Kano - my son's Best. Present. Ever.

Last Christmas we got our 8yo a Kano DIY computer kit, which he says is his Best. Present. Ever. Since then I've had a few parents ask me about it, so I thought I'd put the info here so I can just refer any other queries here.*

The idea behind it is this - kids today have access to devices like tablets or smartphones that are already fully-functioning, but they don't get the chance to start from scratch (a'la Bill Gates in the garage in the 70's), and understand what goes on underneath it all.

The Kano is a build-your-own computer kit using a Raspberry Pi, which is a credit-card sized computer processor. You could just buy a Raspberry Pi on it's own but then you'd still need to get a keyboard, mouse, SD card etc. The Kano is a kid-friendly kit that has all that in it (although you still need to get your own monitor, that's not part of the kit). You just order via the Kano website and it's free shipping worldwide.

After they assemble all the bits (there are instructions), they need to install the Kano operating system and then they join KanoWorld (using parental email address), and work through various tasks and skills, and get points so they can advance to higher levels. There are things like Pong, a music editor, Minecraft and some coding stuff, among others. They're using the Internet, but they don't have free-range.

The Raspberry Pi is that little contraption bottom-left of pic

I have to say that Kano's support is fantastic. One of the tasks they can get points for is to send an email to Kano support. I had no idea my son had done this until I got the email (he's set up using my email account). They replied the next day and gave him the info he requested!

Of course, the Raspberry Pi can be used for other things, there are pages of "Raspberry Pi for kids" links with projects they can do. My son is eyeing off some giant toy spider project at the moment, where you program a Raspberry Pi to make the spider walk across the floor, eek. :/

* Disclaimer: I don't work for Kano or know anybody who does! I just think it's awesome. :)

Read More

Retail sexism

Last Saturday we visited the local shopping centre. My son wanted to go into Rebel Sport to look at getting a soccer scarf with his pocket money. My daughter said excitedly "Maybe I could get a Diamonds top?!"

For the uninitiated, the Australian Diamonds are Australia's national netball team. Netball is the most popular female sport in Australia. In August, Australia will be hosting the Netball World Cup, with teams from 16 countries from 5 regions of the globe competing.

On entering Rebel, we were greeted with row-upon-row of authorised apparel from AFL (Australian Rules Football), NRL (rugby), A-League (soccer) and NBA (American basketball). Only the male team versions. Although to be fair, the Melbourne Storm NRL section did offer one rather fetching number where they'd blended the purple club colours with a bit of hot pink, clearly to make it attractive to the lay-dies.

We made our way around to the netball section, where we found a selection of balls, gloves, goal rings, a few skirts and other bits and pieces of equipment. But - no official Australian Diamonds gear. Nor any official Melbourne Vixens gear.

I went back to the NBA section, searching for something like a Lauren Jackson WNBA top (she's an Aussie playing women's basketball in the USA). Nope.

I asked an employee where the women's sport authorised apparel was. He actually giggled at me, before saying they didn't have any "but you can get it online".

Online doesn't help my 11 year old daughter. She wants to look, and try on a top or a scarf or a hat, and consider what to spend her pocket money on before she buys. Like her brother can with HIS sporting gear choices. Apparently the only way she can do this with the sport SHE loves, is to buy a ticket to a game and go to the official merchandise stand at the event. Or buy online, and pay postage costs, and potentially pay higher postage costs if the item she chooses is the wrong size. I don't know about anybody else's kids, but mine don't get enough pocket money to waste half of it on postage.

The next day, I was in a different part of town and decided to visit the local Rebel, just to see if they had any female sport authorised apparel. Nope.

So I sent a tweet to Rebel:

And that was the end of it.

When I related this story to some friends, one said "maybe there's no demand". There is a WORLD CUP coming up, in Australia, in 6 months time. I would argue they wouldn't have a clue if there's demand or not, because none of them are actually making even a single rack available to test it out.

I visited a few other large retail sporting good stores to see if this is across-the-board. Yep.

I'm not actually sure who I'm mad at - retail stores for being sexist, or people in general for making male sport so important and female sport so unimportant. I do know that I'm very disappointed that my 11yo daughter already knows that HER Australian, female sport is not seen to be as important in a retail sense as American (men's) basketball.

**Update 26-Feb-2015**
I should have added - the ANZ Championship (the annual Australia/New Zealand national tournament) starts THIS WEEKEND. We all should be able to buy Vixens, Firebirds, Thunderbirds or whatever the local team apparel is, IN a store. Nope...

Read More

Why Australia's data retention plans are a bad idea

Via: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au

I know I keep bleating on about the Australian Government's proposed mandatory data retention scheme and why it's bad, and a lot of people probably don't really understand the issue - but honestly - it's bad.

This article outlines why. And this article, compiled by a communications lawyer, compares Australia's proposed plan with 29 other countries. Of those, 8 have already ruled data retention to be unconstitutional, and 10 more are currently reviewing their scheme.

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled Right to privacy in the digital age, stating that the right to privacy is a human right.

In July 2014, the United Nations human rights chief advised that "Mass surveillance by intelligence agencies is almost certainly illegal under international law, even where it involves collecting but not looking at people’s data".

And yet, the Australian Government presses ahead. To be clear, what they're proposing is that they can force ISPs to collect and keep data ABOUT YOU, for 2 years. Sadly, at this point they can't tell you exactly WHAT data because, well, they don't actually understand what metadata is and thus far haven't been able to define exactly what it is and what they will or won't collect (try not to laugh).

The second part they're proposing is that they can access that data any time they want, WITHOUT any kind of court mandate, warrant or judicial oversight. The argument is that they need these powers to fight terrorism. Or pedophiles. Or... something else scary. But if they want to tap a phone or break into a premises to fight terrorism/pedophiles/other-scariness, they have to get a warrant. A judge decides if the government REALLY needs to tap that phone or break down that door, before the government is allowed to do it.

The only country out of the 29 surveyed where a scheme similar to what the Government is proposing is in place, where they can access data without a warrant, is Poland. And to be absolutely clear - there is NO evidence, anywhere, that shows that collecting data in this manner, has resulted in any benefit whatsoever.

If you read George Orwell's "1984" in school... what's that saying? "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"? No government should have unrestricted access to this much information about its citizens, without some kind of judicial oversight to "keep the bastards honest".

I encourage everybody to stand up for your BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.

Read More

Me + EFA = :)

Via: https://www.efa.org.au

After many years of quiet-introverted-online agitating, I recently took the plunge and became a member of Electronic Frontiers Australia (where I might have to actually, you know, talk to other people and stuff - yikes :/ ).

Then last week, one of my uni tutors announced on a Facebook group that they're looking for somebody to help out with social media, so I put my hand up.

So, I've just been invited onto the Communications and Campaigns commitee of Electronic Frontiers Australia :)

#excited

Read More

NET303 - Policy Primer

For NET303 - Internet Politics and Power - we had to create an online Policy Primer.

Create a short, succinct online presentation summarising the key features, and related issues, of the terms of use for an online service or platform.

Here's mine: http://prezi.com/dgz0ht0brd-b

Read More