iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Educating the four year old and nine year old on the importance of vaccines by talking about curable illnesses and showing a whooping cough video. They get it. They're kids. This shouldn't be difficult for adults.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

There is an awesome new album to bring some light to your day: Kind of Grunge. Jazz interpretations of rock and grunge recorded in one take. Love the playfulness, the genre bending. The arco on Disarm leading to pizz and playful piano. This is so cool. music.apple.com/au/album/kin...

music.apple.com

Kind of Grunge by Ulysses Owens Jr. & Musora on Apple Music

Album · 2026 · 12 Songs

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I'm clearly on a well engineered train because we're stuck in the tunnel between Redfern and Central, and the train just says "doors closing please stand clear" repeatedly when they are closed. I just want to knock on the driver's door and ask if he's tried turning it off and on again.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I wonder if Google accidentally unplugged Drive.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

So proud of the @drmummabear.bsky.social for running #city2surf. Congratulations to everyone who ran. Fantastic work.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

"They can edit him out of that." To the person who tried standing in a victory photo, that offhand comment by the commentator was great.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Norway is such fun to watch. So good. Go Norway! 🇳🇴

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Can't believe it's taken me so long to get to Questacon. Will definitely be back. This is what the Powerhouse used to be like. Back when everything worked.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Oh? Oh. Well I guess when you're starting from a baseline of zero, one is much higher.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Last year I tried improving my reviewing processes by building a battery testing app for iPhone and Android. It's connected to the world-first personalised benchmarks feature on site. So naturally it made sense to build one for testing batteries on Mac and Windows laptops, as well.

A battery rundown using Pickr Battery Bench for Windows.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

This is a much better half for the Socceroos.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

What a bleak point in the modern era: people want to pick fear and hate with practically zero addressing of issues over... *checks notes* the opposite. None of the parties inspire confidence for the future, but why are we picking hatred when we're seeing it wreak havoc overseas? Come on.

smh.com.au

Hanson overtakes Albanese as preferred PM, Coalition crashes to record low

One Nation is also now Australia’s preferred party by primary vote, overtaking Labor for the first time.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Love it. A team as multicultural as our beautifully multicultural country starts the international game with a 2-0 win. Fantastic job, boys. ⚽️🇦🇺

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Aaaaaaa! What a goal! 🥅 ⚽️🇦🇺

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

In 2010 when I met @drmummabear.bsky.social, I said I didn't care about soccer. Fast forward to today when I cheered the goals, walked through shops fixated on my phone for the score, and just woke up anyone having an afternoon nap in the Shire. In other news, who even am I?!

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

And Australia erupts on a glorious goal! Amazing ⚽️🇦🇺!!!

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Now for the time honoured tradition of "let's have a cheese platter and watch the kids honk at each other in Untitled Goose Game".

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

This week I learned two things about awards: packaged bread apparently has an award. Also, that I'm a finalist in the @mediaweekau.bsky.social Next of Best Awards for News & Journalism. Genuinely surprised by both.

mediaweek.com.au

Finalists revealed: Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards 2026

Check out the highly anticipated 2026 Next of the Best Awards shortlist. These are the superstars who made the final cut.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Huh. An actual reason why the internet went out: cable burned out. I've never seen repairs like this before.

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Reposted by Leigh :) Stark 🦄

Stilgherrian @stilgherrian.com · 15/04/2026

Veteran Australian tech journalist and broadcaster Gary Stark passed away on Sunday aged 73 after a long decline in his health. @leighlo.bsky.social has put together a beautiful memorial at dad.leighlo.com. The funeral is tomorrow, Thursday, at Rockwood. Leigh or I have the details, by DM I guess.

Photo of Gary Stark: A white man, bald on top with a huge white beard and much white hair at the side and the back of his head. He’s looking into the camera, with a smile, and smiling eyes. He is not Karl Marx.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Dad and I didn't always have the best relationship, but saying goodbye to him is one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I know he'd be happy knowing I strive to be a good person and a great dad. My girls make me a better person.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Didn't post last night, possibly out of shock, but @pickrau.bsky.social picked up the nod for Best Consumer Technology Media at the IT Journalism Awards last night. Deeply humbled.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Heading to the IT Journalism Awards with two types of the Jewel Elegance theme. Also a hashtag... is this thing on? *taps* #lizzies

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

It would probably be clever policy if Labor said "the fuel prices aren't going to get any better, so let's introduce a really solid rebate for people to transition to EVs as a matter of urgency". But what are the chances?

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

That feeling when you just discovered the AFR has AI awards, they close tonight, and you're scrambling to enter.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

I've been reviewing for almost 20 years, and there's one consistently misunderstood aspect: benchmarks. They say what's fast, but it's not always easy to relate to. This week, Pickr launches a bit of a world first: a personalised benchmark you can add your phone to. And it stays as you browse.

pickr.com.au

Pickr adds a world first: personalised benchmarks – Pickr

Pickr introduces a feature no other reviews website in the world offers: a way to personalise review benchmarks with devices you may already own and use.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

It's Safer Internet Day today, and today I have a custom passphrase generator in my article. Why? Scammers are using voice clones to trick people into thinking their kids are in danger, extorting them with a scam. Even one word from this tool would be difficult to guess in an "urgent" scam call.

pickr.com.au

How to stay safe in the era of AI – Pickr

AI is a part of life for many people, but it's also something scammers are using. How do you stay safe in a world where AI is present?

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Ahead of Safer Internet Day this week, I decided to look into how folks can protect their phones from unwanted photos with a bit of interactivity. I've definitely been inspired by the excellent work from ABC Story Lab in recent additions to stories, and this is the most advanced from me yet.

pickr.com.au

How anyone can protect an iPhone from unwanted pics – Pickr

Most messages come from friends and family, but what happens when unwanted pics and texts arrive on an iPhone? There's a setting for that.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

I get that trains need maintenance, but it is staggering that no one at Transport NSW thought to plan express buses to Sydenham for the still functioning metro line while the trains are down, and we're instead sitting on 1.5 hour bus rides without working AC. Just a joke.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Pickr turns 10 this year. To celebrate, I've added new features, including: A Helpr tool to let you filter reviews quickly Custom AI that not only reads the voice in the author's style, but uses solar and home energy So many author additions for greater trust ...and more. Tell me what you think.

pickr.com.au

Beyond the blog: new features for Pickr – Pickr

As Pickr turns ten, we're improving the features to make our award-winning publication better than ever.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

It's difficult to wrap 2025 into a small paragraph. I wrote, I was on radio, and I changed Google by investigating misinformation exploitation. I even broke my foot and hobbled around Hobbiton. And if you search "most trustworthy Australian tech review sites", you find Pickr. That's a win.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Ah, the age old tradition of informing the occupants of the car what happened at Engadine Maccas to a former government official as you drive by. In this case, Ms 8.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Santa came to the Shire last night, and is clearly appreciative of everyone feeding his coworkers. Happy holidays, y'all.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

It's 29 degrees. It's warm. I'm on the balcony with my beautiful girls having a maple glazed ham and then a perfect pav. The retriever is smiling. I don't know why you'd want to be anywhere else. This is the best, @drmummabear.bsky.social.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

While I don't have any radio today (yet), if I did, I'd be the most holiday-themed on-air technology journalist you couldn't see through your speaker and headphones.

A technology journalist in holiday attire.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I can't fathom for the life of me why the BOM redesign should cost as much as it does. So I wrote some words about it, and what it gets wrong. But also looking at the code, is it seriously a $96 million Drupal site? I don't think I've ever seen that much for a Drupal site.

pickr.com.au

The BOM's website is a problem with a cost that makes no sense – Pickr

Every website costs money to build and run, and some cost more than others, but how did a revamp almost hit $100 million? It boggles the mind.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Last week, I wrote a piece about Aussie sites breaking Google with misinformation, something I've continued to track. Out of 142 URLs, 66 were used for misinformation. In the interest of helping, I provided Google my resources. This week, it's rolling out fixes. Score one for journalism.

pickr.com.au

Google set to fix scourge of misinformation searches – Pickr

The power of investigative journalism manages a win, with Google rolling out fixes for the misinformation plaguing its systems over the past weeks.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

When I read @joshtaylor.bsky.social's story on the misinformation driving laws in Google, I kind of got stuck in trying to work out how many sites were running the info. Turns out it's a deep hole. Every day, it grows a little more. Here's how and why. www.pickr.com.au/news/2025/au...

pickr.com.au

Australian sites part of a misinformation effort breaking search – Pickr

A concentrated effort to affect search means Google is amplifying lies and misinformation online unwittingly. What's going on?

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Reposted by Leigh :) Stark 🦄

Alex Kidman @alexkidman.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Updated my article about online reviews and media ethics after last night's Media Watch episode. I kind of feel like I'm maybe preaching to the converted, but I feel strongly that this kind of practice needs a light shone on it. #reviews #australia #ethics alexreviewstech.com/the-problem-...

alexreviewstech.com

The problem with online reviews - Alex Reviews Tech

This week's episode of Media Watch shines a light on a real problem with a LOT of online reviews and reviewers.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

If you have 30 seconds and like Wordle (or even if you hate it, but like word games), I'd love to hear what you think about a game I've made: BleepWords. It's a soft launch. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Share to friends, family, and people who love words.

bleepwords.com

BleepWords

Play the game that's all about choosing the right !@#$ing word. It's almost never the one you expect.

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Leigh :) Stark 🦄 @leighlo.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Clearly, I needed to change the fact that there weren't any Australian entries in the Bad UX World Cup. So here's a somewhat evil date picker made for gamers who want to throw their phones across the room, and who will quickly realise you can't cheat on desktop, either.

leighlo.com

Datehack - A Roguelike Date Picker

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