Brad's Blog

Settle in with Foxtel NOW this weekend Friday April 3 to Sunday April 5, 2020 Programming available to stream live and On Demand on Foxtel NOW

Settle in with Foxtel NOW this weekend
Friday April 3 to Sunday April 5, 2020

Programming available to stream live and On Demand on Foxtel NOW

nge on some of Foxtel’s biggest blockbuster dramas, including Band of Brothers

Get ready to settle in this weekend as Foxtel streams all the best drama, movies and entertainment, live and On Demand, including:

The Top 10 Biggest Blockbusters collection, featuring some of the world’s best dramas
The Cooking at Home and Sweet Treats compilations, to inspire you in the kitchen
New film releases Onward, The Invisible Man and Emma, available on Foxtel Store

Immerse yourself in an epic weekend of drama with the Top 10 Biggest Blockbusters collection, featuring some of the world’s best actors, directors and most lavishly produced series of all time. With these ten top dramas available to stream on demand – Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, True Detective, Rome, True Blood, The Pacific, Vinyl, Watchmen and Westworld – you won’t even want to leave the house this weekend!
Running out of ideas on what to cook? Foxtel is serving up inspiration with its Cooking at Home on demand stunt – a delicious line-up of the best cooking series available on demand for the entire family to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for new recipes or simply want to escape on a food adventure, these series have you covered: Jamie’s Quick & Easy Food, Donna Hay Basics To Brilliance and Donna Hay Basics To Brilliance Kids, Nigella: At My Table, River Cottage Autumn, Nadiya’s Family Favourites, Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics, Bake with Anna Olsen, Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life and Lorraine Pascale: How To Be A Better Cook.

With Easter just around the corner, what better excuse to get out the apron and get inspired with the sweetest programs on television. Chocolate lovers can rejoice with Inside Hotel Chocolat and Extreme Chocolate Makers, and for Easter lunch inspiration Mary Berry’s Easter Feasts has you sorted. Foxtel’s Sweets & Treats on demand compilation also includes The Great British Bake Off, Extreme Cake Makers, The Great British Bake Off Easter Special, Flour Power, Mary’s Kitchen Crush, The Great Australian Bake off, Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life and Bake with Anna Olsen.

Beginning today, Onward, The Invisible Man and Emma are all available on Foxtel Store for rental straight from theatrical release. Set in a suburban fantasy world, Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers, starring the voices of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Tom Holland (Spiderman: Homecoming) who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. Emma stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Thoroughbreds) in this new film adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending. In The Invisible Man, Cecilia, staring Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), learns that what you can’t see can hurt you as she tries to rebuild her life after the death of her abusive partner, who she begins to suspect isn’t truly gone.

And make sure you stay up-to-date and informed with rolling coverage as news unfolds on the coronavirus pandemic, with Sky News COVID-19 – an important new 24/7 service on Foxtel Channel 604.

-Brad

Settle in this weekend with Foxtel’s biggest blockbuster drama series Complete seasons available to stream on Foxtel NOW

MEDIA RELEASE: Friday April 3, 2020

Settle in this weekend with Foxtel’s
biggest blockbuster drama series

Complete seasons available to stream on Foxtel NOW

Immerse yourself in an epic weekend of drama with some of the world’s best actors, directors and most lavishly produced series of all time. With Foxtel’s biggest blockbuster dramas available to stream on demand, viewers will have plenty to choose from as they settle in at home.

Here are ten of the best – binge on an old favourite or discover something new:

Band of Brothers – Featuring an all-star cast including Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Donnie Wahlberg, James McAvoy, David Schwimmer, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Pegg and Colin Hanks. The World War Two series – based on Stephen Ambrose’s bestseller about “East Company”, part of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division – begins with their training in 1942 and follows them into France on D-Day and then onto the Allied Victory in 1945.

Rome – Described as the show that helped pave the way for Game of Thrones, Rome is an epic tale which explores the lives of Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), two ordinary Roman soldiers, who find their lives entwined with historic events and turn into heroes after their feats in the arena. Rome also features Tobias Menzies (Brutus), Ciaran Hinds (Caesar) who also appear in Game Of Thrones.

Game of Thrones – “Vala Morghulis,” “Hold the door,” “You know nothing Jon Snow.” Arguably the world’s most popular drama series, Game of Thrones is based on the bestselling books by George R.R. Martin and winner of 59 Emmy awards. Set in a world where seasons stretch on for years, the story begins as characters battle to claim the ‘Iron Throne’ and rule all of Westeros. Stars Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Sophie Turner.

The Pacific – Starring Academy Award winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and featuring some of Australia’s finest actors including Damon Herriman, Gary Sweet, Anna Torv, Henry Nixon, Claire van der Boom and Isabel Lucas. The Pacific is an honest and visually stunning exploration of World War Two, which follows three Marines from different regiments as they struggle to survive during America’s battle with the Japanese in the Pacific.

Boardwalk Empire – Created by Terence Winter and the pilot episode directed by Martin Scorsese, this period crime drama is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The critically acclaimed and award-winning series stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson, a corrupt treasurer and powerful political figure, Kelly Macdonald as Margaret Nucky’s mistress and Michael Shannon as Prohibition Agent Nelson.

True Detective – Over three stand-alone seasons, US Police officers and detectives are forced to face dark secrets about themselves while investigating complex homicides. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams Taylor Kitsch, Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff.

True Blood – Starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies) Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) and Australia’s own Ryan Kwanten, True Blood is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. Created by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), the series is the dramatically wild portrayal of a young waitress Sookie (Paquin) with the gift of reading minds and a fascination with vampires who have “come out of the coffin’ to try living amongst humans.

Vinyl – Created by Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter, Vinyl tells the story of Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale), a shrewd record executive trying to promote his music label American Century amidst the changing music scene of the 1970s. With a soundtrack featuring Iggy Pop, Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello, Vinyl takes you on a ride through the sex and drug addled music business at the dawn of disco, punk and hip-hop. Also stars Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano, Juno Temple and James Jagger.

Westworld – The sci-fi thriller, originally set in a Western style theme park where guests indulge fantasies with robots, soon bends genres and lures viewers in with mystery, action and thrills. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Luke Hemsworth and Thandie Newtown. Featuring a unique soundtrack that includes tracks from The Cure, Radiohead, Soundgarden and The Rolling Stones. (Season 1 & 2 available in full, with new episodes from season 3 added weekly).

Watchmen – Starring Regina King, Jeremy Irons and Don Johnson, Watchmen is set in an alternate America where police conceal their identities behind masks to protect themselves from a terrorist organisation. The series begins with Detective Angela Abar (King) investigating the attempted murder of a fellow officer. Rolling Stone magazine called it “a dazzling reinvention” as the series embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name while breaking new ground of its own.

-Brad

Video of the Day (iPhone 11 Pro Max – 6 Months Later)

Check out this cool Video from zollotech
🙂

-Brad

FOXTEL STIRS THINGS UP IN THE KITCHEN Settle in with recipes the whole family can follow

Media Release: Thursday April 2, 2020

FOXTEL STIRS THINGS UP IN THE KITCHEN
Settle in with recipes the whole family can follow

Available to stream on Foxtel NOW

Tired of staring into the pantry or fridge and coming up empty on what to cook? Foxtel serves up inspiration with a delicious line-up of the best cooking series available on demand for the entire family to enjoy.

Kicking off today, Foxtel’s COOKING AT HOME on demand compilation will feature all your favourite celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, Mary Berry, Donna Hay, Nadiya Hussain, Anna Olsen, Paul Hollywood, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Donal Skehan, Lorraine Pascale and Nigella Lawson.

For those new to the kitchen scene, Jamie Oliver has you covered. Jamie’s Quick & Easy Food is the ultimate set of five-ingredient recipes. Everything is quick to make, and easy to remember – the perfect choice for all cooking levels. Sizzling seared scallops, chicken pot pie, apple crumble cookies and garlic mushroom pasta are just some of the recipes you can try your hand at in this 18 episode series. It’s a new spin on fast food, as Jamie presents the ultimate set of go-to recipes for speedy and easy-to-remember cooking.

Australia’s favourite cookbook author, Donna Hay, embarks on the ultimate food adventure, taking simple recipes and giving them her signature healthy makeover in two series, Donna Hay Basics To Brilliance and Donna Hay Basics To Brilliance Kids. In episode one of Basics To Brilliance, Donna shows you how to master the perfect pork belly, which can then be used to create pork pancakes with pickled vegetables and hoisin sauce, as well as a pork belly rice bowl with bok choy and chilli. And for those looking for new ways to entertain the kids at home, Donna Hay Basics To Brilliance Kids will allow the little cooks in the house to create delcious treats such as Donna’s ultimate chocolate fudge cake, jars of her crunchy granola, better-for-you chocolate crackles and, of course, cupcakes! By making the recipes super-easy for the whole family to cook, everyone can master the basics, then turn them into brilliance.

To test your skills and tantalise the tastebuds Foxtel’s COOKING AT HOME on demand compilation also includes Nigella: At My Table, River Cottage Autumn, Nadiya’s Family Favourites, Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics, Bake with Anna Olsen, Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life and Lorraine Pascale: How To Be A Better Cook.

And from Saturday April 4, Foxtel will satisfy the sweet tooth with the SWEETS & TREATS on demand compilation. Easter is fast approaching, so what better excuse to get out the apron and get inspired with the sweetest programs on television.

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Inside Hotel Chocolat follows chocolatiers as they develop and pitch new creations and reveal how Britain’s largest independent chocolate company prepares for the biggest seasons in the chocolate calendar while Extreme Chocolate Makers takes chocolatiering to the next level with amazing creations such as a metre high, white chocolate fairy castle, a four-foot replica of Big Ben, and a life-size record player.

For Easter lunch inspiration Mary Berry’s Easter Feasts has you sorted with recipes such as handmade hot cross buns, slow roast shoulder of lamb with sliced potatoes, roasted vegetable quiche, cardamom and white chocolate sponge and Easter biscuits.

Foxtel’s SWEETS & TREATS on demand compilation also includes The Great British Bake Off, Extreme Cake Makers, The Great British Bake Off Easter Special, Flour Power, Mary’s Kitchen Crush, The Great Australian Bake off, Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life and Bake with Anna Olsen.

All of Foxtel’s cooking series are available to stream for Foxtel subscribers On Demand via internet connected IQ boxes, on smartphones and tablets using the Foxtel GO app, and via Foxtel Now.

-Brad

AVG survey reveals extent of Australia’s ‘Sharenting’ habits

AVG survey reveals extent of Australia’s ‘Sharenting’ habits”

Sharenting is yet another in the long list of new terms being spawned by social media. The act of sharenting involves sharing – or, in many cases, over-sharing – images of one’s child or children across social media platforms, and the ensuing questions about the child’s privacy.

Of course, children under a certain age are more or less oblivious to their parents’ social media activities, but once they become cognisant of their rights in later years, there may very well be issues around a perceived invasion of their personal digital space. This extends to the more sinister issue of personal safety as well, since exposing young children to social media inevitably leaves an indelible digital footprint which, in extreme cases, may be used to harm that child online or even lead to them being stalked or groomed, especially in later years when the child is active online but not yet fully aware of internet safety.

AVG, the global internet security and privacy organisation, has conducted research into the issue of ‘sharenting’, and published findings specific to Australia.

Looking at the details, it becomes obvious that many Australians are happy to engage their children with social media from a young age. 25.35 percent of respondents answered “yes” when asked if they “have posted a photo of (their) child to my social media, who at the time was under the age of three, without blurring or covering up their face.” A further 31.14 percent had done the same for a child under the age of eighteen.

3.99 percent of Australian respondents had gone to the extent of creating a dedicated social media profile for their unborn child – interestingly this represents 8.14 percent of male respondents, but only 1.82 percent of females – the biggest disparity between the sexes recorded in the report.

Furthermore, 7.98 percent of Australians have created a social media site for their child while he or she is under the age of three, and again the activity was performed predominantly by males, with 12.21 percent having made their child a social media site, compared with 5.78 percent of females.

When it comes to social responsibility around the sharing of images, 14.53 percent of males and 7.6 percent of females had posted an image of their child on social media without asking for permission, but blurred out the child’s face.

When dealing with other people’s children, it seems that Australians are more cautious about the images they share, with 27.35 percent of respondents claiming that they always ask for permission from the child’s parents before posting an image of their child to social media if there are other children in the background, or visible in the shot.

A significant number of parents also consult their children directly before posting images, with 18.76 percent suggesting that they always discuss with their children before publishing pictures of them. Males tend to be more active in seeking their child’s permission, with 24.42 percent of respondents in this category stating they seek permission, compared to 15.81 percent of females.

Countering the number of parents who actively engage their children in the social media landscape in Australia, there is still a fair proportion of regular social media users who never include images of their children. 27.35 percent of respondents stated that while they use social media themselves, they never involve their children.

-Brad

Video of the Day (Final iPhone 9 Leaks, iOS 13.4.5 Beta 1 & iPhone 12 Fall Release!)

Check out this cool Video from EverythingApplePro:)

-Brad