A trial conducted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Data61 unit of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has proven that blockchain-powered smart money possesses immense social and economic benefits for Australia’s insurance scheme for persons living with disabilities. By attaching conditions, the 'smart money' knows what it can be spent on, who it can be spent by and when it can be spent.

https://www.ccn.com/australias-science-agency-commonwealth-bank-trial-blockchain-smart-money/

Roughly 60 percent of the top free mobile VPN apps returned by Google Play Store and Apple Play Store searches are from developers based in China or with Chinese ownership, raising serious concerns about data privacy, a study published today has revealed.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/many-free-mobile-vpn-apps-are-based-in-china-or-have-chinese-ownership/

Console video games are becoming more diverse as old barriers like needing to produce games on plastic discs continue to fall away, says Microsoft's Chris Charla, director of the self-publishing program ID@Xbox. The program, which assists independent developers big and small in getting their games onto the digital storefront on the Xbox One console, last month reached a total of 1000 games. Xbox also says the program has brought in $US1 billion ($1.4 billion) in revenue for developers, and currently comprises more than 3000 studios making games across 67 countries.

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/microsoft-s-indie-program-id-xbox-celebrates-1000-games-20181112-p50fip.html

Microsoft's GitHub: 'Kotlin for Android now fastest-growing programming language' The number of developers hosting projects built with Google-backed Kotlin is surging.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-github-kotlin-for-android-now-fastest-growing-programming-language/

Drone delivery service to fly to Canberra's northern suburbs. Plans for the permanent delivery service - which Wing is spruiking as a world first - come after the ACT Assembly last week agreed to launch an inquiry into the Bonython trial, which has been plagued by community angst over noise, privacy concerns and a perceived lack of government and regulatory oversight.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/drone-delivery-service-to-fly-to-canberra-s-northern-suburbs-20181108-p50erl.html

From helping out at her parents western Sydney service station to heading up one of the world’s most talked-about car manufacturers, Robyn Denholm’s rise to the top of Tesla is an Australian success story.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2018/11/09/robyn-denholm-tesla-rise/