Video on demand offers poor access for viewers with disabilities

Jan 28, 2016 04:48 am UTC| Technology

Just over a year ago, on Australia Day 2015, Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax media launched Australias first video on demand (VoD) service, STAN, as a joint venture. Shortly followed by Presto and the US based Netflix,...

Ex machina: are computers to blame for market jitters?

Jan 28, 2016 02:51 am UTC| Technology

Recent turbulence in the share markets has caused some experts to point the finger of culpability at computerised High-Frequency Trading (HFT). There are few complaints about HFT when computers push share markets up, but...

Google's Go triumph is a milestone for artificial intelligence research

Jan 28, 2016 02:31 am UTC| Technology

Researchers from Google DeepMind have developed the first computer able to defeat a human champion at the board game Go. But why has the online giant invested millions of dollars and some of the finest minds in Artificial...

Ad blockers are here to stay, micropayments less so

Jan 27, 2016 05:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Another year, another crisis in traditional media. Most recently, it has been The Guardian announcing it needs to cut costs by 20%, as the revenues from online advertising cannot compensate for the losses of revenue from...

If you want Google to pay more tax, change the law

Jan 26, 2016 12:43 pm UTC| Technology Law

Globalisation and the global economic crisis have contributed to the erosion of national tax bases and in recent years some of the biggest multinationals, among them Apple, Vodafone, Amazon, Google, Starbucks and...

The race to hypersonic speed: will air passengers feel the benefits?

Jan 26, 2016 01:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

When Concorde entered service 40 years ago, it more than doubled the speed of air travel at a stroke. Following Concordes retirement, airliners today fly once more at subsonic speeds, but engineers worldwide are looking to...

The heavy price we pay for 'free' Wi-Fi

Jan 25, 2016 11:06 am UTC| Technology

For many years, New York City has been developing a free public Wi-Fi project. Called LinkNYC, it is an ambitious effort to bring wireless Internet access to all of the citys residents. This is the latest in a...