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Tech – Norton Unveils Advanced Deepfake Protection Powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors

Source: Botica Butler Raudon Partners for Gen Digital

Norton Deepfake Protection on Intel processors accelerates real‑time protection against AI-powered scams

AUCKLAND – 17 September 2025 – Norton, a leader in Cyber Safety and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), has teamed up with Intel® to provide powerful detection against AI-powered scams on the newest generation of Intel® Core™ Ultra processors. Norton 360 customers with Norton Genie Scam Protection now have advanced deepfake protection on AI PCs with the latest Intel processors, enabling faster, always-on detection that proactively protects against today’s most sophisticated scams.

The partnership with Intel puts Norton Deepfake Protection at the heart of people’s devices without the need to send data up to the cloud and back. With Intel’s leading processing power, Norton instantly analyses suspicious material, providing immediate warnings to help people avoid potential personal or financial harm resulting from advanced deepfake scams.

“From the early days of fighting email and web scams to now tackling sophisticated video deception, Norton has always stayed a step ahead continuously evolving its protection to outsmart new threats,” said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. “Now, with scam detection for videos powered by the latest Intel processors, we’re raising the bar again. Norton Deepfake Protection delivers real-time, private, and ultra-fast protection right on people’s devices, so they can feel confident they’re a step ahead of scammers and their latest AI-generated tricks.”

Deepfake Protection for Videos: Reading Between the Lines

To detect scams in video content, Norton Deepfake Protection doesn’t just look for technical hiccups, it reads the message between the lines. Norton AI has been trained on an ever-expanding library of real-world scams including financial fakes, phony giveaways, crypto cons, and more. And it grows sharper with every scam it sees. Norton Deepfake Protection also analyses the audio in videos to identify deepfake content, operating like a team of expert sound detectives, combing through a recording with magnifying glasses, searching for the tiniest clues of audio manipulation. Each snippet of audio is examined like a piece of evidence, and when all the clues are put together, the truth in the audio content is revealed.

Private, Fast, and Efficient Protection

Through the partnership with Intel, Norton enables malicious deepfake scam analysis directly on the device by offloading the compute to the NPU. This on-device processing helps ensure sensitive data remains private while increasing the speed of detection.

“Today's cyber threats demand real-time detection, which is why Intel is excited to partner with Norton to bring AI-powered cybersecurity directly to users' devices.” said Carla Rodríguez, Vice President and General Manager, Client SW Enabling at Intel. “Together, we are demonstrating the power of local compute right on the AI PC, enabling instant detection of AI-generated scams in video content without compromising privacy or requiring cloud connectivity. We're proud to help Norton deliver the protection that today's digital landscape requires.”

Staying a Step Ahead of Scammers

The availability of Norton Deepfake Protection on Intel-based AI PCs is part of a longer journey, widening the scam detection net and adapting to new scam types over time. In July this year, Norton added Deepfake Protection to the Genie AI Assistant in Norton 360 products on mobile so that people who don’t have AI hardware can still benefit from protection against manipulated video content. Moving forward, Norton will continue to put scam busting technology in the hands of more people, faster.

Norton Deepfake Protection on Intel® Core™ Ultra processors supports YouTube and Facebook1videos, with support for other social media platforms planned for future releases. It is available now in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand as part of Norton Genie Scam Protection and Scam Protection Pro in Norton 360 products. For more information, visit https://us.norton.com/feature/ai-scam-protection.

 

[1] Automatic Deepfake Detection is available for YouTube in any browser. Automatic Deepfake Detection for Facebook is supported on Chrome with compatibility for other browsers coming soon.

About Norton

Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organizations including AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance North America Chapter and the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at Norton.com and GenDigital.com.
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Health – Unsettled spring weather likely to spark asthma and allergy flare-ups

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

Spring has sprung, and with it comes the annual surge in sneezing, wheezing, and asthma flare-ups as unsettled weather drives pollen into the air.
This year’s season is already proving unsettled, with strong winds and fluctuating temperatures stirring up allergens – and more change is on the way.
Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says these shifting conditions make spring one of the hardest times of year for people with respiratory conditions.
“Pollen loves warm, dry weather, and when the wind picks up, it gets everywhere, which is why this time of year can be so tough for people with respiratory conditions.”
“For people with asthma and allergies, that can quickly trigger symptoms.”
It is important for asthma patients to ensure their medication is up to date – and is always on hand, Ms Harding says.
“Being prepared and taking some simple steps can make all the difference.”
Earth Sciences NZ principal scientist Chris Brandolino says this spring will be a season of two halves – typical of La Niña weather conditions.
“The first part will be a bit like a teenager – lots of mood swings and ups and downs.
“We’ll see plenty of windy days, and a blend of cooler and warmer-than-usual days, and a fair bit of rain,” he says.
“But the second part of spring will pivot and bring more settled weather across the country.”
La Niña will bring high pressure, which Brandolino calls “happy weather” in the second half of spring – less wind and rain, more sunshine, and warmer temperatures.
Up to 80% of asthma is associated with allergies, with one in eight adults and one in eight children in New Zealand affected.
Top tips for the spring allergy season
  • Avoid going outside when the pollen count is very high (midday is usually peak)
  • Keep windows closed – at home and in the car – to avoid pollen coming inside with the breeze
  • Dry your clothes indoors because pollen will stick to them if they are outside
  • Invest in an air purifier with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter
  • Keep your medication to hand in case of an emergency
  • Do a spring clean using allergy-friendly products
  • Take a shower at night to wash the pollen off.
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Retirement Commission – New report reveals why women retire with less – and how to fix it

Source: Retirement Commission

The Retirement Commission has released new analysis revealing the gender retirement savings gap cannot be attributed to a single cause but emerges from cumulative disadvantages across women’s lifetimes.

The comprehensive report, compiled by Martin Jenkins to support the Retirement Commission’s 2025 Review of Retirement Income Policies, delves into how key events and moments contribute to poorer retirement outcomes for women and what can be done to address it.

Men’s KiwiSaver balances are on average 25% higher than women's. This gap gets more significant with age: it is a 37% gap for those aged 56-65.

The Improving Women’s Retirement Income report identifies six critical life stages where policy interventions can make the most significant difference for women:

  • Formal education and training
  • Work
  • Relationship status
  • Parenting
  • Housing tenure
  • Retirement.

The report proposes changes across several policy areas such as education, employment, housing, caregiving, and health. Suggestions include extending the Government’s KiwiSaver contributions for parental leave, including for those not contributing, and automating entitlement to a spouse’s KiwiSaver when a couple separate.

Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson says the report lifts the lid on the setbacks women face on their path to retirement and where action should be taken.

“It’s no surprise that women in Aotearoa reach retirement with less in their KiwiSaver accounts than men — we’ve seen this pattern for years. What’s important now is that we understand why.

“This research gives us clarity: it’s not just about earnings, it’s about the cumulative impact of life events, caregiving roles, and structural inequalities that shape women’s financial journeys. If we want to close the gap, we need to confront these realities head-on.”

The report draws on research and evaluation findings from New Zealand and overseas, which show that preventative policy levers can have substantial social and economic benefits in the long run.

MartinJenkins researcher EeMun Chen says, “The evidence shows that while earlier, preventative measures during women’s working lives may be costly, when we look at them in the long-term, there are substantial positive social and economic returns.”

A panel of experts will discuss the research at the National Strategy for Financial Capability’s Connection Series event in Auckland on Wednesday 17 September.

Policy levers worth investigating further for New Zealand, to reduce the retirement income gap between men and women:

  1. Formal education and training
  • Increase women’s financial capability through providing education and support at the right time and right place, with appropriate behavioural prompts and information
  1. Work
  • Improve equity in KiwiSaver entitlements for low-income employees and sole traders 
  • Enable KiwiSaver contribution top-ups from different sources by lowering transaction and administration costs 
  • Revisit the default KiwiSaver fund strategy
  1. Relationship status
  • Consider education, awareness raising, and automating the entitlement to a spouse’s KiwiSaver when a couple separate
  1. Parenting
  • Extend the government’s KiwiSaver contributions for parental leave, including for women who are not contributing, and make employer contributions during parental leave easier for employers to administer
  1. Housing tenure
  • Do further work to determine what proportion of older women (and men) who may be eligible for the Accommodation Supplement are not in fact receiving it 
  • Improve awareness of, and access to the Accommodation Supplement 
  • Raise the cash-assets limit, or make other similar interventions to improve the effectiveness of this policy
  1. Retirement
  • Retain NZ Super and ensure there is cross-party support for a stable, long-term retirement income system 
  • Topping up of retirement contributions for caregiving

About the research

Prepared by MartinJenkins for Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, the report takes a life-course approach to understanding the key events and moments that contribute to the gap. The report identifies six critical stages where policy interventions could improve women’s retirement income outcomes and reduce that gap. The report should be read in conjunction with the accompanying journey map, which highlights and summarises the diversity of women’s experiences within each stage, the differences between women’s experiences and men’s, the effects of those differences for women’s retirement income, and the key policy levers that are available to address those effects.

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Health and Employment – Cancer, heart and trauma patients face the most understaffed wards

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Cancer, heart and trauma patients have faced the most understaffed wards and emergency departments over the past three years, a new Infometrics report prepared for Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has found.
The Infometrics report How many more nurses does New Zealand need? analyses Te Whatu Ora data from 1.69 million shifts from 2022 to 2024 in 59 public hospitals.
NZNO President Anne Daniels says cancer and cardiovascular wards were the most understaffed with 49% of all shifts (page 25, table 10) having inadequate staffing to meet safe staffing requirements set out under the Care Capacity Demand Management programme.
“That means these vulnerable patients faced a shortage of nurses to care for them one in every two shifts. This rose to 66% for day shifts if you were in an inpatient cancer ward and 62% if you were in a cardiovascular ward.
“Children’s wards also fared poorly with 45% of all shifts being understaffed, followed by 36% of all shifts in critical care and emergency departments.
“These wards and emergency departments treat our most vulnerable patients. It is not good enough that we don’t have enough nurses to give them the timely and quality care they need because we are constantly short-staffed.”
Anne Daniels says the report also highlights the most understaffed wards in the country over the past three years (page 27, table 12) with mental health wards featuring heavily.
“This is a shocking insight into the state of our mental health wards with 11, including Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch, featuring in the 39 most understaffed wards in the country.
“The Coalition Government, and Mental Health Minister Matthew Doocey, claim mental health services are a priority. If this is truly the case, it is time for mental health wards to have the safe staffing their patients deserve,” Anne Daniels says.
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Health and Employment – Hospitals short 587 nurses every shift last year, new report finds

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

New Zealand’s hospitals were short an average of 587 nurses every shift last year, a new Infometrics report prepared for Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has found.
The Infometrics report How many more nurses does New Zealand need? analysed Te Whatu Ora data from 1.69 million shifts from 2022 to 2024 in 59 public hospitals.
It found on average between 2022 and 2024 the country’s hospitals were short 635 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) nurses every shift (page 20, table 6). While there was a slight improvement in 2024 with an average shortage of 587 nurses, on some shifts it rose to 848 nurses. The shortage was worse in 2023 when it averaged 684 nurse shortages but rose to a maximum of 937 nurses short.
NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says the report puts paid to Te Whatu Ora’s claims hospitals aren’t short-staffed.
“With 592 hospital wards and emergency departments throughout the country, Te Whatu Ora’s own data – which they fought to keep secret – shows that almost every ward, every shift is short-staffed.
“This report highlights the effect of Aotearoa New Zealand’s aging population and people being sicker when they get to hospital because they can’t get into their GPs.
“The hiring of 3000 Te Whatu Ora nurses last year shows the growing demand for hospital services, but patient needs are still not being met. Patient safety is being put at risk because of short staffing and the ongoing recruitment freeze. This is an abject failure of workforce planning,” Paul Goulter says.
The data in the report is collected through the Care Capacity Demand Management safe staffing programme which the former District Health Boards adopted in 2009 but have never properly implemented, he says. The need for safe staffing levels to protect patient safety has become a central issue for collective bargaining between Te Whatu Ora and NZNO.
“The numbers in this report are eyewatering. But sadly, these aren’t just numbers. This represents years of care patients have missed out on.
“The Coalition Government can choose to address short staffing in our hospitals by funding them based on patient need, not to meet their cost cutting budget requirements. More nurses equals safer care,” Paul Goulter says. 
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Health and Employment – Iwi and Māori providers struggling to retain nurses

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Iwi and Māori health providers are struggling to attract and retain nurses because of poor pay and short-term government funding arrangements, a new Infometrics report prepared for Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has found.
NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says Iwi and Māori health providers are key to lifting Māori health outcomes and reducing inequities.
“We know that whānau who receive care at Iwi and Māori health providers which emphasise tikanga are associated with more responsive care and improved engagement.”
The Infometrics report How many more nurses does New Zealand need? identified 841 nurses working at Māori and Iwi providers in 2023 (page 80), representing 551 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) because of the high number of nurses working part-time.
“To keep up with projected growth of the Māori population, the number of nurses working for Iwi and Māori providers would need to rise from 551 FTEs to 679, a rise of 128,” Kerri Nuku says.
“However, Infometrics found Māori and Iwi health providers are struggling to recruit nurses because of fragmented and often short-term funding channels, and funding not keeping pace with the increasing needs of their patients.
“Not only do these providers tend to have sicker patients, they’re limited in their ability to increase fees because many of their patients are on low incomes.
“Lower pay rates are also making it difficult to attract nurses with one provider unable to fill two vacant nurse positions for more than eight months.”
Māori and Iwi health providers have been underfunded for too long, Kerri Nuku says.
“This year’s Health budget allocated just 2.7% of spending to delivering hauora Māori services when Māori make up 20% of the total population.
“NZNO is calling on the Coalition Government to immediately address funding issues for the sector so providers can attract and retain nurses. A sustainable funding model, developed with Māori, for Māori, is critical.
“As we learnt during the Covid response, Māori and Iwi health providers are key to turning around Māori health inequities and saving the health system money in the long run,” Kerri Nuku says.
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Aviation – Don McCracken receives Civil Aviation Authority Director’s Award

Source: New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority

16 September 2025 – The Civil Aviation Authority has presented Don McCracken with the 2025 Director’s Award at the Aviation Industry Awards Gala Dinner in Wellington.

The Award recognises his sustained commitment to maintaining and improving aviation safety, not only in his own organisations over the years, but for the benefit of the wider aviation community.

Chief Executive and Director of Civil Aviation Kane Patena said Don’s leadership has strengthened the sector for more than three decades.

“Don has shaped New Zealand’s aviation landscape through senior roles at Oceania Aviation, Flightline Aviation, The Vintage Aviator, and now Aerosafe,” Patena said. “He has consistently demonstrated an unwavering dedication to safety and sustainability across both fixed-wing and rotary aviation.”

As Chair of the Aircraft Engineering Association of New Zealand, Don has been instrumental in building training pathways for engineers, and more recently championed mental health initiatives, including industry-wide resilience workshops.

“By opening up conversations about wellbeing, Don has reminded us that safety depends not only on machines, but on the people who maintain them,” Patena said.

“His leadership and compassion are widely respected, and it is a privilege to recognise him with this award.”

The Civil Aviation Authority congratulates Don McCracken on this well-deserved award.

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Selected price indexes: August 2025 – update


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Annual food prices increase 5.0 percent – Selected price indexes: August 2025 – Stats NZ news story and information release


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Transporting New Zealand welcomes competition law shake-up

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Road Freight Association Transporting New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s competition law shakeup, saying that reform is needed to address limited competition in ports, airports, airlines, retail electricity and fuel.
Transporting New Zealand’s Head of Policy and Advocacy Billy Clemens says that as a highly competitive sector of over 5,000 individual businesses, 75% operating 5 trucks or fewer, road freight businesses were frustrated with large supply chain partners frequently increasing costs without improving their services.
“ Reports from MBIE and the OECD have highlighted weak competition in key sectors of the economy, including from banking, insurance, ports, and airports, just to name a few.”
“As an example, over the past few years our members have seen substantial hikes in some port access feesthat road freight companies and their customers pay to collect and deliver cargo, with no proportional increase in port productivity and performance.”
Clemens says that the proposed reforms had the potential to stop markets becoming increasingly concentrated, and could potentially enable the creation of industry codes or rules to promote competition between supply chain partners.
“This is a great opportunity to boost New Zealand’s productivity and put downward pressure on road freight costs, that will benefit all businesses and consumers.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing the Commerce Act amendments introduced to Parliament and consulted on before Christmas, and passed by mid next year.”