Thank you for listening to Radio 2CC and the Canberra Weekender program!

From 10.30am to 11am each Saturday morning, I join the Canberra Weekender host, Tatjana Clancy, and we talk about the latest news in the world of technology.

1) This week, we start with the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, which feature three new Macs, news about the updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and more coming in September (and currently in beta testing), and of course the brand new Vision Pro headset.

You can see my previous article about it right here, which includes three MUST-SEE videos from the event. Please don’t miss these fantastic videos on the future of computing from Apple, as well as links to with all the details on the next operating systems we’ll be taking for granted from September onwards. If nothing else, please watch the following 9 minute video on the new headset – it is impressive!

2) Next we spoke about a new miniaturised quantum computer that is made in Australia. The “Free Code Camp” website explains a quantum computer as “a type of computer that uses quantum mechanics so that it can perform certain kinds of computation more efficiently than a regular computer can”.

At the moment, most quantum computers are a bit like those giant computers of the 1950s that took up a lot of space in a huge room, with components that must be kept very, very cold, but Quantum Brilliance offers quantum computers the size of today’s desktop computers, running at room temperature, using diamonds.

Quantum Brilliance is working to get quantum chips happening so they’re the same size as the chips in our computers today, and have launched a free, open-source look at what a miniaturised quantum computer can do for their businesses.

The announcement will enable all to explore room-temperature quantum computing in cars, ships, aircraft, spacecraft, data centres; alongside supercomputers and more.

The company has announced the full release of the what is known as the “Qristal SDK”, an open-source software development kit for researching applications that integrate the company’s portable, diamond-based quantum accelerators.

Previously in beta, the Quantum Brilliance Qristal SDK is now available for anyone to develop and test novel quantum algorithms for real-world applications specifically designed for quantum accelerators rather than quantum mainframes. Potential use cases include classical-quantum hybrid applications in data centres, massively parallelised clusters of accelerators for computational chemistry and embedded accelerators for edge computing applications such as robotics, autonomous vehicles and satellites.

Quantum Brilliance’s quantum systems use synthetic diamonds to operate at room temperature in any environment. Unlike large mainframe quantum computers, Quantum Brilliance’s small-form devices do not require cryogenics, vacuum systems or precision laser arrays, consuming significantly less power and enabling deployment onsite or at the edge.

Currently the size of a desktop PC, the company is working to further miniaturise its technology to the size of a semiconductor chip that can be used on any device, wherever classical computers exist today, unlocking practical quantum computing for everyone.

3) Third on the list is news that Australians went all-in last year on video games with $4.21 billion spent across hardware, software, and peripherals, according to consumer sales data released today by IGEA, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association. You can find all the details here.

4) We then looked at news from Energizer, who explained that people have battery anxiety over the AA and AAA powered devices, such as with torches during blackouts, with smoke alarms, and even wireless keyboards and mice. It’s a bit like electric car owners who have “range anxiety”,

Plenty of devices still use regular batteries, and the cheap “carbon-zinc” batteries that aren’t alkaline have a tendency to run out of power far faster than alkaline batteries – and there are lithium batteries available from Energizer that last even longer.

The news here is that Energizer Max and Max Plus batteries last 100% and 200% longer, respectively, than the aforementioned “carbon zinc” batteries, and contain up to 10% recycled steel, identified through specially marked packaging.

Energizer wants to give you a reason to buy its brand of batteries, rather than those from Duracell, Aldi, Varta and other brands, with the company the manufacturer of “Energizer Ultimate Lithium”, the World’s Longest Lasting AA battery, with Energizer also the #1 Recharge brand globally.

Former The Block contestant, home renovator and mother of two Kara Demmrich weighs in on the new findings in the Energizer Battery report and shares her solution. A video featuring Kara is below, followed my more information.

Energizer’s Battery Report states two thirds of Aussies (68%) claim to have felt anxious regarding low batteries in 2023, with 81% of parents with young children (under 18) claiming to have experienced it.

Gen Z (85%) and Millennials (82%) were more likely to have felt stressed surrounding low batteries in comparison to older generations (Gen X: 68%, Baby Boomers: 50%). And the top situations leading to battery anxiety-inducing experiences includes:

  • Forgetting to bring extra batteries/chargers/power banks for electronic devices when travelling • Batteries running out in mouses or keyboards whilst working
  • Smoke alarm batteries dying and the household being at risk
  • Torches dying in the middle of a blackout

Former The Block contestant and mother of two Kara Demmrich, who has partnered with the Energizer brand, said, “As a busy parent who runs a business, the last thing that’s on my mind is checking that we have fresh batteries in all our household devices. Like the majority of Aussie parents, I’ve felt anxious when batteries in our devices run out of power.

“The stress regarding keeping kids entertained with their favourite battery-operated toys while on road trips, panic surrounding smoke alarm batteries, or frustration when batteries are flat in our torches and lanterns while out on the boat is something I’d prefer to avoid at all costs. I want to simply put batteries in my devices and forget about them, knowing that they’ll last a long time. That’s why it’s important to me that I choose batteries such as Energizer MAX and Energizer MAX PLUS that will go the distance for our household.”

Energizer Battery Home visits select Bunnings stores

The Energizer brand has teamed up with Kara Demmrich to bring to life the Energizer Battery Home, a tiny home interactive experience which features home gadgets powered by the Energizer range of batteries and showcases its latest product performance claims and recycled material content, with Energizer AA and AAA batteries including recycled steel.

The brand will be taking the Energizer Battery Home on the road, visiting two Bunnings stores this month with a stop at Bunnings Alexandria on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June and Bunnings West Gosford on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June.
The Energizer brand is also encouraging customers to recycle their used batteries through Bunnings battery recycling program, with collection units available at all stores nationally.

5) Finally, Samsung has announced it is holding its next “Galaxy Unpacked” event on July 27, for the first time in Seoul, South Korea. The event is expected to unveil Samsung’s new fifth-generation Flip and Fold devices, one being a flip phone, the other being a phone that folds out into a tablet.