Cryptocurrency continues to dominate headlines; and it’s no longer just focused on Bitcoin. Speculators are now flinging their money into hundreds of newer cryptocurrencies, such as Ripple, Litecoin and Doge. These so-called “altcoins” are risky enough, because their prices (at time of writing) are highly inflated. But the risks don’t stop there. Storing your newly … Read more

Apple’s App Store editors have identified four breakout trends in app culture this year: augmented reality, real-time competitive gaming, mental health and mindfulness, and apps that transform storytelling. Let’s take a look at each of these four trends and the leading apps in those categories. Augmented Reality (AR) got a big boost in September when Apple … Read more

Predicting the near future of Internet technology is a fool’s errand. After all, how many of you predicted that Bitcoin would increase in value manyfold last year? The year before that, the Pokemon Go craze seemingly came out of nowhere. So every year, something new and wholly unexpected happens in technology. However, some trends I … Read more

Often a new technology doesn’t truly break through until someone makes a game of it. Augmented Reality only took off after the release of Pokémon Go last year. Facebook’s initial growth spurt in 2009 was helped by the immense popularity of Farmville. Now, at the end of 2017, blockchain is getting its game craze moment with … Read more

With a ten-fold increase in the value of Bitcoin over the past year, the increasing stabilisation of so-called “altcoins” like Ethereum and Ripple, and the exploding Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market, it’s a boom time for cryptocurrency. However, New Zealand has been slow to catch on – particularly our government and banks. As I explained … Read more

Lately I’ve been getting calls to my cellphone from unknown, random UK numbers. The first several times it happened, I didn’t answer. But when the calls kept coming, from a different UK number each time, I finally picked up to see who or what was at the other end of the line. Silence. And before … Read more

The music industry is enjoying a renaissance. After fifteen years of declining revenue, Recorded Music New Zealand achieved double digit growth in 2015 and again in 2016. The renewed upward trend is largely thanks to streaming, which now makes up 50% of local music industry revenue. As consumers, we’re all grateful for the huge variety of … Read more

Recently I’ve noticed an increase in people choosing to disconnect from social media, to escape the noise and constant distraction. Who can blame them, when even the Facebook engineer who created the ‘like’ button, Justin Rosenstein, now restricts his Facebook usage. But before you hit the nuclear button and blast your social media profile out of existence, … Read more

Smartphones have dominated the last ten years of computing, but we’re on the cusp of the next big platform: voice-activated virtual assistants, powered by artificial intelligence. While the smartphone isn’t going away, you’ll soon be able to interact with many more devices thanks to assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. All the big technology companies … Read more

23andMe, the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, launched ten years ago this month. But despite the hype around genetics, then and now, 23andMe has so far failed to deliver on its promise. That’s largely due to a crackdown four years ago by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA deemed that 23andMe did not … Read more

Artificial Intelligence is the defining technology of our generation and, surprisingly, some experts think New Zealand is well placed to take advantage. Partly that’s to do with our perceived ability to adapt to the great changes that AI will bring about. In particular, the threat of automation. Tom White, a Senior Lecturer in Media Design … Read more