Game classification has been a tough debate between those who want the rating and the politicians. Neither political party has said that they will support the classification, even though Labor has invested money into broadband and high definition television.

The classifications previously didn’t include PG, but had G8+; but that cause havoc between game developers. A huge revamp out of the classifications systems over on movies, DVD, television and gaming saw them being colourised. That’s when the PG rating was introduced.

But television doesn’t even have a R rating too, so why are you complaining? Television has an equivalent, but usually edited, rating of AV15+. SBS is known, however, to show R rated programming.

The gaming industry does need another rating. In comparison, the US has a regulated rating system for games with an AO rating - Adults Only. The only reason, I think, that we don’t have it is that the government thinks that the more violent the games are, the more physiological damage. That, and the fact that the politicians think games are for children.

There is a site dedicated to refused classification, meaning that it exceeds the X18+ (movies & DVDs) and MA15+ (games) it will automatically be banned unless they edit it down, and shows games that have been rated over the US as M or in Europe as 18+. Grand Theft Auto has to be an example of this weird, but humourous, predicament.

But this does cause serious implications over the games industry. To get that ‘violent’ game that they wanted, they usually pirated. I accept that this might not be the case if it is actually banned over the US and Europe. The games can be downloaded over Bit Torrent, then play it over on their modded game console.

They can even play it on their computer. Emulators have been created to play a certain game console. Also there is sites bringing ISOs or GBA files to download. Though they say that you must delete them in 24 hours, most (or all) don’t. And the download sites can’t put in DRM or a piece of code into the software without being accused of hacking or infecting them with a virus. They also fear that they will lose a lot of their site visitors.

So, do we really need an R18+ rating? Do we? I say we do, because we need more choice over games. The government can regulate it, but they choose the states to do that. But also, I want to hear your say over this debate.

Microsoft has said that their latest edition of the Zune will be out on Tuesday. Microsoft originally announced the new models last month. The Zune is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPod; but the Zune can allow you to share music wirelessly with it’s wi-fi functionality.

Apple has sold 100 million of the iPod during it’s lifespan, and has come with 6 generations. It has also have the mini (discontinued), the shuffle, the nano and the iPod touch (which is an iPhone without the phone functions). Microsoft has only sold only about 1.2 million.

The new (second-generation) of the Zune are now in three different size capacities. A 4GB and 8GB will be a similar size to the iPod nano; coming in red, green, black and pink. The 4GB will cost $149 and the 8GB for $199. Apple has offered the same price for the same capacity (4GB and 8GB). However, the 8GB comes with the colours, and the 4GB comes in silver.

The third Zune will be 80GB, and being 27% thinner than the original, will cost around $249 and the original version will be sold for $199. Apple is selling their 80GB iPod for the same price, and is offering another 160GB version for $100 extra.

Oh, and podcasts are now avaliable over on the Zune… so subscribe to Buzz Out Loud or even This Week in Tech on it, if you are planning to buy it.

Image Credits to Wikipedia

And when do you think the Telstra bandwagon has finished, Telstra’s lawyers have said to the High Court that it needs to be compensated as the government has ‘acquired’ the broadband local loops.

The biggest telecommunication company in Australia, and also partly owned by the government, is mounting a constitutional challenge over how the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s power to regulate how Telstra can actually sell it’s broadband local loops.

Current arrangements have Telstra selling them to other internet service providers, like Optus and Internode, for about $3.20 a month.

Alan Archibald QC, representing the telco, has said that shareholders are having their property “compulsorily acquired”. The Australian constitution does allow the government to compulsorily acquire property, but on the so-called “just terms”.

Telstra has currently been in press a lot during the year after that it will shut down most of local support centres and also giving it’s executives a huge pay rise. It has also been hit with a $5 million compensation over being hit with a class action lawsuit from it’s shareholders.

It has said it needs the price to increase as they want a “fair commercial return” from their property, and not giving access to other companies to it’s infrastructure.

As an election promise, Labor has said that they will have a better internal split of Telstra as a promise to revolutionize the telecommunications industry; hoping to end Telstra monopoly.

In an interview with The Australian, Opposition Communication spokesman Stephen Conroy described the current arrangements as “flawed”. “We’ll get rid of it and start again,” Senator Conroy said. “We’ll have a tougher operational separation regime. This has become a strong message that Labor will start getting tough with Telstra, who has a monopoly over the telecommunication lines as it is partly owned by the government (before, the government owned a majority). The funds after selling have become the Future Fund.

His comments have been supported by the industry.

With time growing fast to the November 24 election date, Labor has promised it will invest $4.7 billion into a faster broadband network under a “public-private partnership”. It will offer teleconferencing and video conferencing for small businesses, investing into interactive television and also high definition.

Found this on YouTube, this is a parody of an Optus infomercials… It’s really, really funny.

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkt

Portable hard drives created and produced by US-based Seagate Technology have been found with a Trojan, according to the Taipei Times. The trojan automatically upload files placed on the hard drive to Beijing websites, the Investigation Bureau said.

Around 1,800 hard drives, produced in Thailand, contained two Trojan files, autorun.inf and ghost.pif; which uploads to 2 Beijing websites, www.nice8.org and www.we168.org, without the user’s consent. These affected are Maxtor Basics 500GB discs (see right).

The Bureau has said that government agencies use high capacity drives more often as they can hold databases and security information.

The Taipei Times, however, claim that the Chinese government have run an aggressive spying campaign in recent years. Xander International, who distributes these, have been ordered to remove them from shelves.

Only 300 out of the 1,800 hard drives have been sold. The Bureau has said that this was the first time it has found a trojan before it has hit the market. Seagate Asia Pacific is looking into the matter.

The kind folks over at Conceited Software/Touchfree have now released the jail break program to let you actually do something with your iPhone. According to Engadget, you will need to have a downgraded to (or remained with) Version 1.1.1 to make this work. This then upgrades you with Jailbreak, installs Installer.app and SSH.app and then upgrade it to 1.1.2. Kind of neat… huh?

Oh, plus you do need to have it activated with iTunes… not by any other means. You got to do something kind for a change.

Image credit to Engadget.

NBC Direct, which was to be released in November, has come out. NBC Direct is this new Video On Demand player that allows you to play full episodes of shows. However, there is some problems.

One, it works in Internet Explorer. Secondly, you need the latest .Net framework. Thirdly, A Windows Media Player security update. Plus, on top of that, it DOES NOT work with the Mac; nor is it available for people outside the US.

Once all that has been done, you can choose your downloads right away. All episodes are available for people for 7 days after transmission, and 48 hours to view the episodes. You can’t skip the ads. However, you also have the chance to get it as a ’subscription’, meaning you get new episodes directly to your computer.

Here are some photos… (Thanks to Mashable!)

A Russian gang that is alleged to hosting malware has vanished after their software disappeared from the web, says Trend Micro. The Russian Business Network, which was alleged to have been heavily involved in packing kits -development kits to deploy malicious software- suddenly dropped off the internet on Thursday, the Tokyo-based company said.

Researchers from the Internet security company, Verisign, has said that RBN was able to offer “bulletproof” hosting for malicious software by links with the Russian goverment.

Raimund Genes said to CNET News.com that they had infiltrated an Turkish government site so it pointed to a site where they hosted in Panama which was owned by them. The site was leased to multipe malware gangs.

Trend Micro can’t be certain if it is 100% disappeared, but it may be relocating to Asia. Sites hosted in Taiwan or China have been hosting malicious software kits, the same hosted on RBN; including MPack (a packer kit) and it’s IcePack add-ons, as well as iframe exploits.

MPack is a PHP-based kit that allow developers to create and sell modules of malicious code.

Asus is helping Apple build a Tablet PC, Stewart Wilson reports.

I, Stewart Wilson hate Apple, I have an Apple iPod Nano first generation and only use it RARELY. It hardly leaves my room but according to cnet, Asus is help APPLE to build a new Tablet Mac PC. According to Asus it will be completely different to their other tablet pc’s.

Thats all I can report….