Australia

It can sometimes be a little unclear (especially first day of a new year) how the previous year changed the world. No one guessed in 1946 that the Magnetron Spencer Percy was developing for use in a RADAR system (and that subsequently melted a candy bar in his pocket) would one day become the microwave oven. But I like to think that we can make some pretty good guesses about which of this year's innovations are going to be with us, and changing our world, for a good long time.

You've been "superpoked" -- and served. A court in Australia has approved the use of Facebook, a popular social networking Web site, to notify a couple that they lost their home after defaulting on a loan.

The Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court last Friday approved lawyer Mark McCormack's application to use Facebook to serve the legally binding documents after several failed attempts to contact the couple at the house and by e-mail.

The Australian government plans to test a nationwide Web filtration system that would force Internet service providers to block access to thousands of sites containing illegal content, prompting cries of censorship from online advocacy groups.

The proposed filter is part of a $82 million "cyber-safety plan" started in May with the goals of protecting children online and stopping adults from downloading content whose possession is illegal in Australia, such as child pornography or terrorist materials.

Android-based devices can now be discussed in the plural. Kogan Technologies has announced its Agora and Agora Pro mobile phones with the open-source mobile operating system will be available in Australia next month.

The Agora devices, which bear an uncanny physical resemblance to classic BlackBerry smartphones, will offer 3G connectivity, a 2.5-inch LCD, a 320x240-pixel touchscreen, a five-way central navigation key, a microSD slot, a QWERTY keyboard with backlighting, and Bluetooth 2.0.

Different Versions, Different Prices

The mayors of San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland, Calif., have joined with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the Bay Area Council, and mobile network-technology provider Better Place to foster the development of plug-in electric vehicles and other elements of green infrastructure.

We don’t often think about how we could make our toilets more efficient. Maybe that’s because we don’t think about our toilets so much in general -= one flush and the problem is gone until the next time we sit and ponder. For some reason, in North America, we haven't caught on yet to what consumers in water-starved Asia and Australia have known for decades. Why should the water we flush with be as pristine as the water we drink out of the tap?

The Storm is coming Nov. 21. Verizon Wireless announced that Research in Motion's "clickable" touchscreen BlackBerry Storm will be available online and at its retail stores on that date for $199.99 after a rebate.

The $50 rebate will require a two-year commitment. The Storm has been generating a significant amount of media buzz -- and, according to Verizon, customer interest -- because of unique features that Verizon and RIM hope will provide some shelter against Apple's popular iPhone 3G.

'Tactile Click Response'