According to futurist Thomas Frey, in 14 years it will be a big deal when students learn from robot teachers over the internet. Frey’s prediction comes amid a boom in artificial intelligence research. Google is developing DeepMind, a complex piece of machine-learning software. IBM is developing Watson-powered robots. Amazon is developing drone delivery.

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/futurist-predicts-online-school-largest-online-company-2016-12?r=US&IR=T#bmUf59l4SmEmoYDV.99

Named the ‘Red Belly Blockchain’, the new system being developed by the University of Sydney’s School of Information Technologies will allow secure and almost instantaneous digital transfer of virtual currencies across the world. “In recent testing, our blockchain achieved the best performance we have seen so far – with more than 440,000 transactions per second on 100 machines,” said University of Sydney academic Dr Vincent Gramoli, who heads up the Concurrent Systems Research Group developing the technology. “In comparison, VISA’s network has a peak capacity of around 56,000 transactions per second and the Bitcoin network is limited to around seven transactions per second.”

http://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/07/03/fast-and-safe-blockchain-being-developed-at-university-of-sydney.html

A makerspace can be any place where students can get creative, whether a classroom, library or garden. It's not about the space, but the innovation mindset that the space promotes. In this article, we unpack everything you need to create your own collaborative makerspace at school.

http://splash.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog/-/b/2576587/how-to-set-up-a-makerspace-at-your-school?WT.tsrc=Email&WT.mc_id=Innovation_Innovation-Splash|Secondary_email|20170705

Online retail giant Amazon has invented a new way of sending out its deliveries, filing a patent for ‘drone skyscrapers’. According to the designs the tower would have several launching spots where remotely operated drones would be loaded with a package and then take off. Amazon, which will be launching in Australia this year, is planning to use drones to deliver smaller packages and has already begun testing drone delivery

https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/amazon-patents-drone-skyscraper-to-enable-quicker-deliveries-in-inner-city-areas/

Centrelink is using controversial high-tech phone-breaking devices to reveal secrets hidden by suspected fraudsters in their smart phones. The agency says it uses the technology in strict accordance with the law and only when it has obtained a warrant when investigating cases of serious fraud. But experts have warned the use of the 'Universal Forensic Extraction Devices' is jeopardising the communications security of Australians.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/centrelink-hacking-into-fraudsters-phones-20170627-gwzgqc.html