News

Over the past decade, the retail sector has been undergoing significant digital disruption. The move from fixed computers to mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) enables busy consumers to shop online at a time convenient to them. In the past year, more than 3 in 4 Australians made online purchases, with an annual average spend of $2,600. Mobile devices and continual digital advances are revolutionising the retail sector and blurring the line between online and offline (in-store) shopping. Global marketing research company, Nielsen Corporation reports that ‘new retail’ behaviours are emerging - with 6 in 10 online Australians using a combination of both online…

The annual Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (ANZIAs) acknowledge those who excel in making the Internet a more inclusive, accessible and safe place. Now in its 7th year, the ANZIAs celebrate the achievements of organisations, businesses and individuals that have made significant contributions to the development and use of the Internet in Australia and New Zealand. For the first time this year, people can nominate another organisation for the positive contribution that its online initiative or presence has made to the Internet. The six ANZIA categories are: Diversity Innovation Information Access and digital skills Security and online safety The…

Entries in the prestigious Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2015 New Media category are now open, offering prizes valued at $10,000. Community Programs Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said the 2015 Sunshine Coast Art Prize New Media category was a national award open to any Australian resident working within any new media medium. “Artworks such as digital photography, video, street art, animation and projection with a focus on innovative digital technologies are eligible for the New Media prize,” she said. “With a total prize pool of $10,000 the Art Prize is a fantastic launching pad for new media artists from across the…

Australia's digital economy is valued at $79 billion (or 5.1%) of gross domestic product (GDP), larger than the traditional industries of agriculture, transport and retail, according to The Connected Continent II report by Deloitte Access Economics. The report, which analyses how the internet is transforming the Australian economy, says the digital economy is growing in significance and is 50% larger in real terms than the 2011 estimate. “Today, digital technology including cloud platforms, smart hand-held devices and social networks are the new beachheads of the sweeping impact of the internet,” the report says. “Rapidly evolving from basic connectivity, these technologies are further…

NBN Co has launched its Technology Choice Program which provides new options for individuals, local governments and communities who wish to apply for a change to their National Broadband Network (NBN) infrastructure. It provides an opportunity for eligible applicants to select an alternate technology solution by paying the incremental cost of the change. This policy replaces the previous Network Extension policy which was launched in July 2012. The current rollout is expected to meet the bandwidth needs of the majority of broadband users. However, if some individuals or communities have specific needs for higher speed broadband, they have an opportunity to…

CoreEd is offering Sunshine Coast youth the opportunity to become the creators of tomorrow’s technology. The new program offers middle school students the chance to use technology to interact, create, innovate and solve real world challenges. “For most people, the digital revolution hasn't even started. CoreEd teaches our kids today the skills they’ll need for the 21st century,” said Craig Josic, co-founder of The Core. CoreEd is hosting an inspirational and transformative event to showcase this original project on 28 March at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s (USC) Engage Research Lab. CoreEd, together with the Sunshine Coast’s vibrant innovation community and…

If you see a strange hi-tech van driving the streets of Noosa over the next couple of weeks, it’s not a Google car or Ghostbusters van, but a state-of-the-art vehicle that Noosa Council is using to record the condition of sealed roads.  Bryan O’Connor, Council’s Asset Planning Coordinator, said council was using the Automatic Road Analyser (ARAN) vehicle to collect valuable data on the condition of local roads. “The vehicle uses military-designed systems and specialist equipment including a high precision GPS with digital video and a laser measurement system to log road condition data,” Mr O’Connor said. “It can capture…

Are you under 25 or know someone who is? Do you have big ideas? Are you an innovator of the future? If so, nominate for the Hills Young Innovator of the Year Award! Hills is searching the country for people who: Have innovative ideas for Cloud, mobile and big data Have an idea for a new security or healthcare solution Would like their innovation to be showcased Could use $5,000 to help their idea to market The Hills Young Innovator of the Year award aims to showcase the skills and ideas of the innovators of the future; placing them on a national stage…

Most Western and Northern European countries, Australia, and Japan have been Stalling Out, according to the Digital Evolution Index which identifies how a group of countries stack up against each other in terms of readiness for a digital economy. The only way these countries can jump-start their recovery is to redouble on innovation and continue to seek markets beyond domestic borders. The Digital Evolution Index (DEI) developed by the Fletcher School at Tufts University is derived from four broad drivers:  supply-side factors (including access, fulfillment, and transactions infrastructure) demand-side factors (including consumer behaviors and trends, financial and Internet and social media savviness) innovations (including the…