End-user spending for the worldwide virtual personal assistant (VPA)-enabled wireless speaker market will reach $2.1 billion by 2020, up from $360 million in 2015, according to Gartner. By 2020, 3.3 percent of global households are forecast to have adopted a VPA-enabled wireless speaker. “Last year, the VPA speaker market essentially consisted of end-user spending focused … Continue reading Wireless speaker market set to increase by almost 600 percent →

Autotalks’ next generation V2X device was selected by DENSO, a global auto parts supplier to be the centre of its global V2X platform for car-makers mass market projects. Prototyping phase has already started towards an high-volume Start Of Production in 2019, targeting North America market. V2X Communication connects vehicles to other vehicles, infrastructure, motorcycles and … Continue reading Vehicle-to-vehicle communication with V2X →

Mavic Pro is made by DJI and is a drone that is small enough to toss in a bag and easy enough to launch quickly whenever the time and place are right. Its folding design compresses entire drone to practically the size of a water bottle. It is equipped with a stabilized 4K camera and … Continue reading Drone small enough to fit in backpack →

Once the leader in its field, the Blackberry smartphone will no longer be manufactured in Canada as it succumbs to the inevitable take over of more popular touchscreen handsets produced by Apple, Samsung and Nokia. Fourteen years ago, Blackberry mobile phones were the leaders in the world of handsets, with its distinctive Qwerty keyboard being … Continue reading Bye Bye Blackberry →

NBN has announced that it has cancelled its plans to use Optus’ hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC) network as part of its rollout and will use fibre-to-the-distribution point (FTTdP) instead. Currently, the NBN utilises the following technologies: fibre-to-the-premises (FttP), fibre-to-the-node (FttN), wireless, and HFC (a combination of fibre and copper). However, NBN has today announced that it … Continue reading NBN scraps Optus HFC network for FttDP →

Sales of the Raspberry Pi have reached 10 million, a milestone that manufacturer RS Components is proud of as it produces up to 1400 boards per hour. Targeting use in industry, in homes and in schools and colleges worldwide, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has introduced a number of new and increasingly powerful models since the … Continue reading Raspberry Pi reaches milestone →

Waterproofing is claimed to be the new focus of global electronics manufacturers. Since water-resistant standards play a big role in making expensive handheld and wearable digital devices more durable, the industry has adopted the IPX7 rating, which protects against immersion in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter (3.28 feet). Yet the … Continue reading How to waterproof consumer electronics →

Schneider Electric has announced that it has launched “Light It Up”, its programme to bring access to electricity to rural communities across the Asia Pacific region. From mid- September to early November this year, Schneider Electric employees will distribute more than 1,800 units of the Mobiya solar lamps to rural communities in 12 countries across … Continue reading Solar lamps for poor communities →

Apple’s iPhone 7 comes with a range of new features including private data transfer whereby users can transfer their passwords, history of visited sites and other data from the old device to the new one As well as having all the bells and whistles a new smartphone is a beacon for hackers, who’d like to … Continue reading Must-have security apps for the iPhone 7 →

DEWESoft has redesigned their all-in-one unit the Sirius R2D with its built in 12-inch multi-touch full HD display. The inclusion being the powerful SBOXse PC, which allows guaranteed full data throughput utilising EtherCAT technology. The EtherCAT connection provides the power and transfers the measurement data and synchronisation using one single cable. This allows the R2D … Continue reading Upgrade for Sirius all-in-one DAQ →

Fluke Australia introduces Fluke laser levels, a new line of professional-grade, precision tools that are designed to survive a one metre drop and keep working. The levels feature a fast settling, self-levelling gimbal that delivers accurate reference points, expediting electrical and HVAC layouts, says the manufacturer. Products in the range include: Fluke-3PR (red laser) and … Continue reading Tough laser levels can survive 1m drop →

Kensington has released a new dishwasher proof IP68 keyboard and mouse. According to recent studies, on average, workplace offices contain more bacteria than toilet seats, with new research from the University of San Diego revealing more than 500 types of bacteria reportedly appear across shared office spaces and facilities, claims the manufacturer. The keyboard and … Continue reading Dishwasher proof keyboard for rugged conditions →

The bill of materials (BOM) for an iPhone 7 equipped with 32GB of NAND flash memory costs $219.80, according to a preliminary estimate from IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a specialist critical information, analytics and solutions. After $5 in basic manufacturing costs are added, Apple’s total cost to manufacture the iPhone 7 rises to $224.80. The … Continue reading Apple charge consumers three times the price of iPhone7 build →

Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES) has announced the availability of Intel Xeon D-1500 family processor-based single-board computers, which support up to 16 Xeon-class cores in a single, power-efficient, System-on-Chip (SoC) package with native extended temperature support on four-, eight- and twelve core-count SKUs. Originally available with only up to eight cores, the processors are now available … Continue reading Intel Xeon D-1500 processors support up to 16 cores →

According to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of shipped cellular M2M terminals were 2.7 million worldwide during 2015. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.1 percent, this number is expected to reach 5.7 million in 2020. Berg Insight defines cellular terminals as standalone devices … Continue reading Shipments of cellular M2M terminals will reach 5.7 million units in 2020 →

Parrot has announced the launch of the Parrot Disco – a fixed-wing drone that provides the fully immersive flight experience, claims the manufacturer. The ultra-lightweight Parrot Disco can reach top speeds of 80 km/h and offers 45 minutes of flight time.  Previous piloting experience isn’t necessary as it takes-off and lands automatically and comes fully … Continue reading Total immersive flying with Parrot Drone →

If you haven’t already incorporated home automation into your life, now’s the time to get started. Home automation is a general phrase that describes a wide range of technologies that aim to rethink and improve the way people use their home electronics and appliances. Almost anything that runs on electricity in your home can be … Continue reading Home automation – making life easy →

American Digital Pioneer and US Government former Presidential Innovation Fellow, Hillary Hartley, will visit Australia in November to share insights from her experiences transforming US digital government services to increase efficiencies and better engage citizens. A self-confessed ‘alpha geek,’ Hartley is one of the leading advocates for digital transformation for the US Government. She was … Continue reading Govt digital transformation evangelist to visit in November →

Cummins will showcase a diverse set of new technologies to tackle the challenge of reducing total cost of ownership for OEM customers at the upcoming IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover this September. The technologies address global challenges for engine systems and allows Cummins’ expertise to deliver integrated solutions for air handling, fuel and after … Continue reading Cummins try to reduce costs →

Automotive supplier Valeo has partnered with digital security specialist Gemalto to ensure the security of its virtual car key system called Valeo InBlue. The system allows car drivers to use their smartphone or connected watch to lock, unlock and start their car, control applications and remotely access useful vehicle data using Bluetooth. This innovation is … Continue reading Turning your smartphone into a car key →