Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: Gizmodo Australia

REGULARS

CSIRO Will Share In $730 Million From Cancer Drug Sale To US Pharma Giant

A group of Australia’s top cancer research organisations including CSIRO will share in a $730 million licensing deal of a promising cancer therapy drug sold to US pharmaceutical company Merck. Cancer Therapeutics CRC’s Australian research partners including CSIRO, Monash University, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute will take the majority of the funds, while Merck works on further development, clinical trials and potentially future worldwide release to the public.

CARS

The New Toyota Corolla Gets Hybrid Power

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 10:45 AM

Australia’s most popular car is about to get some more green credentials in the form of a hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain. The new Toyota Corolla, set to debut in the middle of the year, will use a third less fuel than the already efficient petrol-only hatchback, and marks the fifth vehicle in Toyota’s Aussie line-up to get an electric boost.

MOBILE

App Deals: Lonely Planet Releases An App For Your Travel Needs

HAYLEY WILLIAMSTODAY 10:30 AM

Today’s best deals include Guides By Lonely Planet on Android, Music Memos on iOS and Sengoku Jidai on Windows Phone. Deals end without warning, so be quick!

MOBILE

New Optus Prepaid Plans Have Ridiculously Cheap Data

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 10:15 AM

Optus has always tempted customers in with more data than its larger rival Telstra, and the new My Prepaid Ultimate plan is no different. With a double data promotion running until the start of May, as well as unlimited international calls to 10 different countries, this looks like the cheapest plan for data-hungry users that don’twant to sign up to a lengthy 12- or 24-month contract.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Desperate California Utilities Win Effort To Squeeze Money Out Of Solar Customers

BRYAN LUFKINTODAY 10:00 AM

Outfitting your roof with solar panels can be a great way to save energy and money. Right? Well, you won’t save as much money in California, where new rules will force rooftop panel owners to shell over some extra money to their local energy provider — even if they don’t need them at all.

MOBILE

Vodafone Is Axing Its $5 Daily Roaming Charge For NZ Travellers

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 9:45 AM

Vodafone has made an important step in Australia’s slow but inexorable annexation of New Zealand. Until December, Vodafone Red plan customers will be able to use their mobiles across the dutch without being slugged the $5 daily international roaming charge that the telco applies when travelling further abroad.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

The WHO Held An Emergency Session Due To The Zika Virus

GEORGE DVORSKYTODAY 9:30 AM

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced an emergency session to address the “explosive spread” of the disease, which has been linked to birth defects.

GADGETS

Intelligence Agencies May Have Hacked These Israeli Drone Feeds

JAMIE CONDLIFFETODAY 9:15 AM

A new report reveals that intelligence agencies from the UK and US have, in the past, hacked into the video feeds of Israeli drones and jets. The resulting images depict military operations around Gaza and drones that appear to carry weapons.

ENTERTAINMENT

Australian Scientists Choose Their Favourite Science Fiction Books

GIZMODO AUSTRALIATODAY 9:00 AM

Tales of strange alien worlds, fantastic future technologies and bowls of sentient petunias have long captivated audiences worldwide. But science fiction is more than just fantasy in space; it can educate, inspire and expand our imaginations to conceive of the universe as it might be. We invited scientists to highlight their favourite science fiction novel or film and tell us what it was that captivated their imagination – and, for some, how it started their career.

MOBILE

Vodafone's Newest Mobile Partner Is Qantas

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 8:45 AM

Qantas is the latest name in a high-profile string of brands that Vodafone is using to further increase the appeal of its post-paid mobile plans. If you sign up to a new ‘Qantas Red’ plan on a 24-month contract, you’ll score yourself a bunch of Qantas points — and have access to Vodafone’s excellent $5 daily flat-rate international roaming.