Articles
NBN contractor Syntheo pulls out of South Australia, Western Australia
NBN contractor Syntheo will pull out of NBN construction in South Australia and Western Australia in early 2014, after the company and NBN Co “mutually agreed” not to renew existing contracts that will soon expire. [ + ]
Queensland Government bans IBM from future contracts
The Queensland Government has banned IBM from any future state contracts, following the release of a report into the state’s failed health payroll system, which lays significant blame at the vendor’s feet. [ + ]
Three in four working-age Australians own a smartphone
With 73% of Australians aged 15-65 owning a smartphone, mobile usage habits are changing rapidly, a Frost & Sullivan report shows. [ + ]
Hear from the Asia Cloud Forum
The Asia Cloud Forum, an online media portal, has been created to represent the interests of enterprise users, governments, telcos, vendors, policy makers and others with a stake in the development of cloud computing in Asia.
[ + ]CSIRO appoints data explosion leader
CSIRO has named Dr Bronwyn Harch as chief of its new research division CCI, which will focus on tackling challenges including the exponential growth in data being produced. [ + ]
Another Apple supplier accused of labour abuses
Pegatron, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that produces products for Apple, has been accused of abusing its employees, with suggestions of unpaid overtime, poor living conditions and the use of underage labour. [ + ]
Microsoft to rename SkyDrive in lawsuit settlement
Microsoft will rename its SkyDrive online storage product after reaching a settlement in a trademark case with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). [ + ]
Boffins develop ‘jigsaw puzzle’ software encryption
US computer scientists have developed a method for strongly encrypting software while allowing it to keep functioning as intended. [ + ]
Telstra invests in IP Health
Telstra has made moves to bolster its new health business unit by investing an undisclosed sum in Australian medical record software vendor IP Health. [ + ]
IT pricing inquiry “more than a PR move”: analyst
The parliamentary committee reviewing IT pricing has confirmed that Australians unjustly pay on average 50% more for IT products, and recommended 10 actions to address the disparity. [ + ]
Smartphones could lead to “digital dementia”
The widespread popularity of smartphones, tablets and wireless networks could render young people incapable of face-to-face interaction, a US scientist fears. [ + ]
Asbestos delays force sacking of 200 NBN workers
About 200 workers helping roll out the National Broadband Network (NBN) will be fired this week due to delays caused by the presence of asbestos in telecommunications pits. [ + ]
Australia’s fastest supercomputer goes live
The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) HPC centre has formally launched the 1.2 Petaflop Raijin supercomputer. [ + ]
How to execute better decision-making
Why do we hold meetings, jump on the phone or partake in impromptu hallway discussions when attempting to make a decision? Diverse opinions, backgrounds and expertise mean that we all approach the same question from different perspectives, sharing varied knowledge and experiences. It’s that multiplicity of input that helps us arrive at the best decision possible. [ + ]
Twitter to become closer to television
An academic study predicts that Twitter will soon become dominated by posts from celebrities and brands, to the extent that people will view it more like television than a two-way medium. [ + ]