Beyond Infinity

The Fine Art Of Decrypting Your Energy Bills

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Unnecessary bill complexity is a real (and quite deliberate) issue for Australian retail energy consumers. We offer suggestions on how to read your bi...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 3/7/18

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: New Facebook patent describes how a TV ad could contain a hidden audio trigger for your smart phone's mic; Raya - the world'...

Cedar Anderson On Inventing And Crowd-Funding The Flow Hive

28 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The co-inventor of the Flow Hive and founder of Beeinventive describes the journey to get 'honey on tap', plus his super effective use of social media...

Tips And Tricks On How To Capitalise On Social Media

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Mulvany of Save The Bees Australia has single-handedly run a successful media campaign centered around Facebook and Instagram. Here he offers hi...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 26/6/18

26 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Mars VR on Kickstarter to fund new open source VR platform for the public and eventual settlers to visualise Mars landing si...

Issues Facing The World's Bees (Part 2)

22 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Simon and Ben discuss different approaches to bee keeping in different parts of the world. Despite strong apiarist traditions in Europe, efforts are b...

Ethereum - A Viable Alternative To Bitcoin?

21 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As bitcoin steadily loses value from its stratospheric heights of late 2017, other cryptos have gained in value and market prominance. John offers an ...

Monster Dust Storm Threatens Mars Rover

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Last heard from on June 10th, NASA's venerable Opportunity rover has entered low power mode as the sky darkens dramatically, reducing solar power at M...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 19/6/18

19 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Trump directs Pentagon to set up "Space Force" to ensure America's continued dominance beyond Earth; Microsoft's Project Nat...

Apple Gets Serious About Digital Health

15 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

At WWDC 2018, the company foreshadowed changes coming soon in iOS 12, including a new feature called Screen Time which aims to make it easier to curb ...

Issues Facing The World's Bees (Part 1)

15 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a three part interview, bee experts Simon Mulvany and Ben Moore compare Australia's honey bee industry with those in Europe and New Ze...

All New Republic Of Gamers (ROG) Phone

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With a 6 inch display, the latest Snapdragon 845 SoC, 8GB of RAM and a 90Hz refresh rate, the ROG phone is really more gaming console than phone. It a...

Chipping Away At The Global Problem Of Plastic Pollution

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To find an alternative to cellophane, NZ biotech start-up Humble Bee looks to mimic the Australian masked bee's nesting material to create a bioplasti...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 12/6/18

12 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Japan moves to tighten regulations on Airbnb; How to save on iPhone storage costs; Juno mission extended by 3.5 years to mee...

Amazon Geoblocks Its US Site For Aussies

07 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the July 1st introduction of GST on all online purchases, the ecommerce juggernaut now redirects shoppers to its Australian site. Some are di...

Predictions For AR/VR

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Despite their current humble beginnings, the future looks bright for AR/VR developers. John offers his thoughts, forecasting that conventional offices...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 5/6/18

05 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Tencent and Alibaba look like becoming trillion dollar companies, dominating 770 million Chinese internet users; Curiosity r...

Trump White House Accused Of Breaching Data Security Protocols

31 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

While Trump's use of the secret messaging service Confide may breach federal record-keeping laws, there are also concerns about security breaches. Chi...

Anyone Can Become A Citizen Scientist

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

QuestaGame and Nature's Notebook in the US encourage everyday people to photograph, document and monitor animals and plants in the wild and experience...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 29/5/18

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: How to find out what Apple and Google know about you; Alan Bean, 4th man on the Moon, dies aged 86; German scientists debunk...

Europe's New GDPR Privacy Rules

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you've received updated terms of service emails lately from the likes of Twitter, Spotify and eBay, it's because of new laws which provide huge fin...

Metro LA Partners With A Boring Company

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With his trademark boundless ambition and enthusiasm, Elon Musk updates plans to beat traffic chaos by tunneling underground. He announced a deal to w...

Bitmain Corners Bitcoin Mining Market

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Chinese maker of application specific integrated circuits is increasing its control of mining, amid concerns that such centralised power could be ...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 22/5/18

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Old data from Galileo spacecraft reexamined to confirm plumes on moon Europa; Human habitation in the Philippines dates back...

World Bee Day 20th May

18 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tolstoy wrote: "One can no more approach people without love than one can approach bees without care. Such is the quality of bees..." To mark World Be...

Highlights Of Google's 2018 I/O Developers Conference

17 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Delegates were treated to a raft of cool (and slightly creepy) innovations. Google Assistant can robocall and make an appointment for you in a very hu...

Autonomous Flying Taxis

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Uber, Google, Boeing, Bell Helicopter and others are teaming up to make electric aerial transport ubiquitous. But there is plenty of testing, developm...

CO2 At Highest Levels In 800,000 Years

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In April 2018, average atmospheric carbon dioxide exceeded 410 parts per million. There are various dangers including rising sea levels and deteriorat...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 15/5/18

15 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Mars 2020 lander will carry a helicopter; Australian Space Agency aims to triple industry size in 12 years; Super computer m...

The Omnipresence Of Facial Recognition Technology

10 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There are rising concerns over the unfettered use of the technology. How well is your information secured and what are the possibilities for abuse? Sh...

Inside The Mind Of The World's Richest Man

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Bezos has been awarded the 2018 Axel Springer Award. At a ceremony in Berlin, he outlined how he can get through his US$130B fortune - by investi...

Was Nefertiti Buried With King Tut?

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Not according to the latest ground-penetrating radar survey of the boy pharaoh's tomb, but the hunt for unknown chambers at the Great Pyramid of Giza ...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 8/5/18

08 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: A large Harvard University survey shows how to increase life expectancy by a decade or more; MarCO cubesats piggy back to Ma...

The Symptoms Of Climate Change Are Plain To See...

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian Government pledges A$500 million to help save the Great Barrier Reef, but is it too little too late? Spring already sprung? Nature's ...

Towards A Universal Flu Vaccine

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Gates and Google's Larry Page launch the "Universal Influenza Vaccine Development Grand Challenge" to fund novel concepts that reduce flu's globa...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 1/5/18

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: NASA's InSight lander will probe the Martian interior; Spacecraft AR app allows spacecraft to be visualised as never before;...

The Earth In Real Time

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A constellation of satellites operated by start-up EarthNow could one day deliver real-time video from space to businesses and governments. Uses inclu...

Electric Scooters For Hire Clogging Up US Cities

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

An unregulated free-for-all sparks protests from the elderly, disabled and city halls. But for the gung ho start-ups behind the scooter plague, these ...

Google Chat Tries To Muscle In On Messaging

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Will another attempt to unify Android users under a new messaging service fail because it doesn't use encryption?

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 24/4/18

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: TESS exoplanet hunter successfully launched toward unusual lunar resonant orbit; The many, varied (and slightly scary) ways ...

Keeping Trust: China's Dystopian Social Credit System

19 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1.5 billion Chinese ranked by a behaviour monitoring system. If you've been bad, stiff restrictions are imposed by the State, including limited intern...

The Zuck Faces Congress (and how to de-stress from Facebook)

18 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A Queensland University study finds that limiting time on Facebook lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg gets...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 17/4/18

17 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Boost for space tourists as Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity soars in flawless test flight; Flesh-eating super bug outbreak reach...

Where Quantum Computing Might Lead Us

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ian Storey, lecturer in information systems at RMIT, discusses the vast potential for good and ill offered by quantum computing. QC can help molec...

Loss Of The Night

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The view from space shows our planet's nights are getting much brighter, thanks to economic development and the increasing use of LED lighting. But th...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 3/4/18

03 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: How to cheaply upgrade iPhone storage; Chinese space station crashes back to Earth; Musk April Fool's tweet backfires; Russi...

The Spectre And Meltdown Security Threats

28 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A serious security flaw exists in the hardware at the heart of many of the world's computers. And being hardware, it can't be fixed with a software pa...

Are You Unreasonably Risk Averse?

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

RMIT's Dr. Ian Storey teaches risk and prospect theory. Here he discusses risk assessment for companies, explaining the psychology of risk analysis an...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 27/3/18

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Elon Musk backs #deletefacebook campaign by taking down Tesla and SpaceX pages; Tim Cook tells China Development Forum new r...

The Trouble With Facebook

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The social network stands accused of allowing Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, to use psychographic data to target political and divi...

Shipping Advice For Online Shoppers Part 2

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With John's purchases safely landed from America, he concludes his look at the ins and outs of Australia Post's ShopMate service.

Privacy Doubts Over Virtual Assistants

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Where do devices like Google Home, Home Pod or Alexa store all the data they collect about your life at home? What protections should exist for users ...

A Brief History Of Stephen Hawking's Time

21 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Ian Storey walks us through the late cosmologist's career highlights. He also explains Hawking's strong belief in the benefits of the National Heal...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 20/3/18

21 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Platypus milk could help battle antibiotic-resistant bugs; Bantu archaeology aids study of gap in Earth's magnetic field; Mu...

Heritage Status Granted To World's First Solar Power Station

09 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With heritage status confirmed, government funding will be provided for the preservation of this important part of Australia's engineering heritage. A...

New Pixel Versus iPhone

09 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We get down to the nitty gritty about which iPhone you should buy and why - the 8, 8 Plus or X. We also look at the latest, very competitive Pixel pho...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 6/3/18

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: US schools fitting bullet proof student shelters in classrooms; Mercedes and BMW team up to develop driverless taxis; Driver...

Australian Government Releases Strategic Plan For Innovation, Science And Research

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're good at research but not so good at developing the fruits of our research. A new plan seeks to lay out a road map for the next 13 years to maint...

Highlights of 2018 Mobile World Congress

28 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

John runs through some of the headline mobile phone offerings, including Nokia's re-release of its Matrix banana phone, new keenly priced Huawei produ...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 27/2/18

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Melbourne University study of baby Tasmanian tigers reveals when they developed their similarities to dogs; LRO data suggest...

Russia's Role In The Election Of Donald Trump

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With 13 Russians and 3 organisations charged with alleged interference, the spotlight returns to the role played by social media. Have vulnerabilities...

The Security Risks Of Quantum Computers

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Next gen computers promise a paradigm shift in biotech, weather forecasting and logistical planning. They also pose security risks due to their abilit...

Shipping Advice For Online Shoppers

21 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When ordering a new laptop, John found some useful ways to ensure he got the exact model he wanted at a reasonable delivery cost.

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 20/2/18

21 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Sony's new super cute Aibo robot dog on sale in Japan; How to use a 4WD to attract frenzied spiders; Space X's Starlink micr...

Large Apple Investors Urge The Company To Think Differently About Kids

15 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In an open letter of January 6, 2018, JANA Partners and The California State Teachers’ Retirement System, a big teachers' pension fund, pleaded with...

Explaining Bitcoin's Crash

15 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We chew over the recent dramatic falls in the much hyped and super volatile cryptocurrency. What does the future hold for bitcoin and other digital cu...

Strava's Incredible Global Heat Map

14 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The popular sports app's visualisation of its global network of athletes shows over a billion activities covering all of Earth's continents. But some ...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 13/2/18

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Intel's Shooting Stars provide spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony drone show; Trump Administration weighs privatising Int...

SA Government And Tesla's New Deal To Power Public Housing

09 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With a view to driving down domestic power bills, thousands of homes will become part of a new virtual power plant.

Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer To Midnight

08 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Bulletin of the Atomic scientists, including 15 Nobel laureates, has moved the minute hand 30 seconds closer to Armageddon. There are grave concer...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 6/2/18

07 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Meteorites found on Earth hint at complex organic precursors in the asteroid belt; All systems go for historic Falcon Heavy;...

Breed To Breathe

13 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Social media has driven high demand for cute squash-faced dogs. But they often suffer from serious health issues, including breathing and dental probl...

Apple Slows Down Older Phones

11 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The tech giant cops flack over auto-throttling some iPhones as part of so-called better power management capabilities. Is this merely a cynical move t...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 9/1/18

09 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: NASA legend John Young - Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle astronaut - has died aged 87; After delays, Space X's giant Falcon...

Latest On Save The Bees Vs Capilano Honey Part 2

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Mulvaney of Save The Bees Australia details his costly legal battle with Capilano Honey. He explains how he crowd-funded his legal advice to cou...

Latest On Save The Bees Vs Capilano Honey Part 1

02 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a 2 part, wide-ranging interview, Simon Mulvaney of Save The Bees Australia gives us the low down on his legal stoush with Capilano Ho...

The Demise Of Net Neutrality (and why it's a worry)

28 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Communications Commission plans to roll back regulations intended to treat all internet traffic equally. There are censorship, surveillanc...

Trump's Plans For The US Space Program

20 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The US Administration's budget request for NASA includes politically-motivated cuts to earth sciences, but continued support for robotic exploration o...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 19/12/17

20 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Robots replace security guards in San Francisco; Juno peers deep inside Jupiter's Great Red Spot; Pentagon admits to running...

Why The Earth Isn't Flat

18 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Five flagrant reasons why science trumps superstition and misconception every time.

Magpies Voted Australia's Bird Of The Year

16 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

These ubiquitous creatures are more interesting than you think. They mimic sounds, remember human faces, have a broad vocal range, are superbly adapte...

What To Look Out For At CES 2018

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

From January 9-12, the annual Las Vegas show will serve up a veritable feast of consumer electronics. Keep an eye on Alexa and Google Home and Assista...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 12/12/17

13 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Latest Nissan Leaf EV impresses; Google Maps helps public transport users; Latest Bose Quiet Comfort bluetooth headphones wo...

When Will Bitcoin Crash?

11 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In a clear sign bitcoin mania has taken hold, many investors are looking forward to a strong correction in the unit price so they can afford to buy mo...

Oumuamua Arrives From Interstellar Space

10 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The first known asteroid from beyond our solar system was detected by NASA's Near Earth Object Observation Program as it rounded the Sun. This exotic ...

World's Biggest Battery Operational In South Australia

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk keeps his bold promise to install and commission the battery in 100 days. While a step in the right direction, it doesn't guarantee the stat...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 5/12/17

05 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Study confirms flies are an oft overlooked vector for disease transmission; Uber admits in 2016 it covered up a big hack of ...

Will 2018 Be A Really Bad Year For Earthquakes?

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A new theory suggests a correlation between Earth's slowing rotation and the incidence of major quakes.

Tesla Announces Its New Electric Truck And Ultra Quick Roadster

30 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The semi is said to be more reliable and cheaper than a diesel truck, while the roadster has insane racing car performance. Expect delays for both.

The Longer Arm Of The Law

25 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The South Australian Government plans to legislate for mandatory police access to private phone and computer passwords.

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 21/11/17

22 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Scientists message ET and ask for a reply on June 21, 2043; NASA debates locations for Mars 2020 lander; European regulators...

Australian Prime Minister's $250,000 Prize For Science 2017

16 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Jenny Graves AO of La Trobe University has won the country's most prestigious and highly regarded award for her research into the genetics o...

Amazon Cloud Cam - Compact and User Friendly

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This live-streaming security camera offers HD coverage, simple app control and free cloud storage all for US$120.

Revenge For The Victims Of Hacking

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

New email program uses AI to waste cyber crims' time by tricking them into believing they're in touch with a potential human victim.

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 14/11/17

14 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Large and mysterious cavity detected inside Great Pyramid; Dinosaurs were super unlucky to go extinct (along with 75% of all...

The Mighty - A Dedicated Spotify Player

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

John is the proud owner of this compact music player and gives us the rundown.

Tesloop's Smart Alternative To Fossil Fuel-based Travel

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Leveraging the efficiency, low running costs and longevity of Tesla cars, an LA start-up offers a luxurious ride to Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego.

Facebook Hears Your Words, Then Serves Targeted Ads

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The social network already knows so much about you. With sophisticated AI, it could almost be reading your mind. But hey, it's a great place to advert...

Weekly News From Beyond Infinity 31/10/17

01 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our weekly news round-up: Google Earth used to discover ancient structures in Saudi desert; Cochlear implant sound processor now made for iPhone; Sunu...

Samsung's Amazing New 360 Round VR Camera

28 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This 17-lens 360-degree camera can live stream in 4K, which should make it a hit with professional filmmakers and other commercial users.