Suddenly and inexplicably, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Oculus services were gone. And it was no local disturbance. In a blog post, Downdetector.com, a major monitoring service for online outages, called it the largest global outage it had ever recorded — with 10.6 million reports from around the world. The outage had an especially massive… Read more »
Social media giant Facebook has been hit by a global outage that’s also taken down its subsidiary sites Instagram and WhatsApp. The cause of the crash is unknown, but is believed to have occurred just before 3am AEDT and has continued for at least five hours in one of the longest outages of the platforms… Read more »
While there are commonalities among their criteria, startup investors don’t take a cookie cutter approach. The key to unlocking investment is understanding the stage of your startup. “In the race of life, always back self-interest; at least you know it’s trying,” the late former premier of NSW, Jack Lang, once said. Self-interest is defined as… Read more »
Social media platforms are transforming how online advertising works and, in turn, raising concerns about new forms of discrimination and predatory marketing. So the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S) — a multi-university entity led by RMIT — launched the Australian Ad Observatory. This research project will explore how platforms… Read more »
Ten local startups will pitch live for more than $200,000 worth of Microsoft Azure cloud credits, plus a hefty marketing and promotion package at the Pitch Perfect virtual event hosted by Startup Daily and Microsoft Australia today You’re welcome to be a part of it as some of the country’s most exciting and innovative startups… Read more »
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has set dates for the state’s roadmap to reopening, confirming October 11 as when the first restrictions will begin to ease. The announcement came as double doses hit 60% today, with 70% expected to be reached in early October. With the long weekend looming, Berejiklian urged everyone to behave cautiously over… Read more »
Would you share your most intimate thoughts with strangers? For many women, during the pandemic and associated lockdowns, closed Facebook groups have been a place to do just that. These groups offer a chance to escape the house virtually and spend time with like-minded souls, sometimes chatting, often venting, and seeking solidarity in virtual sisterhood.… Read more »
In partnership with eyewear brand Ray-Ban, Facebook has released its first pair of smart glasses, offering wearers the ability to capture photos and videos without even needing to pull out their phone. The glasses, called Ray-Ban Stories, are now available for A$449 and are functionally similar to devices already on the market, such as SnapChat… Read more »
South Australia has begun a trial of a new COVID app to monitor arrivals into the state. SA Premier Steven Marshall claimed “every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app”. He then doubled down with the boast that he was “pretty sure the technology that… Read more »
Lockdowns in some NSW regions outside of Sydney will be lifted on the weekend, provided they’ve had no Covid cases for 14 days. And stay-at-home orders for adults who’ve had both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be lifted after NSW passes the 70% vaccination target, most likely in mid October. The changes are part… Read more »
A publisher can be held responsible for defamatory comments readers leave on its Facebook pages, the High Court has ruled, in a decision that could have far-reaching consequences for social media users throughout Australia. This decision may mean anyone who runs a social media page can theoretically be sued over disparaging comments posted by readers… Read more »
Global software giant Microsoft is acquiring Queensland video startup Clipchamp. Described as “Canva for video” by Steve Baxter, one of Clipchamp’s many investors, the 8-year-old venture helps people make videos using its in-browser platform quickly and easy. Microsoft is one for the more than 17 million users of Clipchamp, which counts Google, Deloitte, Dell and… Read more »
A new law gives Australian police unprecedented powers for online surveillance, data interception and altering data. These powers, outlined in the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill, raise concerns over potential misuse, privacy and security. The bill updates the Surveillance Devices Act 2004 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. In essence, it allows… Read more »
The saga over subscription-based social media platform OnlyFans, which announced it would ban sexually explicit content only to reverse that decision a week later, has highlighted just how quickly such a platform can move the goalposts for those relying on it for an income. Yes, the most successful “content creators” on OnlyFans can reportedly make… Read more »
Twitter has come under increasing public scrutiny for facilitating hostile communication online. While the micro-blogging site promotes itself as providing a “free” and “safe” space to talk, critics have highlighted the company’s inept response to repeated instances of trolling, harassment and abuse. Our research into how people present themselves and manage their interactions with other… Read more »
The lessons from Uber, Ola and rideshare’s disruption is that in the end, the consumer still pays 
Here are the finalists in Fintech Australia’s 2024 Finnies awards 
Atlassian cofounder Scott Farquhar steps down as co-CEO 
Unicorn dehorned: Nasdaq-listed Brisbane EV charging venture Tritium collapses into receivership 
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