Technology

Calling all hackers, programmers and tech heads from around the world: The Hackathon atTechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018is a virtual reality. We wanted something truly special to celebrate the biggest, most ambitious Disrupt event in history,so we launched the Virtual Hackathon. Thousands of the most highly skilled developers and coders will go head-to-head. But you only have about five weeks left to sign up and complete your hack, so you&d better hurry and sign up now.

Herehow this super-sized Virtual Hackathon works. Show us how you&d produce and apply technology to solve different challenges. Our judges will review all eligible submitted hacks and rate them on a scale of 1-5 based on the quality of the idea, technical implementation of the idea and the ideapotential impact. Herewhat you receive for your effort:

• The 100 top-scoring teams get up to 5 Innovator Passes to attend TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018
• The 30 highest-scoring teams also get to go to the semifinals at Disrupt SF, where they will demo their crafty hack
• Out of those 30 teams, we&ll pick 10 to pitch their product on The Next Stage in front of thousands of Disrupt SF attendees
• One team will win the $10,000 grand prize to become the inaugural TechCrunch Disrupt Virtual Hackathon champ

Of course, every TechCrunch Hackathon is jam-packed with sponsored contests and prizes galore, and this one is no exception. We already told you about the contests sponsored by BYTON, TomTom and Viond, and now we&re thrilled to announce two new hack contests from the folks at Visa and HERE Mobility.

Visa

The Visa Developer Platform empowers developers to transform great ideas into new digital commerce experiences using Visaproprietary APIs. Over the last several years, Visa has fundamentally evolved both its platforms and how it works with partners and clients, to encourage a broadening of the commerce ecosystem. From geo-location to real-time alerts and tokenization, the Visa Developer Platform offers direct access to a growing number of APIs, tools and support materials so developers can start building easier, faster and more secure ways to power digital commerce.

In this digital age, consumers expect seamless experiences personalized to their needs. Point of sale is no longer a destination — itwherever and whenever the customer wants it. Help Visa reshape commerce and accelerate digital payment acceptance. Build an app that enhances the customer journey and helps provide seamless, secure payment experiences. Consider Visaunique payment network data to drive your innovation.

Think about one of the use cases below or create your own to build a solution:

• Replace cash with Visa digital solutions to create a more secure way to pay
• Leverage data to create value for our businesses, consumers and stakeholders
• Build tools to help Small Businesses better manage finances
• Create solutions to enable business-to-business payments using virtual accounts

We encourage exploring integrations of Visa Developer APIs with other solutions and capabilities.

Sponsor Prize: We&ve got a prize-pool of more than $9,000 for the best three teams that use Visa Developer APIs. More details coming soon! Register now!

HERE Mobility

The HERE Mobility SDK provides direct access to the Mobility Marketplace so you can build integrated transportation experiences into your application. With this connection you&ll be able to create door-to-door mobility solutions for your users within your app to increase user engagement, customer loyalty and daily active users.

Develop within your platform of choice with our SDKs for iOS and Android or execute calls to the Mobility Marketplace through our web app API. Offer your users advanced mobility services such as ride hailing, booking and ETA tracking, and map and location services covering everything from 2D/3D rendering to forward and reverse geocoding.Request access to the SDK byregistering here; you&ll also need to register on Devpost here.

Workshop:Join Adi Rome, Head of the Mobility SDK, on Monday, July 2 at 11 am ET for a tutorial session. During the session we&ll walk you through the Mobility Demand API, and Map - Location package, including sample use cases, workflows and demos. Registerhere.

Sponsor Prize: Best Use of the HERE Mobility SDK: $6,000 API. Contact:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Competing in our virtual hackathon is free, and you can participate from anywhere. What the hack are you waiting for Call your most talented dev friends, form your team and sign up today!

UPDATE: We've received new details about the Nvidia Shield TV's Australian pricing, release window and AU-specific services. Updated article below. 

It's been a long time coming, but Nvidia's terrific 4K streaming device, the Nvidia Shield TV, is currently gearing up to launch in Australia. 

The device, which allows users to stream PC games at 4K

When Telstra announced its new simplified business strategy, dubbed "Telstra2022", it was revealed that this would result in the cutting of over 8,000 employees and contractors as well as a drastic reduction in the number of plans the telco offers.

"We will simplify our products by retiring more than 1,800 plans and introducing 20 core plans",