Phones
No Insta, just nice buttons for texts and calls: The thrill of the ‘Boring’ phone
Plus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.
- by Jonathan Seidler, Nicole Abadee, Louise Rugendyke, Damien Woolnough and Frances Mocnik
Latest
318 million scam texts sent from four Sydney addresses: police
Three men will face court after a major police operation uncovered sophisticated “smishing” operations.
- by Jessica McSweeney
Opinion
For subscribers
I showed a total stranger a Trump meme on my phone. It was a wake-up call
We can be better humans by occasionally looking up from our phones. It might also help us defy those pesky algorithms.
- by Kerri Sackville
‘Sorry I forgot to reply’: Why do I put off replying to text messages?
Here’s how to take control of your inbox and tackle the anxiety around instant messaging.
- by Cameron Bayley
Quirky wearables come full circle with Samsung’s ‘smart ring’
The Korean tech giant has unveiled a new line of folding phones, along with a ‘health ring’ designed to be worn at all times.
- by Tim Biggs and David Swan
‘No phone rule’: The Sydney nightclub covering up cameras
A Sydney nightclub is asking clubbers to put away their smartphones and enjoy the atmosphere. Will it catch on?
- by Andrew Taylor and Mary Ward
‘Smartphones are like pokies in their pockets’: Keeping kids phone-free
Parents are uniting to keep their kids phone-free – at least until high school – as child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg calls for a licence to use a smartphone.
- by Andrew Taylor
Opinion
Social media
Frighten kids from social media? That would be a free ad to lure them
Banning or attempting to scare children from social media won’t work. It might only push them towards more harm.
- by Malcolm Knox
Attention gym-bench hogs: Try lifting more than your phones
Plus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.
- by Greg Callaghan, Damien Woolnough, Frances Mocnik, David Swan, Paul Connolly and Nicole Abadee
No, a remote Amazon tribe is not addicted to porn
An article by The New York Times about the arrival of Starlink internet in the rainforest took on a life of its own. In a few days, the web was rife with misinformation.
- by Jack Nicas
Analysis
AI
Apple is walking a privacy tightrope with its big AI move
Apple’s OpenAI tie-up will power new features and encourage upgrades to the newest devices, but it does raise some concerns.
- by Tim Biggs