Technology

Exploring the Southern Downs through the free official Southern Downs & Granite Belt Visitor App is easier than ever with new upgrades that make it a breeze to experience everything there is to see, do and discover in our region. The new version of the app #SeeSouthernDowns can be used 100 per cent offline, putting essential information about the region’s towns...

Sebastian Calderon. A new satellite built by South Australian-based companies will aim to deliver critical space data for use by government and research institutions, including data covering the Riverland, particularly in the areas of sustainability and climate impacts. The State Government-funded satellite Kanyini was successfully launched into orbit last week onboard a SpaceX rocket, being the first of its kind in Australia, built by SA-based companies – SmartSat, Inovor and Myriota.

An insect species that evolved 130 million years ago is the inspiration for a new research study to improve navigation systems in drones, robots, and orbiting satellites. The dung beetle is the first known species to use the Milky Way at night to navigate, focusing on the constellation of stars as a reference point to roll balls of dung in a straight line away from their competitors.

Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) are taking the idea of "try before you buy" straight to the bank to make it easier for farmers to utilise ag tech. The $3.7 million research project … investigates how to better utilise existing and emerging ag technologies to improve drought resilience for grain farmers.

Data collated by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has found that Australians living outside of metropolitan hubs are experiencing significant issues with their telcos. Between 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024, the TIO received 51,854 phone and internet complaints from consumers living in regional, rural and remote Australia about faults, poor service quality, poor mobile service coverage, outages and accessibility barriers.

Community engagement efforts in the Buloke Shire have highlighted the significant role online gaming plays in the lives of our residents, particularly among young people. Gaming is more than a pastime – it’s vital for community cohesion and recovery, as shown by the successful Level Up event at Sea Lake Neighbourhood House on Monday, with over 40 attendees, and another event set for Wycheproof on Sunday.

The Albanese Government acknowledges the decision of Telstra and Optus to delay their 3G switchover from late August to 28 October to give Australian customers and businesses more time to prepare ... The public media campaign is expected to reach more than 90 per cent of Australians and emphasise the impact on both traditional handsets and other devices that rely on the 3G network…

There’s a lot to love about Cooktown; magnificent rainforests, ancient mangroves, reefs home to the legendary black marlin – but weeds aren’t one of them ... But a recent trial with InFarm has brought ground-breaking technology to the top of the country, showcasing the power of AI in weed detection and elimination.

We have all heard of Artificial Intelligence, and most of you have heard of ChatGPT and some of you may have even tried it ... I decided I needed to get up to speed and get on board and try out the new version ... I asked it to: "Generate an opinion article similar in tone and length to what Trevor Whittington might write in the Farm Weekly on the potential of AI to replace traffic controllers with their stop-go signs on country road construction sites" ...

South Australian producers of sheep and farmed goats and the broader supply chain will benefit from a new electronic identification (eID) implementation program to prepare for the traceability system that becomes mandatory from 1 January 2025. A further $900,000 in funding is being provided to establish the eID Advantage Program to improve producer knowledge and understanding of changed responsibilities under the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS).

In the coming decade, Australia’s rural industries will be shaped by significant forces that have the potential to disrupt how we produce, market and consume agricultural goods ... Navigating a Future of Cross-Sectoral Forces reports that now, more than ever, rural industries must prepare to adapt and thrive in the face of an uncertain future...

The Riverine Grazier team chose last week’s Hatfield Happenings event to announce a new digital masthead. The Back Country Bulletin will be available in September ... “Adding a new masthead to our company is one of the biggest expansions in the 151-year history of The Grazier,” manager Krista Schade said.

A dangerous incident at the Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility last week has reignited the importance of proper battery disposal. While loading household recyclables on a truck bound for the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), a lithium-ion battery ignited within the load.

BeeHero's updated sensing solution, already in use worldwide, enables first-of-its-kind, high resolution heat mapping of bee activity, and features improved sensing and pollinator monitoring capabilities that enable predictive models for pollination success. ARR.News found out more about PIP 2.0 from Yuval Regev, Co-founder and CTO of BeeHero.

The Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee ... called for a delay in the shutdown of Telstra and Optus’ 3G networks until more is done to work out how many devices could be impacted by the shutdown (including non-phone devices). The committee has heard from a variety of different stakeholders about the impact the shutdown will have on devices that hadn’t been considered when the decision was made, including medical devices, emergency phones in elevators, and even surveying equipment.

"Every project a surveyor is supposed to work on will be delayed if they are unable to upgrade in time.  Notably that would be infrastructure such as bridges, roads and rail.  But also housing developments in regional and rural areas.  If the 4 and 5G coverage doesn’t take in all the areas formerly covered by 3G then there will be new blackspots.": Michelle Blicavs, CEO Surveyors Australia.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has welcomed the partnership between Agriculture Victoria and Halter in trialling the use of virtual fencing technology at the government’s Ellinbank Smartfarm. VFF President Emma Germano said the move was a forward step towards making the technology accessible to Victorian farmers.

Residents and visitors to the Upper Murray are now enjoying improved mobile phone coverage and connectivity, with the recent construction of three new Telstra mobile base stations in the region. Two towers have been built at Koetong and Burrowye and a new small-cell base station has been activated south-west of Cudgewa under the federal government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.

Howe Tran. Moving is often deemed one of life’s most stressful undertakings. From securing a reliable moving company to ensuring the safe arrival of your belongings, the hurdles can be numerous and often overwhelming. For those relocating within rural and regional Australia, the challenges are amplified ... Find a Mover, Australia's national removalist comparison booking platform is stepping in to ease the burden.