Legal
Reynolds files bankruptcy proceedings against Higgins
Just days after former senator Linda Reynolds filed the same action against Brittany Higgins husband, she’s gone and done the same thing to the new mother.
As The Australian’s Paul Garvey reports, the move comes less than two months after being awarded over $1 million in damages and legal costs.
Media
‘Hollywood’ Hugh no longer leading man material
That’s according to Steve Jackson in The Australian, who writes the ABC boss’ first Senate Estimate’s appearance didn’t exactly win rave reviews.
Marks copped a frosty reception from across the board – with Senators Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Sarah Henderson – both grilling him over everything from Aunty’s failure to report certain stories, and why ABC news chief Justin Stevens didn’t turn up for questioning.
Lyons v Trump feud laid bare
Remember when the ABC’s John Lyons sparked the ire of one Donald J. Trump?
Well, now we’ve learned a little more about what occurred in the lead up.
According to The Herald Sun’s Blair Jackson, the fiery exchange started when Lyons kept hammering the US President about his family’s growing cryptocurrency wealth.
Apple drops the plus in rebrand
Hidden deep in a media release for the US streaming release of the Brad Pitt movie F1 was an announcement by Apple that it is rebranding the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Very few details were revealed by Apple, with the company revealing in a paragraph at the end of the media release that Apple TV+ going forward will be branded as ‘Apple TV.’
AI
Meta snags Aussie AI star
Mark Zuckerberg has lured Australian AI specialist Andrew Tulloch from Thinking Machines Lab, the hush-hush start-up led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.
The Australian Financial Review’s Paul Smith writes it’s a big score for Meta in Silicon Valley’s escalating AI talent war.
Beer judges furious after AI tool sneaks into competition
Sure, come for our jobs, but hands off our beer.
A major beer judging event has landed in hot water after quietly introducing an AI tool mid-competition.
According to Joseph Cox from 404 Media, the move left human judges stunned to learn their tasting notes were being used to train it.
Well then, I guess we now know where we draw the line when it comes to AI.
Social Media
Google says teen social media ban ‘won’t make kids safer’
The tech giant has told a Senate inquiry that Australia’s plan to ban under-16s from social media would be “extremely difficult to enforce” and could make kids less safe online.
Public policy lead Rachel Lord said removing YouTube accounts would strip away key parental controls.
Meanwhile, as The Guardian’s Josh Taylor reports, the company’s Stefanee Lovett wouldn’t confirm if Google was lobbying the Trump administration ahead of Anthony Albanese’s US visit.
Social media giants read riot act over teen ban
Communications Minister Anika Wells is set to meet with Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat this week, warning them to get their houses in order ahead of Australia’s under-16s social media ban taking effect on December 10.
As Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer Wells, writes on news.com.au said the meetings, joined by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, would “re-enforce” that platforms must work proactively with government to ensure compliance.
Entertainment
Marc Maron hangs up the mic
Barack Obama returned to WTF with Marc Maron this week to help the comedian sign off after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes.
As AP’s Andrew Dalton reports, the pair came full circle, as Obama’s 2015 appearance in Maron’s garage helped catapult podcasts into the cultural mainstream.
Kpop Demon Hunters director teases more stories on the way
The movie’s co-director Maggie Kang has hinted that fans might not have seen the last of Huntr/x, the demon-fighting K-pop trio that’s taken Netflix by storm.
Speaking to the BBC’s Colin Paterson, Kang said there’s “nothing official” yet but admitted she and co-director Chris Appelhans see plenty of potential to expand the world.