Good morning. It’s a new week, so here’s five things headlining tech news in Australia today.
1. Musk outlines new Twitter feature roadmap
As per usual, there’s Twitter news. The social media site looks like it’ll be getting a run of updates over the next two months, including swiping left or right between followed tweets and recommended tweets later this week. It’s part of a “much larger UI overhaul,” Musk said on Twitter, and will be followed by the bookmark feature being overhauled to appear on Tweet details. Long-form tweets are expected to be rolled out in early February. On a side note, Musk is attempting to move an upcoming Tesla shareholder lawsuit away from San Francisco, claiming negative media attention due to his takeover of Twitter.
Easy swipe right/left to move between recommended vs followed tweets rolls out later this week.
First part of a much larger UI overhaul.
Bookmark button (de facto silent like) on Tweet details rolls out a week later.
Long form tweets early Feb.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 8, 2023
2. Earth to be visited by once in 50,000-year comet
This year, Earth will be visited by a comet that only comes by every 50,000 years. Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF may be visible in Australia with the naked eye from early February, as Bintel writes. It’ll appear as a small, faint and fuzzy object, and you’d be better off viewing it with a telescope or binoculars. It’ll be at its closest to Earth on February 1 and on February 11 at 10pm, it’ll be “within one and half degrees of Mars” and would be great to observe with binoculars.
3. CES wraps up
Unfortunately, today is the last day of the Consumer Electronics Show over in Las Vegas, but over the past week, we got to see some pretty amazing tech, from HTC’s meta competitor to BMW’s colour-changing car. If you’d like a round-up of all our favourite tech, we’ve got you covered.
4. Apple reportedly cancels the fourth generation iPhone SE
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has scrapped plans to launch a next-generation version of the iPhone SE next year. The news follows rumours and leaks surrounding the base model iPhone 15 and its potential price drop. It was expected that the phone could step on the SE’s toes with a lower price, and now it seems like Apple’s done with its budget device (for now).
Apple has cancelled plans to launch a new iPhone SE next year. The device would have featured the first Apple 5G chip 🚨
Source: Ming-Chi Kuo pic.twitter.com/9mVjLLVVkd
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) January 7, 2023
5. Apple may debut its VR headset in Autumn
Still on Apple and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting that Apple’s mixed reality headset could be shown off in Winter. Supposedly, the mixed reality headset (that’s expected to have both VR and XR potential) will make its debut at Apple’s WWDC event in June. This comes just days after HTC revealed its new headset, the Vive XR Elite.
BONUS ITEM: Just three days after January 6, and two years after the U.S. riots, Jair Bolsonaro supporters have stormed the three branches of government in Brazil.
All eyes need to be on Brazil right now. Democracy is completely under attack. Bolsonaro supporters are invading Congress, the presidential
palace, and realms of power in Brazil.
Unbelievable scenes.— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) January 8, 2023
Have a lovely week.