(Credit: Toyota)

The network will first be offered in Japan alongside Toyota’s electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2012.

The idea behind the social network is to give the car a social identity so that it can communicate its needs to the owner in a social media fashion, such as needing a service or an oil change, and also allow car owners to connect with dealers and the factory.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at the announcement that it was critical that the company take on a new challenge to engage younger people who were “less inclined” to purchase cars, making them change their mind.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said, “I want a relationship with the car in the same way that I have a relationship with other friends on the social network.”

The network would create a fundamental linking of the social networks, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or another network.

Toyota had already developed its own telematics services to connect people and cars, but Toyota Friend is aimed at extending this.

With a social connection to dealers and factories as well as the call centre and contact centre, Toyota would be able to spot quality issues quicker, and customers would be easily able to discover new features.

Gary Starr
(Credit: Motorola Solutions)

What tech do you travel with?

Gary Starr: I travel with an iPod and noise-cancelling headphones, which lets me listen to classical music without the engine noise in-flight.

What tech do you love abroad, where and why?

Ubiquitous Wi-Fi. I can stay on top of email plus Skype with the kids to stay in touch.

What's your favourite phone app and why?

World Clock: you can see multiple time zones on one screen. It removes the complexity of figuring out who's already up and who I'll be waking up!

Do you have a personal travel tip?

For overseas travel, immediately adjust to the destination time zone and religiously stick to it for meals, eating and sleeping. I find it the best way to avoid jet lag.

What was your biggest travel disaster?

Falling asleep in the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Hong Kong and missing my connecting flight to Australia. I missed an important family event.

Is there one thing you must do before you leave home?

Kiss every family member and tell them that I love them.

What is the best airport you've visited and why?

Hong Kong Airport. It's nice relaxing (but not falling asleep!) in the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge after a nice shower and a single malt scotch.

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The company has said that the vulnerability used to steal the information has been shut down and it had taken the matter to law enforcement authorities.

It said that those whose emails had been stolen might receive spam, but claimed that password information was secure as no passwords were taken. It also stressed that it didn't store financial information such as credit card details.

It did not say how many users' emails were exposed, only that it was a portion of its membership.

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"The ACMA's new rules enable emergency service organisations to access the most precise location information that is currently available on the mobile networks and also to automatically capture the benefits from any future developments in location-based services offered by the mobile carriers," acting Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) chairman Richard Bean said in a statement.

Most callers who contact triple zero tell the operator where they are, but sometimes (estimated at less than 1 per cent of calls) the caller is too distressed or at a loss to pass on their location.

The new rules require carriers to provide the most precise location information they have available on a caller if asked by an emergency services organisation, with these requests to be classed as high priority and be given a dedicated process.

The function will start on 20 April 2011, which allows carriers time to trial their systems before making the information available to all emergency service organisations.

ACMA is also considering implementing a system to provide automatic provision of precise mobile location for mobile calls.

The new rules were created following consultation with mobile carriers and emergency services organisations.

However, AMCA cautioned Australians that mobile coverage is not ubiquitous and that having a mobile does not guarantee their being located in an emergency.

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As of yesterday, the firm said that around 19,400 people had registered interest in the lawsuit, which is taking Vodafone to task for the quality of its 3G services.

“At the current rate of registrations, we would expect to reach 20,000 within the next week or so,” Piper Alderman partner Sasha Ivantsoff said.

Despite the large number of registrations, the firm is still willing to keep taking people on, with claimants able to join the class action lawsuit at any time up to the filing of proceedings in court.

The firm had been carrying out a survey to gather information from registrants and to decide if it would include Vodafone’s recent security breach, which resulted in the sacking of Vodafone staff, in the case. That survey is ongoing, according to Ivantsoff.

Updated at 11:26am, 20 January 2011: clarified that Sasha Ivantsoff was the source of the firm’s statement.

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The ACCC had been concerned that consumers who complained of faulty handsets were only covered by the handset manufacturer's express warranty policy.

Optus has undertaken to provide the warranties for all phones it provides under 24-month contracts for the next three years.

ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said the undertaking was a win for consumers.

"Optus has joined the other major telcos in providing 24-month warranties, and we now have a situation where consumers who purchase a mobile phone on a fixed contract have a warranty for the life of the contract," he said.

Vodafone Hutchison Australia and Telstra have also provided undertakings to the ACCC for the provision of 24-month warranties for phones provided under 24-month contracts.

"Retailers take note - you cannot wipe your hands clean of a faulty product just because the manufacturer's warranty period has ended, particularly when your product is supplied in conjunction with a lock-in contract that is longer than the manufacturer's warranty period," Samuel said.

"The law gives consumers a basic, guaranteed level of protection for goods and services they acquire and such rights and guarantees cannot be excluded or limited by suppliers. In fact, any representation by a supplier that seeks to exclude or limit these rights and guarantees available to consumers is illegal."

The new consumer guarantees arrived 1 January as part of Australian Consumer Law.

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Positioning of the chip to stop the pain signals (Credit: NICTA)

The technology, targeting chronic pain, was developed in Sydney by National ICT Australia (NICTA) over the last two years by experts in biomedical, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as textile technology and software applications.

The smart chip is put into a biocompatible device, which is a little smaller than the head of a match. A couple of the devices are sewn into a 1.22mm wide micro-lead made from polymer yarn and electronic wires. The wires are then inserted into the spine (or elsewhere) and connected to a device containing a battery and a computer processor. The battery can be charged wirelessly.

This set-up, according to NICTA, can then measure the properties of nerves carrying pain signals to the brain and can send a 10V electric pulse to block the signals, which tricks the brain into thinking there's no pain.

According to NICTA CTO implant technologies Dr John Parker, current devices used to block pain signals to the brain are larger, around the size of a matchbox.

The smaller size of the NICTA device improves its reliability as it can be implanted closer to the spine and needs shorter connection leads.

The device could be used to treat chronic back pain, leg pain and pain from nerve damage, but could also help those suffering from migraines, Parkinson's disease tremors or epileptic seizures.

NICTA wants to commercialise the technology in Sydney, planning to create a new spin-out company called Saluda Medical.

The organisation quoted research which said that chronic pain costs the Australian economy more than $34.3 billion a year and results in more than 36 million lost working days a year.

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(McDonald's sign Adelaide image by
David Neubert, CC2.0)

Visa and McDonald's announced today that Visa's payWave equipment would be installed in the fast food giant's 816 stores across the nation. The roll-out of the payWave terminals is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

The technology allows customers to use payWave cards to pay, simply by tapping the card against a reader. No PIN or signature is required for transactions under $100.

McDonald's Australia CIO Henry Shiner said that customers would enjoy the payment efficiency. "With Visa payWave, customers will see speedier transactions and they can pick up their food with just a wave of their card," he said.

National Australia Bank, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and Macquarie Bank are issuing customers with payWave cards. The Australia Financial Review reported this morning that the terminal roll-out was being carried out with Westpac, but the bank had not confirmed that with ZDNet Australia at the time of writing.

Bunnings and Dymocks have been rolling out the alternate contactless payment system from Mastercard, called PayPass. Commonwealth Bank had last month issued around 4 million PayPass-enabled credit and debit cards.

Visa, Mastercard and banks involved in the card roll-outs have expounded the security of the transactions, despite some concerns that the cards could become prey to rogue scanners. Some companies have even marketed shielded wallets to those worried about contactless cards' security.

"Visa payWave-enabled cards are as secure as any other Visa chip card and carry the same multiple layers of security, including Visa's Zero Liability, which ensures Visa cardholders are not responsible for fraudulent or unauthorised transactions," Visa Australia and New Zealand general manager, Chris Clark, said. "In addition, with Visa payWave the card never leaves your hand, which reduces the risk of fraud."

Clark said at a financial services event last week that contactless payment should also be included in the states' transport smart cards.

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