Best Years Of His Life

Richard Clapton shrugs off veteran status and talks about making albums and living life his own way.

How To Be A Bona Fide Hipster - Try To Be Different By Being The Same

Think hard. Is someone close to you at risk of being considered a hipster? An art student riding an old Malvern Star along Bourke Street while wearing skinny jeans, a khaki anorak and heavy-framed glasses with massive lenses could almost certainly be diagnosed as one. A guy who wears a $2 second-hand flannelette shirt while typing out plot points for a short film he describes as "edgy" on a $2000 laptop in a cafe on Abercrombie Street, is an open-and-shut case.

Google Ends Search For Email Access Anywhere

A friend of mine recently lamented having to carry his heavy laptop around because it was where all his email was stored. He's been caught out in the past when, despite being in an office full of internet-enabled PCs, the one email he needed wasn't accessible because he didn't have his trusty portable.

No Use Crying Over Spilt Vases - Tupou Coming Up Roses

A SPILT vase has put Anthony Tupou's budding career as a hip hop producer on hold, with the Sydney Roosters international losing thousands of tunes he had mixed up on his laptop.

Electronic

ESKIMO DISCO Robots & Laptop Dancers Make Good Friends (54 Records/ Creative Vibes)

Q And A

Q I am running Windows XP on my laptop. Each time I start up or try to click on to Microsoft Works Calendar I get a pop up advising me that: "Microsoft Works 8 has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." What can I do about this?

Clarke Growing Into Skipper Material - Buchanan

AS HE prepares to pack up his laptop and leave the Australian dressing room after eight phenomenally successful years as coach, John Buchanan has glimpsed a new maturity in Michael Clarke and sees the bright young batsman as a possible future captain of his country.

When Children Know Best

A moving documentary explores the dilemma of placing aged parents in care, Erin O'Dwyer writes.

The Magic, The Mystery

The most enjoyable books are portals through time and space. Frances Atkinson has a quick look at the best of the year.

'i Don't Like My Relationship With Australia To Be Poisoned In Any Way'

LIVING WELL IS the best revenge. Simone Young is living proof.

Kovco Roommate's Theory: A Joke That Went Horribly Wrong

"THIS is so gay I would rather be dead." That is the "joke" that Private Jake Kovco's roommate says is the best possible explanation for how the private was mysteriously shot.

Best Bits

Lia Timson rounds up the coolest gadgets at the latest technology trade show.

Opportunity Unlimited

The best piece of advice I was given was from a senior army officer when I was a 19-year-old platoon commander on an army exercise in Townsville. He said to me, "you can do anything". At the time it was a throwaway line but as you go on in life, and I went back to university and then to law school and started to achieve some stuff, those words came back to me. I do a lot of public speaking and that's the main message I pass on. If you want to be a racing car driver, you can be a racing car ...

Roos Reveal Their Secret Weapon: The Water Boy Who Can Kick And Chase

The Kangaroos received some unexpected help on the eve of tonight's Test in Newcastle when ``Kenny Kickchase", once described by Ben Kennedy as ``the best water-bottle man around", turned up to train with them yesterday.

Lowe Predicts Bumper Swells

MICHAEL Lowe checked out a weather site on his laptop then predicted heavy swells along the east coast well into next week.

Europe Revisited

With some help from technology, Australian travellers should try to get the best value for their euros.

No Bar To Women

Flexible work arrangements and learning programs enable females to have the best of both worlds. Rosanna McGlone-Healey

Webber Under Pressure To Deliver

Mark Webber will return to the scene of his best formula one race result feeling like he has to prove something all over again.

Labs Have The Top Gear, So Demand A Top Job

"When having you film processed you expect the best quality results every time, but do you get it?"

Summer's Biggest Day Out Rolls Into Melbourne

While safety dominates the news, this year's Big Day Out line-up is being touted as the best ever, writes James Norman and Patrick Donovan.