Melbourne-based fleet management firm Netstar Australia has been hit by the Blackshrantac ransomware group in a data extortion attack, underscoring rising cyber risks in the telematics sector that handles sensitive GPS data for government and critical infrastructure operators.
The Rhysida ransomware group has targeted Harbour Town Doctors, a Queensland medical centre, threatening to leak sensitive patient data. The attack highlights the persistent threat of ransomware to the Australian healthcare sector.
One of the largest lead generation datasets ever compiled has been found exposed online, containing 4.3 billion professional records in a 16 terabyte unsecured database.
Microsoft launched AI-powered Surface PCs with a Copilot button and hired top talent from Inflection AI, reinforcing its leadership in AI innovation and personal computing.
In a series of strategic moves that underscore its commitment to leading the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Microsoft has made headlines with its latest announcements.
The tech giant is not only introducing AI-integrated Surface PCs but also bolstering its AI development team with the acquisition of talent from the AI startup Inflection.
Microsoft has unveiled its first-ever Surface PCs equipped with a dedicated Copilot button, fulfilling a promise made earlier this year.
This innovative feature, positioned for easy access on the keyboard, is poised to transform the user experience by bringing generative AI capabilities to the fingertips of users.
The new Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business, both equipped with this feature, highlight Microsoft's vision for a future where AI and personal computing are seamlessly integrated.
In addition to the Copilot feature, these "AI PCs" boast Intel Core Ultra processors with a specialised neural processing engine (NPU), enabling faster responses and improved security.
These features, along with the integration of AI into Windows 11, underscore Microsoft's commitment to enhancing user experiences through technology.
The introduction of these AI-integrated PCs follows closely on the heels of Apple's announcement of its MacBook Air laptops, featuring an upgraded Neural Engine for AI applications.
Microsoft's offerings, starting at $1,199, are now available for pre-order and are set to ship starting April 9, though initially, they will not be available to consumers.
In a parallel development, Microsoft has announced a significant partnership with Inflection AI, involving a $650 million agreement largely for licensing the startup's AI software.
This move comes alongside the hiring of Inflection's co-founders, Mustafa Suleyman and Karén Simonyan, as well as a majority of the startup's staff.
This "acqui-hire" has captured the industry's attention, merging Inflection's innovative AI capabilities with Microsoft's global reach.
"We are in Year 2 of the AI platform shift and must ensure we have the capability and capacity to boldly innovate," stated Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, highlighting the company's ambition in the AI space. With Suleyman and Simonyan joining the leadership team, Microsoft is poised to accelerate its AI research and development efforts.
By 2027 the race to become the first cosmic CEO is moving from science fiction to strategy. Starcloud has already trained an AI model in orbit on an Nvidia H100, while Google prepares Project Suncatcher. What remains missing is not ambition, but clear pricing and proof orbital compute can pay.
Australia’s National AI Plan is a welcome start on skills and safety, but it plays too safe. While the US, Europe and the Gulf pour sovereign capital into chips, compute and energy, Canberra is still talking about catalysing investment rather than committing.
NVIDIA’s blockbuster quarter has reset the AI narrative, turning fears of a bursting tech bubble into renewed conviction in a structural shift. With record data-centre sales and sold-out Blackwell GPUs, NVIDIA now looks less like a chip stock and more like core AI infrastructure in the AI build-out
Australia is entering the age of agentic intelligence as startups like Firmus Technologies and Sharon AI build sovereign compute, renewable powered data infrastructure and AI platforms. Infrastructure is accelerating while enterprise adoption remains slow, creating a widening national gap.
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