We need to keep humans in the loop when robots fight wars
Jan 29, 2016 06:35 am UTC| Technology
Imagine a swarm of tens of millions of armed AI-piloted hexacopters, killer robots as some call them, sent to wipe out a particular group of people say, all men of a certain age in a certain city. Sounds like science...
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...
Threading Opportunity: How an India–EU FTA Could Reweave Textile Fortunes