Good morning. We’re halfway through the week. Let’s get into the tech news.
1. TPG lays cable across Sydney Harbor
An undersea cable has been run across Sydney Harbor by TPG Telecom, increasing data capacity and enhancing bandwidth in North Sydney.
Aptly named the Sydney Harbour Cable Project, this involved running an armoured fibre-optic cable across the sea floor via submarine, spanning from McMahon’s Point on the North side to Dawes Point on the South side. According to the company, the traditional fixed land route for affected users will be reduced by up to six times with the newly placed cable.
“The completion of our Sydney Harbour Cable Project dramatically increases the capacity of our network, creating greater connectivity and speeds for our customers across the Harbour,” TPG Telecom chief technology officer Giovanni Chiarelli said.
2. AGL to recycle solar at retrofitted plant
AGL Energy is planning to retrofit the former Liddell coal power plant with the capability to recycle spent commercial-scale solar panels.
Per Renew Economy, photovoltaic recycling company Elecsome has signed a memorandum of understanding with the energy company and aims to recycle up to half a million panels per year. A solar cable manufacturing plant is also being considered for the site.
Interestingly, the opposition has also marked the plant as a candidate for its nuclear rollout.
3. UNSW to improve AI literacy for school kids
UNSW has received a $1 million cash injection from a group of supporters, with the university set to work with the AI in Schools group to improve generative AI literacy among children at the ‘Day of AI’. Aimed at students in years 5 to 10, UNSW will teach what AI is, how it works, and what risks are posed by the technology. “This is a landmark collaboration between UNSW, and Day of AI Australia, and we are so excited for the future of the Day of AI Australia. This collaboration recognises the massive impact that Artificial Intelligence will have on Australia’s lives today, and in the future,” Co-Head of the Computing and Education research group Director of Studies (Computer Science) in the School of Computer Science Engineering at UNSW Doctor Jake Renzella said.
4. Speaking of AI
OpenAI has delayed the launch of its voice assistant feature for safety reasons and to ensure that it can appropriately service the requests of its users, Bloomberg reports. “We’re improving the model’s ability to detect and refuse certain content,” the company said. “We’re also working on improving the user experience and preparing our infrastructure to scale to millions while maintaining real-time responses.” If this is ringing any bells, it’s because the voice assistant was first shown at a May event, with the voice sharing an uncanny resemblance to that of actor Scarlett Johansson. The assistant is now aimed to roll out in July.
5. EU puts Microsoft on blast
Regulators in the European Union allege that Microsoft breached antitrust rules, according to AP News. The breach comes down to Microsoft inserting its ‘Teams’ business communications product into its wider range of products, with the EU claiming that it’s limiting competition. “We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses,” the commission’s executive vice-president for competition policy Margrethe Vestager said.
BONUS ITEM: I would like to give Windows 95 a treat.
nice to meet you Windows 95 https://t.co/V3ZGDFR63T
— Windows (@Windows) June 24, 2024
Have a lovely day.
Image: iStock