Technology

As a second Trump presidency looms on the horizon, one pressing issue for America's and Australian farmers remains unresolved: the unfettered right to repair their own agricultural machinery. With both groups at loggerheads with the big farm machinery manufacturers over who gets the right to access software locks to repair complex tractors and headers, what happens under Trump could impact where this long running debate finally settles.

Rachel Hagan. From farmhand to company director, local entrepreneur Tyson Adams went out on his own, taking a big financial risk, to bring his new career and mobile app FarmTrak to life ... Gulfview Grain’s Todd Woodley was one of Tyson’s first clients and has now fully subscribed to the app because of how effective it was to keep on top of his seed and storage inventory.

The Albanese Government says it intends to establish a news bargaining incentive to ensure big digital platforms such as Facebook contribute to the sustainability of news media in Australia. As a hyperlocal public interest publisher Yanchep News Online has had some issues in the past with Facebook (owned by Meta) especially during Covid-19 when its algorithm couldn’t seem to work out that information attributed to the WA Department of Health had in fact been provided to Yanchep News Online by the department.

Aussies still love their local libraries, with recent data from the Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report 2022-2023 showing a rise in borrowing and in-person library visits ... Recently, Fulton Trotter Architects developed a self-serve library kiosk in a residential suburb development in Port Macquarie to cater for community reading, nestled close to the community’s playground.

Civilised society has for centuries depended on the truth and accuracy of the written or spoken word, but we are now starting to face major challenges to this historical and accepted fact. The current rapid appearance on the computerised Web of more and more unprofessional social and political influencers is fast bringing with it the threat of mass brainwashing, poor grammar and the loss of essential truths and even words.

A smart irrigation system powered by artificial intelligence will tell sugarcane farmers when and where to water their crops in an advance that could one day revolutionise agriculture – and help preserve the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

Renowned industry professionals Heather Ellis, Linda Tillman, and Shaun Leisegang will share their expertise and insight on day one of the national gathering of Australia's 582 agricultural shows. In ‘AI for the Show Movement: Simplifying Operations for Better Focus’, Shaun Leisegang, General Manager at award-winning technology services provider, Tecala, will show attendees how artificial intelligence can streamline key tasks in the show movement. 

Australian native stingless bees are vital for pollinating many of the country’s unique native plants, but these bees may be facing challenges due to rising temperatures. Recognising the important role these bees play in the ecosystem, an AgriFutures Australia Business Innovation Grant supported Ann Ross and her team at Hive Haven to develop an innovative solution: the Hive Haven V10.

Karen Medlyn. That’s a wrap! The 2024 Donald High School Energy Breakthrough Team and “It’s a Goode Thing!”, completed an impressive 485 laps, covering a total distance of 766.3 kilometres. The 24-hour endurance has students pedalling over a specific circuit, through the streets of Maryborough.The debut of the new trike was thrilling ...

The passion of grain growers for the responsible stewardship of the land is a clear message farmers are sharing with Australian consumers in a new information series for the community. The information series promoted by GrainGrowers highlights a modern, high-technology approach that allows growers to maximise available growing conditions, delivering high-quality, safe food to consumers while protecting the land. 

In a major win for connectivity and economic growth, Sunshine Coast Council will partner with Google, NEXTDC and others on Australia Connect, an initiative to further the reach, reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Australia Connect will deliver new subsea cable systems and build on the Pacific Connect initiative.

With election season upon us and rural mobile networks pushed to their limits during harvest, it’s an ideal moment to examine the persistent gaps and dropouts in mobile coverage. Before diving into the political and economic factors shaping mobile connectivity, let’s take a step back and explore the history of Australia’s mobile network rollout. By tracing its development, we might uncover how so much of the bush was left behind.

Excitement was palpable at Donald High School last week as members of the Energy Breakthrough (EBT) team gathered alongside sponsors and family to unveil their new vehicle and receive their official team gear. The event marked the final preparations ahead of this weekend’s highly anticipated challenge in Maryborough, Victoria.

GrainGrowers has called on the federal government to work with industry to ensure Australian growers can tap into biotechnology developments and deliver timely access to innovative crop genetics.

The Pesticide Resistance Integrated Mapping (PRIM) tool offers a clear view of pesticide resistance across Australia, helping growers and agronomists make data-driven crop management decisions … PRIM visualises fungicide resistance data and aims to expand to herbicide, insecticide, and biosecurity data.

Tackling a worrying gap in the nation’s emergency rescue education, Australia’s leading communications and safety brand, GME has partnered with leading survival expert and instructor, Outback Mike to launch the inaugural National Rescue Awareness Week ... bringing together 65 years of expertise in helping Australians explore our beautiful backyard with simple advice to prepare Aussies better and keep them safe on land and out at sea.

The Sunshine Coast’s passion for innovation, growth and commitment to community has been highlighted with three major international awards. Sunshine Coast Council won three Gold awards at the 2024 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) awards ceremony held in Denver, Colorado, in the United States.

Farmers have called on telecommunications providers to ensure farming communities don’t lose connectivity as the 3G network is shut down ... Telstra and Optus commenced the process of switching off their 3G networks as they transitioned to 4G and 5G networks across Australia. 

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has completed a timber testing trial investigating the best ways to implement technologies verifying claims of species and harvest origin of regulated timber and timber products ... Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy Matt Lowe said globally, it has been estimated that about 15-30 per cent of all wood traded is a product of illegal logging and illicit wood.

How many adults would know where to start if asked to program a robot? But that’s exactly what a bunch of students from our local primary schools did at the First Lego League Competition held in the Clifton State High School Hall last Friday.

Metha.ai, a company launched from MIT in 2022, is revolutionising the agricultural sector by reducing methane emissions from livestock with its groundbreaking AI-driven microbiome analytics technology. Metha.ai’s proprietary technology not only cuts emissions by 30-40 per cent but also enhances milk yield efficiency by 5-10 per cent…