Hello and welcome to pre-Friday. Let’s jump straight into your morning tech news wrap-up.
1. PlayStation VR2 headset will cost more than a PS5
That headline is ridiculous, but it’s not editorialisation. After months of waiting, we finally have an idea how big your wallet will need to be for you to strap Sony’s new PlayStation VR2 headset around your noggin. $879.95. This includes the headset itself and controllers. Of course, you’ll need a PlayStation 5 console to run the damn thing. Those things, when you can get one, cost around $750.
2. Harcourts data breach
Reports were emerging last night from customers of Aussie real estate group Harcourts that the company is the latest victim of a data breach. While Gizmodo Australia has left two voicemail messages with Harcourts, we’re yet to confirm the details of the security incident. As you can see from the tweet below, Harcourts suffered a cyberattack and breached data could include name, email, residential address, phone number, bank details and a copy of signatures. Yikes. Interestingly, the SBS last month interviewed Harcourts, which said “protections are in place” to secure customer data, adding, “Our data is encrypted by Google, so it’s got the best protection in the world”. Yikes.
Harcourts Real Estate has been hacked pic.twitter.com/WUdsie7HHh
— Damian Tardio (@damiantardio) November 2, 2022
3. Rocket Lab will try catch a rocket, again
After making history earlier this year by catching a rocket mid-air using a helicopter, but then fumbling it, Rocket Lab is ready to do it all over again. The California-based company announced it will make a second attempt at catching its Electron rocket as it returns from space this week. The rocket is scheduled to launch during a window that opens at 4:15 am AEDT on Saturday, November 5, for the mission aptly titled, “Catch Me If You Can.”
4. Twitter staff sleeping on the floor
Things at Elon.com are going great. Brought to our attention by The Verge, Twitter employees are sleeping on the office floor to meet Elon Musk’s deadlines. Esther Crawford, a Twitter product director who is leading the development of Musk’s paid verification system, retweeted a photo of her in a sleeping bag in a conference room and said: “When your team is pushing round the clock to make deadlines sometimes you #SleepWhereYouWork.”
When your team is pushing round the clock to make deadlines sometimes you #SleepWhereYouWork https://t.co/UBGKYPilbD
— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 2, 2022
5. Aussie skilled migration changes
The Aussie tech industry isn’t overly happy with new rules Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has introduced around skilled migration. Yesterday, we reported that O’Neil introduced a ministerial direction to change how migration agents prioritise skilled visa applications. According to the Australian Financial Review, the direction removed 27 job roles – including ICT security specialists – from the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List.
BONUS ITEM: Vigils were held around the country last night to remember Cassius Turvey.
Thousands have gathered at Sydney’s Town Hall to remember and honour 15-year-old Cassius Turvey.
An incredibly sombre atmosphere: people are holding candles and photos of Cassius, some are wrapped in the Aboriginal flag. There are tears but also love and support. @abcnews pic.twitter.com/ie5UfaiZ4A
— Nakari Thorpe (@nakarithorpe) November 2, 2022
We’ll see you tomorrow.