Friday fragments - comms news from around the web for 8 August 2014

A round-up of the week's critical communications and public safety radio news for Friday, 8 August 2014.

Critical Comms' latest issue out now. The Jul/Aug 2014 issue of Critical Comms is now available. Subscribers will have received their copies, and it can also be read online. If you haven't subscribed yet, why not sign up today? It's free for all industry professionals.

Comms Connect Melbourne 2014. The speaker and workshop program for Comms Connect Melbourne 2014 has been released and can be viewed online. It promises to once again be a vital event for everyone in the critical communications industry in the region. The event will take place over 30 September to 2 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Make sure you get your registration in.

FirstNet Acting GM blog post. TJ Kennedy, acting general manager of FirstNet in the US, has written an interesting blog post on the importance of “making the most out of our opportunities to modernise emergency communications".

Critical Communications Middle East. The annual Critical Communications Middle East conference and exhibition, organised by the TETRA & Critical Communications Association, will take place on 14-16 September at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai.

M2M winners. A team from Monash University has won Telstra's annual Machine to Machine Challenge by developing an app that “allows customers to view up-to-date information about their train service, including its location and how much space is left in each carriage"