Things to do while PlayStation Network is still down

Read War and Peace. Hopefully Sony will have PSN back up by the time you finish. C`mon, after 8 days down, do you really believe the promise of partial PSN restoration by next Tuesday?

Watch the Royal Wedding. Who else is up at that hour of the night?

Dig out dad's "Dungeons and Dragons" game. Hey, analog role playing is better than nothing.

Go to a 3D movie. While you've been playing non-stop for the last 3 years, there have been some amazing tech advances. Oh, yeah, ask your friends to explain what an iPhone is.

Become a day trader. The highs and lows can be as exciting as interactive game playing, except you make (or, gulp, lose) real money rather than spend it on virtual goods.

Check your email. Sony would like to explain how it lost all your personal information, including precious gamertag ID, password, birth date, security questions and much more. Ah, best check credit card activity, too.

Update your Match.com profile -- remove MAG, SOCOM 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Visit your mom. Her door is on the other side of the bathroom.

Change your passwords from "password" -- or "123456789." Hackers have it now.

Take a shower. You need it.

Australian dollar

Australian dollar (sign: $; code: AUD) is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. Within Australia it is almost always abbreviated with the dollar sign ($), with A$ sometimes used to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents.

The Australian dollar is currently the fifth-most-traded currency in the world foreign exchange markets behind the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the pound sterling. The Australian dollar is popular with currency traders, because of the comparatively high interest rates in Australia, the relative freedom of the foreign exchange market from government intervention, the general stability of Australia's economy and political system, and the prevailing view that the Australian dollar offers diversification benefits in a portfolio containing the major world currencies, especially because of its greater exposure to Asian economies and the commodities cycle. The currency is commonly referred to by foreign-exchange traders as the "Aussie.

Exchange rate policies

Australia maintained a fixed exchange rate between the Australian and British pounds, initially at par, and later at 0.8 GBP (16 shillings sterling). This reflected its historical ties as well as a view about the stability in value of the British pound. From 1946 to 1971, Australia maintained a peg under the Bretton Woods system, a fixed exchange rate system that pegged the U.S. dollar to gold, but the Australian dollar was effectively pegged to sterling until 1967.

With the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, Australia converted the traditional peg to a fluctuating rate against the US dollar. In September 1974, Australia valued the dollar against a basket of currencies called the trade weighted index (TWI) in an effort to reduce the fluctuations associated with its tie to the US dollar. The daily TWI valuation was changed in November 1976 to a periodically adjusted valuation.

On 9 December 1983, the Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floated the Australian dollar, with the exchange rate reflecting the balance of payments and other market drivers.

Value of the Australian dollar

In 1966, when the Australian dollar was introduced, the international currency relationships were maintained under the Bretton Woods system, a fixed exchange rate system using a U.S. dollar standard. The Australian dollar, however, was effectively pegged to the British pound at an equivalent value of approximately 1 gram of gold.

On 8 December 1983, the Australian dollar was floated, allowing its value to fluctuate dependent on supply and demand on international money markets.

On 15 October 2010, the Australian dollar reached parity with the US dollar for the first time since becoming a freely traded currency, trading above US$1 for a few seconds. The currency then traded above parity for a sustained period of several days in November, and fluctuated around that mark into 2011. On the May 2nd, 2011 the Australian Dollar hit a record high since the floating of the dollar. It traded at a $1.1011 against the US Dollar. Some have even suggested the dollar could rise as high as $1.70US by 2014.

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Sony Playstation network going Australia

Sony Corp. began a limited and phased restoration of its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment videogame services Saturday, bringing the company a step closer to normalcy following an attack on its systems that compromised personal information for more than 100 million user accounts last month.

The Japanese electronics giant said that following the release of a mandatory software upgrade for all PlayStation 3 videogame console units, it would begin bringing its PlayStation Network back online in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.

Australia is one of the first countries where the service is being restored, with users first required to update the firmware of their PS3 console and then change their account password.

Sony says the first phase of restored services includes:

Sign-in for PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, including the resetting of passwords

Restoration of online game-play across PS3 and PSP

Playback rental video content, if within rental period, of PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service on PS3, PSP and MediaGo

Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity, for current subscribers, on PS3 and PC

Friends category on PS3, including friends lists, chat functionality and trophies

PlayStation Home.

According to one EBG manager in Sydney PS3 users began looking for trade in deals on their Sony consoles "in earnest" 10 days ago.

"We have definitely seen a move away from the Sony network in recent weeks. Users are looking to trade in PS3 games and consoles".

A visit to e Bay Australia web site reveals more than 1,000 listings for Sony PS3 consoles.

According to a manager at a Happy Hocker shop in Sydney the Company has seen a 90% increase during the past two weeks from consumers looking to trade in a PS3 console for either cash or as a trade in for an Xbox 360.

Last night Sony moved to bring their PSN operation back online after being down since 17th of April.

According to Future Publishing consumers in the UK are trading in their PS3

Sony expects to have all services in all countries fully restored by the end of May.

It will be offering customers a “welcome back” package of services and premium content. Details of the program for Australian PlayStation users will be announced soon, but Sony has previously stated that it will include:

Selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download.

30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service (or 30 additional days for current members)

Music Unlimited subscribers will receive 30 days free service.

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Stocks to open lower on slowdown worries

Just a look at a graph of the Australian sharemarket lately? It's pretty much a flat line since September 2009. There have been bursts of life, but each was followed by an equally swift trip south before anyone could get enthusiastic about investing again.

Take Friday. The S&P/ASX200 recouped early losses to muscle 15.3 points higher to a finish of 4711.4. Nice work. But it closed at 4719.90 on September 24 2009.

Yet this lack of movement has come during a time when we have experienced perhaps the biggest mining boom this country has ever seen, record terms of trade, record low import prices for many goods thanks in part to the soaring Aussie dollar, and a relatively enviable economic performance compared to many countries around the globe.

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On paper this would seem a heady combination for shares - but the market has been going nowhere fast.

It comes after US stocks ended the week mired in red on Friday as investors shrugged off US inflation and consumer confidence reports and weighed disappointing company earnings and a firmer dollar.

The surge in the Australian dollar also means that overseas investors are potential sellers of local stocks at the moment, because in US-dollar terms they are sitting on big profits.

Dr Oliver says that during the past 12 months the Dow is up 17.7 per cent and the local S&P/ASX200 just 1.2 per cent. "But for the US investor in Australian stocks, our market has risen 19.7 per cent in US-dollar terms, reflecting a 1 per cent or so local gain and an 18 per cent run in the Australian dollar - so the US investor has made good money in that time.

In economic news on Monday the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will release data on new motor vehicles sales for April as well as housing finance figures for March.

In companies news DuluxGroup Ltd will release its half year financial results in Melbourne on Monday.

Meanwhile in the Asia zone, Japanese stocks will likely remain under pressure next week after banking shares dived on a suggestion financial institutions will have to waive loans to Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), dealers said Friday.

Upcoming GDP figures are expected to show the Japanese economy has slipped back into recession.

On Friday the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 15.3 points, or 0.33 per cent, at 4,711.4 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had added 10.7 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 4,787.3 points.

Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon Weds Lily Alridge

It wasn't the heavily hyped, hours-long event that was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but on Thursday, a King married his queen.

Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill married Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge early Thursday evening at an intimate ceremony held at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. According to People magazine, the couple exchanged vows before an audience of only family members at 5:30 p.m. but have plans to celebrate their nuptials by way of a "big party" at a later date.

"It was a perfect day," Followill said of the event.

Followill, 29, met Aldridge, 25, when she appeared in the band's video for "Use Somebody." The couple had been together for more than two years when Followill popped the question last September.

Lily, 25, chose to walk down the aisle in a strapless Vera Wang wedding dress with layers of lace and chiffon detail while Followill went with a grey Gucci suit with cream-colored necktie.

According to PopEater:

Followill, 29, is singing a happy tune now that he’s a newlywed. “It was a perfect day,” he said.

The happy couple announced their engagement last fall and originally met in 2007 at the Coachella music festival, Alridge was later featured in the bands music video for Use Somebody.

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Gays and Christians clash at Adelaide rally against homophobia

Peaceful demonstration for same-sex marriage turned ugly when a fringe group of Christian counter-protesters turned up to challenge gay rights in Adelaide.

Around 200 people met yesterday at Victoria Square, before the rainbow flag-waving procession moved off to Parliament House.

South Australian Legislative Council member Ian Hunter addressed the crowd, along with queer youth workers who said youth health and welfare was being threatened by the closure of service projects. Lesbian and Uniting church minister Reverend Sue Wickham conducted a marriage ceremony for ten couples.

Christian Pulls Gay From Wheelchair

We would never go to their church and disrupt things the way they did today.”

Street Church spokesman Forbes Morrison said preachers were pushed and threatened.

“The homosexuals and lesbians had organised a march to strut their sin down King William Street, and the Christians of Street Church went out to appeal in love to them to repent of their sins and put their trust and surrender in Jesus Christ,” Mr Morrison said.

“A large portion of the sitting crowd of gays aggressively began to push, harangue, curse and threaten the Christian preachers.

As the march began, the Christian preachers led the way in protest, denouncing homosexuality and lesbianism as a crime against God for which those who practice will be damned and go to hell.

Rally organiser Jason Virgo tells Same Same he was shocked to see such disrespectful behaviour from a handful of people purporting to have Christian values yesterday.

“It’s particularly frustrating considering the day was also about marking the International Day Against Homophobia, and that small minority of people are often seen around Adelaide making homophobic and xenophobic statements, claiming to represent God.

He adds: “I blame any violence on Saturday on the street preachers, they set out from the beginning to disrupt and antagonize people from the outset. Police removed two of the street preachers and no one from our community. I think that speaks for itself.”

Virgo says Adelaide’s same-sex marriage supporters will continue to march again in coming months, despite the tension. “We’re not going to let a few nutters stop us.

Strauss-Kahn lawyer says must remain calm over arrest

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, has been arrested on charges of attempted rape, criminal sexual act and unlawful imprisonment, New York City police said Sunday, the Associated Press reported.

A law enforcement official said Mr. Strauss-Kahn was taken into police custody Saturday after being removed from an airplane at Kennedy Airport.

The law enforcement official said Mr. Strauss-Kahn allegedly forced a cleaning woman onto his bed and sexually assaulted her at around 1 p.m. Saturday inside his room at the Sofitel Hotel near Times Square.

One of Dominique Strauss-Kahn's France-based lawyers said on Sunday that it was key to avoid a media frenzy over the sex assault charges against the IMF chief and wait for clarity on whether the allegations are true.

"We must wait until things settle and see if it's true or a provocation," Leon Lef Foster told reporters.

"We must be especially careful not to get into a media circus and we must wait until things are clear," he said, and said that it was important to remain calm.

Gillard continues to defend welfare cuts

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has promised the $2 billion freeze on family payments will be temporary, as she continues to defend her first budget.

The coalition has been highly critical of moves to freeze the maximum rate and income thresholds for some family payments, which it has signalled it will oppose.

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The indexation freeze is expected to cost families on average about $20 in 2011/12. But it could be worth up to $800 in 2012/13 and $600 the following year for 210,000 families.

His “campaign of negativity” would not last until 2013, when the next election is due.

“Ultimately I think Australians are going to see through this and I think the fact he's so desperate for an election shows even he knows they're going to see through it,” Mr Gillard said.

“That's why he's so keen for an election now.

Independent federal MP Tony Windsor said opposition calls for an early election show he was right to help hand Labor power after last year's election.

“Tony Abbott was asked right at the start of this process during the 17 days whether he wanted another election, he didn't and neither did Julia Gillard,” Mr Windsor told Network Ten.

“Quite clearly what Mr Abbott's been suggesting of recent days, he wouldn't have been interested, he's interested in getting back to the polls, so a hung parliament wouldn't have suited him.”

However opposition frontbencher Joe Hockey today repeated the Coalition's calls for an early election.

Former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello weighed into the debate, questioning Ms Gillard's leadership.

"Gillard is (politically) dead," he told Network Ten.

"I think the public has made up its mind, and it's not pretty."

Independent MP Tony Windsor refused to comment on the leadership, but told Network Ten he was confident the Gillard-government would run a full term to 2013.

Mr Windsor and Nationals leader Warren Truss both told the program they had no intention of blocking budget supply, but would consider measures individually.