Australian telecommunications company Optus has been the victim of a hack, with the hacker now backflipping on releasing 10,000 customer records.

The hacker initially demanded one million dollars, or else a tranche of 10,000 records will be released every day over the coming four days.

But within hours the decision was changed.

“Sorry too 10,200 Australian whos data was leaked. Australia will see no gain in fraud, this can be monitored. Maybe for 10,200 Australian but rest of population no. Very sorry to you. Deepest apology to Optus for this. Hope all goes well from this,” the alleged Optus hacker posted to a forum.

The records that have been released so far include names, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, and gender.

Optus is urging customers to change their passwords and is working with law enforcement to investigate the incident.

A total of 9.8m current and former customers have been impacted by the breach, which the government says is a major corporate failure.

Optus is working with law enforcement and has advised affected customers to change their passwords and online security questions.

This is a developing story and more information will be released as it becomes available.

Apple’s big shift away from China will see the iPhone 14 manufactured in India

APPLE’S BIG SHIFT – In a move that is sure to please Indian officials, Apple has begun manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India.

“The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” the company said in a statement.

It marks a big shift in Apple’s manufacturing strategy, with most of its products produced in China up until now.

Apple’s decision to move some of its production to India is likely due to the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

For years, Apple has relied on Chinese factories to assemble its products. But current tensions have made it difficult for Apple to source parts from the nation.

Experts say India is an attractive option for Apple because it has a large population of potential customers. Their labour laws are also more relaxed than those in China.

In saying this, wage growth in India is outpacing that of China. This could eat into Apple’s profits.

India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market and Apple currently has just a 3.8 per cent market share. Low cost competitors including Samsung and Xiaomi are continuing to reign supreme.

In research by JPMorgan, experts suggest Apple to move 5 per cent of its iPhone 14 production from late 2022 to India. From 2025, the tech company is expected to produce one in four of its devices, including iPads and watches, outside China.

NASA has had a constant human presence in space for over two decades

Over the years, NASA has put humans on the moon and animals in orbit as it continues to take to new heights with a range of new missions.

Technology developed by humans on the ground has made some of these missions smoother in space.

1. The Apollo Moon landing

In 1969, the United States successfully placed a human on the moon after multiple failed attempts.

Apollo 11 saw Neil Armstrong become the first person to walk on the lunar surface.

The success of the mission spurred a renewed interest in space exploration and paved the way for future missions to deep space.

2. The Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit around Earth in 1990.

It has been used to observe some of the most distant objects in the universe and has helped to expand NASA’s understanding of the cosmos.

In 2009, the telescope was repaired by a team of astronauts, extending its lifespan by at least another decade.

3. The Cassini-Huygens

The Cassini spacecraft was launched in 1997 and began orbiting Saturn in 2004. It carried the Huygens probe, which successfully landed on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan one year later.

The mission provided scientists with valuable data about Saturn and its moons.

4. The Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity

The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity were launched in 2003 and landed on Mars later that year.

The rovers far exceeded their expected lifespan, with Opportunity operational until 2016.

The rovers have provided scientists with invaluable data about Mars’ surface conditions and have helped to pave the way for future human exploration of the planet.

5. The New Horizons

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006 and began its flyby of Pluto in 2015.

The mission returned stunning images of Pluto and its moons, as well as valuable data about the dwarf planet’s surface conditions.