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Business

Telstra launches new bundle mobile plans

Telstra launches new bundle mobile plans

Telstra has announced a shake-up of its mobile plans that target families with multiple services.

The new bundle plans are available to customers with at least one service on an eligible ‘upfront’ mobile plan, with individual SIM cards that allow for additional devices.

Customers are able to add up to five of these new bundle plans to their existing accounts to connect kids’ smartphones, tablets or mobile broadband hotspots.

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The new $47 mobile bundle plans come with 15GB of data, and unlimited standard national calls and texts.

A $10 data bundle plan gives you 10GB of data and is suitable for tablets and hotspots.

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Telstra inks five-year deal with Microsoft

Telstra and Microsoft have signed a five-year agreement they say will help accelerate Australia’s digital transformation.

The deal is also one of the largest partnerships Microsoft has established with a telecommunications provider globally.

“Our strategic partnership with Microsoft is on a scale not seen before in Australia,” Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said in a statement on Tuesday.

As pressure grows on existing networks from remote working, high-definition streaming, online education and gaming, more bandwidth is coming.

Telstra will become Microsoft’s largest supplier of its network capacity requirements on terrestrial fiber in Australia, while Microsoft will become an anchor tenant on Telstra’s new ultra-fast intercity fiber network.

Microsoft technology will be used by Telstra to pitch new solutions for the manufacturing, retail, agriculture, utilities and finance sectors.

Telstra and Microsoft have also pledged to support hybrid ways of working and to reduce the environmental footprint as the Australian economy goes digital.

The deal accelerates Telstra’s migration of its internal information technology workloads to the public cloud, with Microsoft Azure as a preferred partner of the telecom giant’s ‘multi-cloud’ approach.

Microsoft will also explore increasing its capacity on Telstra’s Asia-Pacific subsea cable network.

Through these investments, Microsoft says it will be able to achieve unparalleled connectivity across key telecommunications routes in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region.

Microsoft and Telstra will work together over the coming months to finalize the expanded partnership.

– with Marion Rae, AAP

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Categories
US

Indian start-up Zepto’s founders share tips on how to build a business

Indian start-up Zepto's founders share tips on how to build a business

When Kaivalya Vohra wanted to drop out of Stanford University to run his startup, it took “a couple of long conversations” to convince his parents.

But bringing them on board wasn’t too difficult, he said.

“They saw how this business was growing in front of them, they saw how quickly we achieved what we achieved.”

It took just nine months for Vohra and his co-founder, Aadit Palicha, to bring Zepto — an app from India that promises to deliver groceries in less than 10 minutes — to a valuation of $900 million.

Going in with the mindset that you’re wrong and learning where to get right… that journey has been humbling.

Addit Palicha

Co-founder and CEO, Zepto

How did two teenagers build one of India’s fastest-growing quick commerce apps? CNBC Make It finds out.

1.Talk to customers

Finding a good product-market fit is important, said Vohra. His advice from him on how to do that?

“Speak to customers. Just use that as a holy grail [to] ensure you’re on the right track to finding product market fit.”

“One of the hardest things is actually getting to that point where you have a product that people love… It is much easier and much faster if you’re constantly speaking to customers, getting feedback from them and learning from them,” he added.

In the early days of Zepto, the 19-year-olds handled customer support themselves and delivered groceries to consumers just so that they could have a quick chat with them.

Zepto isn’t the only quick commerce startup in India, and competition is heating up both domestically and globally. The country’s online grocery market is set to be worth around $24 billion dollars by 2025, according to Redseer.

Zepto

“We still do it till this day… We’ve got millions of customers, with hundreds of thousands of orders every day. [We still] spend a significant amount of time just speaking to customers, learning from them,” said Palicha.

“Going in with the mindset that you’re wrong and learning where to get right… that journey has been humbling.”

2. Fall in love with your product

Palicha and Vohra weren’t always taken seriously — not just because of their age, but also because of the “craziness” of an under-10 minute delivery idea.

“When we started this 12 months ago, every conversation we had was, ‘You’re totally out of your mind, this is never going to work,'” said Palicha.

But their conviction in their product kept them going.

“Kaivalya and I fell in love with the product so much that we just saw ourselves as custodians of what would probably end up being a large phenomenon in consumer internet in India,” said Palicha.

“If we don’t build it, somebody else will. When you operate with that mentality, everything becomes less intimidating.”

Falling in love with the product and building that conviction really just pushes you to… see that product through.

Addit Palicha

Co-founder and CEO, Zepto

That’s why the duo could take on “challenging conversations” with investors, senior executives, and even a government official, Palicha added.

Despite being just one of many businesses to join the instant commerce wave, it has caught the attention of investors. Its latest cash injection of $200 million in May brought Zepto one step closer to unicorn status.

“Falling in love with the product and building that conviction really just pushes you to… see that product through,” said Palicha.

3. Be accountable

Palicha and Vohra have been friends since they were seven-year-olds — a major advantage as they turned from childhood pals to business partners.

“Kaivalya and I really complement each other’s skill set. He has always been more technically sound than I am, so he’s made a great chief technology officer,” said Palicha.

“12 months ago, when we were building the first iteration of the product, I don’t think we’d been able to get it off the ground [without him].”

Kaivalya Vohra (left) and Aadit Palicha are the teenagers behind Zepto, a startup from India that promises to deliver groceries in less than 10 minutes.

Zepto

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Categories
Technology

WhatsApp and Facebook security alert issued over malicious Android apps

WhatsApp and Facebook security alert issued over malicious Android apps

A top security group has issued a warning to smartphone users running Android over multiple apps that were available on the Google Play Store.

Dr. Web listed over 30 mobile apps that were identified to contain trojans, spyware, adware and other security problems.

Watch the video above: Former 7NEWS reporter falls for scam

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The apps related to theme customizations, photo editors and apps that changed the phone’s wallpaper. Alarmingly, an emoji keyboard that had racked up millions of downloads and a note-taking app were found to contain malware.

When the apps were installed, Dr. Web found them to display intrusive advertising within both the apps and notification bar, log identifying information on the user and device, download additional software and even target WhatsApp private messages.

It is also revealed that some of these malicious apps were found to be taking photos and videos without the user’s knowledge, as well as read text messages, track the location of a device, turn on the microphone, read the browser history, and log keystrokes to reveal passwords and other sensitive user information.

‘Hint – Photo Editor’ was found to redirect a user to a fake Facebook login screen which would intercept personal information.

Hint – Photo Editor was found to be redirecting users to a fake Facebook login screen. Credit: dr web

Google has removed most of the affected apps after Dr. Web alerted the tech giant to the issues, however, these apps can still remain on a smartphone even after they are taken off the Google Play Store.

Dr. Web is advising users to check their smartphones for any of these apps, uninstalling and then changing login information to things like banking, streaming and social media accounts. It’s also recommended to run a virus scan from a trusted brand such as Norton.

Malicious apps on Google Play Store

  • Photo Editor: Retouch & Cutout (from.nineergysh.quickarttwo)
  • Photo Editor: Art Filters (gb.painnt.moonlightingnine)
  • Photo Editor & Background Eraser (from.photoground.twentysixshot)
  • Photo & Exif Editor (from.xnano.photoexifeditornine)
  • Photo Editor – Filter Effects (from.hitopgop.sixtyeightgx)
  • Emoji Keyboard: Stickers & GIFs (gb.crazykey.sevenboard)
  • Neon Theme – Android Keyboard (com.androidneonkeyboard.app)
  • fancy charging (com.fancyanimatedbattery.app)
  • FastCleaner: Cash Cleaner (com.fastcleanercashecleaner.app)
  • Call Skins – Caller Themes (com.rockskinthemes.app)
  • funny caller (com.funnycallercustomtheme.app)
Advice to avoid scams.

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Categories
US

Indian start-up Zepto’s founders share tips on how to build a business

Indian start-up Zepto's founders share tips on how to build a business

When Kaivalya Vohra wanted to drop out of Stanford University to run his startup, it took “a couple of long conversations” to convince his parents.

But bringing them on board wasn’t too difficult, he said.

“They saw how this business was growing in front of them, they saw how quickly we achieved what we achieved.”

It took just nine months for Vohra and his co-founder, Aadit Palicha, to bring Zepto — an app from India that promises to deliver groceries in less than 10 minutes — to a valuation of $900 million.

Going in with the mindset that you’re wrong and learning where to get right… that journey has been humbling.

Addit Palicha

Co-founder and CEO, Zepto

How did two teenagers build one of India’s fastest-growing quick commerce apps? CNBC Make It finds out.

1.Talk to customers

Finding a good product-market fit is important, said Vohra. His advice from him on how to do that?

“Speak to customers. Just use that as a holy grail [to] ensure you’re on the right track to finding product market fit.”

“One of the hardest things is actually getting to that point where you have a product that people love… It is much easier and much faster if you’re constantly speaking to customers, getting feedback from them and learning from them,” he added.

In the early days of Zepto, the 19-year-olds handled customer support themselves and delivered groceries to consumers just so that they could have a quick chat with them.

Zepto isn’t the only quick commerce startup in India, and competition is heating up both domestically and globally. The country’s online grocery market is set to be worth around $24 billion dollars by 2025, according to Redseer.

Zepto

“We still do it till this day… We’ve got millions of customers, with hundreds of thousands of orders every day. [We still] spend a significant amount of time just speaking to customers, learning from them,” said Palicha.

“Going in with the mindset that you’re wrong and learning where to get right… that journey has been humbling.”

2. Fall in love with your product

Palicha and Vohra weren’t always taken seriously — not just because of their age, but also because of the “craziness” of an under-10 minute delivery idea.

“When we started this 12 months ago, every conversation we had was, ‘You’re totally out of your mind, this is never going to work,'” said Palicha.

But their conviction in their product kept them going.

“Kaivalya and I fell in love with the product so much that we just saw ourselves as custodians of what would probably end up being a large phenomenon in consumer internet in India,” said Palicha.

“If we don’t build it, somebody else will. When you operate with that mentality, everything becomes less intimidating.”

Falling in love with the product and building that conviction really just pushes you to… see that product through.

Addit Palicha

Co-founder and CEO, Zepto

That’s why the duo could take on “challenging conversations” with investors, senior executives, and even a government official, Palicha added.

Despite being just one of many businesses to join the instant commerce wave, it has caught the attention of investors. Its latest cash injection of $200 million in May brought Zepto one step closer to unicorn status.

“Falling in love with the product and building that conviction really just pushes you to… see that product through,” said Palicha.

3. Be accountable

Palicha and Vohra have been friends since they were seven-year-olds — a major advantage as they turned from childhood pals to business partners.

“Kaivalya and I really complement each other’s skill set. He has always been more technically sound than I am, so he’s made a great chief technology officer,” said Palicha.

“12 months ago, when we were building the first iteration of the product, I don’t think we’d been able to get it off the ground [without him].”

Kaivalya Vohra (left) and Aadit Palicha are the teenagers behind Zepto, a startup from India that promises to deliver groceries in less than 10 minutes.

Zepto

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Categories
Australia

Australians are increasingly turning to ‘quiet quitting’ when it comes to their jobs

Australians are increasingly turning to 'quiet quitting' when it comes to their jobs

You’re not quitting your job — but you are quitting going above and beyond.

It’s a new trend called “quiet quitting” and it seems Aussies are increasingly getting onboard with the mindset.

Sick of letting work creep into their lives — from not taking lunch breaks to working unpaid overtime and keeping abreast of emails and Teams messages after hours — workers are implementing the revolutionary concept of quiet quitting.

They are drawing boundaries and no longer letting work intrude on their “life” space.

“You’re not outright quitting your job but you’re quitting the idea of ​​going above and beyond,” TikTokker @zkchillin explained in a popular video on the topic.

“You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life — the reality is, it’s not and your worth as a person is not defined by your labour.”

As we have embraced technology, so too have we allowed work to creep into our free-time space.

And “quiet quitters” say following their lead is crucial in avoiding burnout and enjoying and appreciating life outside of the office.

One quiet quitter posted on social media: “When you do it (quiet quitting) you realize nothing at work matters and suddenly all the stress vanishes.”

Another said: “I quiet quit six months ago and guess what, same pay, same recognition, same everything but less stress.”

And another wrote: “I did this when I asked for a raise and they told me no, but then started hiring people with higher pay and less responsibilities.”

However, while the idea of ​​quiet quitting may sound appealing, some experts have warned to proceed with caution.

LinkedIn’s Charlotte Davies said that by the time you reach the stage of quiet quitting, you may already be suffering from burnout — and more drastic measures may be needed to avoid a mental health meltdown.

A user on Reddit.
Camera IconA user on Reddit. Credit: supplied

Career trends expert at Glassdoor, Jill Cotton, said by taking up the trend, you could feel more powerless.

“Quietly quitting is often a sign that it’s time to move on from your role,” she said.

“If you’re reducing your effort to the bare minimum needed to complete tasks, your heart is probably no longer in the job or the company.”

Others have warned that by quiet quitting, you are likely shutting yourself off from promotions and pay rises.

But it hasn’t stopped the movement gaining momentum Down Under.

A discussion on Reddit shows many Aussie are taking up the trend.

“I stepped down from a management position to a lower one with fewer hours to study,” one said.

“Went from putting in 110 per cent into everything I did to the absolute bare minimum required to keep me happy and employed.”

Australians are increasingly turning to the trend of 'quiet quitting' to restore their work-life balance.
Camera IconAustralians are increasingly turning to the trend of ‘quiet quitting’ to restore their work-life balance. Credit: © Milenko Đilas – Veternik Serbia/djile – stock.adobe.com

A nurse said they had “dialled down” their time spent at work after having to take time off for burn out and family issues.

“Since I’ve been back, I only work two to three shifts a week,” they said. “I do what my job needs me to do.

“My work ethic is still strong but I no longer put my hand up for every other shift and I say no to some that are asked of me.”

Others pointed out that quiet quitting was about setting up “healthy boundaries” and having a work-life balance.

“This is something any decent company should ensure exists,” one user posted.

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Categories
Technology

YouTuber Builds Gaming PC Out Of Working Toilet

YouTuber Builds Gaming PC Out Of Working Toilet

A YouTuber built a PC out of a working toilet, creating what might be the first toilet capable of both handling your waste and playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. What a world we live in!

As spotted by Eurogamer, YouTuber Basically Homeless cut a deal with the electronics store Microcenter to create a gaming PC inside of an actual toilet, complete with all the plumbing and water that entails. It’s a wild thing, but not surprising. You see, for as long as we have had toilets and video games, many have tried to combine them. Even I have heard that siren’s call and attempted to poop and game at the same time. Countless others do so while playing games on their phones.

But Basically Homeless didn’t want to simply bring a Switch or phone or even a Steam Deck into the bathroom. Instead, he wanted to create a setup that would let him play 120hz FPS shooters with a mouse and keyboard while sitting on a toilet. And in his video documenting the entire processI was shocked both by the end results and the lack of planning.

Basically Homeless

The way this thing works is one half of the tank contains all the toilet bits and bobs along with the water. Then he built a “Water Wall” out of plexiglass and glue. On the other side of the wall are all the computer parts. The idea was to keep them separate, letting you flush the working toilet while playing games. Also, built into the lid is a fan to help keep the PC cool.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the first time he connected the toilet to the water supply his hacked-together “Water Wall” failed and he ended up having to use a whole can of Flexseal inside the tank to protect the valuable PC electronics. However, now that he’s gotten everything working (including the RGB lighting), the finished PC/toilet hybrid is oddly impressive. Thanks to a large cutout in the front, you can see both the functioning toilet and the running PC.

According to Basically Homeless, he had to learn basic plumbing and how to cut porcelain to create this bizarre PC. The end result is both a conversation starter and a man who can now fix his own toilet. Truly a win, win situation.

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Categories
Australia

Space junk from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew-1 craft slams onto NSW farmer Mick Miners’ property

Space junk from Elon Musk's SpaceX Crew-1 craft slams onto NSW farmer Mick Miners' property

A 3m piece of space junk from Elon Musk’s spacecraft has crashed into a farmer’s property in NSW at around 25,000km/h.

The object – which was part of the SpaceX Crew-1 craft – was found in a sheep paddock by a farmer living on a large property in the Snowy Mountains.

Farmer Mick Miners said he discovered the space junk, which resembled a tree from a distance, after his family heard a loud bang.

The bang was also reportedly heard by residents living in southern NSW, with some alleging they saw an explosion.

Elon Musk spaceX. Picture: Supplied.
Camera IconSpaceX has been in space for almost two years. Supplied Credit: NCA NewsWire

Neighboring farmer Jock Wallace also reported a similar foreign object that had been torpedoed into his land.

Luckily for both farmers, the space waste – which came from one of the craft’s fins – was located a fair way from their homes.

Upon investigation, Australian National University space expert Brad Tucker was called by authorities to inspect the object.

“This is most definitely space junk which was part of the SpaceX Crew-1 trunk,” he told Ben Fordham on radio on Monday.

“SpaceX has this capsule that takes humans into space, but there is a bottom part … so when the astronauts come back, they leave the bottom part in space before the capsule lands.”

Musk determined to be on Mars in five years.

Musk determined to be on Mars in five years.

The spacecraft, which costs $62m per launch, has started to deorbit after almost two years in space.

Mr Tucker said the craft was originally planned to break apart and land in the ocean.

“We saw most pieces land in the ocean, but clearly some hadn’t because this 3m piece was speared into the ground from space,” Mr Tucker said.

“In photographs of the debris, you can clearly see charring, which you would expect from re-entry (into the atmosphere). It is very rare to see because they don’t usually land on land but in the ocean. People often think they find small pieces of space junk, but they would burn up on re-entry, so it’s more likely to be large pieces like this.”

The spacecraft, which is a stainless steel rocket, was more than 50m tall.

SpaceX is an American aerospace company founded in 2002 by Mr Musk that helped usher in the era of commercial spaceflight.

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Categories
Australia

Young Aussie the alleged mastermind behind spyware used by domestic violence thugs

Young Aussie the alleged mastermind behind spyware used by domestic violence thugs

A 24-year-old Australian man has been identified as the alleged mastermind behind intrusive spyware used by domestic violence perpetrators and other criminals.

The Melburnian was only 15 years old when he allegedly created the ‘Imminent Monitor’ Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which, once installed, allowed perpetrators to control victims’ computers, steal their personal information, and turn on their webcams and microphones.

The program cost about $35, and was allegedly advertised on an online forum dedicated to hacking.

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About 14,500 people across 128 countries purchased the software for use, leading the Australian Federal Police to believe there were tens of thousands of victims of the spyware globally.

In Australia, more than 200 people bought the software, including 14 PayPal users who had previous or active domestic violence orders against them.

Another purchaser was listed on the Child Sex Offender Register.

In a world first, the AFP uncovered not only the software’s users, but also identified the spyware victims, of which there were 44 in Australia.

Cybercrime operations commander Chris Goldsmid said a key element of the software was its covered nature.

“Cybercrime isn’t just a crime against computers or computer networks … these crimes have real-world impacts, including facilitating stalking and domestic violence offending.”

Thirteen people were arrested globally and more than 430 devices were seized.

A 24-year-old Melbourne man has been arrested, accused of creating hacking software which allowed people to spy on others. Credit: AFP

On July 6, the alleged creator was served with a summons to face six charges for his alleged role in creating, selling, and administering the software between 2013 and 2019.

Police will allege the man made up to $400,000 from selling the malware, and most of it was spent on consumable and disposable items like food delivery services.

A 42-year-old woman at the Frankston home was also charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Police launched Operation Cepheus in 2017 when the FBI and a cybersecurity firm alerted Australian Federal Police to a suspicious Remote Access Trojan.

The resulting global investigation included more than a dozen law enforcement agencies in Europe.

“This operation is a testament to the importance of working together with the private sector and our law enforcement partners both internationally and domestically to tackle cybercrime in an increasingly digital world,” Goldsmid said.

The Australian Federal Police shut down the software in 2019 and stopped it operating on all devices across the globe.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.In an emergency, call 000.Advice and counseling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men’s Referral Service1300 766 491.

Missing boy’s body found in washing machine.

Missing boy’s body found in washing machine.

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Categories
Business

Dangerous new TikTok trend prompts warnings about this car brand

Dangerous new TikTok trend prompts warnings about this car brand

Owners of a particular car model have been warned they could be targeted after an alarming new TikTok trend went viral.

The Kia challenge emerged earlier this month, and involves people starting a car with a USB cable instead of a key.

It started when TikTok user @robbierayyy posted a video starting up a Kia using only a USB cable.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconHusband and wife Kim and Bill recently had their car broken into. Credit: Channel 9

The video has since been removed.

It quickly evolved with other users participating to see if the trick would hot-wire their cars.

But the trend has dangerous consequences and has been linked to an uptick in car thefts overseas.

It’s a story that Bill Gardiner and wife Kim know all too well. They told A Current Affair their brand new Kia had recently become victim to the craze.

Footage shows that in the dead of the night two people smashing the window of the vehicle.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconThe offenders could be seen on CCTV. Credit: Channel 9

“From there you can see one of the offenders standing in the middle of the street on his phone, it’s like he’s videotaping the person inside the car or yelling out the instructions,” Bill told Nine.

The would-be thieves eventually gave up after they were unable to start the car.

But the two offenders attempted to try the same trick on another Kia parked doors down from Kim.

Both cars had the same damage: a broken rear window and the casing removed from around the steering column.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconHusband and wife Kim and Bill urged Kia owners to park their cars somewhere safe. Credit: Channel 9

Kim said once she had been alerted to the TikTok trend, the damage caused by the offenders “made perfect sense”.

The husband and wife urged Kia owners to park their cars in a garage or somewhere safe at night.

“I would say now it has gone viral in the United States, that there will be a few more of these popping up over the next week or so,” said Bill.

TikTok is encouraging anyone who comes across any ‘Kia Challenge’ videos to report them so they can be removed.

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