Hello, and thank you for listening to me on the Chris Smith show on TNTRadio.Live on Wednesdays after the 4.30pm AEDT news headlines, and on Radio 2CC each Saturday from 10.30am to 11am!

Here are this week’s tech topics, first the short version so you can see what we spoke about, and then the longer version with all the details and context.

1. Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission warns consumers to immediately switch off potentially dangerous LG solar batteries, with LG batteries recalled in the US last year

2. In more alarming battery news, It’s not just home energy systems that capture and store solar power that we need to worry about, the ACCC is also warning about lithium ion rechargeable batteries in general, stating “Consumers urged to use and store lithium-ion batteries safely to prevent deadly fires”.

3. Global PC shipments fall by nearly 10% last quarter, compared with the same time last year, but forecasts show PC sales should improve by the fourth quarter and that “the market has moved past the bottom of the trough”.

4. Australians urged to download the Australia Post app to protect against package delivery scams, in what is some good news during the October Cyber Awareness Month

5. With Israel under attack, its tech sector is already facing disruptions, with AI and graphics chipmaker NVIDIA having cancelled its major AI Summit that was to be held in Tel Aviv next for obvious reasons. 

6. Amazon Prime Day ends in a few hours time, with Amazon urging users to buy now for gifts to give later this year. The sale comes a month and a half of the big Black Friday sales starting Friday November 24, with other companies such as online retail Kogan, in Australia, offering its own sales bonanza. 

7. Google seeks to kill passwords and make passkeys the default, so what is a passkey, and how do you use one?

8. Google’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones officially go on sale tomorrow, and the review embargo will be lifted, so if you’re in the market for what is arguably the most advanced and updated Android phone, check out the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro at any phone company or electronics store. 

Ok, here’s the longer version of each topic with all the details:

1. Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission warns consumers to immediately switch off potentially dangerous LG solar batteries, with LG batteries recalled in the US last year

LG Battery storage systems for homes have been the subject of numerous recalls in Australia since 2020, with the latest recall put out by the ACCC this week. 

The ACCC says “all households with a solar storage system need to urgently check if the system has a recalled LG battery installed and should switch off affected batteries immediately, and keep them switched off until they are remediated. When these batteries malfunction there is a serious risk of injury or death due to the affected batteries overheating and causing a fire.”

Consumers with affected LG batteries are urged to switch off and contact LG or SolaX to arrange remediation of the battery, which could include a free battery replacement or a software update, or a refund.

Here are two photos of a burnt battery on the side of a house:

“It is critically important that anyone with a solar energy storage system checks their battery’s serial number, as this recall has been updated to include new models, affected systems and dates of manufacture,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“Even if you don’t have an LG-branded solar storage system, you may still have an LG branded battery that has been recalled. For peace of mind – check your system again and turn off your battery straight away if it has been recalled.”

LG has agreed to provide financial compensation to consumers who have higher electricity bills as a result of not being able to use their battery.

“Please put your safety first and follow this important advice to switch off. LG will compensate consumers who are out-of-pocket on their electricity bills as a result of switching off and not being able to use their battery,” Ms Lowe said. 

The energy storage system come with different brands: LG, SolaX, Opal, Red Earth, Eguana or VARTA.

Visit the LG ESS Battery site, click on ‘Electrical Safety Recall’ and follow the instructions to find out if your battery is affected by the recall. If you need help, immediately contact LG Energy Solution Australia (LG)  by phone on 1300 677 273 or by email to productau@lgensol.com. 

In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall for LG batteries in 2022, while the Energy Storage News site says an energy company called Element Energy was reportedly using recalled car batteries in its battery storage system back in May 2023. 

2. It’s not just home energy systems that capture and store solar power that we need to worry about, the ACCC is also warning about lithium ion rechargeable batteries in general, stating “Consumers urged to use and store lithium-ion batteries safely to prevent deadly fires”.

The ACCC is warning consumers about rare but serious fire hazards from lithium-ion batteries and is asking consumers to choose, check, use and dispose of the batteries safely, in its latest report published today. 

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are contained in common household items, including most mobile phones, laptops, tablets, e-scooters, e-bikes and power tools.

Whilst incidents are rare, they appear to be increasing and are serious when they occur. The batteries can overheat or explode if they are used, charged or disposed of incorrectly or if they are damaged, and fires caused by the batteries can be dangerous and difficult to extinguish. 

“We are concerned by increasing reports of lithium-ion battery fires resulting in property damage and serious injuries, including burns, chemical exposure and smoke inhalation,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

One Australian has reportedly died in a lithium-ion battery fire and the ACCC has received 231 product safety reports relating to lithium-ion batteries in the past five years. There have also been 23 recalls affecting an estimated 89,000 products on the market. 

Lithium-ion batteries are integral to achieving Australia’s transition to net zero emissions and a circular economy. The ACCC is seeking to demonstrate the importance of safe battery supply and design to support consumer confidence in the safety of lithium-ion products.  

“Managing lithium-ion battery safety is complex, and government, industry and consumers must tackle the challenge together. Our report makes recommendations to better protect consumers, and includes practical advice to reduce the risks associated with these batteries,” Ms Lowe said.

“Consumers should avoid mixing and matching chargers, unplug products when fully charged and charge batteries in a cool, dry place and away from combustible materials like beds, lounges or carpet.”

“Check your lithium-ion batteries for overheating signs of swelling, leaking or venting gas and immediately stop using your product if these signs are present,” Ms Lowe said.

The full article plus consumer advice and more is here.

3. Global PC shipments fall by nearly 10% last quarter, compared with the same time last year, but forecasts show PC sales should improve by the fourth quarter and that “the market has moved past the bottom of the trough”.

Major analyst firms Gartner and IDC said PC shipments fell between 9 percent and 7.6 percent respectively. 

Gartner’s stats showed shipments totalled 64.3 million units in Q3, 2023, 9% lower than Q3 last year, while IDC reported 68.2 million shipments, which is a decline of 7.6% com[ared with last year. 

Gartner expects to see growth starting again in Q4 this year, while competing analyst firm IDC says PC shipments have increased in each of the last two quarters, slowing the rate of annual decline and indicating the market has moved past the bottom of the trough.

“Seasonal demand from the education market boosted shipments in the third quarter, although enterprise PC demand remained weak, offsetting some growth,” said Gartner Director Analyst, Mikako Kitagawa. 

Gartner says Lenovo maintaining the No. 1 spot in shipments with 25.1 percent market share, followed by HP Inc, Dell and Apple. IDC data has Lenovo at 23.5 percent market share.

HP was the only vendor to exhibit year-over-year growth, with shipments increasing across all regions, but Dell reported a sixth consecutive quarter of shipment decline, impacted by weak enterprise PC demand. 

IDC analyst, Linn Huang, said generative AI could be a watershed moment for the PC industry, stating: “While use cases have yet to be fully articulated, interest in the category is already strong. AI PCs promise organisations the ability to personalise the user experience at a deeper level all while being able to preserve data privacy and sovereignty.”

This is important, because chipmaker AMD has released computer chips with an AI neural engine built-in, just as we see in smartphone and tablet chips, and while Intel’s computer chips for running Windows are yet to be launched, Intel has already spoken on plans to put AI everywhere, so this is expected to a driver of sales. 

So to is the fact Windows 11 now comes with its ChatGPT-powered AI Copilot built-in as standard, which is another factor that should boost future PC refresh sales. 

4. Australians urged to download the Australia Post app to protect against package delivery scams, in what is some good news during the October Cyber Awareness Month

We’ve all received dodgy SMS messages telling us that we’ve missed the delivery of a package, be it from a courier company, or Australia Post, and listeners in the US, UK and elsewhere have undoubtedly received similar scam messages which want you to click on links to then share your personal information, or pay for fake delivery charges.

In Australia, our postal authorities have decided to do something about it, with the existing free AusPost app upgraded to better protect users and their personal information, and it comes just in time for the busy shopping season. 

The app promises trusted, accurate and legitimate delivery notifications that protect customer security.

The AusPost app provides customers with a secure place to receive updates and tracks parcels along their journey. Recently, Australia Post updated the functionality to include in-app notifications for missed deliveries and parcel collection (which can be accessed once customers enable in-app notifications in their app settings).

You should also seek out the official apps and websites of other courier companies you use – unexpected SMS messages or emails should always be checked for legitimacy, don’t just trust a message or email, and ring the company in question or visit their official website if truly in doubt, please don’t just click on a link.

Out of the 11 million Australians who have registered MyPost accounts, less than half of these customers (5.1 million) actively use the AusPost app. Customers who have the AusPost app get access to the following features for Australia Post parcels that can be matched to their MyPost Account:

– Estimated delivery timeframe notifications
– Real-time delivery updates and instant push notifications
– Contactless access to Parcel Lockers
– Photos of Safe Drop Images
– Seamless redirects to Parcel Lockers or Post Offices

Michael McNamara, Australia Post Executive General Manager Digital, Technology and Data, said the AusPost app is the most trustworthy way to get Australia Post delivery updates.

“We know the AusPost app is a popular and trusted source of information for users, with customers using it an average of 12 times a month. Users are also more likely to use delivery choices like Parcel Lockers and Safe Drops and less likely to contact the call centre compared to non-app users,” Mr. McNamara said.

Professor Monica Whitty, Head of Department Software Systems and Cybersecurity at Monash University said: “Online shopping for Christmas presents has become the norm. However, shoppers need to be mindful of the multitude of online scams; for example, websites created by scammers, many of which look at first glance to be genuine, and scammer texts that appear to come from Australia Post or other couriers which trick consumers who are expecting a delivery.

“I encourage shoppers, who are seeking out the perfect gift for their loved ones, to stop and check the authenticity of the website, even if it is a familiar vendor, consider using apps of well-known vendors, check the source of a text, and never click a link – even if it appears to be a genuine source as it will most likely download malware onto your digital device.”

The AusPost app is ranked one of the top business apps in Australia, which is regularly upgraded to support and protect customers.

To sign up for a free MyPost account either visit the MyPost site or download the AusPost app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

5. With Israel under attack, its tech sector is already facing disruptions, with AI and graphics chipmaker NVIDIA having cancelled its major AI Summit that was to be held in Tel Aviv next for obvious reasons.

Israel’s tech sector makes it the Silicon Valley of the Middle East, with plenty of tech innovation from Israeli innovators – this list shows 73 Israeli inventions that changed the world, be it USB sticks, firewalls that protect computer networks, the Waze navigation app, RSA encryption, drip irrigation, the Viber app for Internet phone calls, the ICQ app for instant messaging, the pill cam for gastrointestinal diagnosis, and more. 

Today, chipmaker Intel is Israel’s largest private employer and exporter, and the company said it was closely monitoring the situation in Israel and taking steps to safeguard and support workers. 

Now comes new that Nvidia, the company that makes graphics cards and these days the all-important AI chips that power ChatGPT and other AI systems, has cancelled its AI Summit in Tel Aviv next week due to safety concerns. The in-person event was meant to take place on October 15 and 16 in Tel Aviv, and was billed as the number one conference for developers, business leaders, and AI researchers. 

Nvidia highlighted Israel’s more than 6,000 startups and amount of VC investments per capita, making it one of the world’s most vibrant technology hubs. About 2,500 developers, researchers and tech workers were set to attend the two-day conference and it was set to feature more than 60 live sessions. No doubt we’ll hear when it will be rescheduled, and where it will be held, but it’s another casualty of this terrible conflict. 

6. Amazon Prime Day ends in a few hours time, with Amazon urging users to buy now for gifts to give later this year. The sale comes a month and a half of the big Black Friday sales starting Friday November 24, with other companies such as online retail Kogan, in Australia, offering its own sales bonanza.

There have been predictions that people just won’t be spending as big this Christmas season, so it looks like retailers are pulling out all the stops to get you to open your wallets, so if you miss out on Prime Day deals, the chance for discounts should present themselves again, but it also never hurts to strike while the iron is hot – if you see a good deal, it may well be Wallet friendly to snap up the deal before it is gone. Use your judgement!  

7. Google seeks to kill passwords and make passkeys the default, so what is a passkey, and how do you use one?

Seeking to go “passwordless by default” and make the switch to passkeys, this is yet more security news released during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 

Earlier this year, Google rolled out support for passkeys, a simpler and more secure way to sign into your accounts online. The company reports receiving “really positive feedback from our users, so today we’re making passkeys even more accessible by offering them as the default option across personal Google Accounts.”

Here’s the rest of Google’s blog post:

This means the next time you sign in to your account, you’ll start seeing prompts to create and use passkeys, simplifying your future sign-ins. It also means you’ll see the “Skip password when possible” option toggled on in your Google Account settings.

To use passkeys, you just use a fingerprint, face scan or pin to unlock your device, and they are 40% faster than passwords — and rely on a type of cryptography that makes them more secure. But while they’re a big step forward, we know that new technologies take time to catch on — so passwords may be around for a little while. That’s why people will still be given the option to use a password to sign in and may opt-out of passkeys by turning off “Skip password when possible.”

We’ve found that one of the most immediate benefits of passkeys is that they spare people the headache of remembering all those numbers and special characters in passwords. They’re also phishing resistant.

Passkeys in more places

Since launching earlier this year, people have used passkeys on their favorite apps like YouTube, Search and Maps, and we’re encouraged by the results. We’re even more excited to see the growing adoption of passkeys across industry. Recently, Uber and eBay have enabled passkeys — giving people the option to ditch passwords when signing-in on their platforms — and WhatsApp compatibility will also be coming soon.

The passwordless road ahead

We’ll keep you updated on where else you can start using passkeys across other online accounts. In the meantime, we’ll continue encouraging the industry to make the pivot to passkeys — making passwords a rarity, and eventually obsolete. For more information on how you’re safer with Google, visit myaccount.google.com/safer.