FACEBOOK addicts: it’s time to have sex, eat out, talk to a mate and, most importantly, stay offline.

More than 1.3 million users have vowed to turn their backs on the social networking site tonight for 24 hours in another protest against the revamped layout. Australian users will be among the first to log off at 6pm (AEDT) today, with global users joining at dinner time in each timezone. French resident Boris Kelevra created the site in response to limits put on sending messages and poking, among other changes.

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Tags: Facebook

Digital Liberty Coalition protests against web filter held across Australia

HUNDREDS of people attended rallies in Australian capital cities yesterday to voice their opposition to the Rudd Government’s planned internet filtering scheme.

The rallies, held in seven cities including Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, were the first in a series of demonstrations organised by anti-censorship group Digital Liberty Coalition (DLC).

In Sydney a crowd of up to 300 mostly young and tech-savvy protestors gathered at Town Hall to hear guest speakers including bloggers and musicians criticise the web filtering scheme.

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Tags: government, protest, web filter

The Rudd Government is continuing to encounter ISP resistance to its plans for a trial of Internet filtering technology, with SA-based national operator Internode and Perth’s iiNet refusing to have anything to do with it, and Optus saying it will participate only in a strictly limited way.

The Rudd Government is continuing to encounter ISP resistance to its plans for a trial of Internet filtering technology, with SA-based national operator Internode and Perth’s iiNet refusing to have anything to do with it, and Optus saying it will participate only in a strictly limited way.

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Tags: Filter, government, ISP

Australia’s largest ISP Telstra has ruled out participating in the Federal Government’s controversial Internet filtering trial due to what it calls ‘customer management issues’.

The ISP has released a statement clarifying its position on the impending technical trials.

It is understood the Federal Government has invited some 400-plus ISPs to participate – so Telstra’s decision is undoubtedly a blow to Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy’s proposal.

“Telstra is not in a position to participate in the Government’s Internet filtering trial, primarily due to customer management issues,” a Telstra spokesperson said.

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Tags: BigPond, net filter, telstra

Hardware vendor, Dell has chosen the Good Guys, as its second retail partner in Australia. The vendor’s foray into channel sales in Australia began with OfficeWorks in May 2007.

Evan Williams, general manager, consumer sales and marketing at Dell Australia, said consumers will be able to buy Dell products with standard configurations, including Inspiron desktops and laptops, Studio Hybrid and Studio laptops, XPS laptops and three different monitors. 

Williams said product pricing will be set by Good Guys, an Australian white goods and audio visual retailer, known for “slashing prices”.

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Source: crn.com.au

Tags: Dell, Good Guys

Two Brisbane men have been charged with allegedly facilitating the transfer of over 10,000TB of pirated films and TV shows via an offshore website.

The over 10,000TB of transfers was the equivalent of 14.3 million copies of the programs, according to a statement by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The 21-year-old and 27-year-old men, from Parkinson in Brisbane, were charged with copyright and proceeds of crime offences. 

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Tags: downloads, film, illegal, piracy

AUSTRALIA’S first Google Android phone has been launched - but it’s not what was first expected. The Agora is a touch-screen handset running on the Google Android operating system, an open-source platform that can run on multiple manufacturer’s handsets.

Kogan Technologies, run by 25-year-old Ruslan Kogan, has priced the handset from $299 outright for a basic device with QWERTY keyboard, central navigation key, 2.5” touchscreen, microSD slot, and 3G connectivity and the Agora Pro, priced at $399, with a 2 MP camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

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Tags: Android, Google, mobile

Yahoo and Virgin Mobile have agreed a deal making Yahoo search the exclusive pre-installed search service for Virgin’s 4 million mobile subscribers in Britain, the two companies said on Monday.

Yahoo is hoping to steal a lead on rival Google in the nascent mobile search and advertising markets, having lost the battle for dominance in the desktop computer search market, and is spearheading its European efforts in Britain.

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Tags: Virgin, Yahoo

Despite having Digg’s co-founder on board to generate media buzz and name recognition, microblogging service and Twitter competitor Pownce was purchased by Six Apart and will close its doors for good on Dec. 15.

Pownce was once hailed by the media and blogosphere as a tool to watch and, for a while, it seemed that the service might end up giving Twitter a run for its money. But for the unfortunate users who hitched their wagon to the wrong horse, the service will shut down, Leah Culver confirmed on the Pownce blog.

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Tags: Pownce, twitter

Support for the Government’s plan to censor the internet has hit rock bottom, with even some children’s welfare groups now saying that that the mandatory filters, aimed squarely at protecting kids, are ineffective and a waste of money.

Live trials of the filters, which will block “illegal” content for all Australian internet users and “inappropriate” adult content on an opt-in basis, are slated to begin by Christmas, despite harsh opposition from the Greens, Opposition, the internet industry, consumers and online rights groups.

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Tags: filters, government, net