The XPRIZE Wildfire competition concluded without awarding either of its two $11 million grand prizes, though finalists were recognized for progress in space-based fire detection and autonomous firefighting drones. One track required teams to detect all fires across a wide area of Australia within 10 minutes, while another challenged autonomous systems to locate and extinguish a target fire in rural Alaska within the same timeframe, avoiding decoy fires. Program director Andrea Santy said the competition drew hundreds of teams proposing solutions ranging from sound-based suppression to robotic dogs and lasers before judges narrowed the field to more practical detection and response systems.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-23
MEK, a branding agency in Melbourne, Australia, found that its website generated more carbon emissions than the average webpage and decided to rebuild it. The redesign involved removing duplicated HTML tags and switching to a new, more efficient font to shrink its digital footprint.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-21
Australia's public service minister Katy Gallagher announced the government is exploring a ban on Meta's AI-enabled smart glasses in federal government buildings, citing privacy and security risks tied to their recording capabilities. Officials plan to consult the public service commission and hold a roundtable with major employers like Microsoft and Commonwealth Bank to develop broader AI workplace guidelines.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-20
Australian authorities are reportedly considering a ban on smart glasses with built-in cameras inside government offices, driven by rising concerns about covert recording and privacy breaches. A BBC report from Sydney canvassed public opinion on the proposal and asked where else people might want such devices restricted.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-09-18
Google’s threat intelligence team secretly embedded an undercover analyst within the hacking group TeamPCP during its extensive supply chain attack campaign. This inside access allowed Google to monitor the group’s activities, warn potential targets, and assist law enforcement in identifying key members. The operation uncovered critical security lapses and contributed to arrests in Australia last month.
wired.com
· 2026-09-18
Telstra's mobile network suffered widespread disruption on 8 July 2026 after a single GPS receiver in a Melbourne chassis, restarting from maintenance, reverted to believing the year was 2006 and spread that false timestamp across the network. The failure knocked out voice calls, texts, and even emergency number access, while also disrupting trains, payment terminals, ticketing systems, and EV chargers. An independent review by Technology Audit Partners found no cyberattack, cut cable, or power failure was involved—just a corrupted time reference.
netnod.se
· 2026-09-18
Australian trade minister Don Farrell said Canberra is watching Canada's push for a deeper relationship with the EU, after PM Mark Carney described seeking a 'unique alliance' rather than full EU membership. Farrell did not specify what form closer Australia-EU ties might take, but said Australia is 'on the same page' as Canada on the issue.
independent.co.uk
· 2026-09-16
A new analysis argues that long-standing estimates of Australia's Indigenous population before European contact were far too low. Researchers say the actual pre-colonial population was likely much larger than previously assumed, based on updated modeling and evidence.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-16
An Instagram executive argued that most users don't actually want their feed shown in strict time order, despite frequent requests for the option. The comment comes as Australian regulators move toward rules that would require platforms to give users control over how their feeds are sorted.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-11
Starting September 9, Australian law requires online game and app storefronts to verify that buyers are over 18. Steam is meeting this requirement by asking users to link a bank card rather than submit government ID or biometric data, mirroring the approach it already uses in the UK. Credit cards work reliably since Australian issuers only give them to adults, but debit cards—often held by minors—only pass verification under narrower conditions tied to specific bank and network flags.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-10
Australian lawmakers are considering new rules that would give users the ability to opt out of algorithm-driven content feeds on social media platforms. The move follows Australia's earlier push to ban social media access for teenagers, extending regulatory pressure on tech platforms operating in the country.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-08
Australia is moving to mandate that social media platforms let users opt out of algorithm-curated feeds, giving people the ability to see content in a simpler, non-personalized order such as chronological posting. The requirement would apply to major platforms operating in the country.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-08
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