Microsoft released a new operating system, I played games badly and much, much more. Here’s a sample of my favourite bits of writing throughout the last week.
Lead image: Manoj Vasanth
What Do Joe Hockey, Google And Linksys Have In Common?
So, a treasurer, an advertising company and a Belkin subsidiary walk into a bar, and… end up as three of the topics in the latest episode of Vertical Hold, which you can watch below.
Children Don’t “Get” Online Privacy
Image: zeitfaenger.at
Most kids are poor judges of consequences, and that’s natural enough. Making mistakes are part of growing up, after all. In the Internet age, however, mistakes made online could last well into adulthood, because once it’s online it’s there forever. At Lifehacker this week, I opined on why kids should have the right to have material relating to them expunged from the Internet.
Are These Headphones Really Fit?
I’ve previously reviewed Plantronics Backbeat Fit headphones in video form, but for this year’s iteration of the headphones, I took them running. Things got sweaty.
Windows-10-Pocalypse
Image: Brett Morrison
Microsoft finally released Windows 10 in it’s “final” form, although as an evolving OS there’s really no such thing as “final”. Over at Finder.com.au, I wrote about the differences between each version of Windows 10, app compatibility under the new OS, whether or not you need new security software for Windows 10 and the cheapest ways to score a copy.
T-Box Goes Bye-Bye!
Image: hobvias sudoneighm
Telstra’s T-Box was always a slightly weird product, and I don’t think too many people will be too upset to see it exit the local market, replaced by a rebadged Roku device under Telstra’s new “Telstra TV” service.
Move On Down The Road
Image: Tony Bowden
This week’s writing challenge was an odd one, as I gave myself a very short amount of writing time to get it done. I rather like the result, although it is very dark, despite being titled “I Hate Teddy Bears”.
That’s A LOT Of MacBook Pros
Image: Benjamin Nagel
What would you do with 96 MacBook Pros? It turns out that you can, if you’re so inclined, turn them into a very expensive server.
Un-Geoblock Still Isn’t A Word
Image: Kenneth Lu
We’d actually talked about YourNet a few weeks ago on Vertical Hold, but this week I wrote them up for PC Mag Australia looking at the specifics of their plans and content claims. I’m still not entirely convinced that a $129 ADSL2+ unlimited plan with the hook of inbuilt VPN will actually sell, but I guess time will tell on that score.
Rip, RIG and Panic
In which I ventured into a gaming bar to play with gaming headphones — Plantronics’ new RIG 500 line — and ended up playing Call Of Duty with an Australian champion. Quite badly. Me, that is, although my ineptitude may have affected his gameplay style too.
I Need 50 Dollars To Make You Holla
Image: Vagawi
If you’ve got fifty bucks in your pocket and you need a prepaid mobile phone plan, what are your best options? Surprisingly, it’s not just a case of going with an MVNO.
Windows 10: What You Need
Image: Raymond Shobe
At Lifehacker, I ran through the common questions that new adopters of Windows 10 should be asking. Except for that one about Steve Ballmer, because he’s no longer relevant to the discussion.
Classic Family Games and Shows
Image: William Warby
No, not Monopoly, or, for that matter, Punch And Judy. But instead a number of classic TV shows and video games that you should play with your kids. Naturally, I’ve advocated for Doctor Who and Bubble Bobble (would you expect anything less?) but there’s several other gems in there you should be either watching or playing with your offspring.
The Big C
Image: Pictures Of Money
I can’t say that reading Insurance fine print is amongst my favourite things to do, but I did find the research on a piece around whether or not cancer patients can get health insurance rather interesting… and rather grim.
Mech It So
Image: Dāvis Mosāns
Mechanical keyboards are great for certain types of users, but they’re not always understood beyond being “those noisy and expensive keyboards”.