Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Rare Conjoined Twins With Two Faces Born In Australia

In all of human history, there have only been 35 cases of a birth condition known as Diprosopus. Basically, it means that a baby is born with duplicated features on its head, resembling conjoined twins. That count went up to 36 last week when conjoined twins were born in Australia with Diprosopus.
Rare Conjoined Twins With Two Faces Born In Australia | Gizmodo Australia

You are a Gmail user

For years, Benjamin Mako Hill has paid to host his own mail, as a measure to enhance his privacy and independence from big companies. But a bit of clever analysis of his stored mail reveals that despite this expense and effort, he is a Gmail user, because so many of his correspondents are Gmail users and store copies of his messages with Google. And thanks to an archaic US law, any message left on Gmail for more than six months can be requested by police without a warrant, as it is considered "abandoned."
You are a Gmail user - Boing Boing

What Irreversible Antarctic Ice Melt Could Mean for Some U.S. Cities

New studies released on Monday show that a large portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have begun a slow but "unstoppable" collapse, with the demise of these glaciers taking place sometime during the next few centuries to as many as 1,000 years from now.
What Irreversible Antarctic Ice Melt Could Mean for Some U.S. Cities

Thursday, May 08, 2014

A Street View Mashup Shows Your Suburb After Sea Levels Rise

Ever wondered what New York, London, Paris, Sydney or even your home town might look like when sea levels rise? World Under Water by Carbon Story uses Google’s Street View to do just that.
A Street View Mashup Shows Your Suburb After Sea Levels Rise

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Top 8 Best Airfare Price Predictor Tools and Apps

If you’re a traveler as I am, you sure know how important it is to know the fair value of your trip, and be able to save money while flying. But it takes a long time to check so many different websites for deals, and then go back to Google and check your favorite airline’s website once again. This is why tools have been created in order to help us make traveling easier, and cheaper.
Top 8 Best Airfare Price Predictor Tools and Apps

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Science Has Finally Figured Out How To Win Rock-Paper-Scissors

Turns out that all you rock-paper-scissors champions who chalk it up to skill over luck may be on to something. Because, according to science, there might actually be a winning strategy to this greatest of metacarpal match-ups.
Science Has Finally Figured Out How To Win Rock-Paper-Scissors

Friday, May 02, 2014

Tornadoes, Dust Storms and Floods: What the Hell Happened This Week?

The United States had its most unusual weather week of the year to date, with a massive, slow-moving storm system spawning dozens of killer tornadoes, generating widespread flooding and even whipping up hurricane force winds amid blinding dust in the Great Plains.
Tornadoes, Dust Storms and Floods: What the Hell Happened This Week?

Thursday, May 01, 2014

Malaysia Releases First Report on Flight 370

Malaysian authorities released its first preliminary report on the missing Flight 370 on Thursday.
The five-page report, below, details the history of the flight and the search and rescue efforts. It also recommends study into introducing real-time tracking of commercial aircraft.
Malaysia Releases First Report on Flight 370

Monday, April 28, 2014

Sleep Test Will Tell You If You Need to Catch More Zs [VIDEO]

Everyone can probably benefit from a few extra Zs at night, but is your lack of sleep at the level of sleep deprivation? In a new video from YouTube channel In 59 Seconds, Richard Wiseman explains the main indicators of sleep deprivation, including needing several cups of coffee a day, or needing an alarm clock to wake up.
Sleep Test Will Tell You If You Need to Catch More Zs [VIDEO]

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Editors say these are the 'Ten Best Sentences' in literature. Do you agree?

Editors at The American Scholar have published a list of what they believe to be the “Ten Best Sentences” from literature. There are more suggestions sent in from their readers.
Editors say these are the 'Ten Best Sentences' in literature. Do you agree?

Friday, April 25, 2014

This Busy Street Intersection With No Traffic Lights Is Just Pure Chaos

Anarchy. That’s what it’s like to drive on the streets of Ethiopia. There are no traffic lights, no painted lanes, no rules on who has the right of way, no fear of hitting the car in front of you, and basically no driver has any idea what the other driver is going to do until they do it. It’s chaos and probably inefficient — but, hey, it seems to work.
This Busy Street Intersection With No Traffic Lights Is Just Pure Chaos

Newspapers newly digitised to Trove

The National Library of Australia is pleased to announce the following newspapers which have issues that have been newly added to Digitised newspapers and more on Trove. Many of these newspapers are currently being added to Trove and further issues will become available shortly.
Newspapers newly digitised to Trove

Thursday, April 24, 2014

These Daredevils BASE Jumped From the World's Tallest Building

A daredevil duo set the the Guinness World Record for highest base jump from the tallest building by leaping off the Burj Khalifa. The 4K YouTube video shows Soul Flyers World Champions Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen jumping from a custom-made platform at the very top of the spire.
These Daredevils BASE Jumped From the World's Tallest Building

Debris Washed Ashore in Australia Could Be From Missing Flight 370

More than a month after Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, authorities say possible airplane debris has surfaced in Australia. According to reports, Australian police have collected "material that has washed ashore" on the southwest coast of Australia. Officials in Australia and Malaysia are looking closely at images of the wreckage to determine whether it is related to the missing jetliner.
Debris Washed Ashore in Australia Could Be From Missing Flight 370

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spotters' guide to UFOs, 1967

Found in Bruce Sterling's tumblr.
Spotters' guide to UFOs, 1967

Saturday, April 19, 2014

What Went Wrong Aboard the Sunken South Korean Ferry

Nearly 30 people are dead with hundreds still missing after a ferry listed and sunk off the southern coast of South Korea on Wednesday. While the cause has yet to be identified, prosecutors have asked a South Korean court to issue an arrest warrant for the captain, who was seen escaping the ship before his passengers.
What Went Wrong Aboard the Sunken South Korean Ferry

Awkward Moment Seal Is the Meme for All Your Slippery Situations

In case you tried to forget all those embarrassing moments when you just wanted to crawl out of your own skin, never fear: Awkward Moment Seal is here. The newest meme-ber of the advice animal kingdom is an adorable baby seal whose awkward captions match his nervous face.
Awkward Moment Seal Is the Meme for All Your Slippery Situations

Friday, April 18, 2014

Mathematicians' New App May Have the Answer for Jet Lag

Jet lag is a discomfort many of us will have experienced in the days following a long-haul flight across time zones. Mathematicians in the US may have a jet-lag cure in the form a new app called Entrain. But does it work?
Mathematicians' New App May Have the Answer for Jet Lag

Thursday, April 17, 2014

South Korean Coast Guard Releases Dramatic Footage of Sunken Ferry

The South Korean coast guard has released raw video showing the dramatic search and rescue efforts at the scene of the sunken passenger ferry. The videos, which are posted to the YouTube channels of euronews, Storyful and the Associated Press, show members of the Republic of Korea Coast Guard arriving at the listing ship on boats and in helicopters, reaching survivors and pulling them to safety.
South Korean Coast Guard Releases Dramatic Footage of Sunken Ferry

Monday, April 14, 2014

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on Beyond The Black Stump

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on Beyond The Black Stump.
The best and latest new sites

Heartbleed Bug

The Heartbleed Bug is a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. This weakness allows stealing the information protected, under normal conditions, by the SSL/TLS encryption used to secure the Internet. SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for applications such as web, email, instant messaging (IM) and some virtual private networks (VPNs).
Heartbleed Bug

Friday, April 11, 2014

It's Now Illegal to Answer Work Emails After 6 p.m. in France

Prepare to book your one-way ticket to France. France is banning employees from checking and answering work emails after 6 p.m. local time, as one of the most enchanting places to live becomes one of the most enchanting places to work. (This is the same country that created the 35-hour workweek in 1999, if you weren't jealous enough already.)It's Now Illegal to Answer Work Emails After 6 p.m. in France

Dangerous Tropical Cyclone Ita To Make Landfall in Australia

Tropical Cyclone Ita, which surprised forecasters by rapidly intensifying into a fierce, compact storm that packs winds up to 160 miles per hour, is bearing down on the coast of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Dangerous Tropical Cyclone Ita To Make Landfall in Australia

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Windows 8.1 Update Power User Guide now Available for Download

The latest system update for Windows 8.1 has finally arrived, and with its arrival Microsoft has released a new Power User Guide to help familiarize people with the new features and changes.
Windows 8.1 Update Power User Guide now Available for Download

Four Alternative, Useful Browsers Based On Google Chrome

Chrome is the most popular browser around, but even with its large extension library, one size does not fit all. Thankfully, there's a treasure trove of web browser brilliance built on Chrome's solid, open-source foundation—from browsers aimed at the security conscious to the multimedia hobbyists. Here are four Chrome-based alternatives worth checking out.
Four Alternative, Useful Browsers Based On Google Chrome

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

1 Month Since Flight 370 Vanished: The Complete Timeline

It's been one month since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously dropped off radar screens and vanished. Officials investigating the plane's disappearance said they believe its journey ended somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. But after weeks of widespread search and false leads, we still don't know what happened to the Boeing 777 that was carrying 239 people. From March 8 to April 8, see the complete timeline below of the search for Flight 370.
1 Month Since Flight 370 Vanished: The Complete Timeline

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Man With World's Strongest Memory Crusades Against Alzheimer's

What does it take to have the best memory in the United States? Only four and a half years of training, for five hours each day, according to three-time national memory champ Nelson Dellis.
Dellis just won the 2014 USA Memory Championship on March 29 in New York City, where he bested his own national record by recalling 310 digits in five minutes. He also set a new record in the process by memorizing 193 names and faces in 15 minutes.
Man With World's Strongest Memory Crusades Against Alzheimer's

Thursday, April 03, 2014

Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-13

Capital cities packed in more than three times as many new residents as the rest of Australia in the year to June 2013, according to population estimates released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Today's release also explores how capital cities have grown over the past 40 years, and are projected to grow over the next 40.
Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-13

Gweek podcast 140: Understanding Bitcoin

Andreas M. Antonopoulos has founded three bitcoin businesses and is currently the the Chief Security Officer of Blockchain. Gweek asked him a lot of questions about bitcoin, and his answers were fascinating.
Gweek podcast 140: Understanding Bitcoin

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

The Ultimate Roundup of 2014's Biggest April Fools' Day Pranks

April Fools' marks the day when pranking goes corporate. A former president, along with major companies like Netflix, Lego and American Eagle, all got in on the foolish action today.

Below, we've compiled every joke, gag and scam we found online Tuesday that caused a chuckle or two on this most confusing holiday. We'll keep updating as more lies are unearthed.

Trust no one, especially the companies. You likely won't feel 100% safe again until May.
The Ultimate Roundup of 2014's Biggest April Fools' Day Pranks

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Causes of Death, Australia, 2012

Causes of death data are a significant and important input to health and social policy formulation and planning as well as health related research and analysis. For example, causes of death data provides insight into the diseases and factors contributing to life expectancy, potentially avoidable deaths, years of life lost and leading causes of death. Causes of death statistics, together with statistics pertaining to births and deaths, make up the ’vital statistics’ component of Australia's civil registration system, providing an important foundation for both population statistics as well as health statistics. Australia, as a member state of the World Health Organisation (WHO), supplies data annually to the WHO on deaths by age, sex and cause of death, as compiled from the civil registration system by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2012

Malaysia Airlines: Flight 370 Lost With No Survivors

Citing new satellite data, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Rajak said in a press conference that Malaysia Airlines flight 370 "ended" in the Indian Ocean, effectively putting an end to speculation that survivors could still be found.
Malaysia Airlines: Flight 370 Lost With No Survivors

Friday, March 21, 2014

Search Intensifies for Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 intensified Friday morning as authorities in Australia sought out two mysterious objects, spotted by a U.S. satellite, that could be a piece of the missing jetliner.
Search Intensifies for Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The range of flight 370

Leaving aside less hopeful answers such as "the sea," where might Malaysia flight 370 have landed? The Atlantic's James Fallows created this interactive map, but warns that "if the plane had actually landed at any of these sites, we would know it by now."
The range of flight 370

Where's the Plane, Day 10: The Search Grows to 26 Nations

The number of countries involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane grew to 26 over the weekend — a "significant diplomatic, technical and logistical challenge," according to Hussein Hishammuddin, Malaysia's minster of defense and acting minister of transport.
Where's the Plane, Day 10: The Search Grows to 26 Nations

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Sorry, Math Nerds — Pi May Not Be That Special

Math nerds, rejoice! March 14 is represented numerically as 3.14 or Pi Day. Before you go and ruin your dinner by eating an assortment of baked pastries in celebration, we reluctantly inform you that pi may not be as special as your middle school math teacher said.
Sorry, Math Nerds — Pi May Not Be That Special

Nuclear crisis at Fukushima continues to unfold: a trilogy of reports by PBS NewsHour's Miles O'Brien (video)

Miles O'Brien, science correspondent for PBS NewsHour, has produced a series of three must-see investigative reports revisiting the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan. His stories explore how the radiation leaks triggered by the earthquake and tsunami are continuing to affect life there, and beyond.
Nuclear crisis at Fukushima continues to unfold: a trilogy of reports by PBS NewsHour's Miles O'Brien (video

Friday, March 14, 2014

I'm A Telemarketer. Here's How To Get Rid Of Me

Not all companies run exactly the same way, but most calls follow a similar pattern. Successful telemarketers generally have a 96 per cent chance of getting turned down. With such terrible odds, they will be relentless in trying to keep you on the phone.
I'm A Telemarketer. Here's How To Get Rid Of Me

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Five-Second Rule Is Now Supported By Actual Scientific Evidence

Looks like it’s time to start giving 10-year-olds a little more credit where there scientific claims are concerned. According to a new study from Aston University in Birmingham, England, they were right all along — five seconds really does make a difference in terms of food safety.
The Five-Second Rule Is Now Supported By Actual Scientific Evidence

Monday, March 10, 2014

Five Best Home Wi-Fi Routers

A good Wi-Fi router is the most essential component for your home network. The best ones offer great range, speedy communication, broad management features and customisability. This week, we’re looking at five of the best on the market right now.
Five Best Home Wi-Fi Routers

Friday, March 07, 2014

All The Crazy Stuff People Tried To Bring On Aeroplanes Last Year

The US Transportation Security Administration screened 638,705,790 passengers in 2013. As as we learned last year, if you look deeply within the possessions of that many people, you’re gonna find some weird stuff. Lots of weird stuff. Here’s a rundown of the craziest objects TSA found in 2013.
All The Crazy Stuff People Tried To Bring On Aeroplanes Last Year

StopFake - Struggle against fake information about events in Ukraine during crisis in Crimea.

Like a Snopes for Ukraine, StopFake’s main objective is to check facts, verify information and refute incorrect reports and perceived propaganda about events in Crimea covered in the media.
StopFake | Struggle against fake information about events in Ukraine during crisis in Crimea

Crisis in Crimea: A Story Map of the Place Everyone's Watching

Following a change of government in Ukraine, Russian forces effectively seized control of the Crimea, an autonomous republic with historical ties to Russia. Explore locations and events in Crimea, and language differences in Crimea and throughout Ukraine.
Crisis in Crimea: A Story Map of the Place Everyone's Watching

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 2/2014

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on Beyond The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 2/2014

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Choosing a Secure Password

As insecure as passwords generally are, they're not going away anytime soon. Every year you have more and more passwords to deal with, and every year they get easier and easier to break. You need a strategy.
Choosing a Secure Password

Monday, February 24, 2014

12 YouTube Easter Eggs Worth the Distraction

You can't find everything YouTube has to offer just by using the search bar.
12 YouTube Easter Eggs Worth the Distraction

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

What are the Security Implications if a Password is Submitted in the Username Field?

Suppose you are having a bad day and in a hurry to login to a favorite website, then accidentally submit your password in the username text box instead. Should you be worried and change your password for that website, or is it just groundless fear?
What are the Security Implications if a Password is Submitted in the Username Field?

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Trivium: Flappy Bird special issue

We interrupt our regular schedule for a Flappy Bird special issue.
Trivium: 11feb2014

The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Flappy Birds

Dong Nyugen's Flappy Bird, the addictive and frustrating tapping 'n' timing game, is gone forever, he says. But here come the replacements!
The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Flappy Birds

Saturday, February 08, 2014

The Best Ways to Follow the Winter Olympics on Facebook

All you need to stay connected to the 2014 Winter Olympics is a Facebook page. The social networking site is helping fans tap in to this year's games in Sochi through a variety of different pages and tools.
If you want to stay updated on your favorite athletes, check out their official individual Facebook pages. Want to celebrate the games from your hometown? Search for Olympics-themed happenings with the social network's Events tool.
The Best Ways to Follow the Winter Olympics on Facebook