Tech, AI, startups, and cyber security
US TikTok users are experiencing posting lags after a second Oracle data centre outage in six weeks, reigniting doubts about the platform's new ownership structure.
Sophia Vargas Google's March Pixel Drop adds express pay to the Pixel Watch, letting users tap to pay at retail terminals without opening the Wallet app first.
Jake Nguyen Google's Find Hub now lets Android users share live luggage locations with airlines. Qantas is among those set to join more than ten global carriers already on board.
Helen Cartwright Millions of consumer devices worldwide are being quietly co-opted to help AI companies scrape the web, with Australians' home connections among those caught up in a sprawling proxy ecosystem.
James Callahan 
X will suspend monetised creators who post unlabelled AI-generated armed conflict videos, as synthetic footage floods the platform amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Aisha Khoury Deepfakes, recycled footage, and video game clips are flooding social media as the US-Israel conflict with Iran escalates, exposing the limits of platform moderation.
Yuki Tamura Smartphone makers at MWC 2026 have unanimously confirmed the RAM crisis is pushing up handset prices, with smaller brands hardest hit.
Oliver Pemberton 
Google researchers have exposed 'Coruna', a sophisticated iPhone exploit kit that appears to have originated with the US government before spreading to Russian spies and cryptocurrency criminals.
Aisha Khoury Google has officially rolled out Android desktop mode to Pixel 8 and newer devices, letting users plug into an external monitor for a full multi-window PC-like experience.
Tom Whitfield Google's March 2026 Pixel update gives Gemini the ability to autonomously book rides and place food orders, marking a genuine leap toward AI agents in everyday life.
Darren Ong 
DRAM prices are now shifting by the hour as AI demand squeezes supply, with Apple's new M5 MacBooks arriving into one of the most volatile memory markets in history.
Oliver Pemberton 
Apple has launched the MacBook Air M5 with 512GB of base storage, double its predecessor, but a $100 price rise shows the memory crisis is already at the checkout.
Nina Papadopoulos 
Apple has unleashed a wave of new hardware led by the M5 MacBook Air and Pro, iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, and two Studio Display monitors, all shipping from 11 March.
Darren Ong BunsenLabs Carbon arrives seven months after Debian 13, swapping out core components for Xfce alternatives while laying groundwork for a Wayland future.
Bruce Mackinnon 
Multiple major manufacturer listings point to a new RTX 5070 Mobile with 12GB of GDDR7, doubling down on memory just as a global DRAM shortage tightens supply.
Tom Whitfield Audible has launched a cheaper Standard plan at $8.99/month, now live in Australia. The trade-off: cancel your subscription and your audiobooks disappear.
Zara Mitchell Finnish tyre maker Nokian has unveiled a world-first winter tyre whose metal studs extend and retract automatically based on temperature — no buttons required.
Yuki Tamura Windows telemetry sparks fierce debate, but the evidence shows it's neither harmless nor sinister. Here's what Australian users actually need to know.
Darren Ong 
Gartner forecasts a 10.4% drop in global PC shipments in 2026, driven by a 130% surge in memory prices as AI data centres hoover up chip supply.
Sophia Vargas MWC 2026 in Barcelona delivered a striking range of hardware: a phone that literally starts fires, a camera-wielding robot phone, and foldable displays that double as gaming rigs.
Priya Narayanan