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Boeing’s autonomous fighter jet could arrive next year
Boeing has unveiled an autonomous fighter jet which is expected to take to the skies in 2020. The aircraft is designed to fly alongside crewed jets during combat, performing early warning tests, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance.
'State-backed hackers' targeted Australia's main political parties
Politicians and their parties are high-value targets for foreign agents looking to disrupt elections, as we've seen in the US and elsewhere in recent years. Now, Australia is in the crosshairs. The main political parties there were the targets of a state-sponsored cyber attack, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison. It's not clear what, if any, information they obtained from the parties' systems.
THQ Nordic buys developer of 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance'
THQ Nordic, the games publisher that's made a name for itself picking up long-forgotten games studios, has added Warhorse Studios to its fold in a €33.2 million acquisition. The deal comes exactly a year after Warhorse launched controversial title Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which sparked a heated debate about the issue of whitewashing in video games. Despite this narrative, though -- and the fact that the game was born of a Kickstarter project -- the game has since sold some two million units across all platforms. So THQ Nordic has evidently made a smart addition to its motley catalogue of studios.
Detainee wins major literary prize for book written through WhatsApp
Messaging apps aren't just useful for everyday communication -- in at least one case, they've enabled an influential book. Kurdish-Iranian author Behrouz Boochani has won Australia's top literary award, the Victorian Prize for Literature, with a book (No Friend But the Mountains) he wrote using WhatsApp. He'd used the unconventional approach to ensure his message would get through. As an inmate of Australia's controversial Manus Island detention center, he was concerned guards would seize his phone and confiscate his work -- he messaged his translator, Omid Trofighian, over the course of five years to ensure his story would get out.
Signal says it can't allow government access to users' chats
Last week, the Australian government passed the country's controversial Access and Assistance Bill 2018 into law, legislation that allows government agencies to demand access to encrypted communications. Companies that don't comply with the new law could face fines of up to AU$10 million ($7.3 million). A number of companies that stand to be affected have spoken out about the legislation, and Signal has now joined in, explaining that it won't be able to fulfill such requests if asked.
Amazon allows Australians to shop from its US store again
Amazon has announced that it will no longer block Australians from accessing its US and other international websites just in time for its Black Friday sales. The e-commerce giant started redirecting Australian customers trying to access international storefronts back to the local version of the platform back in July. Amazon said it made the change to comply with Australia's GST collection laws that applied a 10 percent tax to imported online goods worth less than A$1,000 (US$726). After getting a lot of flak from the move, though, the company has decided to lift the ban just a few months later.
Apple fires back at Australian encryption bill
In a seven-page letter to the Australian government, Apple criticized the country's proposed Access and Assistance Bill 2018. Apple claims, among other complaints, that the legislation raises cybersecurity concerns and give the state power to abuse users' privacy.
Teen Apple hacker avoids prison in Australia
The teenage hacker who pleaded guilty to infiltrating Apple's computer systems and stealing sensitive data won't have to serve time. While he's now an adult, he was 16 when he first hacked the company by exploiting a virtual private network used by authorized personnel between June 2015 and November 2016. He was locked out of the system in November but was able to get through again in April 2017.
After Math: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
This has been quite the "disruptive" week with TechCrunch's marquee event going on at the San Francisco Moscone Center, and not just for startups. InfoWars was disinvited from yet another social media platform, Walmart is drastically expanding its self-driving Tesla truck order, and the world's largest wind farm just opened for business.
Uber will suspend low-rated riders in Australia and New Zealand
Uber is putting its passenger ratings to use, imposing temporary bans on riders with lower scores. The company introduced this policy in Brazil earlier this year and will begin imposing these bans on passengers in Australia and New Zealand later this month. Uber's ratings are out of five stars and passengers in these countries with ratings of four or lower will be banned from the service for six months.
Google Assistant comes to LG ThinQ TVs in the UK and Canada
LG's deep collaboration with Google continues, as it just announced that Google Assistant is coming to ThinQ smart TVs in seven more markets and five languages. It's now available in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with support coming by the end of 2018 to France, Germany, South Korea and Spain. LG will also expand Amazon Alexa support to Australia and Canada. Google Assistant first arrived to ThinQ AI TVs in the US earlier this year.
Huawei and ZTE banned from supplying 5G tech to Australia
Australia is distancing itself from Huawei and ZTE, imposing a ban much more detrimental to the companies' business than the one the US handed down. According to Financial Times and Reuters, the country has banned the Chinese telecoms from supplying local mobile carriers with 5G tech equipment due to national security concerns. Huawei has confirmed the move in a statement posted on Twitter, where it also said that it's been "safely and securely deliver[ing] wireless technology in [Australia] for close to 15 years."
Australian teen pleads guilty to hacking Apple
An Australian teenager pleaded guilty today to charges over repeatedly hacking into Apple's computer systems, The Age reports. He reportedly was able to access authorized keys, view customer accounts and download 90GB of secure files before being caught. Once alerted to the repeated intrusions, Apple blocked the teen and notified the FBI of the breaches. The agency in turn contacted the Australian Federal Police who raided the teenager's home last year, seizing two Apple laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive.
Australian law could force tech firms to hand over customer data
Australia has been relying on criminal telecommunications legislation dating back to the days of the landline, so proposed laws unveiled today are designed to bring the country's legal enforcements in line with the many nefarious opportunities the internet presents for hackers. But it's raised eyebrows among some industry experts.
Google's Home Max speaker arrives in Australia
Google's high quality Home Max speaker is coming to Australia. The company's most expensive audio product, which boasts sound 20 times more powerful than the standard Google Home, will be available in the country from August 9. The Australian release supports Assistant's latest features, such as Multiple Commands, as well as Home Max's biggest draw, Smart Sound, which automatically adapts to the environment of a room.
Apple hit with $6.6 million fine in Australia over 'Error 53' fiasco
Australian authorities didn't buy Apple's explanation for the infamous Error 53 message, which bricked a lot of phones in 2016. The country's federal court has slapped the tech giant with a US$6.6 million fine a year after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a lawsuit against it over the phone-bricking error. If you'll recall, Error 53 disabled phones that were previously repaired by third-party companies, even if it was just to replace cracked screens. Apple originally refused to fix the issue and explained that it bricked the devices to protect users from potentially malicious third-party Touch ID sensors. It eventually relented and rolled out a software patch, but the ACCC still proceeded with its lawsuit.
Amazon Prime is now available in Australia
Amazon launched its Prime service in Australia today, giving most Australians access to free two-day shipping, Prime Video and a number of other perks. A subscription will cost AU$59 (approximately $44) per year -- as opposed to the US price of $119 -- a discounted rate that takes into account a smaller selection of goods and higher prices. Amazon just launched in the country last December.
Video referee technology influences its first World Cup goal
When FIFA greenlit the use of video assistant referees at the 2018 World Cup, there was one overriding question: how long would it take before the technology shaped an important call? Not long at all, apparently. Two days into the group stage, officiators have used VAR to call for a key penalty after Australia's John Risdon appeared to have fouled France's Antoine Griezmann with a sliding tackle, disrupting a charge toward a possible goal. Griezmann promptly scored on the subsequent penalty kick, giving France the lead.
Australia task force will protect elections against cyberattacks
Governments around the world are taking various steps to prevent foreign elements from meddling with their elections. For some of them, it's to prevent foreign interference yet again -- the US, for instance, might use paper ballot backups that will allow officials to double check results. Australia is taking things a step further, though, and has formed a task force to guard its election process against cyberattacks and other methods. It's called the "Electoral Integrity Task Force," and it involves multiple agencies, including the Department of Finance and Home Affairs. A spokesperson told Reuters that the group will be in charge of identifying and addressing risks to the country's electoral process.
Australia is forming its own space agency
Australia is finally getting its own space agency. After months of talks, the federal government has decided it's time the land down under is on par with other developed nations -- including its neighbour New Zealand -- and has put $50 million aside to launch the program.