The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become unhinged. A San Francisco … Read more
Technology has the potential to save the lives of communities with health issues, as long as it isn’t to hard to use. Ben Fahy learns how St John is using the Internet of Things to respond faster and better to emergencies. In March this year, the day before Aotearoa first went into Covid-19 lockdown, St … Read more
With 27 speakers over a 10 hour event, Semi Permanent Aotearoa showed just how much New Zealand’s creative industry has to offer our economic and social rebuild. It’s a rare thing having 1,000 people in the same room at the same time in 2020. It’s even rarer to have 27 of a country’s most prestigious … Read more
As the amount of time we spend online continues to increase, so too does the possibility we’ll be exposed to scams, hacks and data leaks. But do we really understand the risks, or how we can avoid them? You probably have a mental image of who falls victim to cyber-crime. And it’s probably wrong. In … Read more
Think a good pair of wireless earbuds means shelling out for Apple’s ubiquitous white sticks? Think again, writes tech reviewer Henry Burrell. The iPhone 7 was the first popular phone to lose the headphone jack, and frankly I’ve been furious ever since. One of the most universal and user-friendly tech interfaces of the last 50 … Read more
He’s fostered an image as an enigmatic underdog who proved his doubters wrong. But Robett Hollis has spent an extraordinary life trying to avoid being put in a box. Robett Hollis wears the same outfit everyday: a plain black shirt, a black fitted cap, and a pair of Nikes. It’s his uniform, he says. When … Read more
With a TV like the Samsung Q950TS it’s possible to set up your living room like a cinema, but ultimately it shouldn’t matter what screen you watch your favourite films and shows on, says Henry Burrell. Despite writing about technology for a living I have never been that fussy about TVs. As long as the … Read more
Russell Brown talks to Auckland business RUSH about the challenges and rewards of being an ethical business in the competitive world of technology design. “We design technology to better serve humankind.” It’s the first thing you read on RUSH’s website, and it’s also written on a banner in the middle of its Parnell office. It’s … Read more
A team of volunteers have built and launched an app over the weekend in the hope of uniting New Zealanders to help each other through Covid-19. Its creator explains how Voluntarily.nz works. New Zealanders are rapidly entering isolation as we try to contain the spread of Covid-19. My company Vend sent our global workforce home … Read more
In an impossibly crowded market, New Zealand beers are rightfully being recognised as some of the world’s best. According to one of the men behind Garage Project, that didn’t happen by accident. New Zealand grows some of the best hops in the world. New Zealand also brews some of the best beer in the world. … Read more
I thought I could wean myself off my smartphone by using another piece of technology. Turns out I was fighting a losing battle. I look left and right. There’s one guy stacking shelves to my right but otherwise the coast is clear. I raise my left wrist quickly to my face and say, “Show me … Read more
Eight years after publication, Walter Isaacson’s “iBio” Steve Jobs remains massively influential. Danyl Mclauchlan examines how the deeply flawed genius the book revealed continues to manifest. It’s the end of the decade, and my social media aggregators are filled with lists of the best, most influential books of the last 10 years. For most writers … Read more
What’s the once staunchly metal hacker convention Kiwicon doing swapping skulls for stuffed toys, and what’s the deal with the new con on the block? Alex Stronach reports. It starts with hackers, pyrotechnics, and an alpaca in a party hat. No, wait, let’s rewind. It’s June 2019, and every Kiwi pundit is grappling with a … Read more
In the future personal technology will be so seamlessly built into our lives it will be almost invisible. Claire McCall spoke to Ivy Ross, the woman in charge of designing Google’s hardware, ahead of her appearance at the Future of the Future conference next month. Ivy Ross doesn’t see the future. She feels it. It’s … Read more
Next month some of the most high-powered people from the most important companies in the world are coming to Auckland to speak to local business leaders. Charles Anderson spoke to the organisers of the Future of the Future conference about why and how they pulled it off. On August 15 the future is coming to … Read more
Auckland-based tech company StrutFit allows shoppers to virtually ‘try on’ shoes. So how does it work? And what does that mean for retailers? For eight months, I had my eye on a pair of black, patent leather boots – big, chunky, great for stomping around in. The other week, I finally plucked up the courage to … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Grant Straker, co-founder and CEO of Straker Translations. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tax on tech giants proposed but doesn’t go far, peace may be breaking out in China stoush, and the incredible story of two brothers vs the Avondale Business Association. The government has made a big announcement on taxing internet giants, but there are a lot of … Read more
Hundreds of New Zealand’s wealthiest investors gathered for 2018’s Flux Demo Day for a night of wining, dining, and million-dollar business investments. Jihee Junn went along to watch this year’s plucky startups pitch it out. This post was originally published 6 July 2018 “The first rule of investing is: don’t leave the table when the … Read more
Entrepreneur Derek Handley looks set to be appointed as New Zealand’s first chief technology officer. Whoever gets the job, the mission needs to be clear, and the T in CTO can’t stand for talk, writes Nat Torkington Looks like NZ will get a CTO real soon now. It’s hard to avoid the word “debacle” in … Read more
Entrepreneur Derek Handley is reportedly on the verge of being appointed the CTO of the whole country of New Zealand. And the tech community is not happy about that at all, reports Duncan Greive. Much of New Zealand’s tech community has reacted with derision to a report entrepreneur Derek Handley is all-but-certain to soon be … Read more
This week, Airbnb announced the New Zealand-wide launch of its ‘experiences’ guided tours and the forthcoming Airbnb Plus. These extensions to the global brand’s business got Henry Oliver thinking about the future of travel and the places we call home. Friends, I have seen the future. And, I must say, it’s a little underwhelming. Rather … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week Simon talks to Frances Valintine about educating society about technology and the workplace. … Read more
ANZ’s latest recruit is a virtual assistant designed by hi-tech New Zealand company Soul Machines. Intrigued, Jihee Junn decided to give her a whirl, chatting about film, literature, and “closing the pod bay doors”. First she was Rachel, then she was Sophie, and now, dressed in a light blue shirt and thick-framed glasses, she’s Jamie … Read more
Hundreds of New Zealand’s wealthiest investors gathered for the 2018 Flux Demo Day last week for a night of wining, dining, and million-dollar business investments. Jihee Junn went along to watch this year’s plucky startups pitch it out. “The first rule of investing is: don’t leave the table when the food’s being served!” a jolly … Read more
An accidental innovation hub has become a $1 billion venture. If New Zealand wants to build a better standard of living for everyone we must replicate that magic, says Vic Crone. An unremarkable building in a leafy Parnell street is these days hi-tech hallowed ground. Level two of 24 Balfour Road is the birthplace of … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week Simon talks to Jennifer Rutherford from the Hi-Tech Trust about how … Read more
Deepfake software has been used to create pornographic videos using the face of celebrities like Emma Watson, Natalie Portman and Gal Gadot. But in the age of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’, the deepfake problem could get a lot worse, explains computer graphics professor Neil Dodgson. Over the past few weeks, a large number of … Read more
A cautionary tale, by Paul Brislen. It started with an email from a colleague. Could I sign the attached form? I get this sort of email a lot; no two clients or providers use the same format so it was quite nice to see a link to an online service. I clicked on it. Almost … Read more