Tech News: 5 Things to Know in Australia Today

Hello and happy Friday. Let’s dive right in.  

1. Telstra’s mobile plans are now carbon neutral

Having already set climate change targets it’s calling “bold and ambitious“, Telstra this week announced that all of its mobile plans are now 100 per cent certified carbon neutral. “Emissions related to the SIM cards and the energy used to power our network to make calls or stream content are now offset,” it said. But the telco is also guilt-tripping customers into doing the same. “We know many Australians want to do more to support climate action at an individual level,” Telstra said, adding, “To that end, Telstra Plus points can now be used to help offset everyday emissions”. It works by allowing customers to redeem Telstra Plus points to support accredited domestic and international climate projects that reduce, avoid or remove emissions from the atmosphere.

2. Optus customers get a ‘boost’

Staying in Aussie telco land and Optus has announced ‘Internet and Mobile Boost’, which it reckons gives customers more control on how they use their internet speed or mobile data connection when they want. Activated in-app, Internet Boost will cost $5 for a 24-hour NBN ‘boost’ (the official line is that with this, customers can “maximise their NBN internet speed”) and Mobile Boost gives customers the chance to “prioritise their mobile data connection to achieve better connectivity” for $2 for an hour. All this would do would make me crave the boosted speeds 24/7….wait a minute.

3. Apple inches toward a glucose-tracking smartwatch

Apple is reportedly close to creating a noninvasive glucose test for diabetics through a new sensor on its Apple Watch. The technology has been in the works since 2010, when then-Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs bought out RareLight, a small startup that crafted ideas for noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. The technology may still be years away, but if it is approved, sources told Bloomberg it will measure diabetics’ glucose levels but could also be used as a preventative measure, with the goal of also being able to alert people who are pre-diabetic. Apple uses a chip technology called silicon photonics combined with absorption spectroscopy, which measures reflected light to assess blood sugar levels.

4. Netflix slashes subscription prices…just not in Australia

Netflix just can’t seem to decide on the best way to keep users using the platform. The streaming service is reportedly cutting monthly subscription costs in over three dozen countries across the world, with some discounts being as much as half of the current monthly subscription. “We’re always exploring ways to improve our members’ experience,” a Netflix spokesperson told Gizmodo. “We can confirm that we are updating the pricing of our plans in certain countries.” Netflix did not provide the list of countries that would see a price reduction, though.

5. Medibank takes multimillion-dollar hit

The data breach Medibank experienced last year has cost it a whopping $26 million, so far, with expectations that number will double by the time the year is out. Brought to our attention by iTnews, Medibank said in its half-year results that it had lost 13,000 policyholders, as if leaving a company after a breach will prevent that data from being exposed? I guess a lot of Australians think lightning really does strike twice. BONUS ITEM: Robots the latest tech layoffs casualty.

Not only humans got laid off in Alphabet's cut backs. A unit working on robots that could clean tables and sort trash also got axed. Like Loon and Makani (RIP) it originated in the X lab. https://t.co/dLt9HfeOEa tip @Techmeme

— Tom Simonite (@tsimonite) February 22, 2023

Have a great weekend.

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