Tom Williams, tech journo 👨💻
@its-tom-williams.bsky.social
Technology journalist at @information-age.bsky.social 💻 Formerly at ABC News, and still talking tech (sometimes) on ABC Radio Gold Coast.
Got a tip? 💡 tomwilliams.contact@protonmail.com
Got a tip? 💡 tomwilliams.contact@protonmail.com
Good job, YouTube ads algorithm. Good job.
November 19, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Good job, YouTube ads algorithm. Good job.
Perplexity is accusing Amazon of bullying after it repeatedly asked the company to stop users of its AI browser Comet from using agents to buy things on Amazon.
"This is Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company, and it is a threat to all internet users."
www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/bul...
"This is Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company, and it is a threat to all internet users."
www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/bul...
November 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Perplexity is accusing Amazon of bullying after it repeatedly asked the company to stop users of its AI browser Comet from using agents to buy things on Amazon.
"This is Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company, and it is a threat to all internet users."
www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/bul...
"This is Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company, and it is a threat to all internet users."
www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/bul...
While I do have an uncle called Peter Williams, I promise this isn’t him.
October 30, 2025 at 2:23 AM
While I do have an uncle called Peter Williams, I promise this isn’t him.
Here's the ad the Australian government will be running from Sunday, 19 October ahead of the under-16s social media ban kicking off on 10 December.
The tagline of the spot and its information campaign are both "For The Good Of".
eSafety is also readying a "suite of resources" for the campaign.
The tagline of the spot and its information campaign are both "For The Good Of".
eSafety is also readying a "suite of resources" for the campaign.
October 13, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Here's the ad the Australian government will be running from Sunday, 19 October ahead of the under-16s social media ban kicking off on 10 December.
The tagline of the spot and its information campaign are both "For The Good Of".
eSafety is also readying a "suite of resources" for the campaign.
The tagline of the spot and its information campaign are both "For The Good Of".
eSafety is also readying a "suite of resources" for the campaign.
Coffee?
Sure, meet me at the Wikileaks Cafe.
Sure, meet me at the Wikileaks Cafe.
October 5, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Coffee?
Sure, meet me at the Wikileaks Cafe.
Sure, meet me at the Wikileaks Cafe.
DIGI's response to the question on VPNs was interesting: "perfectly legal".
September 24, 2025 at 2:18 AM
DIGI's response to the question on VPNs was interesting: "perfectly legal".
New: Asked if VPNs would allow Aussies to circumvent online age checks, industry group DIGI — which represents social media and tech firms — admitted VPNs were "perfectly lawful". 💻
Also, which platforms eSafety has reportedly contacted about the under-16s age ban: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
Also, which platforms eSafety has reportedly contacted about the under-16s age ban: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
September 24, 2025 at 2:15 AM
New: Asked if VPNs would allow Aussies to circumvent online age checks, industry group DIGI — which represents social media and tech firms — admitted VPNs were "perfectly lawful". 💻
Also, which platforms eSafety has reportedly contacted about the under-16s age ban: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
Also, which platforms eSafety has reportedly contacted about the under-16s age ban: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
Also, please enjoy this hilarious story about shadow AI usage I came across in Jobs and Skills Australia's case study documents:
September 15, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Also, please enjoy this hilarious story about shadow AI usage I came across in Jobs and Skills Australia's case study documents:
Weird Apple tidbit time:
I’ve never understood why my iPhone 15 - which doesn’t have Apple Intelligence (*sad face*, but not really) - still gets the ‘Reduce Interruptions’ focus mode which is listed as an Apple Intelligence feature on Apple’s site and even has the logo next to it. 🤔
I’ve never understood why my iPhone 15 - which doesn’t have Apple Intelligence (*sad face*, but not really) - still gets the ‘Reduce Interruptions’ focus mode which is listed as an Apple Intelligence feature on Apple’s site and even has the logo next to it. 🤔
September 9, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Weird Apple tidbit time:
I’ve never understood why my iPhone 15 - which doesn’t have Apple Intelligence (*sad face*, but not really) - still gets the ‘Reduce Interruptions’ focus mode which is listed as an Apple Intelligence feature on Apple’s site and even has the logo next to it. 🤔
I’ve never understood why my iPhone 15 - which doesn’t have Apple Intelligence (*sad face*, but not really) - still gets the ‘Reduce Interruptions’ focus mode which is listed as an Apple Intelligence feature on Apple’s site and even has the logo next to it. 🤔
As @netflix.com increases prices in Australia, Binge is desperately trying to get people back - now offering $4/month subscriptions after losing a ton of content (and subs, I imagine) to HBO Max.
Yep, $4 per month (billed annually).
A comment on today’s Netflix story: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
Yep, $4 per month (billed annually).
A comment on today’s Netflix story: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
August 14, 2025 at 5:24 AM
As @netflix.com increases prices in Australia, Binge is desperately trying to get people back - now offering $4/month subscriptions after losing a ton of content (and subs, I imagine) to HBO Max.
Yep, $4 per month (billed annually).
A comment on today’s Netflix story: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
Yep, $4 per month (billed annually).
A comment on today’s Netflix story: ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...
I'm sorry but Sam Bankman-Fried listening to Sia's 'Unstoppable' is pretty hilarious.
(From the so-called 'Panama Playlists': www.theverge.com/privacy/7163...)
(From the so-called 'Panama Playlists': www.theverge.com/privacy/7163...)
August 1, 2025 at 5:26 AM
I'm sorry but Sam Bankman-Fried listening to Sia's 'Unstoppable' is pretty hilarious.
(From the so-called 'Panama Playlists': www.theverge.com/privacy/7163...)
(From the so-called 'Panama Playlists': www.theverge.com/privacy/7163...)
My favourite moment in Trump’s speech.
He seemed dead serious but there were confused laughs among the crowd.
He seemed dead serious but there were confused laughs among the crowd.
July 24, 2025 at 8:04 AM
My favourite moment in Trump’s speech.
He seemed dead serious but there were confused laughs among the crowd.
He seemed dead serious but there were confused laughs among the crowd.
ChatGPT's conclusions are mixed (of course):
July 3, 2025 at 2:42 AM
ChatGPT's conclusions are mixed (of course):
My favourite part of the Trump Mobile site updates is that the company's blog post about its phone's 'Top 10 Features' is just an image of a phone, no info, and just two broken navigation buttons in the bottom-right which appear to do absolutely nothing.
June 27, 2025 at 3:57 AM
My favourite part of the Trump Mobile site updates is that the company's blog post about its phone's 'Top 10 Features' is just an image of a phone, no info, and just two broken navigation buttons in the bottom-right which appear to do absolutely nothing.
A new Australian government report on the nation's AI sector is out from the CSIRO and the National AI Centre.
A key challenge it points out: Australia "needs to do more to turn [AI] research into market-ready products".
www.industry.gov.au/news/ai-driv...
A key challenge it points out: Australia "needs to do more to turn [AI] research into market-ready products".
www.industry.gov.au/news/ai-driv...
June 24, 2025 at 11:14 PM
A new Australian government report on the nation's AI sector is out from the CSIRO and the National AI Centre.
A key challenge it points out: Australia "needs to do more to turn [AI] research into market-ready products".
www.industry.gov.au/news/ai-driv...
A key challenge it points out: Australia "needs to do more to turn [AI] research into market-ready products".
www.industry.gov.au/news/ai-driv...
I, for one, also do not use a computer and have no idea what a computer even is.
www.theinformation.com/briefings/mu...
www.theinformation.com/briefings/mu...
June 24, 2025 at 12:27 AM
I, for one, also do not use a computer and have no idea what a computer even is.
www.theinformation.com/briefings/mu...
www.theinformation.com/briefings/mu...
Extra tidbit — one of the funnier things I also came across in the survey was that the respondents saw X/Twitter as more appropriate for children than LinkedIn 😅
June 19, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Extra tidbit — one of the funnier things I also came across in the survey was that the respondents saw X/Twitter as more appropriate for children than LinkedIn 😅
Obsessed with all these personal items of David Lynch's which are being auctioned off.
Who wants to buy me his five-neck guitar, Twin Peaks curtain and rug, "rustic" log stools, and two used ironing boards?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/...
Who wants to buy me his five-neck guitar, Twin Peaks curtain and rug, "rustic" log stools, and two used ironing boards?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/...
May 29, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Obsessed with all these personal items of David Lynch's which are being auctioned off.
Who wants to buy me his five-neck guitar, Twin Peaks curtain and rug, "rustic" log stools, and two used ironing boards?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/...
Who wants to buy me his five-neck guitar, Twin Peaks curtain and rug, "rustic" log stools, and two used ironing boards?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/...
Maybe Grok is actually okay...
May 29, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Maybe Grok is actually okay...
Here's the other design mockup ChatGPT gave me for OpenAI's first consumer device, which is a little bit cuter tbh.
Am I Jony Ive now?
Am I Jony Ive now?
May 26, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Here's the other design mockup ChatGPT gave me for OpenAI's first consumer device, which is a little bit cuter tbh.
Am I Jony Ive now?
Am I Jony Ive now?
Don't talk to me or my son ever again.
May 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Don't talk to me or my son ever again.
Gilmour Space has postponed indefinitely its test flight of Australia’s first orbital rocket Eris, after two days of scrubs.
(Turns out rocket science really is hard)
(Turns out rocket science really is hard)
May 15, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Gilmour Space has postponed indefinitely its test flight of Australia’s first orbital rocket Eris, after two days of scrubs.
(Turns out rocket science really is hard)
(Turns out rocket science really is hard)
Ah yes, a completely legitimate ATO email sent from “employee-news.com”
May 14, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Ah yes, a completely legitimate ATO email sent from “employee-news.com”
Here’s CommBank’s update from 4:20pm.
April 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Here’s CommBank’s update from 4:20pm.
Apologies to any North Koreans, but as an Australian named Thomas Williams I have to inform you there are heaps of names which are A LOT more “ultra-American-sounding” than my own.
April 12, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Apologies to any North Koreans, but as an Australian named Thomas Williams I have to inform you there are heaps of names which are A LOT more “ultra-American-sounding” than my own.