Australia becomes first country to force disclosure of ransomware payments
Effective deterrent or just public shaming for ransomware victims?
Discord begins experimenting with face scanning for age verification
The test is limited to the UK and Australia where limitation to online platforms is pretty strict already
YouTuber ordered to pay "King of Kong" Billy Mitchell $230,000 over defamation claims
It wasn't over cheating allegations
In a nutshell: Billy Mitchell, the arcade gaming legend who has been embroiled in controversy for almost a decade now, has been awarded $230,000 in a defamation lawsuit against a YouTuber. Karl Jobst implied in a video that Mitchell's legal battle against a different YouTuber led to that person's suicide after it left him "deeply in debt." But a judge said Jobst had shown a "reckless disregard for the truth."
Cost Per Frame: Best Value Graphics Cards in Early 2025
Graphics card prices have become detached from reality, making advertised MSRPs almost meaningless. In this article, we examine real-world GPU prices and reveal which offer the best value.
Man lives 100 days with artificial titanium heart in world-first medical success
More than 23 million people suffer from heart failure annually, yet only about 6,000 receive a donor heart
Google's mandatory Pixel 4a update linked to overheating hazard
The big picture: Google unexpectedly released a firmware update for the Pixel 4a smartphone earlier this year. Many users reported that the update made their devices unreliable or even unusable, leading them to question whether it was truly necessary. Now, an Australian organization has revealed the real reason behind the update.
World's first commercial biological computer is here, powered by human brain cells
"Wetware-as-a-Service" provides access to neurons on a chip for computing
In brief: An unconventional form of artificial intelligence is taking shape in a nondescript laboratory in Melbourne, Australia. Cortical Labs has unveiled CL1 – an AI computer that fuses real human brain cells with silicon hardware. Remarkably, it's been launched commercially as the "world's first commercialized biological computer."
Cuneiform-inspired polymer could be the future of sustainable digital storage (or not)
Digital Clay: Cuneiform languages represent the earliest known writing systems in human history. The Sumerians used this method by making indentations in clay tablets, a practice later adopted by other civilizations, including the Akkadians and Persians. Millennia later, cuneiform could once again prove significant – this time, as inspiration for innovations in the field of data storage.
Australia bans under-16s from using social media – platforms criticize decision
Other countries have expressed interest in following suit
The rise of enshittification: officially the word of the year
Rawdogging came a close second
Editor's take: Remember when today's technology was new and exciting and everyone was talking about how great the internet was, or Facebook, or Twitter? Things aren't so rosy now. And while that may sound like an Abe Simpson-like rant, it's easy to understand why "enshittification" has been crowned word of the year.
Australia plans sweeping social media ban for children under 16
There will be no exemptions for parental consent
Someone tried to smuggle 100kg of synthetic drugs into Australia inside a bunch of PC cases
"That's some strange custom PC builds you've got there..."
BrainChip unveils microscopic NPU that consumes less than 1 milliwatt of power
Designed for wearables, smart home, and IoT applications
Work-life balance wins as Australia embraces "right to disconnect" legislation
Some exceptions are made for emergencies and when communication is legally required
How a $36 barcode scanner sped up fixing the CrowdStrike chaos at Grant Thornton Australia
Plot twist: It could have been even faster if they used QR codes
New camera-based system can detect alcohol impairment in drivers by checking their faces
Resting drunk face
In brief: Glassy eyes, drooping eyelids, a slack jaw: these are all signs that someone might have had one drink too many. It's often obvious when someone is drunk just by looking at their face, and interior vehicle cameras could eventually use these tell-tale signs to help prevent drink-driving incidents.
Australia's new "top secret" cloud platform will be built on AWS
Amazon will seemingly provide secrecy, reliability, and interoperability with US agencies
Man arrested for using evil twin Wi-Fi network in airports to swipe travelers' data
Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks whenever possible
Why it matters: An Australian man has been charged with stealing unsuspecting users' data by setting up fake Wi-Fi networks using portable wireless access points in several public places, including airports. He was caught when an airline noticed the suspicious network and summoned authorities. The incident underscores how important it is to remain vigilant about Internet security no matter how impatient you are to log online.
Study shows tracking devices frequently used in organized crime and by domestic violence perpetrators
Not entirely surprising, sadly
Australian billionaire can sue Meta over scam crypto ads featuring his likeness, says Court
Meta can't hide behind Section 230 this time
Google is building the first fiber optic cable connecting Africa and Australia
Called the Umoja cable route, it includes access points that give other countries entry to the network
A casino in Australia gave away millions in cash due to software glitch, recipients charged with fraud
Blunder down under
In a nutshell: A casino in Sydney, Australia, inadvertently gave away millions of dollars in cash to dozens of people due to an apparent software glitch. The bug was spotted and rectified after two weeks but by then, more than $2 million had been erroneously dispensed by the malfunctioning machines. The police have now charged the "lucky" cash recipients with fraud and a litany of other crimes.
Foreign spies are learning how to sabotage critical infrastructure, Australian intelligence agency warns
Adversarial nations could plan a major disruption in the future