The new Foxtel iQ3 set-top box and remote. Foxtel As streaming services hit fever pitch in Australia, Foxtel has announced a major overhaul and redesign of its iQ set-top box system with the release of iQ3. The new set-top box offers an update on both hardware and software that ditches all things linear. Not only …

Attorney-General George Brandis.Image by CeBIT Australia, CC BY 2.0 Australian internet users may soon find themselves locked out of certain overseas-based websites under Federal Government plans to introduce site-blocking legislation to combat piracy. The Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill has been drafted to allow rights holders to seek a court order in order to block overseas websites at an ISP …

Malcolm Turnbull has praised the opposition for supporting data retention. Stefan Postles/Getty The Federal Opposition has voted in favour of a mandatory data retention scheme in Australia, meaning that metadata laws are likely to pass through Parliament with little opposition. The news comes as Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed the Government worked with the Opposition to draft a series of …

NBN Co NBN Co has officially launched a pay-to-upgrade program, allowing individuals and communities to apply to speed up their broadband connection as part of the national rollout of the NBN. The scheme, known as Technology Choice, was announced in November last year — the same time that NBN Co confirmed it was officially killing its Fibre to the Premises …

Commonwealth Bank Commonwealth Bank has officially introduced an update to its CommBank mobile app allowing customers to make Tap & Pay payments on any Android phone with NFC. After a soft launch that came off the back of an app update on March 4, the feature is now available on any Android smartphone using Android 4.4 (KitKat) or later. The …

Apple showed off a Woolworths app on its Apple Watch. Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET Amongst the major Apple Watch announcements made at the company’s Spring Forward event in California this morning — including news that the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition will fetch upwards of AU$14,000 — we heard more about the new apps that will roll out when the …

Optus Optus has announced it will shutter its content and service portal Optus Zoo by the end of the month, to be replaced by an “alternative content store” that will continue offering downloads such as music, apps and eBooks. Optus Zoo has more than a decade of history under its belt, with roots in the early days of mobile internet …

Telstra As the Federal Government’s data retention legislation inches closer to becoming law, Telstra has announced “new transparency measures” to ensure its customers will be able to access their own metadata records. Under the new scheme, the telco will allow customers to gain access to the same metadata which would be provided “in response to a lawful request without a …

Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile is tackling a common bugbear of mobile plans with the announcement of a new Data Rollover feature on all postpaid plans, allowing customers to carry unused data over to the following month, without any extra charge. The Australian first will let Virgin Mobile customers take any data inclusions that are left unused at the end of …

Attorney-General George Brandis. CeBIT Australia, CC BY 2.0 The Government has agreed to amend proposed data retention legislation to adopt a number of recommendations from a bipartisan review, including agreeing to define the data set in legislation and provide protections for journalists. The announcement follows a joint parliamentary inquiry into the bill, which heard from critics and proponents of data …