There are simple ways to gain access

Australians are treated as second-class citizens when it comes to online video, but with a little trickery you can tap into a whole world of content.

Geo-blocking stops Australians enjoying great overseas online video services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and BBC iPlayer. Australian video services such as Quickflix try to fill the gap, but we still end up paying more while getting less to watch.

Consumer watchdog Choice has joined the call for US-only services such as Netflix to abandon their geo-blocking restrictions and open their doors to Australia. Thankfully, it's not hard to take matters into your own hands, but Netflix might not be the Holy Grail you're dreaming of. There's a wide range of TV shows to choose from, but it's slim pickings when it comes to movies, even old ones. To avoid disappointment, it's better to browse what's available and find something worth watching rather than to go looking for a particular movie.

If you are keen to see how the other half lives, it takes two steps to tap into US-only services such as Netflix. The first is bypassing geo-blocking restrictions to trick foreign services into thinking you're a local. The second is bypassing the need for a US credit card.

One option for bypassing geo-blocking is to mask your location using a virtual private network (VPN) or a proxy server. Running VPN software on your computer lets you make an encrypted link to the US - which also stops your ISP snooping on what you're doing online. Free VPN options include Hotspot Shield and VPNBook, while paid options include WiTopia and StrongVPN. Alternatively, you can use a proxy service such as HideMyAss, which doesn't encrypt your traffic but simply redirects it to hide your indoor positioning system.

One drawback of VPNs and proxy servers is that you're at the mercy of their internet connection - if it's slow or congested then you might struggle with smooth video streaming. An alternative is to use a free web-browser plug in such as Hola or Media Hint. These only use a proxy server briefly when requesting geo-blocked videos. Once your video starts playing, they switch back to a direct connection so your internet speed isn't hampered.

These are all useful geo-dodging options, but they generally won't help you if you're trying to watch videos on your internet-enabled television, Blu-ray or media player. This is where you might turn to a Domain Name System-based service such as Unblock-Us, UnoTelly or Tunlr. They work with any internet-enabled device that lets you change its DNS settings. Many new internet TVs and Blu-ray players offer access to the likes of Hulu and Netflix once you change the DNS settings, as does the Apple TV media player.

Slipping past geo-blocking restrictions lets you enjoy free sites such as Hulu and BBC iPlayer, but you'll need to get your hands on virtual greenbacks to pay for services such as Netflix, HuluPlus and Amazon Instant Video. Some US-only services have unofficially relaxed their restriction on foreign credit cards, so it's worth trying your Australian credit card - perhaps using your Australian street address but a US state and zip code (opt for Delaware or Oregon to avoid state-based sales tax). You might get a call from your bank, but only because you've used your credit card overseas; and it is possible a provider may cancel your account if circumventing geo-blocking is against their terms.

Alternatively, you might be able to pay your monthly subscription using PayPal, but you'll still need a valid credit card. Some video services check to see if that credit card is issued in the US, but others don't.

If you can't get around the need for a US credit card, a pre-paid international Visa card from your bank might do the trick. You could also try a pre-paid Visa Load&Go card from your local post office. With a little persistence it's not that hard to trick US-only services into thinking you're in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

For example, this month, COSI Columbus will unveil a 4,000-square-foot exhibit focusing on energy, said John Shaw, director of experience and production at the Columbus science museum. To help show kids how and why to make environmentally conscious decisions, COSI commissioned Boss to create an energy display in which children will try to fix a neighborhood blackout.

The challenge, Shaw said, will be that returning electricity to one area could knock out the power to another area, teaching the children about the distribution of electricity. The children can continue to press buttons to turn lights off and on in an effort to return all of the power.“We try to create different levels of interaction at COSI,” he said. The exhibit has children choose a character and make decisions, such as which transportation to use or which energy-using products to buy.

Another Boss Display exhibit at COSI is a water table, which squirts water out of different spots and around a spiral, creating a small current. Children can aim a tube squirting water to make items like a small windmill spin or try to grab at items that are moving around. The goal of that display is to demonstrate physics principles.

“You want to get the message across and still keep it fun,” Boss Display President Tom Durfee said. Carl Boss founded Boss Display in Columbus in 1934, and then sold the company to Ohio State University graduates Bill Tucker and Dennis Kennedy in 1978. Durfee, who had been working there since 1986, bought the company in 2002.

“I thought the company was a good fit for the creative side of me,” said Durfee, 57, who received a bachelor’s in business from East Carolina University, but also had an interest in design and construction. He came to Ohio after working for a trade-show group in Dallas.

Boss Display is one of only a handful of companies in the world that builds interactive and meticulously assembled designs, mostly for children’s museums but also for trade shows and others needing interactive displays.

Boss Display builds 50 to 75 displays a year, depending on size and complexity. Those displays, which can range in price from $10,000 to more than $50,000, can take about 10 to 12 weeks to make from design to finish. About 80 percent of the displays are made for locations in the U.S., and the rest are for locations abroad, a figure that Durfee said has increased during the past few years.

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