My old red iPhone SE 2, no AusAlert alert, much embarrassment

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My old red iPhone SE 2, no AusAlert alert, much embarrassment

28 July 2026

AusAlert is a new, nation wide, emergency warning system being rolled out by the Australian government. Should there be a crisis or disaster of some sort, authorities will be able to send warnings to mobile phones in the vicinity.

The alerts, which will be heralded by a short, but loud siren sound, are designed to override both silent, and do not disturb (DND) modes. That’s a good thing, as I avail myself of both constantly.

To test the system, an AusAlert message was to be sent to every mobile device in Australia, yesterday afternoon. It is unlikely nationwide broadcasts will occur regularly, if at all, as alerts are only intended to go only to phones in a specific region, if something is wrong. But saying every mobile device in Australia would receive the test warning was something of an exaggeration.

At 2PM AEST yesterday, my phone sat silent, even though phones all around me wailed for about ten seconds. As it happens though, AusAlerts cannot reach every phone, or mobile device, after all. For one, devices switched off, or in aeroplane mode, would not have received the test warning.

The same goes for older devices, of which mine, an iPhone SE 2, must be considered as far as AusAlert goes. I had heard “older” phones would instead receive a backup “presidential alert”, but I saw nothing. Landlines are likewise incapable of receiving the warnings, though I believe plans are in the works to include them eventually.

Later yesterday afternoon, Kristy McBain, the Australian Emergency Management Minister, said ninety-four percent of phone towers sent the alert.

That sounds a little low for what is meant to be national warning framework. It seems to me a lot of people could miss out in the event of a crisis. Still, the system is a work-in-progress, and doubtless coverage will move closer to one-hundred percent of towers.

I (still) have an iPhone SE 2, which I am reluctant to part with. It’s one of the (RED) red ones, which I had struggled to obtain. So I’m still using it. This is disassociated not Daring Fireball.

But I felt slightly embarrassed my phone didn’t join in the test. Most people knew what was happening, but some — despite pre-test publicity — seemed confused. I needn’t have fretted about my old red phone though, I doubt anyone had the slightest idea it remained mute during the drill.

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Australia, smartphones, technology

To read more, pick up a book not your phone, no wait…

23 July 2026

Hobart, Tasmania, based Australian software engineer Elia Scotto:

First of all, you don’t have to make time to read. What you need to do is read every single time you are not doing something else. In today’s world, most people pick up their phones as soon as they get a moment of inactivity. Serious readers pick up their books instead.

I’ve been having difficulty finding time to read books recently, for various reasons, and am still working on a way to resolve this.

Since removing most of the social media apps from my phone though, I’m not spending so much time looking at it. That’s eventually going to free up some time to read.

Ironically though, I’ll probably end up reading e-books, on my phone. I know that isn’t the idea, but it’s better than not reading at all. Besides, I don’t like hauling physical media around.

But, if you feel you don’t have enough time to read books, whether print or electronic, try deleting the social media apps from your phone, as a first step.

Reading books has to be more fulfilling than doomscrolling social day-in and day-out.

Other things, fun things, coming to Instagram, Facebook… for a price

6 June 2026

Sarah Perez, writing for TechCrunch:

For a few dollars per month, consumers subscribing to Instagram Plus ($3.99/mo), Facebook Plus ($3.99/mo), or WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/mo) will gain access to extra features, like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights, among other things.

In addition to these “other things”, Meta also says “more fun features” are imminent.

Too bad I removed all the Meta apps from my phone a while back. I still check in on Instagram and, occasionally, Facebook, through the websites, via my laptop. This has the bonus of restricting exposure to Meta products to work hours only. I don’t know how many, if any, of these new “plus” features will be available through the website though.

Is it smart for someone who writes in the general tech space, to evade these products? Probably not, but Meta is not the entirety of tech.

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smartphones, social media, technology

Psychological distress in parents possibly behind low Australian birth rates, not smartphones

22 May 2026

Sixty percent of Australian parents reported experiencing psychological distress, according to the results of the Parenting Today survey, conducted late last year by the Parenting Research Centre.

It has been suggested the impact on the mental health of parents in Australia is contributing to current record low birth rates here.

Psychological distress and poor mental health, are not however the only factors dragging down births both in Australia, and elsewhere in the world. Cost of living pressures and expensive housing are also playing a part. As is, possibly, smartphone usage.

Earlier this week Tyler Cowen, at Marginal Revolution, posted birth rate data from ten countries which generally show a prolonged, and clear, decline in birth rates across the twentieth century.

An uptick is apparent in some nations during the baby-boom, which followed World War II, through to the 1960’s. The overall downward trend in birth rates obviously predate smartphones, and possibly even expensive housing, though.

Apple Intelligence bolsters accessibility features, aiding people with disabilities

21 May 2026

From the Apple Newsroom:

Apple today previewed a suite of accessibility updates that use Apple Intelligence to bring new capabilities to features users rely on every day, including VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader. Apple also announced on-device generated subtitles for uncaptioned video content coming to the Apple ecosystem, as well as a new feature for Apple Vision Pro users to control compatible wheelchairs with their eyes.

The promised enhanced accessibility features, to be rolled out across a number of Apple devices, seem like they could make a positive difference for people with disabilities.

Apple Intelligence is the name Apple gives to the suite of AI technologies they are developing.

It might be argued there are not a great many favourable applications of AI technology, but these initiatives could well be an exception.

Falling birth rates and smartphones: a technology as malevolent as AI?

19 May 2026

Om Gupta, writing for India Today:

The researchers believe smartphones fundamentally changed how young people interact with each other. More time shifted online, while face-to-face socialising declined. According to the study, this reduction in in-person interaction may have contributed to lower fertility rates. The pattern appears to extend beyond just the US and UK. Financial Times analysis found that birth rates in several countries began falling sharply around the same time smartphones became widely adopted.

Gupta cites research published a few days ago by the Financial Times (paywalled).

I doubt the blame for the reported decline in birth rates globally can be placed wholly at the feet of smartphones, but it’s not unreasonable to believe they are playing some role.

It’s hardly empirical proof, but increasingly I need to sidestep people walking along the footpath who are focused only on their smartphone, almost oblivious to the presence of anyone else. If people can’t go without phones during a short walk from one place to another, when are they ever supposed to focus on other things, let alone meeting, and interacting with others, face-to-face?

I’m a smartphone user the same as everyone else, and couldn’t begin to imagine managing without one. But if indeed it is the case that smartphones are contributing — at least partly — to falling birth rates, shouldn’t we be alarmed?

In recent weeks we have been witnessing a growing, at times hostile, backlash against AI technologies. People are angry and fearful. They are concerned by the threat AI poses to their livelihoods. Of the three epoch-defining shifts in technology — to use the words of John Gruber — in recent decades, being the web, smartphones, and AI, it is the last, AI, that is seen as malevolent.

Or the more malevolent.

But if birth rates are falling across the world, and smartphone usage has something to do with that, can we continue to regard these devices as anything less than pernicious?

But pointing the finger of blame at smartphones is the easy part. What to do about the problem, if that’s even how the situation can be described, is far from straightforward.

It somewhat feels like we are painting ourselves into a corner, if we haven’t already, with, really all three of these epoch-defining shifts in technology.

Artemis astronauts take smartphones to the Moon, Instagram goes interplanetary (sort of)

7 February 2026

Jared Isaacman, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator, writing on X/Twitter:

NASA astronauts will soon fly with the latest smartphones, beginning with Crew-12 and Artemis II. We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.

When it comes to photos from the Artemis flights, expect copious selfies from both deep-space and the Lunar surface.

Smartphone ban sees NYC students talk, play cards, use Polaroid cameras, daydream

15 September 2025

New York City recently introduced a smartphone ban in public schools. While students are not barred from owning phones, they must store their devices away during school hours.

While it’s early days, students appear to be adjusting well to life without smartphones, even if it’s only for a few hours a day. School-goers have taken to playing cards, engaging in face-to-face conversation, using Polaroid cameras, and even daydreaming, a favourite activity of mine both during and outside classes, back in my school days.

Needless to say though, some students have figured out ways to circumvent the ban, with some using burner phones they have obtained. The school hours ban seems like a good idea, and being without a smartphone for a relatively short time daily is hardly the end of the world. Some enforced non-smartphone time, a small digital detox sort of thing, for everyone, doesn’t seem a half bad idea.

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smartphones, technology, trends

Apple to join the foldable smartphone fold in late 2026

24 July 2025

This according to Bloomberg writer, Mark Gurman, that is. The proposed devices resemble a small iPad or tablet when opened out.

It’s often said Apple might not do things first, but they do them best (usually). Doubtless they will apply their know-how to the region of the device where the fold crease is, since this where a lot of foldables see problems.

And while we’re at it, can we use the term foldable in the same way as wearable?

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smartphones, technology, trends

Meta wants to copy the photos on your phone and soup them up

1 July 2025

Sarah Perez, writing for Techcrunch:

As the pop-up message explains, by clicking “Allow,” you’ll let Facebook generate new ideas from your camera roll, like collages, recaps, AI restylings, or photo themes. To work, Facebook says it will upload media from your camera roll to its cloud (meaning its servers) on an “ongoing basis,” based on information like time, location, or themes.

In short, if you allow it, Meta will upload the contents of the photo library on your phone to their servers. In return, Facebook (FB) will create all sorts of nice stuff for you, using some of their AI tools.

I’m not a fan of this idea. People have all sorts of private images on their camera rolls, that they have no intention of sharing with anyone. Meta say these images won’t be made public, but I still don’t like the idea of FB keeping private photos on their servers, quite possibly in perpetuity.

Concerned I might accidentally — somehow possibly in pocket-dial fashion — agree to let FB take what’s in my photo library, I’ve since deleted the app from my phone. Unfortunately, a number of friends and family pretty much use FB for doing everything, including keeping in contact (many long since stopped email) with all their friends, so getting rid of FB completely isn’t an option at present.

From now on I’ll login to FB through the website, on my laptop, now and then to check for messages.

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