Archived News for IT Professionals - December, 2014
Engineers at DARPA – the US military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – have created a device that is as scary as it is astounding; a bullet than can change direction mid-air.
Cop scanner slammed, some say it's for safety
There are calls to ban a new device that alerts drivers to nearby police cars.
Copper swap counts as NBN progress
The National Broadband Network (NBN Co) and the Federal Government have signed deals with telcos Telstra and Optus to deliver the Coalition's version of high-speed broadband.
Forums don't match physicians in age of digital diagnosis
Unvalidated and often utterly baseless health information spurted on online forums is putting people at risk, a new study says.
Pirate Bay briefly scuttled, now sailing again
The world’s most popular file-sharing site – The Pirate Bay – went down in recent days, before re-emerging (as it does) in a slightly different form.
Tech connections to boost people power
A Canberra company is bringing in a new technology that will allow households to buy and sell electricity on the market, potentially cutting the middle man and turning the industry on its head.
Bad seems good in fallacy of maths
New research shows many who claim they are “good” at maths actually aren’t, demonstrating once again the incredible power of self-delusion.
Spreadsheets at dawn for Excel supremacy
Everyone needs some time to unwind, but very few would fill their holiday hours with complex Excel-based challenges.
Orion gets quick rest before next date in space
NASA’s newest space ship has made a 12,000 kilometre round trip to see if it could survive a 32,000km/h dive into the atmosphere.
Robo-evolution makes unnatural selection
Chemical engineers have developed a form of “artificial evolution”, which could be a big step towards the goal of man-made life forms.
'S' for security could also stand for 'slow'
Researchers say time and energy are being wasted almost every second of every day, due entirely to the letter ‘S’.
Battery base could help all industries, but may be overpowered
Electric car-maker Tesla has joined with electric everything-maker Panasonic to drive down the cost of batteries for anything from small devices to solar power stations.
Ex-judge to turn critical lens on new laws
A former Supreme Court judge has been named as Australia’s new national security monitor, tasked with reviewing a range of contentious policies.
Solar power pitched to new height
Local researchers say they have broken the record for converting sunlight into electricity.
Bribery backed by bosses every day
A new study says that not only is corruption not inhibited in many big businesses, it is actually a central strategy.
Genetic journey shows we may be extra-terrestrial
Research has shown that DNA can survive a flight through space and back into Earth's atmosphere, while keeping its genetic information intact.
New tech lets locals clasp bra of the future
Australian engineers are changing the world - one uncomfortable breast at a time.
CBA banks on quantum future
The Commonwealth Bank has put $5 million into an effort to build a computer that could changes the world.