Facebook is launching new tools to allow users better control over what they see in their newsfeeds as the company pushes back on claims it is a polarizing platform. Overnight, the social network operator, which has around 2.7 billion users globally, detailed significant changes that will roll out first to Android users, then iOS and […]
Monthly Archives: March 2021
Ubiquiti breach puts countless cloud-based devices at risk of takeover
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Network devices maker Ubiquiti has been covering up the severity of a data breach that puts customers’ hardware at risk of unauthorized access, KrebsOnSecurity has reported, citing an unnamed whistleblower inside the company. In January, the maker of routers, Internet-connected cameras, and other networked devices, disclosed what it said was “unauthorized […]
How to achieve smart home nirvana (or, home automation without subscription)
What comes to mind when you think of a smart home? Wi-Fi enabled light bulbs, video doorbells, cloud-connected robot vacuums, or smart fridges perhaps? Brands like Google/Nest or everything enabled with Amazon’s Alexa? While often providing some genuine convenience, these devices are also usually designed to invite and lock users into manufacturers’ ecosystems. Create a […]
Android sends 20x more data to Google than iOS sends to Apple, study says
Enlarge / Insomnia people and mobile-addiction concepts. (credit: Getty Images) This post has been updated to report objections researcher Doug Leith had to Google’s critique of his research. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, it’s continuously sending data including your location, phone number, and local network details to Apple or Google. Now, […]
Tech giants get into submarine fibre market
Google and Facebook have both jumped in to the private fibre game with two trans-oceanic cables being announced within days of each other. Google already has three cables (Curie, which connects the West Coast of the US with central America and South America, Dunant, which runs from the US to France, and Equiano, which services Portugal down […]
Binge-able TV – just how much Netflix do Kiwis watch?
The pandemic has been good for streaming video services and Netflix in particular has reaped the rewards, passing the 200 million subscribers globally at the end of 2020. Its reach into hundreds of countries, where it can stream its own content instantly without limitations from third-party rights holders now sees 2.7 per cent of the […]
Most Kiwi kids want to be a sportsperson; then a vet, police officer, teacher
The results are fascinating. Primary and intermediate school children all around New Zealand were asked to draw pictures of what they want to be when they grow up. The 7200 Kiwi kids responded, identifying their career aspirations. By far the most popular career was being a (professional) sportsperson. Next were being a vet, a police […]
Quick ITP update and upcoming events
Here’s a bumper update for this week! Firstly, do come and join Ants Dowling and me as we travel the country doing a quick update on ITP activities and strategy. It’ll be great to catch up and see how things are going in your world too – more details below. Also, we’re halfway through our […]
Brislen on Tech: Pasta with Tex
The journey of 2Degrees starts with the government’s 3G spectrum auction and Tex Edwards threatening to sue me. The government of the day (this is the early 2000s) had decided to auction off the 2100MHz spectrum which was deemed to be ideal for the newfangled 3G mobile networks that were being rolled out around the […]
IoT, 5G and sensor networks feature in Spark’s new innovation studio
Spark has opened an innovation studio beneath its Auckland headquarters to showcase emerging technologies it sees as increasingly important to its business case for 5G and its own dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) network. Digital economy minister Dr David Clark was on hand yesterday for the opening of the innovation studio, which has four zones […]