The Conversation, Author at Startup Daily

Apple’s latest iOS update has app tracking controls that threaten Facebook’s revenue. Here’s how it works and whether you should you use it

The Conversation - April 29, 2021 4 MIN READ

Apple users across the globe are adopting the latest operating system update, called iOS 14.5, featuring the now-obligatory new batch of emojis. But there’s another change that’s arguably less fun but much more significant for many users: the introduction of “app tracking transparency”. This feature promises to usher in a new era of user-oriented privacy,… Read more »

Global tech

Parents are worried about the impact of technology on their digital native kids

The Conversation - April 28, 2021 3 MIN READ

More than nine out of ten parents think digital media and technologies are a negative distraction in their lives. And 83% think their children are also negatively distracted by digital devices. These are some of the findings from our Growing Up Digital Australia study. In 2020 we surveyed nearly 2,500 parents, grandparents and caregivers across… Read more »

Advice

T-999: this shape-shifting robot is starting to match humans when it comes to running across different landscapes

The Conversation - March 23, 2021 4 MIN READ

Imagine running on a cement footpath, and then suddenly through dry sand. Just to keep upright, you would have to slow down and change the way you run. In the same way, a walking robot would have to change its gait to handle different surfaces. Generally, we humans and most robots can only change how… Read more »

Topics

It’s not the first time apps against sexual violence have been tried. Problem is they don’t work

The Conversation - March 20, 2021 3 MIN READ

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller suggested this week that technology should be part of the solution to growing concerns around sexual assault. He encouraged serious discussion about using a digital app to record positive sexual consent. In our research, we have studied a wide range of mobile applications and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots… Read more »

Other tech

3 medical innovations developed due to Covid-19 that will outlast the pandemic

The Conversation - March 14, 2021 5 MIN READ

A number of technologies and tools got a chance to prove themselves for the first time in the context of COVID-19. Three researchers working in gene-based vaccines, wearable diagnostics and drug discovery explain how their work rose to the challenge of the pandemic, and their hopes that each technology is now poised to continue making… Read more »

Cyber security

How to make your work colleagues cyber-safe without being the office grouch

The Conversation - March 1, 2021 4 MIN READ

Business etiquette has one golden rule: treat others with respect and care. The same is true for encouraging cyber safety at work, on everything from password security to keeping valuable information like tax file numbers safe. But how can you encourage cyber-safe behaviour at work without becoming the office grouch? The trick, as it often… Read more »

Funding

5 ways to check a listed tech company is an ethical investment

The Conversation - February 11, 2021 4 MIN READ

These days people trading on the stock market want more than just a strong financial return. They’re increasingly opting for investments that will also have a positive societal impact. The coronavirus pandemic showed us even established tech companies can suffer downturns in the short term. Apple, a tech behemoth, was left reeling when Chinese manufacturing… Read more »

Politics

US accelerates EV revolution as the Morrison government rules out incentives for Australians

The Conversation - February 8, 2021 4 MIN READ

The Morrison government on Friday released a plan to reduce carbon emissions from Australia’s road transport sector. Controversially, it ruled out consumer incentives to encourage electric vehicle uptake. The disappointing document is not the electric vehicle jump-start the country sorely needs. In contrast, the United States has recently gone all-in on electric vehicles. Like leaders… Read more »

Cryptocurrency

The rise Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that began as a joke, reveals how memes can move markets

The Conversation - February 4, 2021 4 MIN READ

One of the most difficult problems in finance right now is figuring out the fundamental economic value of cryptocurrencies. And the past week has complicated this further. For many cryptocurrency investors, the value of Bitcoin is based on the fact it is artificially scarce. A hard cap on “minting” new coins means there will only… Read more »

Other tech

Meet Edna: the chatbot that helps patients make a difficult medical decision

The Conversation - January 4, 2021 4 MIN READ

Allow us to introduce Edna — Australia’s first “genomics chatbot”. The opening dialogue of Edna the chatbot. Edna (short for “electronic-DNA”) helps patients make informed decisions about seeking “additional findings” testing. Additional findings testing looks for variants in patients’ genes that aren’t relevant to their current health, but may be later on. For example, it… Read more »

Advice

Why you’re checking work emails on holidays, and more importantly, how to stop doing it

The Conversation - December 30, 2020 4 MIN READ

Finally, the holidays are here — the break you’ve been waiting for. You want to leave work behind, kick back and enjoy time with family and friends. But you’re still checking work emails and taking work calls. Even if you are at a remote location that screams holiday, you’re still thinking about work, or even… Read more »

Cyber security

Turns out many cybercriminals are just poorly paid workers stuck in a dead-end job

The Conversation - December 7, 2020 4 MIN READ

New research is questioning the popular notion that cybercriminals can make millions of dollars from the comfort of home — and without much effort. Our paper, published in the journal Trends in Organised Crime, suggests offenders who illegally sell cybercrime tools to other groups aren’t promised automatic success. Indeed, the “crimeware-as-a-service” market is a highly… Read more »

Global tech

Rents fell and property supply increased during Covid-19 as investors cut back on their Airbnb listings

The Conversation - December 2, 2020 4 MIN READ

COVID-related travel restrictions and the sudden drop in tourism provided an ideal natural experiment to examine the impact of shifts in the supply of short-term rental accommodation. Our research, released today, found even modest reductions in Airbnb listings, as owners switched to longer-term rentals, increased supply of these properties. The result was lower local rents.… Read more »

Politics

Why taxing electric vehicles is an important next step in government policy

The Conversation - November 30, 2020 4 MIN READ

The South Australian and Victorian governments have announced, and New South Wales is considering, road user charges on electric vehicles. This policy has drawn scorn from environmental advocates and motor vehicle lobbyists who fear it will slow the uptake of less-polluting vehicles. But, from a longer-term transport policy perspective, a distance-based road user charge on… Read more »

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