Tech

Optus CEO under pressure after second emergency outage

Optus under mounting pressure for CEO resignation after second emergency outage affects thousands and raises safety concerns

Published

12 hours ago

September 29, 2025

Ahron Young

Optus under mounting pressure for CEO resignation after second emergency outage affects thousands and raises safety concerns

In Short:
– Optus faces pressure after a second emergency service outage, affecting 4,500 customers for nine hours.
– Calls for CEO Stephen Rue’s resignation intensify amid scrutiny over network investment and safety mechanisms.

Australian telecommunications company Optus is under increasing pressure to address leadership concerns following a second emergency service outage in ten days.

The incident occurred in Dapto, south of Sydney, where around 4,500 customers were unable to reach Triple Zero emergency services due to a faulty mobile tower for nine hours.Optus confirmed all affected individuals were safe, but the repeated outages have raised significant alarms. The first incident took place on September 18, when a firewall upgrade blocked approximately 600 emergency calls across multiple states for 13 hours, resulting in at least four fatalities.

Calls for CEO Stephen Rue’s resignation have intensified, with opposition spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh stating that citizens need confidence in the emergency network.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the situation as “completely unacceptable.” The response from Optus has faced criticism, especially regarding the delay in notifying emergency services after the September 18 incident.

Efforts to address the failures are underway, with Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon scheduled to meet with Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has launched an investigation into the outages.

Governance experts caution that merely replacing leadership will not resolve underlying issues, suggesting that reduced spending on network infrastructure is a contributing factor.

Federal Investigation

New scrutiny has emerged regarding Optus’s network investment, with reports indicating a budget decrease from $850 million in 2024 to $613 million this year.

Concerns have been raised about the absence of critical safety mechanisms, including a reliable system to reroute emergency calls when failures occur.

Tech

Meta intensifies robot development amidst competitive landscape

Meta enters robotics market with strategic partnerships and significant investments amid competition from Tesla, Apple and Google

Published

2 days ago

September 28, 2025

Ahron Young

Meta enters robotics market with strategic partnerships and significant investments amid competition from Tesla, Apple and Google

In Short:
– Meta is launching autonomous robots, beginning with a CA-1 AI robot in Germany for domestic tasks.
– The company plans to hire 100 engineers as part of a $60-65 billion AI investment for 2025.

Meta ventures into robotics, joining a market where Tesla’s Optimus robot showcases in controlled settings. Apple is also exploring robotic devices, with planned humanoid concepts by 2027.

Google is advancing robotics via DeepMind with AI models tailored for robotics applications.

Meta recently launched its first autonomous robot in Germany through a partnership with Circus SE, deploying a CA-1 AI robot at its Munich office.

The initiative is part of Meta’s objective to gather data to support its robotics focus on domestic tasks such as cleaning and laundry folding.

Strategic Investment

Industry analysts point to Meta’s software-licensing strategy as crucial in the competitive landscape, where firms often encounter challenges with hardware costs.

By positioning itself to gain from various robotics manufacturers’ successes, Meta utilises lessons from its virtual reality investments, which have seen substantial spending with limited consumer uptake.

The company is set to hire around 100 engineers for its robotics programme within a broader $60-65 billion AI infrastructure investment plan for 2025.

The indicates a strong commitment to integrating AI into physical applications.

Tech

Trump signs order for U.S. TikTok ownership transfer

Trump signs order for American investors to take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations amid ongoing security concerns

Published

4 days ago

September 26, 2025

Ahron Young

Trump signs order for American investors to take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations amid ongoing security concerns

In Short:
– Trump signed an order for American investors to control TikTok’s U.S. operations, finalising previous agreements.
– ByteDance must reduce its ownership in TikTok to under 20% or stop U.S. operations to meet security requirements.

President Trump has signed an executive order that formalises an agreement for American investors to assume control of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

The action sets the groundwork for finalising the deal previously announced.The executive order confirms that the agreement meets security requirements outlined in legislation from last year, mandating TikTok parent ByteDance to reduce its ownership stake in the U.S. operation to below 20% or cease operations in the country.

The deal involves ByteDance duplicating its algorithm and leasing it to the new entity, which will train it using U.S. user data, thereby reducing Chinese influence under the oversight of cloud-computing firm Oracle.

However, some analysts remain concerned about potential Chinese influence over U.S. operations even with this arrangement.

Final Steps

The involved parties still need to confirm the group of new investors, resolve legal aspects, and secure regulatory approval.

Tech

Ticker Studios launches new podcast and vodcast offering

Published

6 days ago

September 24, 2025

Nathan Langridge

Digital news streamer Ticker News and its branded content arm, Ticker Studios, have launched new audio and video solutions for brands and PR teams.

Hotspotting has long had its own podcast and has moved to consolidate all its video and audio content creation with Ticker Studios. Ticker Studios expects to announce a number of other branded podcasts in the coming months.

Ticker Studios is the branded content arm of 24/7 global news digital streaming service Ticker News, which has a global audience of more than 4m people a month, and works with leading brands such as Visa, AusIndustry, Schneider Electric, Claxtons, SoSafe and My Perfect Cosmetics to help them develop bespoke branded content in a trusted editorial environment.

Amplifying content

The new podcast and vodcast offering expands Ticker Studios’ existing portfolio, which spans everything from amplifying video interviews to producing full branded-content TV shows.

“Many people will know Ticker through our news product or through some of our branded television programs such as The Airport Economist,” said Ahron Young, CEO of Ticker News and Ticker Studios. “This podcast studio announcement recognises the growing demand brands have to do their own content – everyone wants a podcast, or even better vodcast that will work across social platforms.

High-end production equipment in a state of the art studio

“The challenge is how to do it easily, efficiently and at a cost that is accessible. With Ticker Studios we are offering a brand something a step above what is already out there. With a CBD based location, professional customisable studios all tailored to create world class video and audio content, done at the speed of news.”

Commenting on his decision to consolidate its content offering with Ticker Studios Tim Graham, General Manager of Hotspotting said: “We have worked with many podcast studios over the years, they always felt small, pokey and essentially all the same, and my real pain point was always delivery and turnaround. It always took weeks to turn around the content. At Ticker Studios, not only do we get state of the art facilities and a professional team, but we also get same-day-delivery.”

Ticker has a bespoke studio in Melbourne’s CBD, along with remote dial-in options, catering to the growing number of brands in Australia and globally that are seeking trusted partners to tell their stories, at speed.

15,000 interviews

“Ticker News and Ticker Studios have been on a journey over these past six years. In that time we have interviewed over 15,000 business leaders – many of them from the start up and corporate space. I’m very proud to have built a model where people can tell their stories – be it a product launch, a new announcement or broader thought leadership, in a trusted environment, in Ticker Studios they have a partner that can help them tell that story.

With an architecturally designed, fully customisable studio

“With our new offering we provide state-of-the-art podcast or vodcast studios in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. It’s been purpose-built for fast, efficient, and visually stunning video podcasts, designed to help brands and creators share their stories with impact. Because we are also a newsroom we know the pace that the media cycle moves at and we pride ourselves on ensuring that our partners can also move at the speed by working with us.”

Ticker’s streaming arm has built extensive news streaming partnerships with a number of global streaming providers around the world including Flash News, Comcast/Xumo, NewsWorld, Samsung TV plus and LG TV channels.