Good morning, and happy Friday to you. Let’s get into the tech news, and then into the weekend.
1. AWS backbone for Australian military
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has snatched up a $2 billion contract from the Australian Government to build out a ‘top secret cloud’ (TS Cloud) for Australia’s military operations.
The ‘TS Cloud’ is expected to support the Australian Defence Force’s operations, and to provide better collaboration with the United States. It’s expected this deal will generate up to 2,000 Australian jobs.
“We face a range of complex and serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake on a daily basis to keep Australians safe. We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
2. MyGov gets an upgrade
MyGov, the service through which Australians access the online services of national departments like Medicare and the Australian Tax Office, is getting passkey.
Passkeys are already used as default sign-in options for services offered by Apple, Microsoft, and Google, to name a few, and offer a deeper level of security, available as either device-bound or cloud-synced options.
“With phishing scams becoming more common and more sophisticated, passkeys make it simpler for you to sign in,” Federal Minister for Government Services and the NDIS Bill Shorten said.
3. New industry codes for dating apps
Dating app companies such as Match Group (operator of Tinder), Bumble, and Grindr have adopted new industry codes to improve the safety of users.
The new codes ensure that these companies will introduce new systems to detect incidents of online-enabled harm, take action against malicious users, introduce more transparent reporting mechanisms, provide better support resources, produce regular transparency reports, and improve talks with law enforcement.
“Online dating is now the most common way to meet a partner in Australia. These services did not develop overnight, and the lack of action over the last decade means that regulation has not kept pace with technology,” Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said.
4. BYD expands to South East Asia
Chinese EV company BYD has opened its first EVplant in Thailand, as a part of the company’s plans to expand in the South East Asian market. According to AP News, the factory is in Rayong, south of Bangkok and will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. During the opening ceremony, the company presented a BYD Dolphin to a charity under the patronage of the Thai royal family.
5. Microsoft settles on pay discrimination lawsuit
Engadget reports that Microsoft has agreed to pay $14 million in California to settle a pay discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit was brought by former workers alleging that Microsoft discriminated against those who took family care leave, parental leave, disability leave, or pregnancy leave.
The Civil Rights Department of California opened an investigation into the company in 2020, and found that workers who took leave “received lower bonuses and unfavourable performance reviews that, in turn, harmed their eligibility for merit increases, stock awards, and promotions.” On the settlement, the director of the Department Kevin Kirsh said “We applaud Microsoft for coming to the table and agreeing to make the changes necessary to protect workers in California.”
BONUS ITEM: This ain’t it, Nvidia.
Imagine being proud that you’re ruining the art direction of one of the most visually timeless games to exist. https://t.co/Qi8n9TdwX7
— Jade Law (@jadel4w) July 4, 2024
Have a lovely day
Image: iStock