The Age has more on Google’s “Project Loon” Internet balloons fresh out of Google’s Project X headquarters:
Google has a truly sky-high idea for connecting billions of people to the internet - 19 kilometres in the air to be exact - through giant helium balloons circling the globe that are equipped to beam Wi-Fi signals down below.
And this:
The technology will be trialled in Australia next year, possibly in Tasmania.
The only part of Australia on the 40th parallel is north Tasmania - so that appears the likely destination for the Australian trial.
Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Google seems very keen to point out that this is a trial in its infancy.
Australia made it into Apple’s WWDC demo today of the new Safari for iOS, with Lorne, situated on Victoria’s coastline and NSW’s surf coast both getting a mention.
WWDC 2013. It’s a whole new world.
Following this morning’s RRP price release, you can now pre-order the Xbox One in Australia to “get Xbox One on the day it’s released.”
Of course, keep in mind that “Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required.”
Apple this morning announced a raft of updates to its product range, as it kicked of this years Worldwide Developer conference (WWDC) in the US.
On the hardware side of things, the company announced a new range of Macbook Airs - some of which can now last up to 12 hours on a single charge - as well as new AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations that boast 802.11ac Wi-Fi support. All these devices are now available in Australia through the Apple stores and online.
The Mac Pro also got a demonstration, boasting a new cylindrical frame and proving to be an absolute powerhouse.
But software is where all the action is happening at Apple - and as expected, iOS has received a major UI overhaul.
“iOS 7 is completely redesigned with subtle motion, an elegant color palette and distinct, functional layers that make it feel more alive,” Apple said, with a “typography [that] has been refined for a cleaner, simpler look, and the use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging.”
Other new features of iOS 7 - which is now available in beta for developers - include AirDrop functionality to share files, a new control and notification centre to access key iPhone and iPad settings such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and enhanced Apple-made default apps.
On the other hand, Mac OS Mavericks was also announced (named after a surfing location in Half Moon Bay) bringing with it more than 200 new features and enhancements - the highlights of which include multi-display support, new power efficiency tools and frameworks, and native iBooks and Maps applications.
And lastly, as anticipated Apple unveiled iTunes Radio which streams songs from up to 200 personalised radio stations - but for now, it remains US only.
Reports coming out of E3 that the new Xbox One will have a RRP of $599 in Australia when it launches locally.
That’s $100 more than in the United States, and a difference of around $72 after GST. It is also $200 more than the current top of the line Xbox 360, which itself was on sale for $499 until recently.
With Apple’s WWDC conference set to kick-off at 5AM AEST tomorrow morning, the Wall Street Journal confirms its new music streaming service, iRadio, will be announced.
The highly anticipated new service—expected to be available only in the U.S.—will allow users to stream a radio-like channel of music based on their interests. It will be supported by text and audio ads from Apple’s iAd service, people familiar with the matter said. It will feature “Buy” buttons to drive downloads, they added.
Again, it would seem Australia and the rest of the world are going to be left out of the one of the major announcements by Apple tomorrow. Given how much Australians contribute to Apple’s massive profits, you’d think we would be close to being a launch country for services such as iRadio.
NBN Co CEO, Mike Quigley, on today’s announcement that its target of having connected 341,000 premises to the NBN is three months behind schedule.
