Clever Geek Of The Week

Always Clear The Porn From Your Browser Before Going On TV - Gizmodo Australia

It's been a bit of a drought of Clever Geeks so far this year so it's nice to see that someone has finally stepped up to proudly take the mantle.  I must admit I came close to declaring Australia's Attorney General, George Brandis, as the winner this week but I have covered his rampant stupidity elsewhere.

This week's recipient of this most hallowed award goes to the production assistant at Chicago WGN (an local news service) who in setting up a story included a brief shot of their mobile device, showing their bookmarks and browsing history (the video has been removed).  It was only a brief shot but that was enough for sharp eyed internet denizens to spot the link at the top of the list, the less than family friendly Pornhub.

The moral of this story is, if you are going to let your device be shown on TV, however briefly, make sure you don't have anything you don't want seen on display.


So, to the production assistant who learnt the hard way that nothing can be hidden once it is on the internet I hereby award you this weeks Clever Geek Of The Week award.

Peter Davison Visits Brisbane

Peter Davison

Today I joined the crowds to meet the legendary Peter Davison in Brisbane ahead of The Dr Who Symphonic Spectacular this weekend.  That's right, the fifth Doctor Who paid a visit to my town.

I rocked up just before 7.00 where surprisingly there was no one else waiting. It still didn't take long for a small group of dedicated Whovians to gather with the line growing in dribs and drabs before a big influx around 8.30.  Then crowd was good natured and friendly with one participant even handing out celery sticks. 

Not too many Dr Who shirts were in evidence with many, myself included, obviously intending to make a dash for their respective workplaces once they were done.

The 7am Club

The ABC shop where this visitation was occurring opened at 9 with plenty of people taking the opportunity to take turns browsing while friends and strangers minded their places. Something the manager seemed very pleased about for some strange reason. The queue itself stretched a fair way around the floor of the Myer Centre and was getting close to the 150 mark.  The security guards keeping an eye on the line were pretty relaxed. Some of the passers by looked a bit confused though.

The age range was pretty diverse with the youngest being around 4 going right up to individuals who would have enjoyed the Peter Davison episodes on their first runs.

There were some very shy people in the crowd

The first full costumed fans made an appearance just after 9.30 with one in full Davison garb and another as Matt Smith which drew much admiration from the patiently waiting crowd.

Where the magic happened

As 10.00 came around the crowd was getting to be a bit too much of an issue for the available area so at that point all had to stand up to allow people to move forward.  Shortly afterwards newcomers arrived to the news that the crowd was well over 200 and they could not let anyone else join the queue.  This created a secondary area of people jockeying for a good vantage point to see Peter Davison.

At 10.15 it all started happening.  Peter Davison came out to the cheers of those at the front and almost immediately got down to business.  I managed a firm handshake and some polite chit chat before I was overcome with awe at meeting one of the classic Doctors.  My wife's Dr Who Annual was signed (only one item allowed), another handshake, some burble from me about how much of a privilege it was to meet him, a quick photo and I was on my way.

From the brief encounter he seemed very relaxed and genuinely pleased to be there.  If he was concerned about the crowd it certainly wasn't showing.

A relaxed Peter Davison

Now to wait to see him in action as the host of the Dr Who Symphonic Spectacular this weekend.  Of course I will let you know what I think!

Yours truly with Peter!

Clever Geek Of The Week

Mystery as HarperCollins Hits Apple With Agatha Christie Piracy Claims - TorrentFreak

It's no secret that Google is regular sent requests to have search results removed if they allegedly link to less than official copies of media (in fact they removed over 5 million results in the last week of September 2013) but, luckily for HaperCollins, it isn't done blindly and without proper consideration.

You see, HarperCollins is the rights holder of the very popular books of Agatha Christie and, considering they would have paid a very pretty penny, they are very protective of their investment.  So much so they sent a request to have Google take down about 1,000 links they said clicked through to infringing copies.  Google ended up complying with about 90% of the request.  The majority of the remaining "illicit links" actually pointed to iTunes and the official copies that HarperCollins would in fact benefit from!

The most outstanding request relates to three ebooks that are currently is pre-release and not expected to be available until March this year!

So, HarperCollins, for be so zealous and forthright in your attempts to protect your copyright, for going to the extent of actually asking for ebooks you are officially selling to be removed from Google results and particularly for wanting to wipe results for ebooks you are hoping to sell in a few months time I hereby award you with this weeks Clever Geek Of The Week award.

Google Glass Gets Theatre Goer In Very Hot Water

FBI Drags Google Glass Man From Theater on Piracy Fears - TorrentFreak

(This story has since been updated to state that it was Homeland Security that dragged this guy out of the cinema)

Google Glass is gradually building up steam worldwide.  For those of you who don't know, Google Glass is wearable technology that displays images and information directly on to the lens of a pair of glasses worn by the user.

The reception to this tech has been mixed to say the least particularly with privacy concerns regarding the devices inbuilt camera.  There are already establishments banning the wearing of Google Glass on the premises and a lady in San Diego was arrested and fined after she wore a pair whilst driving.  But now the big guns have come out!

Last week, a Google Glass user and his wife decided to take a trip to their local AMC to check out Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.  The man, who had attended the cinema a number of times while wearing the glasses, fitted with prescription lenses by the way, dutifully ensured the device was switched off before the screening commenced.

Approximately an hour into the film he was suddenly confronted by a kind gentleman who courteously shoved a badge into his face, pulled the Google Glasses off his face and demanded that he follow the gent outside.  There he met a number of police and mall security officers and was escorted off to a little room for a quiet chat about being caught illegally taping a movie with the "federal service" agent he met in the cinema who refused to identify exactly where he was from.

This chat consisted of demands of who he was working for, who he was going to give the recording too and how much was Google paying him to wear the allegedly infringing device.  When the man offered to show the agent that nothing had been recorded he was refused for fear that he would erase the evidence.

About three hours into this process some bright spark had the grand idea of bringing in a laptop and downloading the contents of the Google Glass's memory to preserve the evidence.  At this point the "federal service" agents spent a short time viewing some family photos before finally letting the man go.

Don't feel too bad, he did get a couple of free tickets so he could return to the cinema another time to finish watching the movie.

I assume that someone who actually knew what Google Glass looked like took it upon themselves to report that a potential cam job could be happening upon sighting this man entering a cinema but can it really be said the response was anything other than woefully excessive.  First up they did not give this guy the benefit of the doubt.  Secondly, a reasonable response would have been for the manager to quietly approach the man during the pre-movie waffle and ask him to take off the glasses, right?  Anyone?

*sigh*

Nope, obviously this potential, totally unproven, act of copyright infringement must be reported to the highest available authorities as soon as possible to ensure an aggressive, definitive response.  Seriously, Homeland Security?  I had a look on the About DHS page and they are very clear that their "vital mission" is "to secure the nation from the many threats we face".  Yep, so vital that they divert agents and resources to descend on a man like a truckload of bricks for the slightest possibility that he is recording an apparently mediocre movie.

I really wanted to put a snappy little joke at the end of this story, or even save it for review as a potential Clever Geek of The Week award but I am afraid it is just too far beyond the realms of any reasonable expectations!

Hold on people, this whole copyright debacle is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Still No Aussie Netflix Alternative From Foxtel

Foxtel's Netflix Competitor Fails To Launch - Gizmodo Australia

Back in the wild promising days of September 2013 our good friends at Foxtel announced they were launching an exciting new product and rather strongly hinting that it may well be the Aussie answer to Netflix.  If the intervening time has dulled your memory of this then you can always have a quick look at this wonderful analysis of the announcement right here.

Apparently this less than revolutionary service was to be up by the end of 2013, but here we are nearing the end of January and there is still no sign.  The Presto website has next to no information but the Australian Financial Review apparently reported it was due to "software issues".  I would link it for you but the story is lurking behind a paywall and frankly Foxtel costs too much as it is.

I'm guessing the software issues related to the fact that they could not guarantee a smooth enough service for the rather steep asking price, and potentially couldn't nail down exclusive streaming rights for much of the content.

Really the main purpose of this move by Foxtel is to ensure that Netflix and Hulu are not able to officially provide their services to the ever growing contingent of Australian subscribers.   After all, if Foxtel has the all the streaming rights then any new players in the Aussie market would probably have to pay through the nose to access the content or simply will not be able to compete with the selection.

So at the end of the day we are still left with sub par offerings when it comes to on-demand content, a fact that is unlikely to change when Presto finally manages to launch.

Happy 30th Anniversary of Legality Betamax

Thirty Years Since Betamax, and Movies Are Still Being Made - TorrentFreak

While Betamax is a fair bit older than 30, it was originally produced in Japan in 1975, it was not declared as fully legal until 1984.  So why the delay?

Funnily enough as soon as the movie industry got wind of the fact that it could be used to *gasp* record movies screened on TV, or even copy tapes, they pretty much immediately took legal action to stop production and distribution of this pirating powerhouse!

On the 17th January 1984 the US Supreme Court took a different view and declared that the machine was legal and people could use it for recording of shows and movies for personal use which, at the time, was to be the death of Hollywood.

Well, here we are 30 years later with much more sophisticated methods that the old Betamax (which conceded defeat to the VHS format a scant 4 years after the court decision, even though it's last gasp occurred when production of Beta units ceased in 2002) and as far as I can tell Hollywood is still going strong and posting record profits.

What we see here is the birth of "Fair Use" provisions for personal use that allows you (yes, you as well) to record and time shift TV shows and even copy content you own to different formats, as long as you hang on to the original.  Funnily enough this concept is not very popular with content owners who would much prefer you to buy the same thing multiple times!

So let's all take a moment to pay tribute this clunky, overlarge piece of tech for it's continued legacy.  Betamax, we salute you.

Awesome Geek Of The Week

A School That's Using The Walking Dead Game To Teach Ethics - Kotaku Australia

I am pleased that the first Geek of The Week for the new year is an awesome one.  Nothing like starting on a positive note.

Students at Nordhal Grieg high school in Norway are using Telltale's excellent Walking Dead games to learn about ethics and moral dilemmas.  Admittedly the choices you make don't have a huge effect on the overall story, but they certainly impact how characters relate to you and can turn around and bite you (figuratively speaking) much further down the track.

By considering the choices on offer, discussing the moral and ethical consequences of particular actions and theorising on potential outcomes this is one class where students can get a great education and have fun at the same time.

So, to the educators at Nordhal Grieg High, I hereby present you with 2014's first Awesome Geek of the Week award!

Clever, er, Awesome (I'm Not Really Sure) Geek Of The Week

A Father Says His Baby Daughter Was Named For A Mass Effect Character - Kotaku Australia

Well it didn't take long for 2014 to deliver an unusual baby name. Adam and his wife are big fans of Mass Effect and had decided quite some time ago that they would name any daughter after Quarian technical genius Tali'Zorah.  Well the time has come and with the birth of their daughter imminent they have confirmed they are sticking with the name.

There is no confirmation at this stage whether they are going to go through with the full name or shorten it to the less need to explain Tali.

As you may be able to tell by the headline I am really in two minds about this news.  It goes without saying that the child is potentially in for a lifetime of explaining what may well become an obscure reference in years to come, however the name itself isn't overtly terrible and Tali really is one of the better female characters in gaming, and I am willing to admit to a bit of a nerd crush on this mysterious alien temptress during the many hours spent playing the Mass Effect series.  

Considering over the last twelve months babies have been born with the names Cheese and Blip, and lets not forget the completely travesty of North West, it really could be much, much worse.

UPDATE::  After trawling the internet I found the original source via a forum post on The Escapist and it turns out Tali'Zorah has been officially welcomed to the world, complete with official paperwork completed.  I'm pretty sure she'll be referred to as "Tali" (unless she gets in trouble because we all know that is the only time someone's full name is used!)

The Hobbit Tops The Bittorrent Charts

‘The Hobbit’ Most Pirated Film of 2013 - TorrentFreak

The most downloaded movies of 2013 (at least via public Bittorrent sites) have now been revealed and in a very unsurprising surprise it is dominated by movies that did big business over the last 12 months regardless.

Topping the list was The Hobbit, which raked in over (use Dr Evil voice for effect if you so desire) one billion dollars.  Also in the billion dollar club is Iron Man 3, which came in at number 4.

The worst performing movie on the list was Gangster Squad (number 7) that managed to gross a whole $105,200,903... it is also, in my opinion, the worst movie on this list regardless, a factor that I think lead to it's comparatively poor performance when compared to the other nine.

Yet again this shows that downloads do not affect sales.  How many of these downloaders went to see the movie first, liked it then grabbed a copy as soon as a decent copy was available while waiting for the DVD/Blu-ray release.  How many downloaders didn't want to fork out the considerable cost of heading to the movies for a single view and still purchased the movie later for home consumption?

Despite the cries that downloads are killing cinema the stats show that box office takings are continuing to increase year after year.  Maybe Hollywood could increase its profits even more by not wasting money combatting something that is making no difference to its bottom line.  In fact the main reason people pirate is because of delays and limited viewing options in other countries (by the way this was determined back in 2012).

I'm already making the prediction that the new Hobbit movie will top the charts for 2014, both it ticket sales and downloads.

Clever Geek Of The Week Of The Year

Yep, since we are now coming up to the end of the year it is time to look back on the outstanding efforts of the cleverest geeks around and determine who is the winner of the inaugural Rufus Reviews Clever Geek Of The Week Of The Year award (or RRCGOTWOTY award to make things easier).

If you need a refresher head to this nicely presorted list of stories and have a read.  It's okay, I'll wait...

All done?

Then let's proceed.

This has not been an easy choice to make.  We have stupid choices, poorly researched stories and just plain ignorant shenanigans.  It was a photo finish guys, but by carefully analysing frame by frame I can safely say one did indeed win by a nose...

Join me in congratulating... (fanfare please)

The man who stole a computer from his local church then called the porn blocking company to have their software removed.

What better way to reward this astoundingly stupid gentleman than with a facepalm picture made up of over 700 facepalms...

So let's all join in congratulating this man for winning the first ever RRCGOTWOTY Award.

Well done, you complete twit!

Iron Maiden Tracks Down Pirates, Rakes In The Profits Without Suing Anyone

Iron Maiden's Chasing Down Pirates And Making Bank Off Them - Gizmodo Australia

In a refreshing take on the battle against music piracy the classic rock band Iron Maiden has stepped up to the plate and taken a very refreshing approach.

After studying analytics about where their music was most downloaded (South America incidentally) instead of calling the lawyers the band instead got in touch with their tour manager.

Iron Maiden played a series of concerts where the copyright infringing downloaders were most prevalent and proceeded to rake in millions (yes, millions) of dollars including a take of $US2.5 million for one concert in Sao Paulo.

Given the rather small amount that makes it to the artist from CD and digital music sales I'd say this move has more than made up for any potential losses from illicit downloads and has also cemented the band's ongoing popularity in Brazil and its Latin American neighbours.

Now, if a band that has been around for almost 40 years can work out how to make music piracy work for them why the hell is it so hard for the major record labels?

Video Game Classics Available On Line

The Internet Archive Launches Huge Collection of Playable Classic Games - The Escapist

Being a bit of a retro gamer collector/enthusiast it really warms my heart to see ongoing preservation efforts.  A particularly fine example is The Console Living Room hosted over at The Internet Archive.

This site gives excellent information regarding the origins of the home console and what we were playing in the wild heady days of the 70s and 80s (such as the Atari 2600 and the Colecovision).  That isn't the best bit though.  It also offers playable versions of many titles in your browser.

The graphics may be basic and the game play restricted by the technology available at the time but there is not denying that these early pioneering games pushed the limit of what was available and the developers created experiences that still influence modern blockbusters.  I'd recommend heading over and having a game or two of Pitfall 2, H.E.R.O (Atari 2600), the excellent conversions of Donkey Kong or Spy Hunter (Colecovision) or perhaps.... well just dive in and explore.

The preservation of video games is an ongoing concern.  With many titles only ever released on cassette tape or old school 5" floppy disks the deterioration of the media is a major concern.  Added to the fact that much of the hardware needed to play games is now very difficult to find in working order (and even more difficult to keep working) and there are huge libraries of games and software that could potentially never be seen again.

I applaud the efforts of The Internet Archive and their dedication to preserving digital history.  Seriously head over there and have a look around.  There is the very good chance you could get lost for hours!

Game Of Thrones Tops The Hittorrent Charts Again

Game of Thrones is Most Pirated TV Show For Second Year - The Escapist

Well, in a big surprise to next to no-one Game Of Thrones is the most downloaded show via Bittorrent for the second year running, and the response from the head of HBO was somewhat surprising.

Jeff Hawkes was quoted as saying this level of piracy was "better than an emmy" due to it leading to more subscriptions and of course DVD/Blu-ray sales further down the track.

Despite being one of the world's most popular show GoT remains severely limited when it comes to options to watch it as it screens.  A HBO exclusive in the US (and therefore only available on more expensive premium cable packages) and only available for streaming on HBO Go (which still requires a HBO subscription) with even more limitations in Australia, despite QuickFlix and Apple trying to offer same day streaming.  HBO even refused every offer made by Netflix (Torrent Freak) to stream the earlier seasons to a wider audience.

Over and over, year after year, the most popular shows top the download charts.  These aren't shows that are suffering for legitimate viewers, they simply do not have a delivery method that meets the full demand.

For a list of the full top 10 hittorrent shows of the year head over to the Torrent Freak version of this story.

Clever Geek Of The Week

Woman Walks Off St. Kilda Pier Because She Was Checking Facebook - Kotaku Australia

Wow, there really isn't much to say about this one.  A woman, believed to be a tourist, was so busy checking out her latest updates on Facebook while walking along St Kilda Pier in Melbourne that she didn't notice that she had run out of pier.

She plunged into the water about 11.30 at night when the none too warm waters were probably at their chilliest and had to be rescued by police about 20 metres from shore.

It is implied that she could not swim, but I personally think the fact she was still clinging to her phone may have impacted on her swimming abilities.

The police force themselves obviously thought it was particularly serious with the headline STATUS UPDATE: OMG ONE STEP TOO FAR featuring prominently on the official Victorian Police news site.

So, for so blatantly ignoring your surroundings while checking updates on your phone that you managed to walk off the end of a 6km long pier in such a way that even the police are poking fun at you I hereby award this anonymous tourist with this week's Clever Geek Of The Week award.

South Australia Is Continuing The Fine Tradition Of Blaming Games For Everything

Why Is South Australia Still Demonising Video Games - Gizmodo Australia

South Australia and video games have a bit of a turbulent history.  Long term Attorney General, Michael Atkinson was a major obstacle for over a decade by blocking any attempts to establish an R18+ rating for games in Australia, and more recently the current incumbent in that same role, John Rau, considered that just replacing classification stickers with higher ratings or forcing developers to resubmit all their games were effective ways to deal with the new classification rules.

There is a current campaign in South Australia focusing on gambling addiction and how it can be prevented. Part of the focus is on education for children and an awareness campaign for parents after a study showed links between games that have gambling like features and gambling problems further down the track. So far so noble.

Unfortunately the problem lies in the delivery. The poster (above) with a young girl behind an iPad at a poker table makes the connection but the caption 'gambling starts with games' is just plain awful in its generalisation. Now this has caused quite a bit of outrage over various internet forums but I am not prepared to go as far as calling this an all out attack on gamers, but it certainly does not help with the desire most gamers have to see there passion considered the equal (and sometimes superior) to other artistic expressions like cinema and literature.

It baffles me that such a targeted campaign that is essentially trying to get parents to actually monitor what their kids are playing can drop the ball with such a broad and over simplified tag line. While there are plenty of people who will get the message you can bet there will still be a sizeable group who will decide that this is just more evidence of the horrible evil within computer games. Thanks a lot South Australia!

Clever Geek Of The Week Gets Rewarded For Stupidity

Man Who Bought $735 Xbox One Photo Gets Free Xbox One - The Escapist

For those who take an interest in the exploits of the most clever of clever geeks I have a follow up to the latest award winner.

Mr Peter Clatworth, 19, who made headlines after falling for one of the oldest tricks in the eBay scam book after buying a photo of an Xbox One for an exorbitant sum, even admitting that he did in fact read the words 'this is a photo' before pressing buy it now thinking that he may still get an actual console.

After a failed attempt to garner sympathy by claiming the console for his 4 year old son (seriously, a 4 year old son?) he should have considered himself fortunate that he was able to get his money back and subsequently learned an important life lesson.

Nope, this moron has now received a free Xbox One courtesy of CeX, a games retailer in the UK.  Now I am not normally one to swear in my articles but WHAT THE FUCK are they thinking. This company is rewarding someone who is lucky to have the $735 he was originally duped out of in his pocket. This imbecile is more than capable of walking into a store and purchasing one of these units for himself and he is now being rewarded for being a fucking idiot.

If I lived in the UK I would avoid CeX like the plague knowing that they are willing to stoop this low to get some publicity, or maybe fabricate a sob story about how the PS4 I was going to take with me when I visit the local orphanage got destroyed in a freak accident involving a cat, a balloon and a heck of a lot of static electricity.

Clever Geek Of The Week

Teenager Pays $735 For A Picture Of An Xbox One - Kotaku Australia

See that picture to the left?  That very poorly printed picture of a day one Xbox One with Fifa on top?  That crumpled mess?  Well one individual forked out approximately $735 for this picture.

Peter Clatworthy (19), resident of the UK, saw an ad on eBay and even though it stated specifically that it was a photo good old Pete thought he would still get a console because it had been listed in the "video games and consoles" category.  So after ferociously bidding for the printout he received the photo in the mail with "Thank you for your purchase" written on the back.  He claims he wanted to buy the console as a present for his four year old son which has prompted many commentators (and commenters) to react with "Wait he has a four year old son?", followed by "Okay, so he really wanted it for himself but mentioning his son will garner more sympathy...  but seriously, he has a four year old son?"

Luckily for Mr Clatworthy he was able to lodge a dispute through eBay and have his money refunded.  Hopefully he put some of it towards framing the picture with the caption "Never Do This Again" in very large print underneath.

So, for assuming the category of an eBay listing somehow negates the text in the listing itself, for being duped out of a considerable sum of money with relative ease, for trying to use your four year old son (really, you have a four year old son?) to garner sympathy and for launching yourself into internet infamy to be used repeatedly by future meme makers I hereby award Peter Clatworthy with this week's Clever Geek of the Week award.

Wow, FIFA has a really convenient logo for next year!

How Do You Sell More Music? Be Less Protective...

A New Study Says You Sell More Music If You Get Rid Of Content Locks - Gizmodo Australia

An enterprising academic at the University of Toronto has completed a paper analysing the effects of removal of DRM from legitimate music downloads.

This was made possible by four different major music labels have content where they initially released albums with full copyright protection in place and then later dropped the DRM on those same albums.  After collating the statistics Laurina Zhang found an interesting pattern.

The ongoing average revenue from the albums after DRM was dropped increased 10%.  While the more popular albums (and therefore more appealing to the average pirate) did not increase the results show there was no actual loss of revenue from the removal of copyright protection.  It also showed that the longer the music was kept in a DRM free state the more consistently it kept selling.

So we have just another sign that the locking down of content does not actually assist sales in any way, in fact the more a company allows the end customer to treat their purchase as their own property the better it sells.  Here's hoping one day the message actually gets through!

Awesome Geek Of The Week

Man Goes To PS4 Midnight Launch And Leaves With A... Master System? - Kotaku Australia

With the launch of the PS4 in North America there were plenty of keen people waiting to pick up their shiny new super consoles.  But were they all waiting for a PS4?

One gentleman decided it would be far more fun to come out of GameStop proudly carrying a Sega Master System, much to the bemusement and amusement of those in line.  The linked article contains the full video and, even with some cringe worthy discussions and just not being as funny as it could have been, it certainly makes this one prankster worthy of this week's Awesome Geek Of The Week award.

Dr Who and Piracy, The Scourge of 1964

BBC Has Reportedly Found Even More Missing Doctor Who Episodes, This Time From 1964 - Gizmodo Australia

On the eve of the worldwide simultaneous broadcast of the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who episode The Mirror reports another lost episode has resurfaced, the complete 7 episode run of "Marco Polo" with first Doctor, William Hartnell.  It's missing the audio but apparently the BBC has that and can painstakingly restore it.

The ironic part of this whole shebang is that as the biggest attempt to share new content and reduce piracy is about to take place the only reason this episode still exists is because an enterprising and way ahead of his time individual decided to take his 16mm camera and film the episodes off his TV.  Yep, "Marco Polo" is still around because of piracy.

I'd be interested in finding out if this is the earliest known evidence of TV show piracy.  Since the episodes screened in 1964 it is pretty unlikely this was all that widespread.  I also expect the current rights holders to track down the budding pirates family in order to sue for damages.