Beyond Infinity

From January 9-12, the annual Las Vegas show will serve up a veritable feast of consumer electronics. Keep an eye on Alexa and Google Home and Assistant integrations, AI tech, new VR headsets, QLED TVs, foldable smart phones, 4K HDR projectors and robots of all persuasions.

Our weekly news round-up: Latest Nissan Leaf EV impresses; Google Maps helps public transport users; Latest Bose Quiet Comfort bluetooth headphones work with Google Assistant; Some reservations about Amazon's Aussie service; Optus compensates NBN customers for poor network performance; Nvidia's new crazy fast GPU; Boeing says it'll be the first to land people on Mars; Extremophile Antarctic bacteria survive off air alone.

In a clear sign bitcoin mania has taken hold, many investors are looking forward to a strong correction in the unit price so they can afford to buy more of the crypto currency. There's also a growing rivalry between supporters of bitcoin cash and conventional bitcoin.

The first known asteroid from beyond our solar system was detected by NASA's Near Earth Object Observation Program as it rounded the Sun. This exotic object is like nothing seen before, being about 400m long by only 10m wide and composed of rock and metal.

Elon Musk keeps his bold promise to install and commission the battery in 100 days. While a step in the right direction, it doesn't guarantee the state against power blackouts.

Our weekly news round-up: Study confirms flies are an oft overlooked vector for disease transmission; Uber admits in 2016 it covered up a big hack of 57m users' data and paid off hackers to delete it; Calls for glitter and other sources of microplastics to be banned; Reading out loud to yourself shown to boost memory; Humpback dolphins indulge in gift giving; Aussie judge presses VW on why emissions cheating software was installed on its cars; Perth set for test of Uber-style driverless cars; Magnesium battery technology offers safety advantages over conventional lithium ion; Amazon officially launches in Australia - challenges local retailers.

A new theory suggests a correlation between Earth's slowing rotation and the incidence of major quakes.

The semi is said to be more reliable and cheaper than a diesel truck, while the roadster has insane racing car performance. Expect delays for both.

The South Australian Government plans to legislate for mandatory police access to private phone and computer passwords.

Our weekly news round-up: Scientists message ET and ask for a reply on June 21, 2043; NASA debates locations for Mars 2020 lander; European regulators flag privacy nightmare of kids' smart watches; Spectacular meteor flash over Finland; Facebook changes its 'delete post' option; Gamers unite against Star Wars Battlefront 2 micro-payments; Global software update enables ATM bitcoin transaction support; Google Assistant can troubleshoot your phone; Google busts itself for copyright breach.

Professor Jenny Graves AO of La Trobe University has won the country's most prestigious and highly regarded award for her research into the genetics of sex.

New email program uses AI to waste cyber crims' time by tricking them into believing they're in touch with a potential human victim.

This live-streaming security camera offers HD coverage, simple app control and free cloud storage all for US$120.

Our weekly news round-up: Large and mysterious cavity detected inside Great Pyramid; Dinosaurs were super unlucky to go extinct (along with 75% of all life); Apple brings its 'Anyone Can Code' initiative to Australia, NZ and Europe; Japanese smart fork masks the sound of noodle slurping; South Korea's new carless smart city; Logitech ends support for Harmony Link universal remotes; Bitcoin's latest fork cancelled for technical reasons; Samsung gives up on in-display fingerprint scanner for Galaxy S9.

The social network already knows so much about you. With sophisticated AI, it could almost be reading your mind. But hey, it's a great place to advertise!

Leveraging the efficiency, low running costs and longevity of Tesla cars, an LA start-up offers a luxurious ride to Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego.

John is the proud owner of this compact music player and gives us the rundown.

Our weekly news round-up: Google Earth used to discover ancient structures in Saudi desert; Cochlear implant sound processor now made for iPhone; Sunu wristband uses sonar and haptic feedback to create a mental map of the world for the blind; Curiosity rover almost back to drilling Martian rocks; Global aurora and deadly radiation levels found at Mars after violent solar storm; China develops rice that thrives in sea water; Bitcoin's so hot that just mentioning blockchain causes a stir; CAPTCHAs easily beaten by AI; Google extends warranty on Pixel 2 phones following screen complaints; Delays confirmed for iPhone X.

This 17-lens 360-degree camera can live stream in 4K, which should make it a hit with professional filmmakers and other commercial users.

John offers his first impressions of Google's latest and greatest. But amid rumours of screen burn-in problems, he has some reservations.