Tag Archive for: Here’s

3G is being shut off across Australia. Here’s how to keep connected

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It’s the end of an internet era, with the nation’s major telecommunications providers announcing that 3G will begin phasing out within months.

While most smartphones are already connected to 4G and 5G services, a number of devices could require urgent action to remain connected.

Medical monitoring devices, baby monitors, EFTPOS machines, security cameras and smartwatches are some of the devices that might still be reliant on 3G.

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Vodafone will be the first to switch off 3G this year, rolling out the change on December 15.

Telstra will shut off 3G in June next year, and Optus will say goodbye to the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology in September next year.

Even emergency triple-0 calls will no longer be possible on impacted devices.

That is why Telstra’s NSW regional general manager Mike Maron told 7NEWS: “It’s certainly really important to make sure that you make that change (to 4G or 5G) prior to June 2024.”

3G was introduced to the world in 2003, bringing with it a faster data rate, more secure encryption algorithms, and more efficient use of the radio bands it operates on.

“3G has done a fantastic job,” Maron said. “It was there to give us voice calls, text messages and also some light internet browsing.”

But now 20 years on it has since been superseded by more advanced technology, as online behaviour and internet demand drastically changes worldwide.

Why is 3G being phased out?

1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G are all generations of wireless mobile telecommunications technology, which operates using radio frequencies.

The “G” stands for generation, and the number corresponds with each upgraded iteration of the technology. 1G and 2G have already been phased out.

3G is being phased out because the technology is no longer in demand.

Data consumption is increasing by more than 30 per cent each year, largely through streaming in hi-definition, a change which meant 3G is “not fit for purpose anymore,” according to Maron.

3G is…

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New Zealand unveils defense strategy documents. Here’s what they say.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has released three defense and national security documents outlining prevailing challenges, principals for its military and ways to improve the force.

Defence Minister Andrew Little on Aug. 4 presented to lawmakers a 36-page “Defence Policy and Strategy Statement,” a 12-page “Future Force Design Principles” document and an inaugural 44-page “National Security Strategy.”

“A year ago we commissioned the Defence Policy Review, to provide a roadmap for the future of Defence as part of the national security of New Zealand, and to do so in the context of the rapidly changing conditions we see around us,” Little said, per a transcript of a speech in which he introduced the documents. “One of the first actions [Prime Minister] Chris Hipkins government took was to speed up work on that review.”

Overall, the documents outline challenges and pressures; introduce “sliding principles” and four underlying assumptions; and conclude that, in the mid- to long-term period, investment in the military is needed to “continue to protect and promote New Zealand’s interests.”

Threats

“In 2023 we do not live in a benign strategic environment,” Little said. “New Zealand is facing more geostrategic challenges than we have had in decades — climate change, terrorism, cyberattacks, transnational crime, mis and disinformation, and competition in our region which, up until recently, we thought was protected by its remoteness.”

Those challenges appear to have overtaken expectations, with the government writing that the military “is designed for a relatively benign strategic environment, and not the challenges of increased strategic competition and the adverse effects of climate change that the Defence Policy and Strategy Statement 2023 identifies. As a result, it is not in a fit state to respond to future challenges.”

“A rough sea can still be navigated,” the government wrote, and “even in difficult times we can act to find our way through.”

But it’s unclear how that could be the case, given the “Defence Policy and Strategy Statement” acknowledges it “does not in itself address capability investment questions or require…

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‘Skiplagging’ airfare hack under fire again; here’s what it is

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This travel loophole — in which a flier uses a layover as the final destination to cut costs when booking tickets — has become the ire of airlines who have attempted, and failed, to challenge the practice in court over the years. 

Fliers have been skiplagging ever since booking tickets on the internet shifted power toward the consumer. It’s been called “point beyond ticketing” or “hidden city booking,” and articles promoting how to beat high airfares have been published periodically for well over a decade. 

How to skiplag

The skiplag travel hack is simple. It starts when you book a flight. Say that you’re traveling from JFK to SFO and the price for a direct flight is more expensive than a flight in which SFO is merely a layover. Skiplagging means that you book the flight with SFO as the layover and, upon arriving in San Francisco, you leave the airport. 

But there are some important ramifications: If you choose to skiplag, don’t check a bag; the airline will send it to the final destination airport on your itinerary, which is not your actual destination. This also means it’s wise to check in early, and arrive to the gate with plenty of time, so you can secure a spot in the overhead bin for your luggage. 



The reason a flight with a layover is sometimes cheaper than a direct flight (even though it requires more resources and time) is based on how airlines predict (and price according to) traveler behavior. 

David Gillen, director of the transportation school at the Sauder School of Business in British Columbia, explained to Vice in 2015 that airlines price routes based on how travelers are likely to connect with another flight. “The airline will charge lower fares for passengers traveling on two legs because it gets money from both legs. This is what Skiplagged is exploiting,” he said, referring to a travel booking site that had recently been sued by United Airlines, called Skiplagged.

Is skiplagging illegal?

Skiplagging is not illegal, but airlines have actively fought it and discourage customers from engaging in it. Most…

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Lehigh Valley Health Network hit by cyber attack. Here’s the patient info hackers stole

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Reuters

Sandoz launches rival version of AbbVie’s arthritis drug Humira

The Novartis-owned company said its drug, Hyrimoz, will be priced at a 5% discount off Humira’s current list price of $6,922 per month, but that it was also offering an unbranded version of Humira at an 81% discount. Healthcare experts have said that drugmakers will probably launch their Humira biosimilars with small discounts to appeal to pharmacy benefit managers, which take some of their fees as a percentage of the discounts they negotiate on behalf of their customers – large employers and health insurance plans.

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