Tech News: 5 Things to Know in Australia Today
1. A yellow iPhone 14
Last year, a few months after launching the iPhone 13 range, Apple re-launched the phone, just in a different colour. That colour was green. This year, rumours suggest Apple might be doing the same thing, but instead of green, this time it’ll be yellow. Apple launched the iPhone 14 range, comprising the 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, in September. The 14 Pro Max was the best phone the company has ever made and according to MacRumors, we’ll be getting another one in Canary Yellow.2. Optus expands ID play
Optus, the telco that wasn’t so good with handling its customer’s personal data, has partnered with Mastercard to provide Optus customers with a “simple, secure way to prove their identity, using ID”. According to Optus, ID enables customers to create a secure and reusable identity within the My Optus app on their personal device. “Customers can then share verified information quickly and easily with consent, without needing to share physical identity documents with Optus,” the company said.3. Crocodiles could save us from deadly infections
A new study by La Trobe University researchers reveals how crocodiles resist fatal fungal infections using a unique pH sensing mechanism despite living in filthy water. Published in Nature Communications the research could be used to create targeted treatment for fungal infections in humans which are becoming increasingly frequent due to growing antibiotic resistance. Lead author from La Trobe University, Scott Williams, focused on the crocodiles’ defensins – small proteins that detect and announce an infection to the immune system. “We solved structures of crocodile defensins and they look surprisingly like the same proteins in humans, which means we could use them as a template to treat fungal infections in humans,” he said. “Crocodiles have great antifungal defenses and hopefully we’ll be able to adapt their defense to our own needs.”
4. Detailed geological model reveals Earth’s past 100 million years
Staying with work coming out of Aussie unis and for the first time, scientists have a high-resolution model of how today’s geophysical landscapes were created and how millions of tonnes of sediment have flowed to the oceans. They’ve published new research revealing a detailed and dynamic model of the Earth’s surface over the past 100 million years. “If you look for a continuous model of the interplay between river basins, global-scale erosion and sediment deposition at high resolution for the past 100 million years, it just doesn’t exist,” Dr Tristan Salles from the University of Sydney School of Geosciences, said. “So, this is a big advance. It’s not only a tool to help us investigate the past but will help scientists understand and predict the future, as well.”5. A cleaner Sydney Harbour thanks to AI tech
There’s a pilot program underway in NSW that uses “cutting-edge science and technology” to protect Sydney Harbour from rubbish making its way in. The ‘Smarter, Cleaner Sydney Harbour’ project uses cameras and sensors to monitor litter moving along estuaries and creeks in real-time. Almost 80 sensors will be fitted to traps on local waterways to alert councils and government authorities when they need emptying, helping them remove litter before it reaches the Harbour. The project will help reduce the 3,500 cubic metres of litter currently entering Sydney Harbour, equivalent to about 44,000 wheelie bins. BONUS ITEM: Sydney’s WorldPride 2023 has wrapped up for the year.Have a great week ahead.With love, from Sydney pic.twitter.com/l4GVytyrXf
— Sydney WorldPride 2023 (@SydWorldPride) March 5, 2023
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