Articles
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. [ + ]
UPDATED: Aussie defence agencies ban Lenovo due to backdoor fears
Computers from Chinese company Lenovo have been banned from “classified” networks of the intelligence and defence services of Australia, the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand due to concerns that the machines could easily be hacked. [ + ]
Resourcing the ICT industry
The ICT industry has three areas of resource usage which currently provide opportunities for the industry to lessen its environmental impact: overall energy usage, electronic waste and rare earth metals. How these areas are managed impacts the industry’s future. [ + ]
Open Networking Foundation unveils OpenFlow certification program
The Open Networking Foundation has announced details of its certification program for OpenFlow networking products and named the first accredited test lab. [ + ]
Knowledge management projects should focus on the practical
Organisations need to rethink their approach to knowledge management, putting greater emphasis on practical knowledge that can deliver measurable results, one recent report says. [ + ]
UK porn filter prompts fresh calls for Australian action
UK ISPs and mobile operators have ceded to pressure from the government to implement opt-out porn filters, and Australian lobbies want to use the move to put filtering back on the agenda. [ + ]