

Steve Wozniak wants to become Australian - kschua
http://www.news.com.au/technology/apples-steve-wozniak-wants-to-become-australian/story-e6frfro0-1226481103967

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Matsta
My mum got to meet Woz when he came to New Zealand a few months back. He also
told her how much he liked NZ/Aussie.

He gave my mum his business card (which is awesome btw, all made of
aluminium), and specifically told her if we email her, to include New Zealand
in the subject so he would actually open it :p

Another random fact, Woz's son applied to YC in the last Summer term and
didn't get in.

~~~
MojoJolo
I'm intrigue with the business card all made of aluminum. Like an iPhone 5!

~~~
tedunangst
You buy one of your very own (with your name on it, or even his name I
suppose) from a bunch of places.

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beedogs
He's gonna need a 110v step-down transformer for that Segway. I'm almost 4
years in on a permanent visa, and going for citizenship this year. It's been
an amazing experience so far.

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jval
Hopefully Woz comes to Melbourne, we have better coffee and 85% more
awesomeness.

~~~
dsymonds
Nah, he doesn't strike me as pretentious enough.

;-)

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thejosh
Apart from the proposed filter, I guess everything else is good.

~~~
Smerity
The proposed filter was ludicrous and I'm happy to report it has essentially
lost all political steam. It appeared primarily as a bargaining tool for the
Labour party to work with a number of independents but even those independents
have removed support for the proposal now. Last it appeared in the media, it
was "delayed indefinitely".

I'm hopeful that the proposed filter is history, thanks in part to a number of
ISPs supporting the cause and loud community support.

What is worrying for Woz is that the National Broadband Network (NBN) will
likely be axed if the current party (Labour) falls in the coming election.
Compared to his situation in California however, where he says no political
party is interested in broadband internet, at least the opposition have a
broadband plan (even if it's substantially less ambitious and possibly ill
conceived).

Either way, I'd be happy to buy Woz a beer if he ever comes over to Sydney :)

~~~
spauka
It'll be interesting to see where the opposition takes their broadband policy.
With Turnbull at the helm of opposition telecommunications policy, it is
certainly beginning too seem like they are less likely to completely tear down
the NBN. Given that it is becoming abundantly clear that something needs to be
done, I think it's probably more likely that they will simply change the scale
of the project.

At any rate, they seem to have given up on the ridiculous notion that wireless
is a suitable replacement in urban areas, and actually seem to be moving
towards a more comprehensive plan...

I'm holding out hope that even with an opposition government that in urban
areas there will be optical. The question will be how they manage the future
of the infrastructure, and whether or not they adequately provide for rural
areas.

P.S. If you do invite Woz out for beers, count me in :P

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karolist
Amazing that he still has to stand in queue to buy Apple hardware. Does he
enjoy it? What's the story behind it?

To me it seems Apple should deliver it straight to his door day one just for
the goodwill.

~~~
nicholassmith
He's discussed it in interviews before, I _think_ (fuzzy memory) he said he
enjoys the experience of a launch. Must be nice if you're an Apple nerd to be
queuing and see Woz roll up on his Segway.

~~~
skeletonjelly
Did he bring it to Australia though? I didn't see any reference to it in the
local media here.

~~~
nicholassmith
Probably not, most countries prohibit them as they're not quite vehicles and
not quite pedestrian transport.

~~~
modernshoggoth
They are legal on private property and (since 2012-06) in our capital city,
Canberra, but not on any other roads/pathways.

Side note: in New Zealand they're classified the same as mobility scooters and
motorised wheelchairs, and as such are fine, bust stick to walkways when
possible.

~~~
uvTwitch
They're not legal on Auckland central streets any more; my favourite pizza
place, Sal's, was recently banned from using them to make deliveries. Side
note: if you're ever in orkland, go to sals, they do fantastic pizza.

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mahmud
Welcome to the club Woz, or should I say WOz :-)

~~~
skeletonjelly
Woz = Wizard of Oz?

~~~
modernshoggoth
As a bearded Australian, I gotta say that that's an old joke. That keeps
getting used ^_^

~~~
skeletonjelly
Dammit. Here I was thinking I'm funny.

~~~
mahmud
Old jokes return to circulation when told to the young :-)

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salem
Awesome, I hope he can do something to improve the startup scene while he's
there.

~~~
Gustomaximus
Is there a startup 'scene' here? I set up a couple of sub-reddit if any
Aussies/Sydneysiders want to post local info/questions.

<http://www.reddit.com/r/StartupAustralia/>
<http://www.reddit.com/r/startupsydney/>

~~~
beilabs
We tend to hang out on Silicon Beach, <http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-
beach-australia>

------
damian2000
"It turns out that I get to keep my American citizenship"

I'm not sure if it works the other way, e.g. if an Aussie tries to become a US
citizen I always thought he had to give up his Aussie Citizenship.

~~~
kondro
Australia doesn't care which other country you are a citizen of, as long as
that country doesn't care you are a citizen of another country.

Therefore, the only time Australia makes you give up your citizenship is when
the other country tells them they should.

~~~
damian2000
Thanks. I just found out my misguided opinion was from when Rupert Murdoch was
forced to get rid of his Aussie citizenship - that was due to him wanting to
own a US TV station.

~~~
jacalata
Prior to 2002, Australians who took up a foreign citizenship automatically
lost their Australian citizenship. Murdoch was required to be a US citizen to
own the TV station, which forced him to give up the Aust citizenship. I have
heard the law was changed partly because of his high profile situation.

[<http://www.citizenship.gov.au/current/dual_citizenship>]

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shimon_e
Surprised he didn't pick Europe.

China is also rolling out a NBN (to be completed by 2016!). At least he didn't
try to become Chinese. :P

~~~
gaoshan
Since China does not permit dual citizenship this wold be tough for Woz. Not
to mention that even if one were to move to China full time Chinese people
would never consider you Chinese. You would always be the foreigner. China
just doesn't work like the immigrant friendly countries in this regard.

------
pyrotechnick
Little does he know here in Australia is Babylon.

