News Articles

FTA/PAY TV

EU UHF Spectrum agreement will safeguard future of free-to-air TV distribution

"The EBU welcomes today’s (26 January) vote by the European Parliament’s Industry Committee on the long term future of the UHF frequencies. The vote validates an EU interinstitutional agreement on access to UHF spectrum below 700 MHz for terrestrial TV broadcasting until at least 2030."

"Public service media make their channels available on all TV platforms - digital terrestrial television (DTT), satellite, cable and IP-based networks. DTT, which relies on UHF spectrum, nevertheless remains the most effective means of ensuring that every citizen has access to free-to-air TV. Roughly 250 million people receive their television services through DTT in Europe." The complete article can be accessed here.

Additional funding for satellite television service

03 January 2019

"Minister for Regional Services Senator Bridget McKenzie today  announced $10 million in additional funding to secure the Viewer Access Satellite Television Service (VAST) for regional Australians until 2021."

"VAST provides commercial and national television services free-to-air to around 500,000 Australian viewers in regional Australia, including 30,000 travellers."

"The VAST service also covers some metropolitan areas where terrestrial transmission services are not able to be economically provided by broadcasters."

"The Government today also released the 2018 review of the VAST service, which includes the key recommendation that the service should continue to be provided through the current satellite delivery model."

"VAST has been operating since 2010, as part of the national switchover to digital television. The $10 million in additional funding will add to more than $127 million in funding committed to the service since 2010. VAST is also supported by contributions from broadcasters." The media release can be accessed here.

Netflix, Amazon, and Hollywood studios shut down maker of “free TV” box

"The entertainment industry has scored a big victory over the maker of a "free TV" box that helped users watch pirated video."

"Dragon Media Inc., whose "Dragon Box" device connects to TVs and lets users watch video without a cable TV or streaming service subscription, has agreed to shut down the Dragon Box services and pay $14.5 million in damages to plaintiffs from the entertainment industry."  The complete article can be accessed here.

Security

Electronic Security Sales Growing at 7.2 Per Cent

"Total value of global electronic security products at factory prices in 2018 was approximately $US 31.6 billion growing at 7.2 per cent, according to a Memoori report, with China accounting for more than 30 per cent of total sales."

"According to Memoori, security electronics sales in 2018 were around $31.6 billion and will reach $44.3 billion by 2023. The China market has increased market share by 50 per cent over the last 7 years, primarily in CCTV – yet no non-Chinese manufacturer has established a meaningful market share there." The complete article can be accessed here.

Nest Blame Weak Passwords For Hacked Cams

"Google-owned security camera company, Nest, has denied reports its products are susceptible to security breaches, asserting consumers’ weak passwords are to blame."

"The latest report about a hacked Nest camera involved a San Francisco woman’s device declaring the US was under nuclear attack from North Korea."

"The hacker was able to access the user’s camera by obtaining the account’s password from a third party — i.e. she used the same login information on another site that was breached."

"Rishi Chandra, vice president of Nest reached out to customers in an email, assuring them their “Nest security has not been breached or compromised.”

"He states Nest, with Google, scours breaches across the internet, and if it finds any potential vulnerabilities alerts customers, and disables access temporarily."

"Chandra says Nest cannot prevent breaches on third-party sites, but advises customers about best practices for device and password security."

"Best practices include enabling two-factor authentication, creating strong and unique passwords, staying alert for phishing emails, and ensuring home network router software has the latest security updates." The complete article can be accessed here.

Guardzilla Home Cameras Open to Anyone Wanting to Watch Their Footage

"Another day, another internet of things (IoT) issue: A design flaw in the Guardzilla home video surveillance system has been discovered that allows users to watch other homeowners’ Guardzilla videos."

"The Guardzilla All-In-One Video Security System is a home security platform that provides indoor video surveillance. The GZ501W model camera contains a shared, hard-coded Amazon S3 credential used for storing saved video data in the Amazon cloud – so all users of the Guardzilla All-In-One Video Security System have the same password, and thus can access each other’s saved home video. And, any unauthenticated user can collect the data from any of the systems over the internet as long as they know the storage details." The complete article can be accessed here.

CCTV Assisted in Tram 86 Murder Arrest

"CCTV from the number 86 tram on which murder victim Aiia Maasarwe travelled assisted police to make an arrest within hours of its receipt yet CCTV coverage of Melbourne trams has yawning gaps."

"Public Transport Victoria CEO Jeroen Weimar said one third of trams on the network have cameras installed."

“Every new tram we add to the network, and we’re adding about one tram a month, is equipped with around 10 cameras inside and outside the tram,” Weimar said.

“We are working very closely with Victoria Police and we have shared CCTV from a number of trams on that night,” Weimar said. “The tram that Aiia was on that night had CCTV, there was footage and that has been provided to Victoria Police.”

"Police are becoming increasingly reliant on public and private CCTV systems not only to make arrests but to record convictions." The article can be accessed here.

Yikes! Ring employees were able to spy on customers' camera feeds

"Another day, another tech company doing something creepy."

"According to The Intercept and The Information, Ring allowed employees access to unencrypted customer videos taken from its lineup of smart doorbell. The incidents began in 2016, when the company moved from San Francisco to Ukraine, in an effort to save money."

"Months later, Ring transmitted users' videos without encryption. It also gave its R&D team in Ukraine unfettered access to some customers' video files. Specifically, it was given access to the company's Amazon S3 cloud storage, which contained every Ring customer video and a database that detailed who the videos belonged to. Those files were unencrypted, so nothing was stopping Ring employees from downloading or sharing the information they could access."

"While this was happening with the Ukraine team, US-based Ring executives and engineers were granted access to “unfiltered, round-the-clock live feeds from some customer cameras". The Intercept said this led to Ring engineers "teasing each other about who they brought home" after dates. Basically, if someone who had been given this access inside Ring wanted to snoop, all they needed was a user's email address." The complete article can be accessed here.

Technology

Plans, contractor revealed for Sunshine Coast submarine cable station

"Designs for the building which will be the landing point for the high-speed Sunshine Coast International Broadband Submarine Cable have been revealed today, as well as the contractor who will construct this core piece of the network infrastructure."

"The cable landing station, located in Maroochydore, will help deliver Australia’s fastest data and telecommunications connection to Asia and the second fastest to the United States."

"Following a tender process, Australian-based Vertiv, a global leader in critical infrastructure, has been awarded the contract to design and construct the cable landing station."

"Vertiv has committed to maximising the use of locally based contractors throughout the project."

"The $6.6 million cable landing station will house the terrestrial connection point for the submarine cable with landside networks and will be designed to accommodate up to four submarine cables, should that be required."

"The cable landing station is funded from the $35 million total budget for the Sunshine Coast International Broadband Submarine Cable project."  The complete article can be accessed here.

Adelaide chosen to host Australia’s space agency

"The planets have indeed aligned for Adelaide: home to Australia’s new space agency that will triple the nation’s space economy to $12 billion."

"Australia’s new space agency will be based in Adelaide, reinforcing South Australia as a hub for innovation and technology, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says."

"The PM says the Australian space sector is set to reach new heights and the agency will open doors for local businesses to access the $US345 billion global space industry."  The complete article can be accessed here.

The connected home is a win-win for insurers and the insured

"According to Statista, the global IoT (Internet of Things) market is forecast to be worth $1.7 trillion (USD) by the end of next year. It was a mere $485 billion in 2013.  The latest from Gartner forecasts the number of connected things will be 20.4 billion by 2020. Of this, the consumer segment will account for around 60% of the market. Which is why, for the property insurance market, this growth in IoT is a massive opportunity for insurers. IoT enabled smart insurance is a win-win proposition with many benefits for customers too."

"When it comes to property insurance and the customer, the benefits of smart insurance fall into four main categories:
1) Prevention is better than cure
2) Insurance comes as a sticky lifestyle app
3) Personalisation is built with data and insights
4) At the end of the day, insurance is all about settling".  The complete article can be accessed here.

New Z-Wave Platform Goes Beta, Offers 10-Year Device Battery Life

"SILICON Labs’ Z-Wave 700 has gone beta, offering 10-year device battery life and 100m transmission range to allow installers to apply security, automation and IoT devices in complex now ways."

"Next-generation Z-Wave 700 is built on the Wireless Gecko IOT platform. According to Z-Wave, Gecko builds on its industry-leading S2 security and interoperability by improving energy efficiency and adding higher performance, longer range RF capabilities, enabling developers to create new classes of smaller, more intelligent smart home products at a lower cost and faster time-to-market." The complete article can be accessed here.

Whats the difference between Z-Wave and Z-Wave Plus?

"There is a lot of confusion between Z-Wave Plus and older non-Plus devices."

"A product that is Z-Wave Plus means it has passed a rigorous certification process and thus is likely to be more reliable and have fewer issues than non-Plus devices. All Z-Wave devices are 100% interoperable and backwards compatible so a Z-Wave Plus device can communicate with any non-Plus device without issue. If you have a choice between a Z-Wave Plus device and a non-Plus device, I recommend you choose the Z-Wave Plus device because the Plus device will work better." To learn more about Z-Wave Plus the blog can be accessed here.

What Does 2019 Have in Store for the Internet of Things?

"Many of our best technologists and prognosticators have tried and failed to predict where technology is headed."

"But when it comes to 2019, there are some trends we can probably count on, and the Internet of Things is one of them. Beyond the many useful consumer-level applications, like making our homes and appliances smarter and more efficient, a wide variety of industries will be rolling out their own services, standards and tools for leveraging the IoT. Here are a few of those applications, along with a nod to some of the likeliest growing pains.

1. Security Will Command Higher Spending Than Ever
2. Health Care Will Get a Helping Hand From Big Data and the IoT
3. Smart Cities Will Take off Thanks to IoT-Based Urban Planning
4. Automotive Applications, Including Autonomous Cars
5. The IoT Will Find More Applications in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management." The article with more details on the applications can be accessed here.

Internet of Things trends for 2019

"The state of the Internet of Things (IoT) market has not quite seen the explosion it did in 2017, rather it seems as though the hype has calmed as vendors prepare to bring a real impact in 2019."

"As more and more vendors are striving to make viable IoT products and services which are easier to deploy, new developments like 5G and smart cities will bring with them added complexity to contend with."

"Of course, it goes without saying that Gartner still holds onto its prediction that there will be over 20 billion IoT devices by 2020, but as we get closer to that date, consumers remain concerned about the performance and security of IoT deployments."

Here, we examine some of the major trends shaping IoT today, and what to expect in 2019.

Adoption
Industrial IoT
Emerging IoT projects
Security remains a concern
Edge computing
Robotic Process Automation

What to expect

"Overall, 2019 should be an interesting year for stakeholders in the IoT ecosystem. From the increase in connected devices, to a rise in intelligent automation - there will be several deployments of note to keep an eye on."

"Security and privacy will become of greater importance as systems and devices become increasingly powerful too."  he article with more details on the major trends can be accessed here.

At CES, Focus is On ‘Cool Factor’ Not IoT Security

"When it comes to IoT, the priority at CES is the “wow factor” – but not so much a focus on security."

"With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) afoot this week, headlines are crammed with the offbeat connected products from the show – including everything from a smart belt all the way down to a connected toilet."

"But one important topic seems to be missing from the troves of CES news (and even from the webpages describing these devices) – how secure are these new IoT products?"

"For infosec experts specializing in connected devices, unfortunately the missing security piece is nothing new at the show."

“Unfortunately, the new devices launched at CES present security issues for users, mostly because manufacturers have a ‘connectivity first, security second’ development approach,” Yevgeny Dibrov, CEO of Armis, told Threatpost. “These new devices are exciting, and the likely reality is that they’ll follow the tradition of connected devices, and will lack security.”

"The buzz continues to grow around connected devices, particularly spurred by voice assistants soaring in popularity. Global spending on IoT is set to hit a whopping $1.2 trillion in 2022, according to market research firm IDC. However many of these devices are still being built with little to no security in mind." The complete article can be accessed here.

Developer Launches Battery-Powered Smart Homes

"Adelaide-based developer DLH Projects is close to completing its battery-run housing development in the city's south west."

"The project will be the first of its kind to deliver a cost-neutral lifestyle with the assistance of government subsidies."

"The sustainable development, located in Warradale, will comprise of five, two-storey townhouses each equipped with a 5kW solar system and a 7.5kW sonnenBattery."

"Each sonnenBatterie has an expected lifespan of 20 years, with a 10,000 cycle 10 year warranty."

"Over the lifespan of each battery, homeowners can expect to save $60,000 per home which is certainly a huge incentive for buyers."  The article can be accessed here.

Business

Bunnings to finally launch online store, selling more than 60,000 products

"Aussie hardware giant Bunnings has finally announced plans to enter the online shopping game after years of speculation and anticipation."

"The retailer took the wraps off its plans yesterday in a presentation and call with shareholders, with managing director Mike Schneider revealing that after a trial in Tasmania next month, Bunnings’ online store will be rolled out across the whole of Australia over the next 18 months."

"This will be a fully transactional online store, with customers able to choose from more than 60,000 Bunnings products."

"However, while delivery will be on offer, the hardware giant is expecting the majority of shoppers will choose to ‘click and collect’ at their local Bunnings store."

"Though a move into e-commerce might seem like a strange announcement to make in 2019, the company’s delay in doing it so far was due to the impractical and expensive aspects of shipping its bigger and bulkier items, which led to the company trialling home delivery for 20,000 of these “special” items, such as sheds, in January last year."  The complete article can be accessed here.

The Economy

Australia finally receives some good news on the largest part of the economy

March 20, 2019

"Growth in Australian household spending slowed sharply in the second half of last year, contributing to the broader deceleration in the economy given it accounts for over 50% of GDP."

"With household incomes growth still soft and property price weakness spreading across the country, many suspect those trends will continue in 2019, creating a scenario that could see economic growth remain sluggish, leading to a possible increase in unemployment and weaker inflationary pressures."

"It’s little wonder why so many now expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will be forced to cut Australia’s cash rate this year."

"However, perhaps all the chatter about rate cuts may be overdone, at least if new data from the Commonwealth Bank is anything to go by."

"According to its Business Sales Indicator (BSI), a measure that tracks the value of credit and debit card transactions processed through its merchant facilities, economy-wide spending rose by 0.5% in trend terms during February, the fastest pace in nine months."  The complete article can be accessed here.

Australian unemployment falls to 8-year lows

March 21, 2019

"Australia’s unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in February, dropping to fresh multi-year lows."

"According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the unemployment rate dipped to 4.9% in seasonally adjusted terms, beating expectations for a steady reading of 5%."

"It now sits at the lowest level since June 2011."

"If markets were looking for a smoking gun that could trigger a near-term rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), this report failed to deliver it."

"Previously, the RBA has stated that a sustained increase in the unemployment rate was one scenario that could warrant further rate cuts."  The complete article can be accessed here.

Federal budget is improving despite softening economy, Deloitte says

March 18, 2019

"Despite a softening economy the budget will be just short of a surplus in 2018-19 and record a $9.8bn surplus for 2019-20, according to Deloitte Access Economics."

"In its latest budget monitor, released on Monday, Deloitte suggests the budget is improving due to booming company tax receipts even as crashing house prices and slow wage growth hit consumer spending."

"Deloitte estimates the budget will be $3.1bn better off in 2018-19 and $5.7bn better off in 2019-20, compared with the official mid-year update in December." The complete article can be accessed here.

Sydney and Melbourne Downturn Only at Halfway Point: BIS

March 19, 2019

"A historical look at the history of Australia's numerous housing downturns reveals that markets in Sydney and Melbourne are only halfway through the average downturn cycle with prices expected to fall a further 5 to 10 per cent over the next 12 months."

"According to economic forecaster BIS Oxford Economics, markets are likely to continue to decline in 2019, particularly given the constrained availability of credit and ongoing weakness in investor demand."

"BIS Oxford Economics study author Angie Zigomanis noted in the context of previous market downturns, real prices in Sydney and Melbourne have been falling at a faster rate than historical benchmarks."

“So far, the period of decline in these two markets has been much shorter than the longest downturn duration and around half of their respective average downturn lengths in both the house and unit markets,” Zigomanis said.

“It is foreseeable that the current downturn in the Sydney and Melbourne markets may have at least another year to run before reaching the cyclical trough.”  The complete article can be accessed here.