FutureFive Australia - Consumer technology news from the future

Virtual Reality (VR) stories

Strap on a headset and enter a computer-generated world where interactions and movement bring person and machine closer together. As a simulation, experiences can vary from closely matching the real world, through to fantastical environments limited only by the imagination of their developers. VR is typically broken down into three categories- non-immersive, semi-immersive, and fully-immersive. A non-immersive example would appear on a normal screen, semi-immersive might add a headset, while fully-immersive combines headset and motion-sensitive controls. VR applications are extensive and include video gaming, training simulations including in military, healthcare and business, and travel and leisure.
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The future is not neutral: why girls must shape the age of AI

Last week
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data privacy
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ai
As AI reshapes society, girls must lead its design and ethics, or risk a future coded with bias, silence and entrenched inequality.
Rasangi

The world needs more women in tech - and there's no time to wait

Last week
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smart cities
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data analytics
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digital transformation
Women hold just 28% of tech roles worldwide, a glaring gap experts warn is stifling innovation, ESG progress and global economic growth.
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Game developer interview: Star Citizen's Chris Roberts

Last week
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gaming
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digital entertainment
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ar, vr & metaverse
Chris Roberts details Star Citizen's boundless vision, from procedural planets and VR to crafting, base building and dynamic server tech.
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The smart money is on inclusion

Last week
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smart cities
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digital transformation
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digital twins
Smart capital is flowing to infrastructure that lifts women, using digital tech to turn inclusion and resilience into core investment value.
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Girls' school opens AI lab to close tech gender gap

Last month
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ai
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ai ethics & governance
Strathcona Girls Grammar has launched a dedicated AI and STEM lab to embed tech learning in every year level and tackle the gender gap in STEM.
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xReality hits profit as Operator XR drives global push

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saas
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partner programmes
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erp
xReality swings to operational profit as Operator XR powers record half-year, with revenue up 41% to AUD $10.4 million and EBITDA surging 190%.
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Brands pivot to integrations in virtual worlds shift

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gaming
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martech
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partner programmes
Brands are ditching standalone virtual worlds in favour of repeatable integrations inside Roblox and Fortnite, GEEIQ data shows.
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SkillsVR offers free VR device management amid Meta shift

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digital transformation
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mdm
SkillsVR launches ACTIVATE MDM Lite, a free six‑month VR fleet tool as organisations adapt to Meta's changing Quest hardware strategy.
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ExpressVPN launches VR app & hybrid browser extension

Last month
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data protection
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vpns
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cybersecurity
ExpressVPN debuts a Meta Quest VR app and hybrid browser extension, offering switchable browser-only or full-device VPN protection.
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Hands-on review: Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller

Last month
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gaming
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digital entertainment
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ar, vr & metaverse
Honeycomb's Echo Aviation Controller delivers desk‑friendly, precision flight sim controls, with quirks in setup but impressive immersion.
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How digital service is transforming global cash cycles

Last month
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data analytics
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digital transformation
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cx
From AI analytics to remote fixes, digital service is reshaping cash operations, boosting uptime, trust, and sustainability at every stage.
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Siemens named Leader in Gartner QMS software ranking

Sat, 31st Jan 2026
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manufacturing
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data analytics
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iot
Siemens named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for quality management software, spotlighting its AI-enabled, integrated QMS portfolio.
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xReality surges on US defence, law enforcement deals

Fri, 30th Jan 2026
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erp
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ai
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ar, vr & metaverse
xReality receipts jump 85% as US defence and police contracts swell pipeline to AUD $63 million and support a larger Sydney base.
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Public safety LTE & 5G spend to top USD $6.3 billion

Wed, 28th Jan 2026
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uc
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smart cities
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digital entertainment
Global public safety LTE and 5G spending will climb from USD $5bn in 2025 to over USD $6.3bn annually by 2028, SNS Telecom & IT says.
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Goertzel & Lanier clash over AI autonomy & control

Fri, 16th Jan 2026
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crypto
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blockchain
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genai
Ben Goertzel and Jaron Lanier clash over whether increasingly autonomous AI deserves moral standing or must always remain under human control.
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Hands-on review: Silicon Power Hypera microSDXC Express card

Thu, 15th Jan 2026
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storage
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gaming
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digital entertainment
Silicon Power's Hypera microSDXC Express card brings near-SSD speeds and affordable extra storage to Nintendo Switch 2 gamers.
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Forrester warns on 2026 tech budgets amid AI shifts

Wed, 14th Jan 2026
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data analytics
Forrester flags cooler optimism for 2026 tech budgets as leaders juggle AI-driven investment plans with rising geopolitical and cyber risks.
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Porsche debuts cloud 3D configurator for Cayenne EVs

Mon, 12th Jan 2026
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gaming
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digital transformation
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hyperscale
Porsche launches a cloud-based 3D Cayenne Electric configurator, streaming photoreal models to browsers, apps and dealer showrooms.
Digital economy set to hit usd 28 trillion in 2026

Digital economy set to hit USD $28 trillion in 2026

Fri, 9th Jan 2026
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robots
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digital transformation
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quantum computing
The global digital economy is forecast to surge 9.5% in 2026 to USD $28 trillion, triple the pace of overall worldwide economic growth.
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CIMPOR's private 5G blueprint boosts efficiency, cuts CO2

Thu, 8th Jan 2026
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uc
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wearables
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drones
CIMPOR's new private 5G blueprint lifts plant efficiency by 1%, saves up to USD $15 million a year and cuts CO2 emissions by 140,000 tonnes.