Don't miss ITPA's inaugural Breakfast Briefing, North Sydney, 16 October, where you'll hear from three experts on privacy and compliance best practice. [ + ]

Pen Test Partners have hacked a Bluetooth hair straightener and started a fire. And they did it easily, using its own app. [ + ]

Dozens of experts will deliver robust discussions around real-world applications of digital tech and Industry 4.0 at Digitalize 2019 in Brisbane on 23 July. [ + ]

linux.conf.au 2020 organisers have issued an invitation to IT professionals for proposals for talks and miniconfs, on the theme of security, privacy and ethics. [ + ]

Electronic Frontiers Australia is urging Australians to oppose the use of facial recognition technology by government and law enforcement agencies. [ + ]

Microsoft has reversed course on planned changes to its partner incentive program which would see partners charged for the internal use of Microsoft products. [ + ]

Victoria's Bellarine Community Health has modernised its systems with a cloud platform based on Microsoft 365 and Azure. [ + ]

New Zealand's Commerce Commission and Overseas Investment Office has approved the acquisition of Vodafone NZ by Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management. [ + ]

ESET researchers have observed a zero-day Windows vulnerability being exploited in a cyber espionage campaign. [ + ]

Google has confirmed contractors listen to and transcribe snippets of audio recorded by Google Assistant after a reviewer leaked over 1000 recordings.  [ + ]

Advantech has announced a partnership with electrical and electronic solutions provider Pacific Automation, aimed at Industrial IoT markets. [ + ]

Dodo has agreed to refund customers $360,000 after admitting to the ACCC to misleadingly advertising its entry-level nbn plans as perfect for streaming. [ + ]

The study, which was done as part of a larger body of work, looked at the public's security concerns and how they've changed over time. [ + ]

The UK's ICO is proposing to fine hotel chain Marriott International $178m over a massive data breach that went undetected for more than four years. [ + ]

Total Australian technology spending is on track to grow 3.1% in 2019 to $93.8bn, rising to $107bn by 2022, Gartner forecasts. [ + ]