Countdown to historic Australian space launch
Australia may be hours away from a major milestone in spaceflight.
Engineers in Queensland are prepping what will be the first orbital rocket, made by an Australian company, to launch in the country.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
New ‘super-sized' insect species discovered in Qld rainforest
A giant new species of 'super-sized' stick insect has been discovered in a remote rainforest in North Queensland. The insect, weighing around 44g and measuring 40cm long, is believed to be the heaviest ever found in the country. Footage captured of the incredible insect shows its large wingspan displayed across someone's arm, measuring similar to the length of a small bird. The new species has been named Acrophylla alta – a nod to its high-altitude habitat in the Atherton Tablelands. It's roughly the same size as a small barn owl or a wood pigeon, and is 14g heavier than Australia's heaviest insect; the giant wood moth. James Cook University's Angus Emmott and south-east Queensland scientist Ross Coupland searched for the stick insect after they received a photograph of what they believed was an unknown species. Despite its elusive nature, the pair managed to find a female at an elevation above 900 metres in the Wet Tropics Wold Heritage Area. Professor Emmott said the creature's large size could be an evolutionary response to its cool, wet habitat. 'Their body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that's why they've developed into this large insect over millions of years,' said Professor Emmott. 'The remote habitat was probably also why it had remained undiscovered for so long.' It's restricted to a small area of high-altitude rainforest, and it lives high in the canopy. So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them,' he said. The stick insect's distinctive eggs also helped scientists identify it as a new species, as no two species' eggs are the same. 'Every species of stick insect has their own distinct egg style,' said Professor Emmott. 'They've all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes.' Two specimens are now being kept at the Queensland Museum in hopes they can aid future research. Currently, the insect's life span is still unknown.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Hyundai Inster review finds top contender in compact EV realm
Cheap electric vehicles. For some time that's been an oxymoron. The influx of new Chinese manufacturers and slowing demand has seen the get-in price decline, but now there is a more recognised brand targeting the basement. Hyundai introduced the compact Inster in April that has a range of 327km with a $39,000 retail starting point. That equates to about $43,500 on the road. It's still a steep ask above the BYD Dolphin Essential which is $31,290 drive-away and has a 410km range. There is also the GWM Ora Standard Range which was recently available for $33,990 (310km range), while the MG4 Excite 51 has been down to $37,990 (350km). Hyundai differentiates itself with a strong dealership network and greater brand reputation. Is that enough to sway buyers from the cheaper alternatives? Our family sampled the base model, although there are extended-range derivatives that push the driving capacity to 360km for an extra $3500 along with the 'outdoorsy' Cross version which tops out the Inster range at $45k plus on-roads. What do you get? Plaudits don't much higher than being named 2025 World Electric Vehicle. That included a panel of more than 90 judges from 30 countries who recognised the Inster for its design inside and out. The bare-bones Inster is reflective of its model positioning, with cloth seat trim and liberal use of plastics across the cabin. Raising the quality bar are twin 10.25-inch screens, one a central touchscreen and the other for the driver instruments. Among the other features are a six-speaker stereo with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satnav, along with vehicle-to-load functionality which has a three-pin power point in the front for charging items like laptops, camping equipment, e-scooters and e-bikes. Over-the-air updates can also be undertaken, which means the Inster can get the latest software upgrades without returning to the dealer. That's handy, as servicing is only required every 30,000km or two years. Hyundai offers a prepaid pack of two services for $1310. White, ivory and khaki are all complimentary external colours. Black, yellow and orange add $595. Matt paint options are an extra $1000. Under the floor sits the 42kWh battery, which can be replenished from 10 to 80 per cent using an at-home charger in about four hours. Quicker public chargers would take just under an hour, while a super-fast 120kW one will do it in 30 minutes. We used a standard household power point combined with the provided 10amp charger on our test which proved reasonably quick, taking us from 10-100 per cent in less than 18 hours. How was the drive? Surprisingly adept in varying conditions, a long wheelbase for its size translates to impressive competency on the highway and twisty terrain. On paper the 0-100km/h time of 11.7 seconds looks slow and underwhelming. But the real-world experience is far from pedestrian, with the Inster feeling responsive to acceleration requests and nimble in traffic. Small cars with combustion engines typically feel asthmatic when it comes to hilly terrain, yet the Inster's electric power provided dependable surges up some challenging inclines. Despite its compact dimensions, the Inster has a turning circle of 10.6m. That's better than many vehicles, but given the size it initially felt like it could be tighter (some of our U-turn attempts quickly became three-point turns). Our test saw a thrifty return of 13.2kWh/100km, which was well under the official figure from Hyundai. Most fully electric vehicles we've driven recently are usually well beyond 15kWh/100km. Interior space is also impressive given the dimensions. Four adults can find comfort, with impressive head and knee space for those in the second row. However boot space is limited and we only managed four grocery bags in the boot before requiring the back seat – there is a false floor for additional cargo area. Would you buy one? Kel: Sprightly and distinctive, the Inster regularly induced smiles from onlookers. I enjoyed the drive and loved the exterior styling, especially the circular LED headlights and pixel graphic indicators. The size doesn't suit my demographic, but I could see the appeal for younger EV buyers with $40k to spend or for those who want their second car to be an electric runabout. Grant: When it comes to the bargain basement EVs, you have to look beyond the bottom line. Where the Inster separates itself from the slightly less expensive rivals is performance – it feels more confident and robust on the road than most of the others we have sampled. Sales have been slow and we've seen some Inster demonstrators available with low km for about $37k. For that kind of money it becomes the standout buy in the compact EV realm.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Is Snapchat's My AI a safe space or a slippery slope for teens?
Snapchat's new AI chatbot is already raising alarms among teens and parents, with poor privacy features and no access to parental guardrails without paying for a premium subscription, is this feature really as dangerous as it sounds? Also, major automakers are cancelling their upcoming electric vehicle launches in the US - what does this mean for us here in Australia? And unlike Elon Musk's brain-computer interface, Synchron's doesn't require open-skull surgery, and it has an OpenAI chatbot baked in. Is this a win for disability tech? Or the first step towards a Terminator-like revolution? Plus, how do you stop an AI model turning Nazi? What does the Grok drama reveal about how we train our large language models? And is there a better way to be doing it? GUESTS: Tobias Venus , technology and travel journalist technology and travel journalist Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, Future Economies reporter for the Australian Associated Press This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Meanjin. Technical production by Ann-Marie Debettencour and Allyse Symons.
