Here are my entries for the Overclockers Australia MSI contest.

The contest asks to see some MSI products amusingly or cleverly inserted into iconic or famous pictures, or famous places, historic moments, scenes from movies, etc with the following high res pics:

Z68A-GD80; http://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=64090
580 Lightning: http://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=62586
6970 Lightning; http://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=62532
Big Bang Marshal: http://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=59752

These are rough.

Behold the mighty MSI N580GTX Lightning

Introducing the New MSI Type R6970 Daleks

Choose Life, Choose MSI

I came top 5 which was a pleasant surprise!

Here are some pics of the prizes:

The MSI Chopper

The MSI Gamer Bag

Prepare for Take Off

Mog Hunting

Ordering and buying things online, I do it all the time and never really have issues in doing so.... That was until I decided to place an order for a phone online via the Telstra shop website.  Warning, this is a bit of a rant, though it would be interesting to hear of any other similar experiences.  It really shouldn't be that difficult.

My Telstra HTC Desire online Purchase Experience

Last week I bought a phone online, payed the $70 and nominated the Chirnside Park store to pick it up. Received email saying it would be available within 2 days.

I got there last Thursday after and was told they can't find my order no. After being shocked that you could actually order a mobile online. After an hour they tracked it down and said they are couriering it from Hawthorn and should be there later in the day.

Went back Friday night, got the phone and went home only to find no sim card and still not linked to my existing account, I should have just got it sent to my house, only issue is I always miss courier.

Went back to the Chirnside Telsta shop store Saturday and asked for the simpack I should have received with my order, after waiting an hour and watching some rather abusive Telstra reps serve people I finally saw someone who said "We are a private Telstra Shop, can't help you" I mean What the Hell???

I showed them my online receipt and said I was picking up the phone from here as I am not usually home work hours but was pretty much told to go away until I told them you already gave me the phone yesterday.....

They then demanded the phone back – something I already paid for online and then threatened me with the POLICE after I said I need to get personal data off the phone which needed to be done on the PC.
It appears they did not have my phone and were trying to just sign me up themselves, but stuffed something up on the way.

I negotiated with the Chirnside Park store to re order the phone this Monday and when they receive the order, they will add the phone I currently have to the plan and keep the new one.

I get an email today saying my order has been cancelled due to technical difficulties.

So in 2 weeks I have no Telstra plan though have a new Desire phone and have been threated by some Telstra reps and the complaints department does nothing.

I have been having issues with most Telstra departments in general, its like they are all part of a separate entity. I have contacted the Complaints department on numerous occasions and they have just hand passed me on to some one else.

If the Government wanted to Split Telstra as a singular entitiy they have done an excellent job.

/rant

You have probably scoured the net and read all the positive comments on the e-cig phenomena so are ready to buy an electronic cigarette?

If so, you are in for a treat as switching to this battery powered product is definitely a healthier and cleaner alternative to conventional cigarettes and other forms of tobacco smoking.  Personally, switching to e-cigs is one of the best things I have ever done.

What to buy for a first time e-cig purchase? Updated 13th November 2011

For a first time user I would definitely recommend a Joye 501 starter kit or a Ego / Riva starter kit which is similar to the Joy 501 but has a higher capacity battery.  You have a choice of manual and automatic types though I really recommend manual as you can control the vaping experience to suit and as previously discussed, the auto versions can have some serious issues.

JOYE 510, is one of the most popular types of electronic cigarettes.  The starter pack if ordered from a store like Health Cabin comes with 2 manual batteries, 2 atomizers, and 5 cartridges, everything you need in order to make the switch.

JOYE eGo, is a unique design incorporating easy charging with excellent long lasting battery life including 2 atomizers, 2 3.7V 650mAh rechargeable batteries, 2 Atomizer covers, a AC-USB Adapter(US or Euro Plug), a USB Charger, pouch and 5 Standard tobacco flavour cartridges.

JOYE eGo-T, The eGo-T is the first e-cigarette to apply the new tank system for dripping e-liquid directly into its tank cartridge without the use of tissue inside the tank. This new system makes dripping easier and less frustrating for consumers in general.  The eGo-T atomisers can work well on regular all ego batteries (650mah,900mah or 1000mah).

I personally recommend the LR(LOW RESISTANCE) Type B eGo-T over the type A though this is more personal preference than a definite recommendation.  If you can, get a pack of LR type Cartomizers which work well with the EGo type batteries.  A pack of LR cartomises costs around 4 to 5 dollars and this is what I use 90% of the time.

The Health Cabin Black JOYE ego Kit.

The standard Joye 510 e-cigs look a lot like an analogue cigarette, even including a LED tip to further stimulate the conventional smoking experience.  Most people after trialling the JOYE 510's usually upgrade to the higher capacity versions.  I get around 1 hour of vaping using the 510 between charges but get around 8 hours using the Joye and similar versions like the Riva.

E-juice/E-Liquid, sometimes referred to as nicotine juice, e-liquid, or smoke juice, is a cost effective way of extending the life of your cartridges.  Once your cartridge is empty, simply put a few drops of e-juice into your cartridge.  I smoked about 25 medium strength cigs a day, which were about 8mg rated and found that 18mg e-juice was perfect for my needs. Ecigs deliver nicotine differently to your body so using a higher mg strength juice than what you were normally smoking ends up being quite normal.  Tests have shown the body receives 5 times as less nicotine than the old tobacco ciggie, though compensates by producing a quicker hit of nicotine in the short term.

Whatever you do, don't rush out and buy an electronic cigarette from just any online store.

Not all e-cigarettes are created equal, there are copies, some good, some bad and new sites are appearing daily offering varying degrees of quality merchandise. Some users have issues ranging from simple mechanical failures like battery lifespans, atomizers that have been produced poorly causing them to either get clogged way too easily or arrive dead on delivery.  A dodgy atomizer produces poor vapor quality and lack of volume which could put off a potential tobacco smoking convert - Something I would hate to see happen.

The best way to avoid these problems is to educate yourself on the best models, brands and manufacturers of electronic cigarette products.  Recently a  vast majority of manufacturers are producing cheaply made inferior products which are blatant copies of the original.  The good news is that there are a handful of reputable companies with top of the line ecig goodness that will give you a realistic smoking experience which WILL help you make the switch.

I personally recommend Health Cabin for purchases requiring nicotine, price and quality is top notch, and if you require non nicotine purchases, Ecigz Australia is another local place I frequent for my ecig goods and has a top level of support. For other Quality overseas vendors which sell nicotine based ecig products you could try Heaven Gifts and Eastmall.

It is illegal In Australia to sell nicotine products, so most reputable local suppliers only sell non nicotine products in regards to their electronic cigarette wares, it is however fine to import nicotine ecig products for personal use from stores like Health Cabin.

Health Cabin can deliver to most countries.

Ecigz Australia, One of the best Aussie suppliers.

You can also find Electronic Cigarette Coupon Codes at EcigCodes.

Just grabbed 4 Gold class tickets for the upcoming Muse Show in December.  Muse shows are always Super Massively Spectacular and December can't come soon enough.

Below is the floor plan for Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park.

MUSE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES:

• Sun 5 Dec - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
• Thu 9 Dec – Acer Arena, Sydney
• Tue 14 Dec – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
• Sun 19 Dec – Bassendean Oval, Perth

*Ticketek is selling for the above venues only.

The Resistance lives on.  After taking the nation with sheer force at the Big Day Out in January, Muse will return to bring 2010 to a close with the biggest shows they’ve ever played in Australia – pulling out all the stops to bring their entire, world-class arena production Down Under for shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

“Muse's sound was made for arenas, stadiums and festivals, not bloated but just huge – an awing supermassive black hole that sucks one into its gravity well of power.” - Hollywood Reporter, April 2010

The Muse juggernaut is currently rumbling through Europe playing maximum capacity at stadiums and festivals and they return to Australia to fulfill a promise to deliver their full European and US arena production show at long last.

Expect something more? Expect Muse. Join the growing numbers of the resistance this December, and bear witness to the greatest rock extravaganza the universe has ever seen.

Well it has been 7 days now without a traditional analogue cigarette and I am feeling fantastic.  I first bought a Joye 501 e-cig starter kit a few months ago and slowly reduced my cigarette intake over the coarse of 2 months and finally removed tobacco from my system just before the recent Australian Cig Tax hike.

If you are a smoker, seriously try these devices.  Along with the natural chemicals in tobacco created from combustion (burning of the cig) there are almost 600 man made artificial additives in them approved by our very own government.

In Australia, tobacco is not actually classified as a food or a drug and so there are no standards or controls on what may be used or left on tobacco, including agricultural chemicals and additives.

I have been smoking tobacco for a long time and during the last 2 years I have tried on numerous occasions to stop smoking or even cut down my daily intake.  I tried the patches which did nothing for me, the gum which made me nauseous and going Cold Turkey.  The problem is that Cigarettes hook people in different ways, for me it is probably the routine and the hit of dense smoke in my mouth.  Being a fan of the internet in general I remember last year reading about the electronic cigarette, I initially discounted due to the seemingly absurd nature of the device.  The e-cig (popular term) is supposed to be able to deliver a realistic smoking experience for a long time smoker – Does it actually deliver?

Even before I tried an e-cigarette I was extremely skeptical and no doubt if you are reading this, you’re also wondering “how close to a real fag is it?”

Smokers enjoy their cigarettes. If you smoke then you know what I’m talking about. For many smokers it is a love hate relationship. You know it’s bad for you but you enjoy the sensation and the actual ritual of smoking. That’s why nicotine delivery alternatives like gum and the patch don’t cut it… they don’t simulate the actual smoking experience.

This is where the e-cigarette comes in. It claims to replicate a real smoking experience but without the same health risks and other drawbacks of smoking tobacco. And you know what? It does a pretty good job. It may not be exactly the same but the similarities are great enough to satisfy most smokers.

The parts of a common electronic cig:

A. LED light cover
B. battery (also houses circuitry)
C. atomizer (heating element)
D. cartridge (mouthpiece).

When I first read about electric smoking I thought it was more a novelty than an actual healthier replacement to traditional cigs. Replacing your smoking addiction with a  battery powered cigarette sounds ridiculous.  It wasn’t until a week ago that I finally decided to try these E-Cigs myself.

I received my 501 startup kit with great enthusiasm, Gadget freaks will love these things and it wasn’t long before I tried my first puff.

The sensation of the vapor is incredibly similar to real cigarette smoke. The vapor has a warmth to it and it feels like real smoke when you inhale. You also get that immediate nicotine sensation which is very satisfying.

The taste is very similar to tobacco but it isn’t exactly the same.  The vapor is a bit smoother and cleaner tasting and after a few hours I actually preferred the sensation over regular smokes.  My first purchase  included some other flavors like Pepsi, Whiskey, Coffee and vanilla and Double Mint – I must admit, Double Mint is fantastic with a morning coffee.

When you blow out the vapor you see a cloud that looks exactly like smoke but without the lingering smell. As a matter of fact the vapor is nearly odorless and the cloud (which is just vaporized water and nicotine) quickly disappears without a trace. The fact that the breath, hands, hair and clothes don’t stink is a huge plus!  I was having the Double Mint near my sister who commented that it smelt like breath freshener.

I terms of pricing, if you are a pack a day smoker expect to save over $300 a month if you make the conversion to electronic cigarettes – even more in various regions as a pack of cigarettes in Australia is now over $11.  A single nicotine cartridge for most brands of electronic cigarettes is around 25c to $2.00 and is the equivalent of about 30+ cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking is bad, we have all seen the adds and media propaganda, but at least now there is a healthier and more cost efficient alternative.  My positive Electronic cigarette experience motivated me to create this E-Cig post and create a blog here and I hope my experience helps you decide if this is something that may benefit you or someone you love.  Coming from a hardcore Ex analog ciggie smoker, I can honestly recommend giving the electronic cigarette a try… you may find yourself throwing out the tobacco cigs only after a few days – It really does work!

Time to get our submissions in for a potential R18+ ratings system on a media format now more popular than Movies.  Submissions to the Aussie Government are invited by close of business 28 February 2010. Submissions received after the due date may not be considered.

In Order to make a submission, you need to answer this question:

Should the Australian National Classification Scheme include an R 18+ classification category for computer games?

Submit and download all the relevant documents here.

The submission template contains multiple choice questions as well as a 250 word comment section, not really enough words allowed to thoroughly discuss the issue yet it is better than nothing.

The Commonwealth Government has released a discussion paper which briefly summarises the key arguments for and against an R 18+ classification for computer games.  Censorship Ministers have considered the issue of an adult classification for computer games on several occasions.  However, they have not undertaken public consultation on this issue.

Submissions are being sought on whether the Australian National Classification Scheme should include an R 18+ classification category for computer games.  Submissions can be made by downloading and completing the submission template.  Submissions may also be mailed or faxed.  The discussion paper and submission template contain the contact details for making a submission.

I recently wrote this for Ozsource Australia:

What a torrid few days it has been for the ABC with a massive community backlash in regards to the original silent axing of Good Game TV favorite, The Junglist.  The mainstream Media has also caught wind of the events unfoldng at the ABC with The Age announcing "Good Game presenter claims ABC gender bias after axing"

In the recent forum thread: Statement from the team.... including Junglist the community and Junglist himself has responded to this apparent comment and untruth from the whole Good Game team:

The decision to take Junglist off air was not forced upon us by ABC Management and it's one that is fully supported by all the GG team. We are gutted that it has come to this but in our opinion it absolutely had to happen.

It's strange for us to read that so many of you think this is because we have suffered a raging case of political correctness gone mad or a wish to dumb the show down. That’s absolutely not right. We, as ever, will continue our quest to bring you the show for gamers by gamers but this has to be our last word on this – we have shows to make!

Finally, we genuinely wish Junglist all the best, and we hope he finds a medium for his awesome analysis and presenting skills that works for him.

Team Good Game Out
(Syd, Bajo, Moe, Tuk, Gog, Mafia, Jeremy Pencil, Palindrome)

A response to this from Junglist:

I can tell you that this is a lie. There was no vote taken, no consensus reached. In fact, the GG team was completely unaware of the change until the same day I found out. The same confidentiality clause that prevented me from saying anything publicly, prevented management from telling them anything.

I have spoken to members of the GG team who clearly DON'T support this, but can't say anything publicly. Of course they'll tow the party line. They have to.

Up until now the situation has just been poorly handled. But to now LIE to your own audience, in an effort to save face for replacing an experienced reviewer/presenter with an inexperienced one, is quite simply the lowest thing I've ever seen ABC management do.

I feel now as if I'm being professionally attacked, so here's a truth bomb. In the meeting where I was told I would be replaced, the reason given was they wanted a girl on the show. "Mass appeal" was a direct quote from that meeting. After a half-hour of explaining how they'll lose their hardcore following, they responded that yes, they knew this, but expected to make up the numbers with a new following. "A show can grow beyond its hardcore base", is another direct quote.

The decision was forced by ABC management, for a mass appeal direction, and will naturally be dumbed down for the loss of experience....

Trawling through the thread it becomes clear what some of the issues the Good Game management had with Junglist.  They did not see eye to eye for his desire to review more in-depth if required, unlike the default 1 hour play-test.  Imagine a review for Dragon Age Origins coming from Good Game after an hours worth of play time.So what if it takes a bit longer - more time makes for a better review, especially considering Good Game only does 3 a week and throws out a heap of submissions from Bajo and Junlist every week.

ABC management also appear to have a misguided mission to target the stereotypical Wii type casual gaming public and younger gamer with a dumbing down in order to achieve mass appeal.  Thinking the core gaming audience would not notice this was enough motivation to remove the only core gamer from the show.  His replacement in Hex, also reeks of blatant sexifying to encourage viewer numbers.  I do not have anything against her in general as she has the right personality and ability to become a TV star with great potential for the future, she just walked into a Dog House.

My own personal thoughts and closing sentiments on this debacle which I also sent to the ABC:

I would like to highlight my disgust at the apparent disgraceful act of commercialisation and sexism with the sacking of Junglist from Good Game.  This is not what the ABC is about. The poor performance of your staff on the Good Game forums is also unprofessional and now has brought about potential damning discrimination issues with the ABC in general.
Good Game was fantastic the way it was but now you have killed it and the Real gaming community.

Thanks a lot.

Save Junglist Website.

Save Junglist Facebook Group.

Petition.

ABC Contact Form.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka7wveV7Wsw

From OzSource Australia.

Bioware are certainly on a massive roll, continuing to create some of the finest single player Western RPG's ever created.  With a incredibly impressive library including Mass Effect, Star Wars KTOR, Neverwinter Knights, Balders Gate and Jade Empire, you know what sort of quality to expect from every Bioware release.  Dragon Age looks to be another huge multiplatform extravaganza.

Dragon Age: Origins is built apon a new game engine named Eclipse and like all modern game engines a toolset for creation of fan-made content will be included.

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy set in a unique world. As the spiritual successor of BioWare's popular Baldur's Gate series of games, it uses a pause-and-play tactical combat system. Play in over-the-shoulder mode, or the more tactical top-down view. Dragon Age: Origins features a stunning amount of cinematic dialog.  Players will be able to acquire unique party members. These party members will have their own motivations for accompanying the player.

Check out the Official Dragon Age: Orgins site.

The cheapest place to pre-order Dragon Age origins Collectors again appears to be Fishpond and according to Whirlpool the coupon code READER gets you $10 Off making it just $70 Australian.

CD WOW Australia also have the PC version for just $49.35 with free Delivery also.

Online game shopping in Australia has never been simpler, or cheaper.  Fishpond again have an excellent deal on the Xbox 360 Elite package.  It is just $420.97 including delivery.

The Xbox 360 Elite is the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish. Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox Live headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox Live Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and more available from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Xbox 360 Console Elite (Black)

You may have noticed all the non Steam content has evaporated from the site ozsource.org, That's because I have split the site and moved the media aspect to www.OzSource.com.au

ozsource.org will now remain a Steam fan/info site just the way it has always really been.  Ozsource Australia will now be focused on alternative and future Media, something I have always had a passion for.

What's new at Ozsource AU?

Printable Home Theater signs and Logo’s

HDMI cables and Versions, buying cheap is fine.

What is ITC Processing: ATI

Logitech Mini diNovo perfect for a HTPC

XBMC HTPC Windows Quick Setup guide

Cheapest online PS3 Slim Australia.

Available now for pre-ordering and finally arriving on the 3rd of September (Tomorrow) in Australia, the PS3 Slim is a hot piece of hardware.  At long last Sony have got the pricing almost perfect on their current generation console. From the vast majority of stores, it looks as if it will retail for around AU$500