Rohan Pearce
@rohan-p.bsky.social
Tech journo and managing editor at Communications Day. I write about telecommunications, critical infrastructure and such things so you don't have to. Also I like cats. In the Blue Mountains (Dharug and Gundungurra country). Recovering Tasmanian.
Pinned
close enough, you can all have the rest of 2025 off as a little treat
TPG has revealed details of a person with a Lebara service not being able to make a call on their Samsung handset because of its firmware
November 17, 2025 at 10:11 PM
TPG has revealed details of a person with a Lebara service not being able to make a call on their Samsung handset because of its firmware
Another shithouse day in the Blue Mountains
November 17, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Another shithouse day in the Blue Mountains
pro-tip: don't cite Deloitte as a great AI case study
November 17, 2025 at 2:24 AM
pro-tip: don't cite Deloitte as a great AI case study
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
(spending 9 billion dollars to make a robot say "i have always loved you") hard times create strong men
November 16, 2025 at 9:35 PM
(spending 9 billion dollars to make a robot say "i have always loved you") hard times create strong men
good to see the government investing in what matters (pies) www.nrf.gov.au/news-and-med...
November 17, 2025 at 12:06 AM
good to see the government investing in what matters (pies) www.nrf.gov.au/news-and-med...
Google's AI overview is astonishingly* bad
(*Maybe it's not astonishing, but it's really, really bad)
(*Maybe it's not astonishing, but it's really, really bad)
November 16, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Google's AI overview is astonishingly* bad
(*Maybe it's not astonishing, but it's really, really bad)
(*Maybe it's not astonishing, but it's really, really bad)
important journalism from @theconversation.com theconversation.com/how-do-you-f...
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
important journalism from @theconversation.com theconversation.com/how-do-you-f...
Katoomba's best maintained public toilet
November 15, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Katoomba's best maintained public toilet
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
soggy day in K-town
November 15, 2025 at 1:54 AM
soggy day in K-town
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
TV conspiracies: we’ve hacked their computers but they’ve perfectly cleaned up the evidence!
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
November 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
TV conspiracies: we’ve hacked their computers but they’ve perfectly cleaned up the evidence!
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Real conspiracies:
To: conspirator
From: famous person
Attachment: evidence.png
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
we need a department of kerning
November 13, 2025 at 2:54 AM
we need a department of kerning
breathless commentary on ABC about Sussan Ley "really taking up the fight against Labor" killing me
November 13, 2025 at 4:05 AM
breathless commentary on ABC about Sussan Ley "really taking up the fight against Labor" killing me
kids today will never know the joy of HyperCard
November 12, 2025 at 11:51 PM
kids today will never know the joy of HyperCard
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
"They have employment, but their salaries are just not covering the costs," OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn said
OzHarvest survey published earlier this year says families and single parents are among the biggest groups that are seeking food relief
Mortgage holders may have seen some relief this year from interest rate cuts, but frontline charities say more people are coming to them for food relief for the first time.
November 12, 2025 at 9:54 PM
"They have employment, but their salaries are just not covering the costs," OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn said
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
A reminder for the morning crowd, there’s a new edition of my newsletter out.
New Modern Relics! These anti-ICE protests are distinctly online, and distinctly religious.
www.modernrelics.email/one-big-frog...
www.modernrelics.email/one-big-frog...
One big frog! One big frog!
Also, the Rapture didn't happen and Hayley Williams is a True Believer.
www.modernrelics.email
November 12, 2025 at 9:50 PM
A reminder for the morning crowd, there’s a new edition of my newsletter out.
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
From the ACCC: A recall notice has been issued by Educational Colours for colourful children’s sand products sold at Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids and Zart Art that may contain asbestos. bit.ly/47z5drG
(The link is to ACCC but it had characters that broke in by Bluesky client.)
(The link is to ACCC but it had characters that broke in by Bluesky client.)
Customers warned of recalled children’s sand due to asbestos risks
The ACCC has published a recall notice over children’s sand products that may contain asbestos and were sold at various retailers including Officeworks.
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 9:26 AM
From the ACCC: A recall notice has been issued by Educational Colours for colourful children’s sand products sold at Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids and Zart Art that may contain asbestos. bit.ly/47z5drG
(The link is to ACCC but it had characters that broke in by Bluesky client.)
(The link is to ACCC but it had characters that broke in by Bluesky client.)
Deeply funny quote from a neo-Nazi that got doxxed www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
November 12, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Deeply funny quote from a neo-Nazi that got doxxed www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
giving a talk tomorrow, it will not be cynical
November 12, 2025 at 3:35 AM
giving a talk tomorrow, it will not be cynical
Snapshot of findings from the Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians project
November 12, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Snapshot of findings from the Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians project
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
In an Australia first, I used FOI to get the AI chat logs of Australia's top national security bureaucrat.
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
November 12, 2025 at 2:01 AM
In an Australia first, I used FOI to get the AI chat logs of Australia's top national security bureaucrat.
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
They show how he used Microsoft Copilot to ghostwrite speeches and messages to colleagues.
This comes as the government looks to push AI use in the public service.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
The Australian Communications and Media Authority planning to impose licence conditions on radio broadcasters in relation to "Kyle & Jackie O Show or any other show hosted by and/or featuring Kyle Sandilands and/or Jacqueline Henderson, alone or in combination with another presenter(s) or guest(s)."
November 12, 2025 at 2:58 AM
The Australian Communications and Media Authority planning to impose licence conditions on radio broadcasters in relation to "Kyle & Jackie O Show or any other show hosted by and/or featuring Kyle Sandilands and/or Jacqueline Henderson, alone or in combination with another presenter(s) or guest(s)."
never noticed this in @thesizzle.com.au, but i'm glad to hear it
November 12, 2025 at 2:53 AM
never noticed this in @thesizzle.com.au, but i'm glad to hear it
Reposted by Rohan Pearce
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report.
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report
The employment department rebuked Deloitte for claiming it had owned up to artificial intelligence use, prompting correction from consultancy to another department.
www.afr.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Deloitte caught in false claim it owned up to AI in tainted report.
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
It told finance it had explained the cause of errors to DEWR.
False - initially it used the same snow job it tried on the media "oh just some errors in citation".
www.afr.com//politics/de...
For the first four months of its existence ASIO was named Australia's Security Service. It was quickly changed and we were robbed of a great acronym.
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 AM
For the first four months of its existence ASIO was named Australia's Security Service. It was quickly changed and we were robbed of a great acronym.