TECHNOLOGY

CANBERRA, Australia — As the United States and China accelerate their fierce competition for supremacy in artificial intelligence, Australia finds itself in a precarious position: investing heavily in infrastructure and talent while grappling with slower enterprise adoption, skills shortages and a regulatory approach that prioritizes caution over speed.

Microsoft released an emergency out-of-band update for Windows 11 on March 21, 2026, to resolve widespread sign-in problems affecting Microsoft accounts in apps and services following the March 10 Patch Tuesday security release.

OpenAI confirmed it will begin displaying advertisements to every user on the free and low-cost Go tiers of ChatGPT in the United States in the coming weeks, expanding a pilot program launched earlier this year to help offset massive computational costs and fuel broader access to its AI tools.

Sydney — The persistent "jelly scrolling" issue that has frustrated iPad mini users for years may finally be resolved in Apple's next-generation model, with strong rumors pointing to an OLED display transition in the 2026 iPad mini that could eliminate the problem entirely.

The TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER has emerged as a compelling contender in the growing market for distraction-free digital note-taking devices, blending TCL's proprietary NXTPAPER display technology with a focus on productivity that sets it apart from traditional tablets and conventional e-ink readers.

Sony Interactive Entertainment's PlayStation Network (PSN) faced a widespread but short-lived outage on March 21, 2026, affecting millions of users worldwide and preventing access to online multiplayer features, game launches and social functions on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles.

PlayStation Network (PSN), Sony Interactive Entertainment's online gaming and digital services platform, faced intermittent disruptions late Saturday into early Sunday, affecting players on PS5 and PS4 consoles worldwide. As of early Sunday morning, official channels indicate full restoration, though some users continued reporting lingering connectivity hiccups.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are shaping up as major upgrades when they launch in September 2026, with leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, a variable aperture main camera, a record-breaking battery and the A20 Pro chip built on advanced 2nm process technology.

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal jury in San Francisco found Elon Musk liable Friday, March 20, 2026, for misleading Twitter shareholders by deliberately driving down the company's stock price in the months leading up to his $44 billion acquisition in 2022, though it absolved him of broader fraud claims including an intentional scheme to defraud.

As smartphone buyers weigh the latest flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max stand out for their advanced AI capabilities. Released in February 2026 and September 2025 respectively, both devices position artificial intelligence as a core selling point, but they take markedly different approaches.

SEOUL, South Korea — As the Galaxy S26 series settles into the market following its February 2026 launch, early leaks and analyst reports are already shaping expectations for Samsung's next flagship lineup: the Galaxy S27, S27 Plus and S27 Ultra.

RHEINFELDEN, GERMANY – In the world of specialized transport and utility vehicles, the components hidden beneath the chassis are the difference between a seamless operation and a costly breakdown.

Fortnite players worldwide are currently unable to access the popular battle royale game as Epic Games conducts scheduled maintenance to roll out version 40.00, marking the transition to Chapter 7 Season 2. The downtime, which began at 6:00 UTC on March 19, 2026, has rendered matchmaking and core game services unavailable, with Epic confirming the outage will last until approximately 11:00 UTC.

As smartphone giants Apple and Samsung gear up for their 2026 flagships, early leaks and analyst reports suggest the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra could deliver one of the most competitive camera battles in years.

As of March 2026, the rivalry between Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT remains one of the most closely watched battles in artificial intelligence. What began as OpenAI's dominant launch with ChatGPT

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone, widely anticipated for a 2026 debut, appears poised to address one of the biggest drawbacks in current foldable smartphones: the visible crease on the inner display.

Cupertino, Calif. — Apple's iPhone 17e, launched March 2, 2026, and available since March 11, delivers full Apple Intelligence support at an accessible $599 starting price for the 256GB model.

The **Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra**, unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2026 on Feb. 25 and now widely available since its March 11 global release, is earning praise for redefining smartphone night photography.

Apple Inc. is poised to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro Max in September 2026, maintaining its traditional fall launch window for flagship devices while introducing a major shift in its annual iPhone rollout strategy.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person and a driving force behind transformative technologies in space, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, continues to make waves across multiple industries as March progresses.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's largest cloud computing provider, is not down globally as of Tuesday evening in Seoul, but targeted operational issues continue to affect services in the Middle East, according to the company's official Health Dashboard and third-party monitoring sites.

Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing giant that powers much of the internet, faced reports of outages affecting hundreds of users on Wednesday, sparking concerns among businesses and developers reliant on the platform.

Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone is solidifying as one of the most anticipated devices of 2026, with fresh details emerging on its design, software enhancements, production ramp-up and premium pricing.

Thousands of Xfinity customers across the San Francisco Bay Area experienced widespread internet disruptions Monday morning, March 16, 2026, as reports of outages surged shortly after 9 a.m. local time.

AUSTIN, Texas — Elon Musk declared March 16, 2026, that his artificial intelligence startup xAI will reach parity with leading competitors OpenAI, Google and Anthropic by the end of the year, even as the company undergoes a significant internal restructuring and co-founder departures.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, released worldwide on March 11, 2026, following its unveiling at Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, has quickly emerged as a standout in the 2026 flagship smartphone landscape.

BOISE, Idaho — Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) shares surged more than 5% in recent trading, closing at $426.13 on March 13, 2026, after a strong session that saw the stock gain $20.78 or 5.13% amid continued enthusiasm for its role in supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM) critical to artificial intelligence applications.

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple Inc. is poised to unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 in September 2026, continuing its annual refresh cycle for the world's leading smartwatch as rumors swirl around potential additions like Touch ID fingerprint authentication, refined health sensors and a new processor to bolster performance and battery life.

As screen sizes continue to grow in popularity for home entertainment, 70-inch TVs offer an ideal balance of immersive viewing and manageable footprint for most living rooms.