Erin Delaney
Google Australia relaunches real estate search for Google Maps
Google launched their Australian real estate search in July last year, and today they announced that in less than a year they have linked with over 1000 real estate sites across Australia and New Zealand. Fully integrated with Google Maps, the real estate search brings up rental or sales listings, and can also handle multi-layered […]
Govt withdraws bank guarantee due to recovery
The Federal Governent has announced it will withdraw its guarantee of bank deposits, instituted during the global financial crisis to prevent investors’ money from being wiped out in the recession. The nation’s top finance regulators—including the Reserve Bank and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority—advised the treasurer, Wayne Swan, over the weekend that bank funding conditions […]
Job vacancies fall six percent in January
IPA, one of Australia’s largest recruiting firms, showed job vacancies falling six percent throughout the month of January. The latest monthly data also documents a 73 percent surge in candidate applications throughout the same period. “The jump in applications reflects people acting on their New Year’s resolution to change roles,” said Rabieh Krayem, CEO of […]
Google making first language translation phone
Developers at Google are working on the first phone able to translate foreign languages almost instantly. Using voice recognition and automatic translation technologies, it could potentially transform the way people communicate around the world by bringing down language barriers. Google are forecasting that they’ll have a basic system ready within a couple of years. Having […]
Myer: heavy discounting to continue
The heavy discounting offered over the Christmas period will continue into the new year but isn’t expected to eat into the retailer’s margins, said Myer chief executive officer Bernie Brookes. Brookes said Myer's sales for the month of December were dragged down by the electrical and entertainment goods categories. Those categories had received a boost […]
Apples releases iPhone update
Apple have had a very busy week, releasing a software update for the iPhone and iPod touch on the back of launching the new iPad tablet computer. Designed to iron out a number of reported bugs, the OS 3.1.3 update won’t include any new features but will improve performance for many users. The new update […]
International Business Awards entries open
The 2010 International Business Awards (IBAs), also known as ‘The Stevies’, are now open to entries from business executives, entrepreneurs, and the organisations they run. Yvette Adams, a Queensland-based businesswoman who became involved with the awards after being a finalist in the 2008 International Women in Business Awards in New York, says Australian businesses of […]
iiNet wins landmark piracy legal battle
Internet service provider (ISP) iiNet has claimed victory in a major legal battle over whether it should be held responsible for its customers downloading illegal content. In a landmark case, brought against iiNet by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT), Justice Dennis Cowdroy found iiNet was not responsible for the infringements of its users […]
Organic growth tops list of post-GFC priorities
New research shows generating organic growth to be the key priority, ahead of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), for the post-GFC environment of 2010. The survey of 60 CEOs and senior executive of leading Australian companies, entitled Growth Insights, was conducted by thinkGROWTH, a business growth and innovation advisory firm. Mike Kaye, thinkGROWTH’s managing director, said […]
Expert physicist: how SMEs can grow in low-carbon economy
In a conference to be held at the Object Gallery in Sydney later this month, UK physicist Dr David Vincent will address SMEs on ways to leverage their business for growth in a low-carbon economy, while reducing costs and improving efficiency. In 2001, Vincent helped to establish the Carbon Trust, a UK-based not-for-profit with a […]
SA Attorney-General backflips on censorship
South Australia’s Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has done a “humiliating” backflip and announced he will repeal his law censoring internet comment on the state election. After an outraged South Australia took to the AdelaideNow website to post comments condemning the law, Atkinson released this statement at 10pm last night: “From the feedback we’ve received through AdelaideNow, […]
RBA interest rate decision expected today
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) are expected to hand down their interest rate decision today, amidst frenzied speculation of a guaranteed rise that will see many homeowners and small businesses feeling the pinch. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has backed Treasurer Wayne Swan’s warning to financial institutions that there is no excuse for raising interest […]
Aussie label nominated for World Retail Award
Australian fashion stationery label kikki.K has been nominated for the Retail Innovation award in the World Retail Awards, to be held in Germany in April. Nominated by the Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), the fashion and style industry’s leading resource for trend analysis and forecasting, kikki.K has the personal backing of WGSN’s managing director Asia […]
Sydney tech experts track top diamonds
A Sydney company’s technology has won the heart of the world diamond industry, where it is being used to monitor thousands of precious gems, Minister for State and Regional Development Ian Macdonald said. Magellan Technology’s electronic tracking technology has been installed in one of the world’s top diamond grading houses, the HRD Antwerp Institute of […]
Drake warns: Ignore ANZ’s bleak job outlook
Drake Australia’s chief executive officer, Matthew Tukaki has refuted an analysis of the job market released this morning by ANZ Bank warning of fragility in the current economic recovery phase. ANZ Bank’s monthly survey of job advertisements, measured by the number of major metropolitan newspaper and internet-based job advertisements, showed a drop of 8.1 percent […]
Avoid Valentine’s Day spam campaigns
Spammers are getting ready for one of the biggest events of their calendar year. Symantec Security Response have released a report listing the top five spam subject lines related to February 14, which are: 1. Increase your length, the best Valentine’s gift. 2. Show off your length for Valentine’s Day. 3. Get it before Valentine’s […]
Vietnamese SMEs offered new IR laws help
The Fair Work for Small Business website has launched a Vietnamese language component to assist small business owners and managers to understand the new industrial relations laws in their mother tongue. The website already offers language-specific help in Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian and Greek. The Vietnamese language component was launched at Asean Travel and Tours […]
Queensland hub set to steal CBD businesses
An area in south-west Brisbane, Queensland, is determined to lure away businesses from Melbourne and Sydney in a battle of the buck. Greater Springfield is planning a conversion from a greenfields site to a community with intent on building a 390ha CBD featuring global businesses. Launching the We Mean Business campaign, developers revealed a survey […]
Study released: 32 million breached passwords
The results of an analytical study of the 32 million consumer password breaches exposed in the recent Rockyou.com breach was released last week by leading security software provider Imperva, providing a unique glimpse into the way that users select passwords and highlighting consumer susceptibility to cyber attack. The most commonly used passwords identified are: 1. […]
Apple unveils iPad tablet computer
Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs has announced the long-awaited arrival of the iPad, a tablet computer similar-looking to an oversized iPod Touch. Expected to be available in Australia as early as June, the device has a 9.7-inch colour touchscreen and allows users to access the web, email, music, photos, eBooks and games. It also […]
Apple expected to launch tablet today
After months of speculation, the hype surrounding the Apple tablet has reached fever pitch as they announced plans to release a “major new product” tomorrow [today in local time], but refused to release any further details. Thought to have a 10-inch touchscreen with finger-sensitive controls similar to an iPod touch, and wireless internet capability, the […]
Top bankers face grilling at GFC inquiry
Senior US banking executives admitted making costly mistakes in the lead-up to the global financial crisis (GFC) as they came under intense scrutiny at an inquiry designed to establish the cause of the economic disaster. A congressionally mandated 10-member commission, which has been compared to the panel that studied the September 11, 2001 terror attacks […]
Commonwealth Bank joins rate rise ranks
Commonwealth Bank has announced it will increase its standard variable home loan interest rate by 37 basis points, in a move that is set to send ripples through the banking industry. Westpac came under fire earlier this week for lifting their rates to almost double the increase the Reserve Bank stipulated, while National Australia Bank […]
Keneally first female NSW Premier
Kristina Keneally has taken over from Nathan Rees as premier of New South Wales, ending a tumultuous week for the State Labor Party leadership. Keneally, US-born daughter-in-law of author Tom Keneally, garnered 47 votes out of the 70 members of the party’s full caucus, an overwhelming show of support for the relative newcomer. She has […]