I knew, when I chose Optus as my iPhone carrier last year that their 3G network wasn't as extensive as Telstra's NextG. I was prepared to live with it as the cost was so much cheaper that I could live with a lower service level. But it's now getting ridiculous.

I rarely get a 3G signal and when I do see one it rarely lasts more than a few seconds. I'm officially looking at ditching my Optus contract and changing carrier.

This week on Hydrapinion I take a look at the role of niche networks on the web. In particular I run the magnifier over LiveWire, an initiative of the StarLight Foundation with the support of the Australian government.

Livewire is designed to provide a free, safe and supportive online community for children and young people to hang out, connect, share experiences, creatively express themselves and know that they are not alone in their situation

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So, pop over to Hydrapinion to have a read and tell me what you think.

I've been evaluating some different weather sation over the last few weeks for a story that was published in today's Green Guide supplement in The Age. You can read the online version here.

Yesterday, I pushed a story out on Hydrapinion. In case it wasn't obvious, I'm not a fan of Internet filtering. [You'll need to scroll down the page or take the Socialise link as there's something weird going on where I can't link to the specific story at the moment]

Just by way of follow up, this story was published today at The Age where Asher Moses reveals that a leaked version of the blacklist the Australian government is proposing to use was released by Wikileaks. Amongst the potentially blocked sites are a dentist, boarding kennel and entire web host.

I strongly encourage all Australians to write to their local member (here's the list) and implore them to not introduce this misguided and deluded scheme.

For the first time in recent memory, there's a genuine choice to make when it comes to your preferred web browser. I recently took a look at four browsers for PC Update

Choosing a browser is an important decision as switching browsers is not easy. For example, there's no simple way to keep bookmarks synchronised between different browsers although most browsers provide a way to import settings as a "one off" activity.

For the February issue of PC Update, I wrote a story on Windows 7 where I tested it with four different systems.

The final word - Windows 7 shows a lot of promise and looks to address many of the problems faced by adopters of Vista. If the focus from this point is on stability and performance rather than adding new features, we could see Windows 7 help restore Microsoft's ailing reputation.

The full story can be read here.

I think the headline says it all for this yarn I've penned at Hydrapinion.

By the way, you'll notice that I'm no longer writing the "Carry" column. I've taken over the "Socialise" beat, looking at how people get together over the intertubes.