![Oreo](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/1/a/5/0/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gy19xe.png/1503358800568.jpg)
![Oreo](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/1/a/5/0/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gy19xe.png/1503358800568.jpg)
Is the new Essential smartphone ... essential?
![The Essential smartphone, with and without its sold-separately 360 degree camera.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/g/s/u/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.gy0m7x.png/1503303136345.jpg)
So-called 'simpler' high-end phone is beautiful and well-made, but its lack of features means it falls short of being essential.
Are you ready for Australia's spring rain broadband blues?
![The NBN might not bring relief to every Australia who regularly loses their broadband after heavy rain.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/n/l/g/l/image.related.landscape.120x80.gy0nmf.png/1503298032525.jpg)
It's been a dry winter, but the spring downpours are set to trigger the seasonal ADSL slowdown as Telstra's pits flood – drowning the country's ageing copper network.
Musk, others warn UN in open letter: ban killer robots now
![The THeMIS ADDER, from Estonian company Milrem, is a smart unmanned system that could potentially be controlled by AI.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/0/h/i/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gy0h12.png/1503307590540.jpg)
Time is running out to put a ban in place against the development of killer robots, warns an open letter signed by 116 founders of robotics and artificial intelligence companies, including Elon Musk.
Appliances are getting smarter but humans are still lazy
![Smart technology can enable households to remotely operate lights, heating, cooling and other appliances.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/3/c/d/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxzvj7.png/1503119387516.jpg)
Appliances are getting smarter but humans remain as lazy as ever, a new report on energy saving devices suggests.
Banning neo-Nazis online a slippery slope, tech group warns Silicon Valley
![A white nationalist demonstrator with a helmet and shield marches in Charlottesville.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/v/2/d/l/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxzv7d.png/1503152300682.jpg)
Not everyone in Silicon Valley agrees with how major tech companies have grappled with white supremacy in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Tim Cook slams Trump's Charlottesville response
![Tim Cook with US president Donald Trump in June.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/v/7/i/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxyz5x.png/1503013891861.jpg)
In an email to Apple employees, CEO Tim Cook has denounced the deadly violence in Charlottesville last weekend, criticised US President Donald Trump's response and pledged to donate $US2 million to organisations battling hate groups.
Facebook shut down conservative internal discussion group
![Mark Zuckerberg is cracking down on hate speech, both internally and on the public Facebook.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/y/x/x/b/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxyxoi.png/1503044484044.jpg)
Employees had begun using the group as a 'hub for employees who backed Donald Trump's candidacy' and 'conservative political debate that sometimes degenerated into racist or sexist comments', reports say.
Aussie smart homes choking on slow upload speeds
![Broadband isn't just about how fast you can download data at home, it's also about fast you can send it.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/q/9/g/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxyovt.png/1503282331464.jpg)
Typical home upload speeds of less than 1 Mbps mean that bandwidth-thirsty foreign smart home gear is choking in Australian homes.
Sega let fans make a Sonic game, and it's the best since 1994
![Mania](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/y/5/p/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxy5jb.png/1502946674649.jpg)
This is a game that will thrill long-time fans and introduce new ones to what Sonic is like at its very best.
Nokia 8 takes aim at stream-happy millennials
![Nokia 8](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/y/3/w/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxy251.png/1502982992188.jpg)
Finnish company HMD Global has unveiled its latest Nokia-branded smartphone, and this time it's a true flagship aiming to win over fans of Samsung and Apple.
Zuckerberg and co: why being born between 1981 and 1984 is key for tech success
![Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the face of the 1981-1984 generation.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/p/u/b/d/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxxxpc.png/1502917048485.jpg)
Creating a billion-dollar company isn't the only thing the founders of tech giants such as Reddit, Airbnb, Instagram and Facebook have in common.
Destroy trust to damage the Dark Net
![Please rate this purchase: illicit drug dealing depends on positive feedback.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/w/c/a/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxwcbg.png/1502848393516.jpg)
It seems odd that a seller of illegal drugs hiding on the Dark Net might be concerned about reputation, but new research suggests that besmirching character is the best way to go about shutting down the dangerous trade.
Flash, down the pan
![Adobe Flash: Once essential, now en route to extinction.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/w/b/s/8/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxwbth.png/1502848181218.jpg)
Adobe's Flash is on the way out, and not before time.
'Factory of the future' prepares Australians as manufacturing goes digital
![Siemens Australia CEO Jeff Connolly and Swinburne deputy vice-chancellor Aleksandar Subic at Swinburne's campus.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/w/i/6/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxwcsb.png/1502877268443.jpg)
Swinburne University of Technology's "Factory of the Future", a hub for cutting edge and experimental digital manufacturing tech, has been given a shot in the arm thanks to a $135 million grant from Siemens.
Latest online scam aims to prick porn watchers' guilty conscience
![Scammers claim to be watching you watching porn, but they're bluffing.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/1/h/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxwvxl.png/1502836636325.jpg)
Scammers are demanding payment in Bitcoin or they'll release video of you watching porn, but these wannabe blackmailers haven't really caught you with your pants down.
Error code 418: I'm a teapot
![Fans of the prank didn't take kindly to an attempt at its removal.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/w/c/1/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxwbip.png/1502806527948.jpg)
It started back in 1998 as an April Fool's Day gag, but it's become a beloved part of the worldwide web.
What Google gender 'manifesto' really says about tech industry
![Oh the terrible irony.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/v/o/q/v/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxvmlq.png/1502682346223.jpg)
Structural discrimination torpedoed the British computer industry in the 60s and 70s, and more recently caused shockwaves through Silcon Valley in the early 2000s. Lets hope, in the wake of the latest scandal, that we've learned something.
Hands on: Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor home security cameras
![The Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor give you eyes and ears at home while you're out and about.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/v/i/6/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxvhs7.png/1503298184727.jpg)
Nest's streaming cameras offer a great way to keep an eye on things back at the ranch, assuming your home broadband connection is up to the task.
Amazon eyes new food technology for home delivery
![Amazon could eventually offer pre-prepared foods that don't need to be frozen or refrigerated for shipping.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170822043422im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/x/b/b/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.gxvg5d.png/1502676325911.jpg)
Amazon is exploring a technology first developed for the US military to produce tasty prepared meals that do not need refrigeration, as it looks for new ways to muscle into the grocery business.