The Age

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    The rise of drone crime and how cops can stop it

    by 
    Andrew Tarantola
    Andrew Tarantola
    10.11.2017

    It was supposed to be an easy $1,000 job. All 25-year-old Jorge Edwin Rivera had to do was pilot a drone carrying a lunchbox filled with 13 pounds of methamphetamine, from one side of the US-Mexico border to the other where an accomplice could retrieve the smuggled cargo. What he didn't count on was Border Patrol agents spotting the UAV in flight and tracking it back to his hiding spot, 2,000 yards from the national divide.

  • Aussie AG halts R18+ rating for games indefinitely

    by 
    Alexander Sliwinski
    Alexander Sliwinski
    10.29.2008

    The introduction of an R18+ rating for games in Australia has been indefinitely delayed due to a political maneuver by South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson. The Age reports that Atkinson has refused to allow a report commissioned by the "censorship ministers" weighing the "pros and cons" of an R18+ rating for games to become public, effectively shelving any discussion on the matter.Atkinson is quoted as saying to Australia's parliament earlier this year that he's opposed to the introduction of an R18+ rating because, despite it denying adults choice, it was necessary to protect children from "potentially harmful material." Australia's OFLC has effectively "banned" or edited several games this year due to its classification system revolving around 15-year-olds as a bellwether.

  • CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XV: Sony Australia exec calls the Wii "a bit pricey"

    by 
    Cyrus Farivar
    Cyrus Farivar
    10.11.2006

    Welcome back to CE-Oh no he didn't, the game show where company executives get to mouth off about something that surely won't make their bosses happy. This week, we're playing with Michael Ephraim, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, who made a very insightful comment recently about the pricing of a rival product. Now, while prospective buyers have grumbled at the high price (AU$1000, or $743) of the PS3, Ken Kutaragi, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment, has maintained that the company's latest console is "probably too cheap," but acknowledges that it's a "expensive toy" -- although to be fair, Sony did just drop the price in Japan. Well, it appears that Kutaragi's minions don't necessarily agree with his assessment, or at least Ephraim appears not to. He recently told The Age (Melbourne's major metropolitan daily) his opinion of the Nintendo Wii, which will retail for AU$400 ($297):"My only question for this Christmas on Wii is the price point. Even though it's affordable, at $400 plus whatever you need to buy accessories-wise, I'm guessing you need to spend about $500 to take home a Wii and enjoy it. For this Christmas, I think that price point is still not family entertainment because $500 is a lot to fork out . . . I think the price for what it specifically does as a video games machine is a bit pricey, but I think that their strategy long term we have great respect for."So by that logic, mate, the AU$1000 PS3 will be what, exactly -- really frickin' expensive? Not to mention it'll be even more than AU$1000 when it comes with all its accessories too, y'know? So that makes your PS3 even more than twice as much as the Wii, which you say is "a bit pricey?" Mike, wouldn't you think that would mean that you'd want to, um, perhaps bring the price a bit down? Can't you call up your buddy Kenji and tell him what you told those Aussie reporters? Or maybe perhaps your colleague across the Pacific, the Kazmeister? C'mon, you guys could set up a meeting in somewhere convenient for all of you (say, Honolulu?) and work out the details. Then everyone would be happy, especially us lowly consumers. [Via Joystiq]

  • Australia <3 PSP, according to SCEA

    by 
    Andrew Yoon
    Andrew Yoon
    10.10.2006

    SCEA being Sony Computer Entertainment of America Australia, of course. Michael Ephraim recently spoke with The Age about the success of PSP in the country that fellow blogger, Chris Powell, seems to have an unhealthy obsession with. When asked how he felt about the battle between the DS and PSP, he had this to say:"If you look at the markets, they are completely different. The DS really appeals to a lot younger, very female skewed, and the DS has done a fabulous job. PSP is a product that if you go back to the analogy of PlayStation and PlayStation 2, they are leaders in their field as far as the consumer offering. Price points, perceptions, or consumers coming to grips with what the device truly offers and the value that it offers, does take time. At approximately just under 200,000 PSPs sold in Australia and over 22 million sold worldwide, if you hold that up against any other gaming category, it's done extremely well.""All our research shows that the consumers that have purchased the device think its one of the sexiest and best designed digital devices out in the marketplace. The screen quality is exceptional. But we know we have more work to do on PSP and we have some plans for Christmas this year that will think will help pick up sales, and of course when PS3 comes out, the compatibility with PSP will add even more value. So we would like more sales but we have an incredible foundation, research shows those people who have bought it love it, and we need to just educate the consumers a bit more and show them what applications the PSP is capable of to show the device's value for money."I completely agree, Mr. Ephraim. At 22 million sold worldwide, the system is certainly not a failure, like people are trying to paint it to be. The system is quite successful, and with its ability to do so much, it really is a great value. Sure, it costs $70 more than DS, but you get a whole heck of a lot more.[Via Gamasutra]