Posts Tagged ‘Australia’
Typo Caused Airbus Plane Tail-Strike During Takeoff in Australia [Planes]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 22nd, 2009
Currently, there's a typo in a trending topic on Twitter, and it's doing my head in, though at least it won't be responsible for a plane tail-strike like the one that occurred at Melbourne Airport in Australia earlier this year.
The typo has just been discovered as the reason why the United Arab Emirates A340-541 Airbus had problems taking off, with a report claiming:
"During the reduced thrust takeoff, the aircraft's tail made contact with the runway surface, but the aircraft did not begin to climb. The captain commanded and selected take-off and go-around engine thrust and the aircraft commenced a climb. After jettisoning fuel to reduce the landing weight, the flight crew returned the aircraft to Melbourne for landing."
Apparently, the plane's first officer recorded the weight into the flight system as 262.9 tons, when in actual fact it was 362.9 ton. Quite a difference, you'll agree. While there were no injuries to the 257 passengers, 14 cabin crew and four flight crew, two of the crew resigned afterwards, presumably from the shame of watching the tail of the aircraft bounce against the runway three times. [ATSB report via Ieee Spectrum]
Apple’s Black Friday deals hit Australia site, same as it ever was (update: US and UK too)
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 26th, 2009
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Update: It's after midnight in the UK, and as logic dictates, the one-day sale is now in effect there, too.
Update 2: And it's Stateside: same percentage discounts, different currency.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video
Apple's Black Friday deals hit Australia site, same as it ever was (update: US and UK too) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple Australia | Email this | Comments First iPhone worm rickrolls jailbroken phones
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 9th, 2009
[Via PMP Today; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Cellphones
First iPhone worm rickrolls jailbroken phones originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsJapanese team takes top prize at World Solar Challenge
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 2nd, 2009
[Via Wired]
Filed under: Transportation
Japanese team takes top prize at World Solar Challenge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsDell Inspiron 13z goes on sale in Australia
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 22nd, 2009
[Thanks, Toby]
Filed under: Laptops
Dell Inspiron 13z goes on sale in Australia originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Extreme Hang Gliding with the Nikon D300s [Photography]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 19th, 2009
This isn't the first time Nikon has teamed up with sports photographers to showcase the D300s' new 720p video capabilities, but this footage of the world's top hang glider surfing Australia's mysterious "Morning Glory" wave-cloud phenomenon, is just as spectacular.
The D300s was mounted to the front of the hang glider and fitted with a 10.5mm fisheye lens. A custom hardwired trigger and release mechanism was used to fire both video and stills.
Of course, the $1800 D300s now has some serious semi-pro competition from the $1900 Canon 7D. And the 7D is an 18-megapixel, 1080p video beast. Click through the links above for our in-depth primers. [YouTube via CrunchGear]
Also: Waking Up On Mars: Australia's Bizarre Dust Storm
Remainders – Things We Didn’t Post [Remainders]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 17th, 2009
Baby Gets Hit By Train, Strolls Away...There's a Hole In My Heart That Can Only Be Filled By—Stem Cells?...Beware Bobbies Bearing BlackBerries...Science Figures Out Why We Break Out Bubbly
Sure it's been the lead story on CNN and a big story on Gawker, but there just wasn't enough DIY mechanics or cellphone-related mayhem for us to pounce on this little gem. As a dad, I don't like seeing shit like this, but knowing there's a happy ending made it a bit easier to view. Oops, did I give too much away? [Gawker]
Hairband balladeers from the roaring '80s will be disappointed to learn that holes in the heart previously only able to be filled by some girl who is already dating some other guy can now be filled by a patch made of stem cells. As for the rest of us, we naturally assumed that if stem cells could give Christopher "Butthole" Reeve real Superman strength and build replica's of Shakey's Pizza, well, of course they can patch heart holes. [PopSci]
By March of next year, many British police officers will be handed a smartphone in order to maintain communication while increasing time in the field. It may work, assuming they block like a million distractions. Frankly, the only reason I wanted to even mention this in Remainders was to remind the world of that stroke of British police genius, Hot Fuzz, through Photoshop. It was that or an image of the gmilfy Prime Suspect herself, Helen Mirren. Did I choose wrong? [BBC via Engadget]
Science produces explanations great and small, and finally got around to one we've been waiting for since Heinrich "Coca" Cola invented the fizzy beverage: Why do we love the carbonation? Everyone used to think it was the exploding carbonation bubbles, but sure enough, it's the carbon dioxide itself—you listening, Al Gore???—that sends a message to open up the sour taste buds, delivering a genuine flavor change. Sure, it's not gadget news, but now, when you head out to the bars, you can order beer in the name of science. [Daily Mail UK]
Australian power grid attacked by virus, Linux saves the day
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 8th, 2009
[Via The PC Report]
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Australian power grid attacked by virus, Linux saves the day originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsWaking Up On Mars: Australia’s Bizarre Dust Storm [Wtf]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 25th, 2009
I woke up Wednesday (Tuesday U.S. time), to a scene from Total Recall. Sydney had been blanketed by an apocalyptic glowing red dust storm. Red from iron-oxide: rust. And if I couldn't breathe, my tech gear wouldn't like this either…
But I did what any geek would do. I regressed into an excited 10 year old, grabbed the camera, and went out to play in the freakish weather. After 5 minutes of constantly clearing my throat, and noticing that my G9 had started to collect dust, I decided it just wasn't worth it. Having been asleep with a window open meant a little dust was also inside. I switched off my main desktop (it's got a big air-intake fan), and fired up a laptop to find out what the hell was going on.
Big winds had swept the dust from Australia's drought-stricken interior, carrying it hundreds of miles to the east coast. Sydney (with a population of 4.3 million) was most affected, but other cities were, too. In terms of air pollution, particle concentration reached a thickness of about 15,000 micrograms per cubic meter—a normal day here has about 10-20.
Comedian Arj Barker (from Flight of the Conchords) Tweeted this pic: "It's like Dune here in Sydney. This is the giant dust storm we had to land in."
Until winds swept the dust to sea mid-afternoon, flights were canceled, Twitter went crazy, MMS traffic spiked 50 percent, and data centers installed air filters…it was interesting to watch how technology intersected with the bizarre weather.
The dust cloud was the worst in 70 years, and it's still unclear if climate change was to blame. But at the very least, I got a dusty taste of life on Mars for the day (well, sort of). [Sydney Morning Herald]
Gasoline-Huffing Man Bursts Into Flame After Being Tased [Crime]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on July 21st, 2009
An Australian man burst into flames after a policeman hit him on the bridge of the nose with his Taser. Sound ridiculous? Not so much if you know the man was arrested on suspicion of huffing gasoline.
The man pretty immediately went up in flames, and the officer, recognizing that a man becomes significantly less dangerous once he's on fire, went to the suspect's aid, patting him all over (and getting burned himself) to quell the flames. While the officer tried to help the flammable man, he was hit by rocks thrown by a young woman also on the scene, also presumably high or stupid or both. Both the man and woman, as well as two others, were charged with sniffing a prohibited substance, and the young woman was charged with throwing rocks at a policeman. [Daily Telegraph]
