I'm clearly on a well engineered train because we're stuck in the tunnel between Redfern and Central, and the train just says "doors closing please stand clear" repeatedly when they are closed. I just want to knock on the driver's door and ask if he's tried turning it off and on again.

I wonder if Google accidentally unplugged Drive.

So proud of the @drmummabear.bsky.social for running #city2surf. Congratulations to everyone who ran. Fantastic work.

"They can edit him out of that." To the person who tried standing in a victory photo, that offhand comment by the commentator was great.

The government's AusAlert system triggers on August 27... so what will it be like? I used a bit of code to simulate it, and also got some answers to questions.

AusAlert set to alarm phones on July 27... what will happen? – Pickr

Every Australian is going to hear a test at the end of July, with phones and mobile wearables likely to see and hear it... whether they want to or not. Will it affect your calls?

pickr.com.au

Go Belgium. Woot!

Norway is such fun to watch. So good. Go Norway! 🇳🇴

Can't believe it's taken me so long to get to Questacon. Will definitely be back. This is what the Powerhouse used to be like. Back when everything worked.

Oh? Oh. Well I guess when you're starting from a baseline of zero, one is much higher.

Last year I tried improving my reviewing processes by building a battery testing app for iPhone and Android. It's connected to the world-first personalised benchmarks feature on site. So naturally it made sense to build one for testing batteries on Mac and Windows laptops, as well.

This is a much better half for the Socceroos.

What a bleak point in the modern era: people want to pick fear and hate with practically zero addressing of issues over... *checks notes* the opposite. None of the parties inspire confidence for the future, but why are we picking hatred when we're seeing it wreak havoc overseas? Come on.

Hanson overtakes Albanese as preferred PM, Coalition crashes to record low

One Nation is also now Australia’s preferred party by primary vote, overtaking Labor for the first time.

smh.com.au

Love it. A team as multicultural as our beautifully multicultural country starts the international game with a 2-0 win. Fantastic job, boys. ⚽️🇦🇺

Aaaaaaa! What a goal! 🥅 ⚽️🇦🇺

In 2010 when I met @drmummabear.bsky.social, I said I didn't care about soccer. Fast forward to today when I cheered the goals, walked through shops fixated on my phone for the score, and just woke up anyone having an afternoon nap in the Shire. In other news, who even am I?!

And Australia erupts on a glorious goal! Amazing ⚽️🇦🇺!!!

Now for the time honoured tradition of "let's have a cheese platter and watch the kids honk at each other in Untitled Goose Game".

This week I learned two things about awards: packaged bread apparently has an award. Also, that I'm a finalist in the @mediaweekau.bsky.social Next of Best Awards for News & Journalism. Genuinely surprised by both.

Finalists revealed: Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards 2026

Check out the highly anticipated 2026 Next of the Best Awards shortlist. These are the superstars who made the final cut.

mediaweek.com.au

One of the best and most honest tech journos I know @alexkidman.bsky.social received an email this morning. It got under his skin... and it also got under mine.

Charlatan journalism and why this practice needs to stop – Pickr

There's nothing wrong with influencing, provided it's coming from a good place. But when it's simply paid, you need to call it out for what it is.

pickr.com.au

Huh. An actual reason why the internet went out: cable burned out. I've never seen repairs like this before.

Veteran Australian tech journalist and broadcaster Gary Stark passed away on Sunday aged 73 after a long decline in his health. @leighlo.bsky.social has put together a beautiful memorial at dad.leighlo.com. The funeral is tomorrow, Thursday, at Rockwood. Leigh or I have the details, by DM I guess.

Dad and I didn't always have the best relationship, but saying goodbye to him is one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I know he'd be happy knowing I strive to be a good person and a great dad. My girls make me a better person.

Started playing Minecraft with Ms 8. Have never felt more like Stan's Dad. Half expecting she won't trust me with a pick axe, let alone the Sword of a Thousand Truths.

randy from south park is sitting in front of a computer with the words leave me alone below him

ALT: randy from south park is sitting in front of a computer with the words leave me alone below him

media.tenor.com

Didn't post last night, possibly out of shock, but @pickrau.bsky.social picked up the nod for Best Consumer Technology Media at the IT Journalism Awards last night. Deeply humbled.

Heading to the IT Journalism Awards with two types of the Jewel Elegance theme. Also a hashtag... is this thing on? *taps* #lizzies

I decided to turn this into an article complete with a handy calculator to show potential price savings. I don't do much car writing normally, but I might begin to change that.

The government should consider an urgent push for EVs – Pickr

As petrol pricing spikes repeatedly and the bowser becomes the worst place for your wallet, the government should consider a solution: get people buying EVs ASAP.

pickr.com.au

Leigh :) Stark 🦄@leighlo.bsky.social · 5mo ago

It would probably be clever policy if Labor said "the fuel prices aren't going to get any better, so let's introduce a really solid rebate for people to transition to EVs as a matter of urgency". But what are the chances?

It would probably be clever policy if Labor said "the fuel prices aren't going to get any better, so let's introduce a really solid rebate for people to transition to EVs as a matter of urgency". But what are the chances?

That feeling when you just discovered the AFR has AI awards, they close tonight, and you're scrambling to enter.

I've been reviewing for almost 20 years, and there's one consistently misunderstood aspect: benchmarks. They say what's fast, but it's not always easy to relate to. This week, Pickr launches a bit of a world first: a personalised benchmark you can add your phone to. And it stays as you browse.

Pickr adds a world first: personalised benchmarks – Pickr

Pickr introduces a feature no other reviews website in the world offers: a way to personalise review benchmarks with devices you may already own and use.

pickr.com.au

What went wrong when Optus went down? I decided to turn it into an animation for my news piece. Because I could.

Optus fixes outage, but more than phones need a restart – Pickr

Following an Optus outage in February 2026, if you have more than just phones using Optus, you may need to literally turn it off and on again.

pickr.com.au