Good morning. As it’s International Women’s Day, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Lauren, Ruby, Stephanie, Melissa, Isabella, Alice and Courtney for making Gizmodo Australia such a wonderful place to be. You all amaze me every day and I’m honoured that I get to work with such talented women (who write such kick-ass content).
1. They call me mellow yellow
First up today is Apple and the company overnight announced its new yellow-tinted phones. It’s thankfully not a full-vibrant mustard colour, but a subdued, soothing pastel tone. Everything else about the already solid iPhone 14 and 14 Plus remains the same, of course. The new colour option should be available “this Autumn,” according to the company’s announcement. They pack the same specs as their respective non-yellow siblings and will also set you back the same – $1,399-$1,899 for the 14 and $1,579-$2,099 for the 14 Plus.
2. Sonos goes all-in on Dolby Atmos
Sonos also used early Wednesday to announce some new kit, bringing us its next generation of smart speakers: the Era 100 and the Era 300. The Sonos Era 100 is the official “remaster” of the Sonos One series and will replace it outright, while the Sonos Era 300 is a brand new addition to Sonos’ Dolby Atmos-compatible lineup. Dolby Atmos on Sonos has until now been relegated to the soundbar space. Alice writes a fabulous and extensive explainer on how the new Sonos 300 is more than just a speaker, check that out via this link. The Sonos Era 100 is $399, while the Sonos Era 300 costs $749.
Feel sound all around. Introducing Sonos Era 300.
Now available for preorder: https://t.co/Rhvka2KyPs #ANewEra pic.twitter.com/fqgKOn3ynI
— Sonos (@Sonos) March 7, 2023
3. OAIC case against Facebook can proceed
Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk filed proceedings against Facebook Inc and Facebook Ireland in the Federal Court in March 2020. At the time, she alleged Facebook committed serious and/or repeated interferences with privacy in contravention of Australian privacy law. In early 2022, the Commissioner was given approval by the Federal Court to pursue legal action against Facebook. But in September, Facebook Inc sought, and was granted, special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia in relation to the Full Federal Court’s decision. After a change to the Federal Court Rules 2011, which came into effect in January 2023, the Commissioner applied to revoke the grant of special leave to Facebook Inc. And yesterday, the High Court granted the Commissioner’s application to revoke the grant of special leave. This clears the way for proceedings to return to the Federal Court.
4. Aussies don’t trust AI
A University of Queensland and KPMG Australia study found only 40 per cent of Australians trust the use of artificial intelligence (AI) at work. More than 17,000 people from 17 countries were surveyed about their trust and attitudes towards AI and its use at work, the perceived risks and benefits and expectations of its management and regulation. According to professor Nicole Gillespie, KPMG Chair of Organisational Trust at the UQ Business School, the results show Australians are amongst the least comfortable with AI use at work,
particularly for HR purposes such as monitoring, evaluating and recruiting employees. We’re not shocked – are you shocked?
5. Atlassian to sack 500 staff
As Australia’s first-ever tech unicorn, Atlassian is usually in the news for breaking some sort of user base record, redefining what a company can look like in 2023 or even for its founders being vocal on climate change or buying a $130 million mansion without a mortgage. Yesterday, however, it was because the company was laying off 500 staff. The company’s founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar sent a memo to employees to share the bad news. Per regulatory documentation filed with the U.S. SEC, Atlassian told staff it has “made the difficult decision to rebalance our team to better position Atlassian for the long term”.
BONUS ITEM: A small thread from the House of Reps is a look back on some brilliant women, but a definite sign we’ve still got so much more to do.
Joan Child AO became the first woman to be elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1986. Mrs Child was the first Speaker to preside in the new Parliament House and contributed to the building’s final design decisions. #IWD2023 pic.twitter.com/PsKrxUsG4q
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) March 7, 2023
Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney is the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. Ms Burney is currently the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the first Aboriginal woman to hold the portfolio and the first to be in federal cabinet. #IWD2023 pic.twitter.com/KZavWDrFR5
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) March 7, 2023
We’ll see you back here tomorrow.