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The Federal Government has released a smartphone application to provide quick and easy access to information about emergencies and disasters across the country. The DisasterWatch app can be downloaded for free and contains the latest public information via a direct feed from emergency response teams in each state and territory.

"Many great websites stream video and audio as an alternative to a traditional TV/Cable/SAT service. Some are subscription based, like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Others are pay per view, like Vudu. And some are free, such as Hulu, ABC, CBS, NBC, and the BBC. There's only one catch. They're generally only available in one country. National broadcasting websites are only available in their country of origin. While some services are expanding internationally, like the recent arrival of Netflix to Canada, the expansion is slow and it's difficult due to the content deals that are made for each country. Another burdensome restriction on freedom is the blocking of social media sites by some countries and by many businesses. Thankfully, there's now an immediate and easy answer. And you just discovered it!"

Selected members of the general public will use twitter to ask scientists questions and report on this month's mission to Mar. The "tweetup" is tied to the launch of the NASA mission and is being hosted by CSIRO's Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC).

"Australian researchers report they've made a breakthrough in quantum computing. So how does their discovery fit in the race to build a supercomputer?"

#abcnews The technology 'generation gap' in schools via @abcmobile worth a holiday read #ceoelearn http://t.co/hnniThy9d2

A great discussion about identity in the 21st Century focusing on authenticity and how the internet has changed everything.

An interesting discussion about email and its future.

"If students find NAPLAN tests too stressful, wait till they find out what it's like trying to get a driver's licence or a good job if they're illiterate, writes Jennifer Buckingham."

An interesting investigation into the 'rights' of robots and what it is acceptable to expect them to do now and in the future.

A very thought provoking and insightful interview about the efforts of governments to gain control over technology and how they justify it.

"Call someone a 'cyber-utopian' and it's likely to be taken as an insult, according to leading media theorist Ethan Zuckerman. But we'll meet some self-confessed utopians (of the digital variety) who are out of the closet and proud! While cyber-utopianism - that is, the idea that the internet is the ultimate empowering force - can get a little disconnected from reality, cyber-utopians say that's what they like about it. It's a testing ground for future opportunities they say -- a way of encouraging us to think big and make the most of the Internet and new technologies."

"The Federal Government has announced the first sites on mainland Australia where the National Broadband Network (NBN) will be rolled out."

A group of Melbourne university students have created a robot that can solve a Rubik's Cube in a record-breaking 10.18 seconds.

Inspired by comic strips and hated by font designers, new research suggests Comic Sans may help people remember what they read.

"Companies who want to know more about prospective employees can learn a lot by checking their Facebook profiles, according to a new study. Jennifer Golbeck and colleagues at the University of Maryland surveyed the public profiles of nearly 300 Facebook users for information about their favourite activities, TV shows, movies, music, books, quotes, and membership in political or other organisations. They also looked at the "About Me" and "blurb" sections. The work did not include status updates or other data that is only available to users' online friends."

"Scientists admit they'll be forced to throw out valuable data because today's computers aren't powerful enough to process all the information that will be generated by a proposed new super telescope. The planned $2.3 billion dollar Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the largest and most sophisticated radio telescope ever built."

Does a sense of playfulness underpin the modern world? From information sharing to social activism to business training, the dynamics of play are increasingly important in our rapidly evolving world.