The ACCC is warning Australians to keep their guard up online after a rise in scams left victims AU$229 million out of pocket in 2015. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released its annual Targeting Scams Report, tracking a rise in the number of people reporting scams as well as an increase in financial …
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A force to be reckoned with: Rotel RA
As I was working on the review of the new Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 monitors it became obvious I needed an amplifier that could bring out the best in these speakers, and to make a long story short I opted for the Rotel RA-1592 stereo integrated amplifier ($2,499, £1,895, AU$3,499). It’s a velvet brute with 200 watts per channel …
Read More »The view from the Tokyo Skytree, one of the tallest structures on Earth
The Tokyo Skytree is amazingly tall. It’s the tallest tower in the world, and only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is a taller structure (for now). It stretches 2,080 feet (634 meters) above Tokyo. Ostensibly a TV broadcasting tower, it has restaurants and observation decks that offer tremendous views of the incredible Tokyo skyline. Constructed between 2008 and 2012, the …
Read More »Ian McKellen seeks to demystify Shakespeare with new app
William Shakespeare words, “I long to hear the story of your life, which must captivate the ear strangely,” in his play “The Tempest” best describe the appeal of a new app created to excite students about his often hard-to-comprehend work. Actor Ian McKellen and professor Jonathan Bate have joined forces to help us understand the world-famous Arden Shakespeare texts and …
Read More »Centipede and Missile Command Atari games get movie deals
Video games can often translate into movie magic with a great cast and a stellar script. Just look at the “Resident Evil” movie franchise or the Lara Croft “Tomb Raider” films starring Angelina Jolie — with news of a reboot starring Alicia Vikander. Now it seems classic Atari arcade games Centipede and Missile Command are getting turned into movies. According …
Read More »15 useful extensions to improve Firefox
Whether you’re fed up with Chrome spinning up your computer’s fans just to load Facebook, or Safari just isn’t your jam, Firefox is a great browser alternative for any operating system. While it may not be considered the fastest browser around (even that’s changing), it’s reliable, highly customizable and has a long list of add-ons and extensions that can even …
Read More »Listening to LPs: Explorations in space and time
Over the last week or two, I listened to my copy of Prince’s “Purple Rain” LP a bunch of times — it’s the one I bought in 1984 when it was first released. Great music like this never gets old, and with a stellar turntable like my VPI Classic, Ortofon Cadenza Black moving-coil cartridge, and the Parasound Halo JC-3+ phono …
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CNET’s Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page. Cheeps! Four incredible deals today. Can’t promise any of them will last (except the third one — it’s good until next week), so …
Read More »How to add a ‘Hey, Siri’
I increasingly use Siri on my iPhone and prefer to use voice commands when texting. On a Mac, it is easier and faster to type with the full keyboard, but if you use Siri and voice dictation on iPhone, then you might want to start talking to your Mac, too. Similar to the Hey, Siri command on iOS, you can …
Read More »‘Buffy’ actors reunite for ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ parody video
For those of us fans still mourning the end of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” it’s comforting to know that many of the hit TV series’ actors remain friends and periodically show up on each other’s shows. “Buffy” showrunner Joss Whedon often gives the actors spots in his TV shows and movies, and many of the actors, like Nathan Fillion and …
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