Robot companions are coming into our homes – so how human should they be?

Adeline Chanseau, University of Hertfordshire What would your ideal robot be like? One that can change nappies and tell bedtime stories to your child? Perhaps you’d prefer a butler that can polish silver and mix the perfect cocktail? Or maybe you’d prefer a companion that just happened to be a robot? Certainly, some see robots…

Australia’s car industry needs cybersecurity rules to deal with the hacking threat

It’s common to hear modern cars referred to as computers on wheels. They boast sensors that measure fuel and braking, along with built-in navigation and infotainment systems. These digital systems could be hacked and Australia needs to preemptively tackle this threat. Compromised vehicles present unique issues. Besides putting people at serious risk, these smart cars…

Is digital connectivity threatening your privacy?

Dr Rachelle Bosua It is 11.15am and you are in the middle of a doctor’s appointment when a reminder message for your Melbourne to Sydney flight that departs in two hours, pops up on your mobile phone. It warns you that with the current traffic conditions you will need to leave your location in the…

How IoT and Connected Devices are driving the revolution in Healthcare Industry

Over the past few years, we have observed an exponential progress in the capacity and capability of new healthcare technologies representing the vision of a very different model of healthcare. Technology is redefining the future of healthcare industry. The sync up between vast amounts of available data with the help of cloud computing and machine…

Online shopping: Retailers seek visibility in face of Google control

Michael J. Armstrong, Brock University and Anteneh Ayanso, Brock University Customers often find retailers online using Google. For example, type “laptop” into the wildly popular search engine, and you will quickly see web links related to laptop computers. Some of those are “sponsored links,” also known as retailer ads. Those retailers paid Google to display…

Helping autonomous vehicles and humans share the road

Jeffrey C. Peters, Stanford University A common fantasy for transportation enthusiasts and technology optimists is for self-driving cars and trucks to form the basis of a safe, streamlined, almost choreographed dance. In this dream, every vehicle – and cyclist and pedestrian – proceeds unimpeded on any route, as the rest of the traffic skillfully avoids…

Cloud, backup and storage devices: how best to protect your data

How much data do you still store only on your mobile, tablet or laptop? Shutterstock/Neirfy Adnene Guabtni, Data61 We are producing more data than ever before, with more than 2.5 quintillion bytes produced every day, according to computer giant IBM. That’s a staggering 2,500,000,000,000 gigabytes of data and it’s growing fast. We have never been…

Massive global ransomware attack highlights faults and the need to be better prepared

Wana Decrypt0r 2.0 Ransomware Screen. Avast David Glance, University of Western Australia A massive malware attack was launched on Friday, affecting at least 75,000 computers in 99 countries. Computers running Microsoft Windows were infected with “WanaCrypt0r 2.0 or WannaCry” ransomware. Once infected, all of the files on the computer are encrypted by the malware, which…