Technology

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…

The Riverine Grazier has made a decision to not publish images of children under the age of 13 online, in a move aimed to protect local kids. At the invitation of the NSW Government and representing Country Press NSW, Grazier manager Krista Schade attended the Social Media Summit ... "The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant spoke of the hazards of sharing images of children online, on open pages, which prompted Tertia and I to reconsider how our newspaper handles images of young children."

From the refreshing bursts of sweet-tart juice in the pomegranate’s jewel-like arils to the juicy, flavorful flesh of the red bayberry, these fruits are true treasures, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Despite their delightful flavour and immense health benefits, both industries are still in their infancy.

Virtual reality is set to revolutionise Australia’s $24 billion forestry industry by training workers risk-free, remotely, and much faster. A VR immersive training tool developed by the University of South Australia with the support of the Green Triangle Forest Industry Hub is also expected to save the industry millions of dollars in the long term.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay - so how should Australia's agrifood industry embrace it? Do we 'let it rip', or should we 'maintain control'? We, the organisers of the Digital Agrifood Summit, are the first to admit we don't have the answer to that. So we've enlisted two teams to explore this question in greater detail through a good old fashioned debate.

Part of the Government’s  Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, the audit will test around 180,000 km of regional and rural roads across the country, capturing data to better determine coverage and capacity of the mobile network signals ... Australia Post will host mobile-measurement devices on delivery vans and long-haul delivery vehicles. They will cover a significant portion of the regional and rural roads to be tested through the audit.

Devastatingly, new data from domestic violence support charity shows demand for help is showing no signs of slowing down, with a 29 per cent increase in people helped by their services since this time last year. In this digitally dependent society, sadly technology is often used to control and manipulate victims of domestic violence, with mobile phones commonly misused by perpetrators for tracking via spyware or location services.

Sarah Herrmann. Kadina's Charli Pearce was 10 years old when she started using social media. Now 18, she said while she somewhat regrets that decision, she also believes attempts to stop young people from using it will be fruitless.

During floods and fires not being able to communicate is scary and dangerous ... A new fleet of technology from the State Government will help communities be more prepared for disasters and better able to respond to bushfires, floods and other severe weather events.

Bumble bees in Tasmania are being geared up with micro radio transmitters and cameras to help scientists uncover their environmental impact and crucial role in crop pollination. Delivered through Hort Innovation’s Frontiers investment program and led by Western Sydney University, the $3.3M initiative will produce a comprehensive large-scale study of the Buff-tailed Bumble bee.

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.