[LINK] The Age Technology Review

[Stephen Loosley]

The Age Technology<technology at email.theage.com.au><stephenloosley at outlook.com​>

By email: The Age	 October 10, 2025

Technology Tim Biggs

Happy Friday! This week we review the new iPhones, consider what AI can bring to security cameras and follow the ongoing discussions about emergency call failures and the upcoming social media ban. But first, a new chapter in Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” manifesto.

OpenAI recently launched a Sora app based on its video generation AI model, and despite being invite-only, it only took a matter of days to hit a million downloads, and spiral out of control. The app is like TikTok but with AI content, and users are encouraged to make models of their own faces that others can use. It was filled with violent, racist content almost immediately, creepily sexualised deepfakes of real people, and famous copyrighted cartoon characters in compromising situations.

In a blog post promising more guardrails, OpenAI spokesperson Sam Altman said he was “hearing from a lot of rights-holders who are very excited for this new kind of interactive fan fiction, and think this new kind of engagement will accrue a lot of value to them, but want the ability to specify how their characters can be used”. I can only speculate on what these rights-holders actually said to Altman, but I’m having a hard time imagining Disney or Nickelodeon expressing excitement.

The post appears to express surprise that Sora proved controversial, which is also the tone struck by Altman in press interviews. But his choice to focus on rights-holders rather than at-risk individuals who could be greatly damaged by Sora speaks volumes. For OpenAI to imply it thought the tool would be used for wholesome content only beggars belief. The company knows the value of a viral, unsafe product, and is prepared to pacify upset corporations after the fact.

 
What to watch for

Tesla has unveiled its much-rumoured “affordable” Model Y and Model 3 EVs, as it moves to combat falling sales, but it’s more accurate to say that they’re very slightly discounted. In the US the cars will go for $US40,000 ($60,885) and $US37,000, meaning they’re about $US5000 less expensive, and they lose some features, such auto lane centring and rear seat touchscreens. The move may please those already planning to buy a 2026 Tesla, but it doesn’t seem likely to bring in anyone else.

Netflix has announced that it will soon include multiplayer party games directly in its TV app, which viewers will be able to play with their mobile phones. While the streamer hasn’t given a timeframe for the rollout, it has said that the games will include the brand new Lego Party as well as Tetris Time Warp, a version of the classic game that was previously included in the Tetris Forever collection. There will also be takes on Boggle and Pictionary.

Google has further enhanced the AI features available to Australian Search users, launching local versions of AI Mode and Try On. The former is designed to analyse questions and queries with more advanced reasoning than you might get with the default AI overviews, while the latter lets you upload a photo of yourself and have clothing superimposed, for example in Google Shopping results when you’re trying to find new shoes.

 

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Top stories
Social media
eSafety boss backs social media ban
The commissioner insists age verification can work, despite expert warnings of deep flaws with just over two months to go.

By David Swan	
Social media
Snapchat flags a new monthly bill
Users who have been using Snapchat as a free source of unlimited storage have been put on notice.

By Tim Biggs	
Review  	Phones
Our verdict on the 2025 iPhones
The skinny Air might be the most curious new phone, but it isn’t the most impressive of the new range.

By Tim Biggs	
Telecommunications
New laws aim to rebuild trust in Triple Zero
The communications minister will introduce legislation this week amid mounting criticism over delays.

By David Swan	
Telecommunications
Triple Zero was built for the 1960s
Calls have surged 44 per cent in a decade. Carrier networks are failing, and bushfire season is here. Can we trust it?

By David Swan	
Analysis  	Gadgets
Could AI cameras keep your home safe?
Amazon’s latest 4K cameras with ‘Retinal Vision’ come with AI features that will cost you $300 per year.

By Tim Biggs	
Start-ups
Is AI an answer to hospital shortages?
Australia is facing an exodus of exhausted doctors and nurses. This start-up may have the solution.

By David Swan	


Cybersecurity
Qantas caught in 40-company extortion
Hackers are threatening to leak sensitive passenger data unless ransoms are paid by Friday.
By David Swan and Chris Zappone	


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Tech review

AirPods are generally my go-to earbuds, but for a while I’ve been trying out different options from various companies. Returning to Apple’s buds to test the AirPods Pro 3 has been a reminder of why I settled on these in the first place. Not only are Apple’s buds the most comfortable on the market, they’re also among the lightest and the longest lasting, and the Pros feature excellent noise-cancelling modes, magnetic wireless charging, reliable controls and a really good overall sound.

This is all true of the Pro 2 as well as the Pro 3, which has replaced its predecessor at the same price of $430, but the new model does make some changes. The tips are slightly foamier and make for a tighter-feeling seal, and they come in more sizes to make sure you get a good fit. This, plus changes elsewhere, results in a noticeable improvement to general noise-cancelling. As with the Pro 2, these earbuds can also be used to test your hearing and work as a clinical-grade hearing aid.

The big new feature is a heart rate sensor, and it works great, although it is a bit limited. Unlike with a watch, you can’t use the buds’ sensors at all times to keep an eye on your heart; they only measure when they’re connected to your phone and you’ve started a workout. A minor change is the buds last longer but the case carries less juice, with the combo delivering 24 hours of power with noise-cancelling on. Weirdly, the case’s physical connect button has been replaced by a touch sensor.

 
Video games − out now

Fans of classic Nintendo 64 platformer Banjo-Kazooie will likely already know about Yooka-Laylee, a spiritual successor created by some of the same developers (but without the blessing of Nintendo or Rare) and released in 2017. I loved it, but there’s no getting around the fact that it had some very rough edges. Certain elements, such as the unlockable moves and expandable levels, were more frustrating than fun. The balance of retro inspiration and modern convenience was off.

This week that same team has released Yooka-Replaylee. On the one hand, a 4K remaster of a game that’s less than 10 years old (and was itself a spiritual successor to a game from 1998) is a tough sell. But on the other hand, the game remains a love letter to 3D platforming classics that N64 kids will adore; it just comes with a lot less jank than it used to. It’s a wonderfully British, charmingly dorky adventure with so much to do in every level, and (now) so little to complain about.

The whole thing’s wrapped in the cute conceit that our heroes are recalling their original adventure, adding embellishments that weren’t actually there. The update goes far beyond better performance, graphics and music, revamping all the systems, so the game feels better, isn’t as annoying to progress through, and offers a lot more in terms of content and collectibles. It’s not so much a remaster or a remake in the usual sense, more the developers trying again with the aid of hindsight and a bigger budget, and it’s turned out great.

Also new:

EA’s online competitive military shooter franchise returns to the modern day, and a focus on destruction, in Battlefield 6;
Just in time for spooky season, creepy sequel Little Nightmares 3 adds (online only) two-player puzzle platforming;
Cinematic “Arabian Nights” hack-and-slash Blood of Mehran;
Falcom RPG series’ collide in Ys Vs. Trails in the Sky;
Amazon-published party platformer King of Meat, and;
Dotemu and Guard Crush, the team that made the excellent Streets of Rage 4, start their own brawler franchise with Absolum.


 
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