While protesters were asleep, police stormed Istanbul’s Gezi Park using tear gas and water cannons. They set fire to the encampments. And yet pictures of bloodied protesters, or those blinded by plastic…
SANAA YEMEN— MAY 2011: A blind protester attends the demonstration at the Change Square.
Yuri Kozyrev/NOOR
When Destination NSW censored an outdoor photography exhibition meant to appear as part of the Vivid Sydney festival, they offended more than just the photographers who risk life and limb to take these…
Will China’s copycat culture spawn a host of smartglasses?
SewPixie
The tech press reported recently that Chinese search giant Baidu.com was working on a new “smartglasses” device, dubbed Baidu Eye – a computerised headset with a small LCD screen, voice commands, image…
Hola! will increase Australia’s access to content, but is it legal?
Movie reel image from from www.shutterstock.com
The ongoing copyright arms race between content owners and internet users has taken a new turn. Israeli firm Hola! has recently launched a suite of products that are variously designed to bypass geoblocking…
China’s new government has to decide if its economic and social agenda can progress without political liberalisation.
EPA/Fan Siding
Chinese newspaper the Southern Weekly has gone back to print after a public standoff about censorship, leading to wider scrutiny of the Chinese government’s hold over press freedom.
Optimism about more…
The gaming industry’s decade-long journey might soon be over.
Bethesda Softworks
Late last week Federal Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare introduced a bill to parliament that takes Australia one step closer to an R18+ classification for videogames. No sooner had the classification…
Scientists could reconstruct the work on the avian flu virus from clues, making suppression of future work counterproductive.
AAP
Researchers working on a pathogenic strain of avian flu (H5N1) have agreed to pause their work for 60 days so international experts can discuss the safest ways to proceed. But it’s important to ensure…
Australia’s classification system has been updated to ensure the audience can judge whether content is appropriate for them.
Flickr/kennymatic
By Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology
Media classification in Australia is being dragged into the digital world. At the moment it’s based on analog legislation, unsuited for today’s convergent media. But proposals unveiled today will transform…
Creators of a new “red light” suffix hope to put porn in its proper place.
Julian Smith/AAP
This month’s launch of the .xxx internet domain, a new section of the internet dedicated to pornography and erotica, is getting people hot and bothered.
The global body coordinating internet addresses…
Is stopping someone speaking ever the right approach?
sjgibbs80/Flickr
Is it wise to try to block a speech by Christopher Monckton? Are there other options?
Monckton, a well known climate change sceptic, was invited to speak at Notre Dame University in Fremantle on 30 June…
The average Australian gamer is now more than 30 years old.
RodrigoFavera
After many years of debate and deliberation Australia might finally be about to receive an R18+ rating for video games.
On July 21 and 22 the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) meeting will…
Are adult gamers being unfairly targeted by the current classification system?
Sibeckham/Flickr
If you are in any way exposed to computer games on a regular basis, it won’t have escaped your attention that Australia does not have an R18+ classification for video games.
This is particularly strange…
