“On par with iTunes” 30 million-songs to stream on a tablet, PC, phone and TV.
Oonagh Reidy
Telstra Will Be NBN Core Player, Pilot FTTN: Report
Telstra to play big role in NBN, reports suggestThe nation’s biggest telco is to commence a fibre-to-the node (FTTN) pilot on the NBN later this year, reports Fairfax Media.
Sony PlayStation 3D TV Jitters As Plugs ‘Special Bundle’ $499?
As interest in 3D slides, Sony have begun luring gamers to its forthcoming TV display with free titles.
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Other specs include 2 HDMI inputs allowing gamers attach PlayStation 3 or and PC and excellent audio sound via subwoofers.
Has Vodafone Class Action Failed?
We’ve heard of Vodafail. But the consumer legal action against troubled telco may have failed also and appears to have hit a deadlock after failing to gain funding.
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The legal action pursued by 23,000 Voda customers and SMB’s irked by the telco’s poor 3G network performance and customer service last year may now not happen.
The group, represented by Piper Alderman’s legal firm, has failed to secure appropriate funding to take the matter to court, reports SMH.
The lawyers organised a class action suit against Vodafone Hutchinson Australia on behalf of the furious customers last year.
Vodafail.com was also set up to highlight the telco’s major service shortcomings.
However, it looks like the group may now be failing, too and may be forced to look overseas for funds to pursue the case. Vodafone also has a large market presence throughout Europe.
However, Piper Alderman Lawyer, Sasha Ivanstoff, denies the show is over, even though Vodafone confirmed it has not recieved any contact from the party, to date.
“We are not at the point where all [funding] avenues have been exhausted and we have still got potential funders looking at it,” Ivanstoff told the Herald.
However, it is now known how much the class action is seeking off the troubled teclo although it is thought to run into millions, considering the huge amount of customers that have joined the case.
Read ‘Handle With Care’: How Vodafone Labels Disgruntled Users Here
Recent figures show 375,000 fled the network in the first six months of the year, and lost $78.2 million in the process.
Vodafail was set up by a disgruntled NSW student in December last and by early January over 11,800 people shared “pain” stories, with a total of 150,000 visitors.
Conroy: ‘Tax The Techies…FULL Whack’
Look out Google, Apple: Minister for Digital Economy is going after you, likening their tax dodging ways to mining companies.
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| Apple could be facing much higher tax bill in Oz if government has its way. |
“This is a problem that goes across all sectors, so we’re bringing across legislation because we think we’ve got to ensure Australians get a fair share,” Senator Conroy told an audience at CeBIT yesterday, reports AFR.
And Conroy also likened the tax avoidance to mining owners Gina Rhinehart (Australia’a richest woman) and other gizillionaires Clive Palmer, Twiggy Forrest who’s companies record gigantic profits annually, fails to be reflected in its tax bill to the Australian Government.
“[It’s] just like with the mining tax where we want to make sure Australians get a fair share of the wealth that Australians own,” Minister Conroy warned.
“It’s not owned by these companies, Gina Rinehart does not own these minerals and neither does Twiggy Forrest or Clive Palmer.”
Some of the well known technology names engage in transfer pricing, whereby they pay minimal tax on profits here in Australia, channel them back through foreign subsidiaries, including Holland Ireland and other tax havens, where they pay as little as 1.5% tax.
These global accounting practices are known as the “Dutch Sandwich” and “Double Irish,” allow Apple & Co to pocket millions in profits without having to pay tax to governments in which they operate, the US included, home to most tech firms.
Google Australia reported a net loss of A$3.9m on operating revenue of $201 million for year 2011, paying just over $74K in local taxes.
This revenue figure of $201m comprised $200 m for services provided under agreements with its US parent, Google Ireland and Google Asia Pacific, plus $1 million in interest income.
Apple’s Australian subsidiary made revenues of $4.8bn in the nine months to September last year but paid just $91m in tax – which means its tax rate here was around 0.001%.
The iPhone maker attributed $4.8bn as cost of sales expenses, reports The Australian.
Major techies including Google, Apple and Facebook all have their European base in tax friendly Ireland and have expanded in the last year.
IBM reported a net profit of $309.5 million on total revenue of $4.5 billion, and paid $119m in local taxes.
Employment Minister Bill Shorten announced reform of multinationals tax treatment in Australia last November and vowed to change the transfer pricing rules in tax law.
This would force Apple & Co to price intra-group goods and services to “properly reflect the economic contribution of their Australian operations,” Shorten said.
And since the mining tax is soon to come into play, will there soon be a techie tax?
Only time will tell but here’s hoping Google & Co won’t be releasing their god awful ads like their mining counterparts.
“Apple Australia- This Is Our Story’. (Please no).
Telstra Nab Publishing Guru As Director
Telstra has just appointed a publishing boss to its board.
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Seale has worked in senior executive roles in Australia and overseas, mainly in global publishing, and is MD for Random House Australia (and NZ).
She also established Random’s China office last year and is President, Asia Development and is now the third woman sitting on Telstra’s Board.
And Seale’s “valuable insights” in transitioning traditional business models to digital environments was hailed by Telstra Chairman, and could be very useful as the telco who looks to expand its Digital Media division and Asian interests.
“Margie has valuable insights into the digital environment and the management of intellectual property here and overseas,” declared Telstra Chair, Catherine Livingstone, saying the board was “very pleased” with the new appointment.
Ms Seale said she was “delighted to be joining the Board at a time when Telstra is seeking to take advantage of digital opportunities from its strong portfolio of businesses.”
Seale was previously CEO of Macquarie Dictionary and Lansdowne Publishing and is a Director of the Sydney Writers Festival and Council Member of Chief Executive Women.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of Sydney.
Telstra’s Board now consists of Catherine Livingstone (Chair), David Thodey, Timothy Chen, Geoffrey Cousins, Russell Higgins, John Mullen, Nora Scheinkestel, Margaret Seale, John Stocker, Steven Vamos and John Zeglis.
Telco Mobile Caps Create Confusopoly, Let The Crackdown Begin: ACMA
This is what the ACMA said today following investigations into telcos, who through shrewd marketing have created a “confusopoly.”A draft report by the Communications & Media Authority into the telcomms sector has condemned telco advertising which it says it is gravely misleading consumers about the services on offer.
In March, the Telecommunicaitons Industry ombudsman in Australia said it received 671 calls a day, on average, in the last six months, noting a 20 percent increase in complaints about mobile services. “Bill shock” and the quality of information available to users were two of the key sources of complaint, the report states.
Among its major concerns are the common usage of the term “caps” which it says implies a limit on the amount users pay when in fact it is the minimum spend required.
And just this month, Optus recieved a rap for “misleading” $49 Max Cap ads by the ACCC and fined $200,000.
Unit pricing is also set to be introduced which will allow users gauge how mcuh their $49 or $60 plans is actually costing them and a break down of the allowances and conditions.
The use of “unlimited” another common adjective used by the likes of TPG, Telstra and others when advertising broadband as well as mobile plans also needs to be substantiated or else dropped, the ACMA says.
Under the new rules yet to be finalised, telco’s would also be required to provide consumers with a one-page information sheet which summarises the terms and conditions.
Huge bill shocks would also be a thing of the past with carriers required to notify consumers when they are approaching their limit, which they can nominate if they wish.
And another boon for consumers: if mobile carriers fail to comply they will be forbidden from charging any more than 30 per cent over the cap price.
And several telcos are already jumped the mark, with Vodafone and Telstra’s already announcing anti bill shock therapy, with text notifications and in the case of the latter data speeds will also slow down with no extra charges made.
And Vodafone, one of the first to respond to the ‘Reconnecting the Consumer’ draft report, has also gone one extra introducing ‘Rate Plan Health Check’ for customers who may be on the wrong plan, announced today.
Read Vodafone: We’re Reducing Bill Shocks Too As It Fights Telstra Creep
And it looks like the Authority means business and issued an unequivocal threat to telcos to ship up or pay the price.
“The outcomes that we are seeking … are non-negotiable,” warns ACMA chairman Chris Chapman.
“Marketing and advertising practices in this industry are simply not good enough,” another ACMA exec also warned.
The office of the Telecoms Ombudsman received more than more than 167,955 new consumer complaints last year.
The final draft report is due out in August.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network has welcomed the proposed changes.
Score! Nine, Foxtel Bag NRL Rights
Nine and new BFF Foxtel have bagged the right to NRL for the next five years
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Fox Sports and Nine will remain the TV broadcasters of the National Rugby League after penning a new agreement with the Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
The deal, worth $1.025 billion – $925m in cash and $100m in contra advertising – was announced yesterday and followed several rival bids by free-to-air networks including Channel Ten and Seven.
NRL has always been the underdog money-wise, compared to the AFL who has previously commanded over $1bn for broadcasting rights, but the deal marks a major increase on previous price tags for the rugby league.
The additional funds will mean an increase in the salary cap for NRL players and also funds will go back into grass roots level to help breed the next generation of Benji Marshalls.
More funds will also go to rugby’s elite level, said ARLC Chairman John Grant.
Fox Sports will continue its ‘Five Live’ games for the next five seasons, introduce a 6.30pm Sunday night match, show coverage of Monday Night Football and Super Saturday, and will increase its NRL Sunday coverage to two live games.
Free-to-air broadcaster Nine will show three weekly matches (two on Friday and one Sunday), Wednesday night State of Origin matches at the usual 7.15 time and two hours of league every night on digital Channel 94.
Fox Sports has also acquired digital rights to stream its five live weekly matches via IPTV and tablet devices.
ARLC chairman John Grant hailed the $1bn agreement as “the greatest deal ever done” by the sporting code.
“Today we answer the $1 billion question with the $1 billion-plus answer.”
“The cash that comes from the agreement, used wisely, will provide a funding base to sustainably grow our game from its grassroots to the elite levels.”
Nine CEO David Gynell hailed to landmark deal as a “must win for us” and a great sport to watch in the winter.
“It is part of our heritage and a must-win for us and I think the price was fair and reasonable.
“It is the greatest sport for television in the winter months and perfectly complements our cricket coverage.”
Fox Sports CEO, Patrick Delany, said “NRL is in the Fox Sports DNA and we are delighted to have the opportunity to build on our 16-year relationship with the code.
“Our new digital and IPTV rights will also enable us to deliver live streaming of matches to iPad, following the path of Foxtel’s incredibly successful London 2012 app.
“We will also make all of our matches available on demand through Foxtel.”
Facebook : Sue U2 Yahoo
Bono has shares in Facebook but it really was case of U2 this week when The Social Network decided to countersue search giant Yahoo.
P Diddy’s TinyChat Gets Legs But Can It Catch Skype?
TinyChat will now move with you – literally. And users are going gaga for it, apparently.
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The chat room site, which has a stream of famous backers including Ashton Kutcher and Sean Combs aka P Diddy has announced its first-ever location-based service but can also be used as an simple desktop chat system.
Once registered, it gives a location marking for each user showing their geographic region and location (within a 10-mile radius) and provides a map to help identify fellow chatterers nearby.
The fledgling provider, based out of New York, says it is gaining 50,000 new users a day and is “second only to Skype for live-streaming web chat.”
Currently, it boasts 8 million daily users and is growing at a rate of 700 per cent y-o-y, since its foundation in 2009.
However, this pales into comparison to VoIP darling Skype, which has around 145 million monthly users on average and another 400m registered. Nonetheless, it seems the market is ripe for other online chat providers.
The new location service will also respect user anonymity, it insists, and users can opt in or out, to build a private or public chat group, or join live interactive online community.
As part of its update, the chat site has developed widget versions of the service are available as well for use with all the leading web browsers, including: Firefox, IE, Google Chrome and Safari. Although it doesn’t require any downloads to use, it does require Flash.
“Offering a location-tagged experience for our users gives a global sense ofcommunity to our burgeoning video group chat portal,” said Dan Blake, Co-Founder of TinyChat.
“All geotagging and video broadcasting options on the site are at the user’sdiscretion, and TinyChat video group chats bring together dozens of chatters into an interactive community with full audio, video and text chat, along with individual user profile pages and dozens of custom chat room options.”
It currently has 30,000 active chat-rooms hosting nearly one million visits every day. It also has some famous users with Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars embedding Tinychat functionality into their websites.
Other backers include Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary, and Ron Burkle and has raised more than $1.5million from its most recent round of funding.





