New Google iPhone App Confused by Aussie Accent
November 21, 2008
News.com.au is reporting today that the new Google Voice Search app for the iPhone can’t handle the Australian Accent. The idea behind the app (short for application) is to allow hands free searching.
The app is a free download from the iTunes store but Australian customers might want to take note, the Australian accent is returning some bizarre search results.
According to the article in news.com.au, the number eight becomes a search for “ike”, seven turns into “Clinton”, and don’t even try searching for the number six.
Google admits the app works best with North American accents so I think we all need to get a dialect coach 
This is not just a local phenomenon, Roger Ellinson from Kent said, ”I’ve got a traditional Kentish accent and the thing kept on spitting back ridiculous things, I asked it to find my nearest pizza take away and it came back with something about volcanoes.”
A News.com.au test found that the voice search tends to work best with multisyllabic words – it was able to understand “supercalafragilisticexpialadocious” in an Australian accent, yet still had trouble with simple words like fish, lunch, and news.
I will download this app and get a bunch of people to try it out for an official Geek Actually test run. I’ll report the results in the next podcast - episode 16.
Read the whole news.com.au story by clicking here.
Australian ISP iiNet Being Sued ‘for allowing piracy’
November 20, 2008
Here we go again! Film production companies are suing Western Australian ISP (Internet Service Provider) iiNet over claims that iiNet is not stopping it’s customers from downloading illegal movies and TV shows.
Apparently iiNet has been under investigation for many months now and the production companies claim that they have been issuing many warnings to the ISP.
You can read the whole article by clicking here (news.com.au) or following the link below for another take on it.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Go to Source
Spam drops 75% as major host shut down
November 20, 2008
Global spam levels drop by as much as 75 per cent following the shutdown of a US web host that provided the backbone for most of the world’s spam.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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Greta Wants Your Help!
November 18, 2008
Greta has started a one virtual woman campaign to stop this insane, draconian internet censorship plan here in Australia. You can see her campaign by clicking the image below.
This proposal is damaging to both our freedoms and the speed and accessibility of the Internet. You can find out more about this proposal by reading this and this. There are many other articles about this mess and all you really have to do is let Google do the walking.
Would sir like a $200 cable with his new plasma?
November 13, 2008
Australian shoppers are being duped into spending hundreds of dollars on so-called “high performance” HDMI cables when they are buying new home entertainment equipment.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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Congratulations to Senator Obama - President-Elect
November 5, 2008
Everyone associated with “…Geek, Actually” would like to offer our congratulations to Senator Barack Obama, the new President-Elect of the United States of America.
This was a historic, sweeping victory that I believe will change the future of America. Today, I am so proud to be an American!
iPods - The New Economy
November 3, 2008
Well, maybe the geeks will inherit the world. It seems that iPod Nanos have a special place in the stock market. News.com.au reports that, “CommSec will today release details of its “iPod index”, which measures the price of an 8GB iPod nano in 62 countries to compare currencies.”
The article also says that because of the current exchange rate, Australia is currently the cheapest place to buy a new iPod. Go us!
The Article went on to say,”CommSec chief economist Craig James said Australia had jumped to the cheapest spot after being placed 14th cheapest in July. An 8GB iPod costs $US131.95.”
I think we should look a little deeper as the Australian Apple site has Nanos at $US133 ($AU199), this would still make us cheaper but only by a buck and a half as Amazon currently has the 4th Generation iPod listed at $US134.48.
Still, it is interesting considering we never get cheaper tech than the US.
Internet Censorship Hits A Wall
October 30, 2008
Just following on from this weeks netcast (episode 12), The Sydney Morning Herald published a story today that says the Senate is having some problems with Prime Minister Rudd’s proposal. This is very good news.
I have a real problem with this proposal because it would infringe on everyone’s basic freedoms. I am not a supporter of child pornography or any other illegal activity, but when a proposal like this can come out and say that it wants to filter out (read “ban”) offensive material as well, alarm bells go off in my head! Offensive to who?
In the article today, Senator Ludlam said server-level filtering imposed a kind of censorship that “runs counter to what the internet is all about”. The Government would be better investing the filtering money in law enforcement and education.
“I think it’s really quite misguided,” Senator Ludlam said.
I could not have agreed with him more. If people break the law, enforce the law but if people just want to satisfy a sexual curiosity (and it doesn’t break the law) they should be allowed to. If we had a more open minded approach to sex (and let’s face it, this is all about sex), we probably wouldn’t find the act of a man and a woman having intercourse offensive!
Anyway, read the article at the link above and listen to episode 12 of our netcast if you want a little back story.
New MacBooks - But Where’s the Firewire Steve?
October 16, 2008
New Macbooks announced and no Firewire port! So you have a copy of the fantastic iLife suite on your shiny new Mac but forget iMovie because you can’t get your video onto the machine in the first place.
Oh, I see. You have to use an inferior USB connection, to bad that all three of my video cameras have Firewire connectors! Lovely new Mac, fantastic body, great screen and trackpad! But unless Apple wants to buy me a new video camera, I will not be buying one. That reason and that I only buy the 17″ model, oh wait! They didn’t give the 17″ model a nice new shiny update. I feel a little screwed by Apple today.
Gripe over.
Listen to “Geek, Actually” (the netcast), Jacob and I discuss the new MacBooks.
Apple Genius Bar Does It Again!
September 22, 2008
Wow, I don’t want to sound like an Apple Fanboy (yes I do) and I don’t want to say that Apple customer service is second to none (yes I do) but, my god, the Apple Genius Bar Rocks!!!!!
My second visit to the Genius Bar in the Sydney Apple Store was even more satisfying than the previous visit (which you can read about here).
My iPhone 3G had a slight distortion on the screen and it wasn’t major but it was annoying me. I booked to see a Genius and went to my appointment yesterday (Sunday). I actually didn’t think they would be able to help me because screens are very rarely covered by warranties (they are too easy to break) and I had already had a screen issue with a Nokia N90 a couple of years ago that cost me $200 to fix.
The Genius looked the phone over and within minutes said that it wasn’t a major problem but if it bothered me he would replace the phone! He said customer satisfaction is the most important thing! Oh my god! Customer service in the 21st century, I didn’t think it existed anymore.
He replaced my phone on the spot and I am a very happy customer. Genius Alex at the Sydney Apple Store, I applaud you.
