PDF Files

Is there a tool available that can remove password protection from PDF files? The answer is obviously yes.
How to Remove Passwords from Adobe PDF Files

A Guide To Facebook Security

Facebook on Thursday has released a security guide aimed at young adults, parents and educators to educate them about security concepts on the social networking site. The 14 pages of the pdf document are packed with information that range from general account protection information to using Facebook’s advanced security settings or recovering a hacked Facebook account.
A Guide To Facebook Security

How to Create a Windows 7 System Backup Image & Repair Disk

Creating a system backup image can be extremely useful. If something goes wrong with your Windows 7 installation, you can’t log in, or files have become damaged and corrupted, you can boot directly from your repair disk to rectify the problem. You should note that when you restore from a system backup image, it is a complete restoration, and you won’t be able to choose individual programs or files. However, if you find yourself with a corrupted disk drive, a complete restoration is probably what you want anyway.
How to Create a Windows 7 System Backup Image & Repair Disk

Download Windows 7 ISOs To Reinstall Without Restoring Your System

If you’ve just bought a new laptop or pre-built desktop running Windows it’s more than likely you do not have a disc with the operating system. You may have a restore disc or hard drive partition that will restore your computer to factory settings, but having an actual disc to install Windows is handy if you need to reinstall just your operating system.
Download Windows 7 ISOs To Reinstall Without Restoring Your System

Fukushima: First photojournalist inside plant captures daily life of cleanup workers

25-year old Kazuma Obara (Twitter), a native of Japan's tsunami-hit Iwate prefecture, is the first photojournalist to enter the Fukushima Daiichi plant and photograph what conditions are like for the cleanup workers.
Fukushima: First photojournalist inside plant captures daily life of cleanup workers

How Can I Start And Shut Down My Computer Automatically Every Morning?

Is there any way I can make my computer start automatically in the morning so it’s ready for me when I get up?
ow Can I Start And Shut Down My Computer Automatically Every Morning?

Introduction to Databases - Stanford University

A bold experiment in distributed education, "Introduction to Databases" will be offered free and online to students worldwide during the fall of 2011. Students will have access to lecture videos, receive regular feedback on progress, and receive answers to questions. When you successfully complete this class, you will also receive a statement of accomplishment. Taught by Professor Jennifer Widom, the curriculum draws from Stanford's popular Introduction to Databases course.
Introduction to Databases - Stanford University

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 16/2011

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 16/2011

Every Hour of TV You Watch May Shorten Your Lifespan By 22 Minutes

In case you needed more proof that watching excessive amounts of TV is bad for your health: new research shows that there is a correlation between the amount of time you spend in front of the TV and how long you live.
Every Hour of TV You Watch May Shorten Your Lifespan By 22 Minutes [STUDY]

Free Whereis iPhone App Offers Turn-By-Turn Navigation

There’s no shortage of GPS apps for the iPhone, but most come with hefty price tags attached. Telstra’s Whereis app is an unusual exception: it offers turn-by-turn directions for Australians, and it’s completely free.
Free Whereis iPhone App Offers Turn-By-Turn Navigation

List of inventors killed by their own inventions

This is a list of inventors whose deaths were in some manner caused by or related to a product, process, procedure, or other innovation that they invented or designed.
List of inventors killed by their own inventions

Personal Computers: A History of the Hardware That Changed the World

On this day in 1981, IBM launched the “Personal Computer.” Revealed at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, the 21-pound PC cost $1,565, boasted 16K of memory, and had the ability to connect to a TV set, play games and word process. While IBM wasn’t the first or only company with a personal computer on the market (the Apple II was launched in 1977), it kick-started the home computing revolution. A year later, the personal computer was selected as Time Magazine‘s “Man (or rather, Machine) of the Year.”
Personal Computers: A History of the Hardware That Changed the World