Amy Peck is a remarkable pioneer in the virtual (VR), augmented (AR), mixed (MR) and extended reality (XR) spaces, running her own VR company, working at HTC Vive and travelling from the US to speak about 5G and more at StartCon 2019. StartCon 2019. http://www.startcon.com It's Australia's largest startup and growth conference, running over two days Friday 22 and Saturday 23 of November, and with over 55 speakers of the highest calibre and plenty more, it's a must attend event! One of those speakers is Amy Peck, https://www.linkedin.com/in/amympeck/ who is currently the Senior Director of Enterprise Content at HTC Vive Studios. She also founded EndeavorVR, a leading global XR strategy & consulting firm. She is a recognised thought-leader in the space and speaks globally on the future of XR. Amy's achievements don't end there - she is also a venture partner at the Capital Region AR/VR Accelerator, holds several Advisory Board roles and Co-chairs the VRARA Enterprise Committee. Her own personal mission is to see XR fundamentally improve every aspect of our lives with the goal of making this technology accessible and transformative for everyone, and after seeing my video interview with Amy earlier today, embedded below, I'm very much looking forward to seeing her presentation. Here's the description of Amy's StartCon 2019 keynote: "Everyone is talking about 5G. Everyone is talking about use cases for 5G. But in truth, we need to be focused on the user – the next generation of content consumers who will seamlessly move between their digital landscape and real life. We are barreling towards The Matrix- or some version thereof. "This is no longer the stuff of fictional film characters. Whether you believe in The Matrix, the singularity or the rise of the machines, there is some version of the future that expands upon all of these concepts and much more. "Part network architecture, part exponential technology and part futuristic fiction – the next generation of content and content delivery will require 5G, Edge Computing, Computer Vision and LiDAR along with an entirely new paradigm of storytelling. How all of this blends together is a complex web, but we will explore a version of the future that we can start building today." No doubt Amy will blend in the extended realities of our future, with 5G to be of great importance, and it promises to be a fascinating presentation - you can get tickets to StartCon and more than 55 other speakers here. http://www.startcon.com Below, I have the questions I asked Amy listed to tempt you into watching the video directly above, but I discovered a second presentation that Amy is giving while she is visiting Sydney and Australia. I found it at Amy's Twitter stream, https://twitter.com/virtualgirlny?lang=en where I noticed another must-attend event, this one free of charge, dubbed 'Extend Reality with Amy Peck", https://events.humanitix.com.au/extendreality courtesy of the City of Sydney, the Studio and StartCon. It will be held on Monday 25 November, between 6 and 7pm at Darling Square Library, with free tickets available here. https://events.humanitix.com.au/extendreality So, what did Amy and I talk about in the video interview? I started by introducing Amy, and asking her to tell us a bit about her history in the world of tech, and when she first came across the whole notion of virtual reality - was it though sci-fi, that VR game from the 90s with wireframe dinosaurs you had to shoot, or something else? We discussed the differences between AR, VR, MR and XR, and what it all means. Amy explained how this space evolved in recent times, and how she sees it evolving over the next decade. We also spoke about Apple's AR glasses, initially rumoured to arrive in 2020, but according to a Bloomberg report, now set to come in 2022 or 2023 - and whether HTC might also be working on something similar. I asked Amy to give us a sneak peek on her StartCon talk, although the only way to get the full presentation will be to attend StartCon to see if for yourself! I noted a bio I read that started Amy has two boys, and asked her if they are masters at VR and technology, as well as their thoughts on the future of all the new R's - the new realities competing for our attention with old fashioned reality - or whether she is a "low-tech parent" as has been the trend for some in Silicon Valley. We then looked at when a "a mind interface can be developed to quickly teach us new skills, languages as more as we saw in the Matrix - without needing to drill holes into our brains". Finally, I asked Amy to tell us a bit more about her talk on Monday, and then asked about her final message to iTWire viewers and readers, to StartCon delegates, to those coming to her talk on Monday, to her current and future customers and partners, and to everyone on planet Earth eagerly awaiting the future. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuCUpeu6A9U

OK Xomputer: OKX launches crypto exchange in Australia with spot and derivatives trading, see FULL LAUNCH VIDEO and GM interview Global crypto exchange OKX has officially launched in crypto exchange services in Australia, offering AUD bank deposits, withdrawals and 170 crypto spot (buy and sell) trading for all users and derivates for verified wholesale clients, and says it is now "the largest global crypto exchange offering direct AUD deposits and withdrawals to Australian users." OK, crypto fans, OKX https://okx.com is now Down Under, after having prepared to launch for a year, with verifiable and transparent reserves, and the promise of an easy to use, secure and reliable platform that won't suffer the fate of an exchange like FTX that imploded so spectacularly in 2022, albeit through the kind of corporate malfeasance that shocked us all. Indeed, in preparation for its entry into the Australian market, OKX opened an office in Sydney in May 2023 and says it built a team of experts in management, legal, compliance, and other specialties over the past year. In addition, we are told it will further invest in the Australian crypto ecosystem going forward. OKX Australia users are now able to deposit and withdraw AUD via most Australian banks and access express buy/sell, P2P and convert functions in addition to spot trading. Users can also buy crypto with fiat via third-party platforms Simplex, MoonPay and Banxa. In total, spot trading users have access to 170 crypto spot pairs and a total of 85 tokens including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Tether (USDT). More tokens will be listed on an ongoing basis; Australian users can check here for the latest list of tokens offered. The full launch video is above - the article (and an interview with OCX Australia GM Jamie Kennedy) continues - please watch and read on! OKX Australia General Manager Jamie Kennedy said: "Australian crypto users deserve a platform that is secure, easy-to-use and responsive to their needs, which include seamless access to banking rails as well as AUD pairs for the most popular cryptocurrencies. It's my job to make sure that while we offer the best product, we also invest in compliance and security to give peace of mind to our users. I'm proud to say we have assembled a great local team that will ensure OKX contributes to Australia's crypto industry for years to come." In line with its dedication to transparency, OKX was among the first in the crypto industry to publish monthly Proof of Reserves to validate its full backing of user funds held on the platform. Using open-source verification tools, users can independently confirm that their assets are backed by OKX reserves. Since launching Proof of Reserves in late 2022, OKX has published 18 consecutive monthly snapshots while driving the industry's adoption of new and improved reporting standards. OKX boasts a strong global presence, and recently launched its product in Türkiye, Argentina and Brazil. In March, OKX received In-Principle Approval for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license in Singapore and received its Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license in Dubai in January. OKX is also a top partner of McLaren Formula 1 team, English Premier League champions Manchester City FC, the Majesticks LIV golf team, and is the presenting partner of the iconic Tribeca Film Festival. OKX also sponsors the well-known Australian Olympian snowboarder Scotty James. OTC spot trading services are available to all users in Australia via OKX Australia Pty Ltd., which is a locally incorporated entity registered with AUSTRAC. Meanwhile, derivatives (futures, options and perpetual swaps) trading services will only be offered to verified wholesale clients who pass stringent suitability tests via OKX Australia Financial Pty Ltd., a local entity which holds an Australia Financial Services (AFS) license regulated by ASIC, and is also AUSTRAC registered. Here is my video interview with OXC Australia GM, Jamie Kennedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGN8r7xjUyY ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNLfgmxO3yQ

3:30 pm Incident Response Best Practices Leading companies across the world trust PagerDuty for Incident Response. This complimentary hour long, hands-on training is based off of our Incident Response Best Practices and provides valuable insights that will be immediately actionable! Abhijit Pendyal, Enterprise Sales Engineer Asia Pacific, PagerDuty 4:30 pm #bettertogether PagerDuty Partner Panel Discussion - Accelerating Digital Operations with Integration Join executives from Dynatrace, Vibrato, SumoLogic, SignalFX and more to discuss how integrated DevOps toolchains are transforming Digital Operations Management. Moderator - Kris Fagan, Channel and Alliances Director Asia Pacific, PagerDuty - William Tsoi, Principal Consultant, Vibrato - Simon Campbell, Channel & Alliances Director Australia & New Zealand, Dynatrace - Josh Richardson, Regional Sales Manager Asia Pacific, Sumo Logic - Penelope Feros, Account Executive, Cherwell 5:00 pm Closing Remarks & Thank You 5:00 pm Networking Reception & Technology Showcase Enjoy a drink with the PagerDuty Executive Team, meet with our technology partners and network with your peers. After a day of learning this is the ideal time to watch a demo or catch up with leading technologists from the region. And there are great prizes to be won! ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfqcrfJf1ew

Nine independent Swiss luxury watch brands will be exhibiting at the exclusive Sydney International Watch Fair - Artisans of Time, an incredible 3-day exhibition in the Grand Ballroom at the Intercontinental Double Day, on the 2nd to 4th of November, 2023, with HBP Milestone's Naji Halabi joining me to share the details! The world's rarest watches will be in Australia next month, in what is a truly unique opportunity for timepiece enthusiasts. Unlike major brands producing over 5 million watches per year, the Artisans of Time watch Merck only product a total of 5000 watches per year, genuinely making them the most exclusive and rare watches across Australia. The brands include Arnold & Son, which was founded in 1764 by John Arnold, and following his time with King George III, he provided the world’s first pocket chronometer to Captain James Cook on his second voyage between 1772 – 1775, in what is an incredible connection to Australia that most just don't know about. The nine international, independent luxury Swish watch brands exclusively visiting the Sydney International Watch Fair - Artisans of Time from Switzerland are Angelus, Arnold & Son founded in 1764, Bianchet Tourbillon Watches, CVSTOS The Time Keeper, Cyrus Geneve, Rebellion Timepieces, SpeakMarin, Perrelet founded in 1777 and Mauron Musy. Rebellion Timepieces' million dollar watch, The Re-Volt, is stunning and features 330 Baguette-cut white diamonds, invisibly set, which embodies watch styling aesthetics with full transparency, enhancing its skeletonised movement - and a follow up article coming soon will feature an interview with an excellent Rebellion Timepieces executive who will be sharing more detail. In short, however, Rebellion Timepieces, among other impressive partnerships is the official timekeeper of the Dakar Rally, and the Alfa Romeo F1 Team - and it's just one of the incredible Swiss luxury watches that will be on display! To learn more about the event, and the Swiss luxury watch industry, I spoke with Naji Halabi, a company director at HBP Milestone, a specialist Swiss watch distribution company and the founder of the Sydney International Watch Fair - Artisans of Time event. That video interview can be seen in full below, so don't just watch this space - watch the video interview, and if you're interested in exquisite manufacture and designs from true luxury artisans, be sure to visit the Fair! https://www.sydneyinternationalwatchfair.com.au ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKeWD1lK3oA