Composite image: Vinay Ranchhod

Social media addiction's challenger? Anti-doomscrolling influencers

It’s simple to accidentally become entranced by an endless loop of videos on Instagram or TikTok.

9:13am

1:28

Pen pal letters are displayed outside the Sullivan County Health Care nursing home

Letter writing enjoys revival as fans seek break from screen time

Reviving vintage writing instruments and small tactile pleasures might be on the verge of becoming trendy.

Sunday 6:00pm

ChatGPT app icon is seen on a smartphone screen in Chicago.

OpenAI to start testing ads on ChatGPT in bid to boost revenue

It's the latest effort by the San Francisco-based company to make money from ChatGPT's more than 800 million users, most of whom get it for free.

Sat, Jan 17

Woolworths says Olive will not complete purchases automatically, and customers will still need to approve and pay for orders.

Do supermarket shoppers want Google AI adding to their carts?

Woolworths in Australia has announced a partnership with Google to incorporate artificial intelligence into its chatbot.

Sat, Jan 17

The law change comes into effect today.

Australia social media ban a 'success' with 4.7m accounts blocked

Under laws which took effect on December 10, platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube need to take reasonable steps to ensure children under 16 don't hold accounts.

Fri, Jan 16

Astronauts onboard the SpaceX recovery ship.

Astronauts returns to Earth early in NASA's first medical evacuation

The astronauts emerged from the capsule, one by one, within an hour of splashdown.

Fri, Jan 16

Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco.

X says Grok blocked from undressing images in places where it's illegal

The announcement followed a global backlash over sexualised images of women and children, including bans and warnings by some governments.

Thu, Jan 15

Shoppers outside EB Games in Paraparaumu.

Massive queues as EB Games starts nationwide closing down sale

Shoppers crowded stores and overwhelmed the website as the retailer began its final 50% off clearance ahead of all 38 New Zealand stores closing on January 31.

Thu, Jan 15

Colosseum Archaeological Park guide Valentina uses a head-mounted device to livestream a guided tour for the press of the newly-restored underground House of Griffins, dated between the II and I century B.C., on the Palatine Hill next to the Colosseum, in Rome.

Ancient Rome meets modern tech in live stream of restored home

The House of the Griffins was hidden to the world underground after the Emperor Domitian built his palace on top of it in the first century AD.

Wed, Jan 14

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Pentagon embraces Musk's Grok AI despite global outcry

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says America's military "AI will not be woke".

Wed, Jan 14

Australian under-16s can no longer legally be on social media.

Some social media use can benefit teen mental health – study

Non-users and those on social media found to be at the highest levels of elevated risk for poorer wellbeing.

Tue, Jan 13

Scientific evidence increasingly points to touchscreens compromising our safety (file image).

Yes, those big touchscreens in cars are dangerous and buttons will be back

Car manufacturers are being asked to “bring back buttons” for important driver controls, including headlights and windscreen wipers.

Tue, Jan 13

Apple and Google logos on their respective devices (file image)

Apple calls on Google to help catch up on iPhone AI features

Many of Apple's AI features remain in the development phase, while Google and Samsung have been rolling out more of the technology on their own devices.

Tue, Jan 13

Malaysia, Indonesia first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes

Malaysia, Indonesia first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes

Grok last week limited image generation and editing to paying users following a global backlash.

Mon, Jan 12

ManageMyHealth has begun notifying GPs about which of their patients’ files may have been compromised. 

Manage My Health breach: More than 80,000 impacted in Northland

A spokesperson for Health NZ said it was estimated that 86,000 people in Northland were impacted.

Sun, Jan 11

People look at a display of the Bosch eBike Flow app at the Bosch booth during the CES tech show

AI fridges and AI 'soulmates': Tech convention 'Worst in Show' products

Spicing up a simple machine like a refrigerator with unnecessary AI was also a surefire way to win the “Worst in Show.”

Sun, Jan 11

The Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta said that the three deals will support up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy by 2035.

Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centres

The parent company of Facebook announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data centre that is being built in New Albany, Ohio.

Sat, Jan 10

orkers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023.

Musk's AI chatbot Grok restricts image generation after backlash to deepfakes

The chatbot has been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions.

Sat, Jan 10

Thousands of documents have been caught up in the Manage My Health hack..

Manage My Health patients draw blanks in quest for info on breach

The patient health portal says there's no scenario where they can instantly notify those affected by a data breach.

Sat, Jan 10

Thousands of documents have been caught up in the Manage My Health hack..

Manage My Health admits to tech issues in wake of cyber breach

The company said approximately 125,000 of its 1.8 million users were affected.

Fri, Jan 9

Thousands of documents have been caught up in the Manage My Health hack..

Manage My Health breach: 50% of affected patients contacted

Data about up to 126,000 patients were impacted by the cyber-hacking of the ManageMyHealth app.

Thu, Jan 8

orkers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023.

Musk's AI chatbot Grok blasted for sexualised images of women, children

"This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling. This is disgusting."

Wed, Jan 7

Thousands of documents have been caught up in the Manage My Health hack..

Terrified and angry: Assault victim waits for answers over health hack

A sexual assault victim is fearful and "ragingly angry" that her most private information could be made public in the Manage My Health hack.

Wed, Jan 7

ManageMyHealth has begun notifying GPs about which of their patients’ files may have been compromised. 

ManageMyHealth data breach: First tranche of affected GPs notified

The patient information company said appointments and prescriptions in the Health Record function have not been accessed and the portal has now been independently confirmed as secure.

Tue, Jan 6

File photo.

One-in-five solar panels degrading faster than expected – NSW report

Tiny hairline cracks and other minor manufacturing flaws missed during quality control testing are thought partly to blame for the trend-defying declines for some solar panels.

Tue, Jan 6