Technology

Google did not infringe Oracle patents: US jury

24 May 2012 |

Google’s Android mobile platform has not infringed Oracle’s patents, a California jury decided in a high stakes trial fought by the two Silicon Valley giants over smartphone technology.

Intellectual property taxes experts

24 May 2012 | Geoff Gill

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Intellectual property taxes experts

Debate about how much tax technology companies pay in Australia has drawn attention to Australia’s transfer-pricing laws and their implications for multinational corporations.

See green future or be left behind

24 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | See a green future or be left in the past

Roberts | Australia’s carbon Canutes are in a minority among global businesses that have already come to terms with schemes such as in Europe.

Facebook float draws scrutiny as shares slide

24 May 2012 | Richard Blackden

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 30 | Facebook float draws scrutiny as shares slide

Facebook’s multibillion-dollar initial public offering faces the threat of an investigation by US authorities, as the company rounded off the worst start for a major US flotation in five years.

Facebook Inc’s float comes under more scrutiny

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 21 | Facebook Inc’s float comes under more scrutiny

Facebook Inc’s initial public offering is getting less friendly with each passing day. Investors and regulators raised new concerns about the $US16 billion ($16.4 billion) IPO as Facebook shares fell a second straight day, extending losses to 18 per cent below the $US38 offer price.

Coalmining simulator

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Coalmining simulator

The Virtual Reality Training System is a high-tech $1 million tool designed to teach coalminers how to deal with emergencies without putting them in danger.

Insurance gets three-dimensional

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Insurance gets three-dimensional

Three-dimensional modelling of flooding, dam breaks and tsunamis could be the next big thing for insurance companies and governments trying to predict the impact of the next natural disaster.

Models for emergency planning

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Scenario control for disasters

This technology developed by the University of NSW blends video game technology and architectural models to replicate cities and plan for emergencies.

Caravan for game fetishists

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Caravan for game fetishists

Alienware has brought its customised caravan filled with powerful computers to woo video game enthusiasts at CeBIT.

NBN truck hits Sydney

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | NBN truck rolls into Sydney

Labor’s $36 billion national broadband network is a highly controversial policy with plenty of enemies around Australia.

Apple fingered for app failure

24 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Fingers point at Apple on apps

A senior Victorian public servant has warned that governments trying to design helpful apps for iPhones and iPads should expect Apple to act as a major hurdle.

NBN struggles to connect

24 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | NBN struggles to connect

The man in charge of building the national broadband network is poised to admit the $36 billion project is facing serious challenges as he looks to head off fresh political criticism about delays on its construction.

Not too tweet to be scrutinised

24 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Not too tweet for scrutiny

If you can send a Twitter message every six minutes for 16 hours, sleep eight hours then repeat, you may be a candidate for Australia’s biggest twitter addict, and the University of Queensland wants to study you.

Myer’s loss is UK online’s gain

24 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Myer’s loss is UK online’s gain

Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes has painted a bleak picture of the Australian retail landscape, saying a combination of sharemarket turmoil and carbon tax concerns is keeping shoppers away.

New tax rules won’t squeeze tech giants

24 May 2012 | Katie Walsh

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | New tax rules won’t squeeze tech giants

Changes to the tax laws to stop companies shifting profits overseas are unlikely to get more tax out of global technology companies such as Google, tax experts said.

Acute care is the loser

24 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Acute care

Health professionals told delegates at an eHealth seminar that although the online health database was a necessary infrastructure investment, more needs to be done to fix information provision to the sector.

Enough privacy checks, says India

24 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Enough checks, says India

As the number of IT graduates from Australian universities drops, shifting technology services offshore to countries like India has become more of a necessity than a cost-cutting exercise.

Social media to shrink city offices: Deloitte

23 May 2012 | Paul Smith

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | City offices to shrink

The accounting giant has made much progress with a professional social media tool that lets internal teams communicate effectively without corporate email.

Dell chief defends transfer pricing

23 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

One of the country’s most senior technology executives has broken the industry’s silence as pressure mounts over the level of tax paid locally by global companies.

Brambles fails to divest Recall

23 May 2012 | Michael Hobbs

International pallet operator Brambles’ process to divest information management business Recall has not been completed within the self-imposed time and is continuing.

Video | Digital Life

23 May 2012 |

Digital Life’s John Davidson talks flat-screen TVs – in particular, LG’s latest model, the LM9600. Not to be confused with the LM9700.

Google appoints lawyer to run Motorola Mobility

23 May 2012 |

Dennis Woodside picked to head mobile phone maker as search giant enters hardware business for first time following $US12.5bn acquisition.

Dell profit plunges on disappointing sales

23 May 2012 |

US computer maker Dell has reported a 33 per cent drop in profits in a disappointing quarterly report for former market leader.

Facebook wash out puts Morgan Stanley in spotlight

23 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

Investors who stumped up $US38 a share to take part in Facebook’s landmark IPO have found themselves deeper under water as underwriter Morgan Stanley faces questions over its handling of the float.

Facebook who? Apple brand hits $183bn

23 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

Gadget maker Apple has cemented its position as the world’s most valuable brand, heading a top 10 list laden with technology companies.

SAP buys Ariba for $US4.5bn

23 May 2012 |

Updated | SAP, the German business software giant, has agreed to buy Ariba, a provider of cloud computing services, for $US4.5 billion, boosting its arsenal against arch-rival Oracle.

Facebook shares slide as prospects questioned

23 May 2012 |

Facebook’s shares fell again on Tuesday, leaving them down more than a quarter from Friday’s highs as questions mounted over the company’s financial prospects.

Company briefs

23 May 2012 |

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 |

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has made an exclusive list of the world’s most valuable brands alongside global giants such as Apple and McDonald’s.

A 10-year landfill headache

23 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | A 10-year landfill headache

For Statewide Waste in western Victoria the problem about the carbon price isn’t what it has to pay from July 1 but what it may have to pay in 2022.

Why NBN Co may already be too big to stop

23 May 2012 | David Braue

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Why the NBN Co may already have grown too big to stop

Political broadsides, not logistical challenges, are shaping up as the major challenges confronting the company tasked with rolling out the national broadband network..

Retravision Southern nears liquidation

23 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Retravision Southern nears liquidation

Retravision Southern, the consumer electronics buying group that went into voluntary administration on Monday owing creditors more than $30 million, appears to be heading towards liquidation.

Local tax from global profits 

23 May 2012 | David Pratley

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Local tax from global profits 

Recent comments by opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull have focused on the taxation of global technology behemoths such as Google and Apple. In particular whether the tax paid in Australia is disproportionately low relative to the revenue said to be earned here.

Talks unlikely to resolve Apple-Samsung dispute

23 May 2012 | Joel Rosenblatt

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Talks unlikely to solve Apple’s worldwide war

Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co are unlikely to resolve their worldwide fight over patents in court-ordered talks between their chief executive officers.

Australian Twittersphere mapped

23 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Map sheds light on Twittersphere

Queensland researchers have created the first map of the Australian “Twittersphere” to chart the trends and relationships of the country’s two million Twitter users.

From the stables to social media

22 May 2012 | Fiona Carruthers

Australia has launched the world’s first online social racing community, where punters can get tailored content about horses they fancy – like Black Caviar.

Death penalty for fundraising fraud

22 May 2012 | Lucy Gao

The Higher People’s Court in East China’s Zhejiang Province handed businesswoman Wu Yinga the death penalty with a two-year reprieve for fundraising fraud, after a retrial.

Tax Google like Twiggy, says Conroy

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tax Google like Twiggy, says Conroy

Stephen Conroy says tech giants such as Google will be hit by tax laws designed to stop them transferring profits out of Australia, a step he compared with the government’s policy on wealthy mining entrepreneurs.

Apps ‘more secure’ than mobile websites: NAB

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Smartphone and tablet apps are more secure than mobile websites if designed properly, a senior banking technology executive says.

Spotify finally launches in Australia

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Music streaming service, which has 10 million users in Europe and the US, offers free listening to a generation that refuses to pay for songs.

BoM defends website advertising trial

22 May 2012 |

The Bureau of Meteorology will run advertising on its website to supplement its government funding, not to compete with The Weather Channel, a parliamentary committee has heard.

Westpac says 1m customers access accounts via smartphone

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

More than a million consumer and business customers are now using a smartphone regularly to access Westpac accounts, the bank says.

NBN ‘cutting through’ despite Thomson affair

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has admitted the Craig Thomson affair is overshadowing the government’s political message but says the $36 billion national broadband network is still finding traction.

Apple chief’s $385m pay day

22 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Don’t let Apple chief Tim Cook’s slim build fool you, when it comes to US corporate pay checks he’s the fattest of fat cats.

Investors un-friend Facebook as reality sets in

22 May 2012 | Chuck Mikolajczak

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | WRAPUP 4-Facebook shares sink 11 pct as reality overtakes hype

Facebook shares sank 11 per cent in the first day of trading without the full support of the company's underwriters, leaving some investors to switch back to more established stocks such as Apple.

Your chance to own Bill Gates’ Porsche

22 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

Car collectors have a shot at owning a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo bought by Bill Gates during a petrol headed youth that notoriously led to the billionaire philanthropist’s arrest.

It’s best Eugene’s Ferrari floats first

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 64 | It’s best Ferrari floats

Russian anti-virus tycoon Eugene Kaspersky (that’s anti-virus as in the technology variety) is well known in the geek community for being very smart, down-to-earth and incredibly wealthy.

Technology One’s forecast fails to impress

22 May 2012 | Brendon Lau

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Growth forecast fails to impress

Shareholders hoping that Technology One’s better than expected half-year result would give the stock a fresh leg-up would be disappointed.

App reviews | Google Drive and Your World

22 May 2012 | Rachael Bolton

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | App Reviews

How good is Google’s new cloud computing personal storage app? And can a fun app help us better know our place in the world?

Technology briefs

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | The technology of

In further evidence that science fiction is slowly becoming science fact, a 58-year-old woman paralysed in 1996 by a stroke was able sip coffee from a flask using a robotic arm controlled by her brain.

Technology outsourcing increases globally

22 May 2012 | Paul Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Outsourcing is in

Revenue for the Australian technology outsourcing market grew 6.4 per cent in 2011, to hit $7.2 billion, with IBM the most successful technology supplier, according to new data presented by research firm Gartner.

eHealth to save $11bn for budget

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | eHealth to save $11 billion

The Federal Government has claimed its troubled electronic health programs will save more than $11 billion over the next 15 years as its guns for a budget surplus.

Rivals hot on Kindle’s heels

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Rivals following hot on Kindle’s heels

As with any good idea in technology, competition is never far behind. For the Kindle this has come in two forms – dedicated e-readers and tablets.

Gregan uses software to outwit opponents

22 May 2012 | Paul Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rugby star uses software to outwit opponents

Former Wallabies captain George Gregan, now a coaching consultant for the ACT Brumbies, says that, in both his sporting and business life, there is a necessity to keep up to date with the latest technology has to offer.

There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned ebook

22 May 2012 | Peter Moon

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned ebook

Lest the good reader hasn’t noticed while picking up provisions from the local Woolworths, the retailer has been stocking Kindle ebook readers under an exclusive distribution arrangement with Amazon.com.

Facebook faces new pressure

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Facebook push to exploit personal data

Privacy experts have warned that Facebook’s investors will ramp up the pressure to use the personal data of its 900 million users for advertisers.

Countdown to space travel privatisation

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Countdown to privatisation of space travel

United States rocket company SpaceX will soon launch itself into the history books when it delivers supplies to the crew of the orbiting International Space Station.

How much Klout do you have online?

22 May 2012 | Fiona Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | All you need to score is a little bit of Klout

Klout measures your social media influence, and “what’s your Klout score?” could well become a regular question in job interviews for positions in sales, marketing or IT.

Pakistan restores Twitter after outcry

22 May 2012 | Salman Masood

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Pakistan restores Twitter after outcry

The Pakistani government blocked access to the social networking service Twitter for much of Sunday, after publicly holding Twitter responsible for promoting what it described as a blasphemous cartoon contest taking place on Facebook.

Facebook shares fall 11 per cent in early trading

22 May 2012 |

Facebook shares opened below their $US38 issue price on Monday as support from underwriters of the initial public offering dissipated after its Friday debut.

Information is everything, no question

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Information is everything, no question

Capturing and interpreting the increasing wealth of information is becoming the most crucial of business skills.

National briefs

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 5 |

A pathological gambling addict has lost his appeal to recover more than $20 million which he gambled away at Melbourne’s Crown Casino after alleging the casino deliberately encouraged him to indulge in his addiction.

Thomson clone claims possible

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Thomson clone claims possible

A top security expert has labelled phone cloning claims by embattled MP Craig Thomson as “far-fetched but possible.”

CeBIT faces demolition threat

22 May 2012 | Paul Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | CeBIT faces demolition threat

Giant computer trade show CeBIT Australia cannot guarantee that the event will remain in NSW as the convention area faces a $1 billion facelift.

Conference offers peek into future

22 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Conference offers peek into future

Technologies we will have sitting in our pockets and running on our tablets will be visible for the first time this week at the CEBIT conference in Sydney.

Challenge of collecting taxes from IT companies

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Clouding up tax revenue

Attempts to close loopholes that allow multinational technology companies to minimise local tax bills will become more difficult as a growing number of services move online.

Yahoo!7 chief says taxman must ‘follow the cash’

22 May 2012 | Ben Holgate

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Yahoo!7 chief says taxman must ‘follow the cash’

Imminent changes to Australia’s transfer pricing rules have the potential to solve the problem of global internet companies paying low tax if tax authorities can capture all revenues earned here, Yahoo!7 says.

Content overhaul ‘vital’ for Yahoo!

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Content overhaul ‘vital’ for Yahoo!

After a boardroom coup at Yahoo!, the struggling internet company is in the hands of a major shareholder and an interim chief executive who appear to agree on what needs to be done to turn the company around.

AMD doubles down on entertainment

22 May 2012 | John Davidson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 |

Intel’s chief rival AMD has launched its second-generation Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), claiming the new chips will have twice the performance per watt over the last generation, allowing PC makers to build laptops that run all day.

Flying high with the Iconia Tab A510

22 May 2012 | John DAVIDSON

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Flying high with the Iconia Tab A510

We struggled to get close to the 15-hour battery life claimed for this tablet. But in our other tests, the A510 performed a good deal better.

Myki smartcard for tourists in Victoria

21 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Myki smartcard for tourists in Victoria

What to do about tourists? It is a question that has dogged Victoria’s unloved public transport smartcard system, Myki, for years. Now the Victorian government has a plan.

Retravision buyer appoints administrators

21 May 2012 |

The company that purchases white goods and electronics for more than 100 Retravision stores in Victoria, southern NSW and Tasmania has gone into voluntary administration.

New Wii U image leaks on Twitter

21 May 2012 | John DAVIDSON

Has Nintendo radically redesigned the controller on its next home console? A new photo suggests some big improvements.

Apple, Samsung CEOs to hold patent talks

21 May 2012 |

The chief executives of Apple and Samsung Electronics are used to running the show at their global tech empires, but they will be in for a different experience when they arrive at a San Francisco federal courthouse.

Zuckerberg weds on day after IPO

21 May 2012 |

For Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it was quite a week – from birthday, to IPO, to ‘I do’.

Yahoo! nears deal to sell Alibaba stake

21 May 2012 |

Yahoo may finally be nearing a deal to sell half of its prized stake in the major Chinese e-commerce provider Alibaba, which could be worth as much as $US7 billion.

Twitter restored in Pakistan

21 May 2012 |

Pakistan has restored access to Twitter after briefly blocking the microblog over posts that Islamabad said promoted a Facebook contest involving caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

Facebook must prove itself after flat debut

PRINT: Capital | 21 May 2012

Facebook now has some proving to do. On the first day of trading as a public company Facebook shares did not deliver the pop that many investors have come to expect from Internet companies.

Cash-flow trouble hits Retravision

21 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Cash flow

A five-year plan to merge Australia’s three Retravision licensees has been thrown into doubt by cash-flow problems at the consumer electronics retailer’s southern division.

Google approval

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Google approval

Google won approval from Chinese regulators for its $US12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, clearing a final hurdle for a deal that boosts its patents portfolio and steps up competition with Apple.

Dairies fear a carbon tax milking

21 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Dairies fear a milking

Major dairy companies are counting the extra costs that will fall on their shoulders as well as on those of dairy farming families under the carbon tax regime.

Make Google pay more tax: Turnbull

21 May 2012 | Ben Holgate

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Raise taxes on tech giants: Turnbull

Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has lashed the amount of tax Google pays in Australia, saying that a coalition government would seek to suck more money out of global tech firms.

Corporates get kooky at TEDx

21 May 2012 | Paul McIntyre

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 43 | Corporates go kooky at TEDx

It could be seen as just a bit too soft for your conventional corporate suit but some of the most blue chip institutions are displaying serious intent to rub shoulders with kooky creative and intellectual types.

Early investors drop Facebook

21 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Early investors drop Facebook

One of Australia’s biggest investment funds plans to dump its entire Facebook stake quickly as analysts and fund managers predict the social media giant will struggle to boost returns.

Silicon Valley cashed up as state feels pinch

21 May 2012 | Ben Potter

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Silicon Valley all cashed up as California feels pinch

Silicon Valley exists in its own ecology of wealth and cool virtue, far from the realities of everyday life for many Californians in a state with a $US16 billion deficit.

Facebook IPO marred by trading glitches

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | UPDATE 3-Facebook fizzles in debut, shares skirt IPO price

Updated | For a company that is dramatically upending business strategies and social relationships around the world, shares in Facebook made a surprisingly modest debut on Friday.

Google doesn’t care where you are

19 May 2012 | Anne Fulwood

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Net makes more than a fashion statement

Fulwood | A local from the small NSW town of Cooma has proved that “Google doesn’t care where you are” when it comes to online business.

Next big thing may take a while

19 May 2012 | Philip Baker

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Next big thing may take a while

Baker | Over the past 40 years there has been a powerful trend at the beginning of each decade that was viewed as the next big thing.

Bigger challenges still for telco head

19 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Bigger challenges still for telco head

David Ingle Thodey celebrates three years in the chief executive’s seat at Telstra today. It is one of the toughest jobs in corporate Australia. Many thought he wouldn’t last this long.

US tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

19 May 2012 | Suzanne Goldenberg

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

The Obama administration imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese solar panels after finding China was flooding the market with government subsidised products.

Bosses find own online bargains

19 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Bosses find own online bargains

Macken | While Australians have been shopping for bargains online, their bosses have been shopping for workers online.

Facebook faces its moment of truth

19 May 2012 | Ruth Liew

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Facebook faces its moment of truth

Facebook’s $100 billion initial public offering has its critics but former senior Microsoft executive Daniel Petre believes those who cashed in early would probably see their investments pay off.

Quigley’s war from a hot seat

19 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Quigley’s war from a hot seat

NBN boss Mike Quigley may not survive the next election but is prepared to go down speaking his mind.

Australia, US sign cyber security deal

18 May 2012 |

Australia and the United States have formalised closer relations on cyber security that will allow for greater sharing of information.

What will Facebook do with all its cash?

18 May 2012 | Troy Wolverton

Following its initial public offering, Facebook’s new wealth will be added to the $US3.9 billion that’s already in its coffers ... so what is it going to do with all that money?

Long odds on a big Facebook payday

18 May 2012 | NATHANIEL POPPER

Facebook shares will be tempting to buy when they start trading. The company is well known, has hefty profit margins and may become the world’s primary gateway to the Internet.

Nikkei drops sharply, weighed down by troubled Spanish banks

18 May 2012 |

Japan's Nikkei share average dropped sharply on Friday morning with securities hammered by fears of contagion from Spain's ailing bank system and a strong yen pushed down exporters.

Nice job, there’s more to do

18 May 2012 | MICHAEL SMITH

David Thodey only has 38 “likes” on a Facebook public figure page dedicated to the Telstra chief executive.

Twitter shows users how to spread their wings

18 May 2012 | Michelle Maltais

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Twitter wants to guide new hatchlings as they venture out of the virtual nest with tailored “follow” suggestions.

Nokia details Lumia 900 plans

18 May 2012 | John DAVIDSON

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

The world’s prettiest smartphone is coming to Australia in June. So is another Nokia phone that is not as pretty.

I’m no tax dodger: Facebook’s Saverin

18 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has rejected claims he renounced his US citizenship and moved out of the country to avoid paying tax on his stake in soon-to-list Facebook.

Hewlett-Packard to axe up to 30,000 jobs: reports

18 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Technology giant Hewlett-Packard set to cut a wide swathe through its workforce, laying off as many as 30,000 employees as part of a radical restructuring plans, according to a report.

Apple to use only green power for main data centre

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Apple to use only green power for main data centre

Apple plans to power its main data centre entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms.

AFR iPad app to launch this week

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | AFR iPad app to launch next week

Fairfax Media will soon launch the Australian Financial Review iPad app at no extra charge for existing five- and six-day AFR and afr.com subscribers.

Spotify raising values music start-up at $US4bn

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

The mega funding rounds are back. Spotify, the social music service, is in the process of raising hundreds of millions of dollars in a deal that would value the company at as much as $US4 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

Pinterest valued at more that $US1bn

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Move over, Facebook. Pinterest, the social site that lets people “pin” pictures and content to create collections of interest, has become the latest company to be valued at more than $US1 billion.

HP poised to cut up to 30,000 jobs

18 May 2012 |

Hewlett-Packard is reportedly poised to eliminate up to 30,000 jobs to help offset dwindling demand for personal computers as more people connect to the internet on smartphones and tablets.

Facebook IPO prices at $US38 a share

18 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Naysayers have failed to dampen enthusiasm for Facebook’s hotly-anticipated initial public offering, with the social network pricing its stock at the high end of a recently increased value range.

A click away from the ‘creepy line’

18 May 2012 | Dominic White

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Just a click away from the ‘creepy line’

White | Every “like” icon you click, email you send, and web page you visit leaves a trail to an intensely seductive honeypot.

Technology helps reform evidence laws

18 May 2012 | Alex Boxsell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Technology helps reform evidence laws

Evidence laws could be modernised to better address new technology and forms of communication under a review by the South Australian Law Reform Institute.

Facing up to the facts

18 May 2012 | John Sinclair

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Facing up to the facts

There’s a reason for Facebook’s elevated $100bn valuation before its float.

Former Facebook man has no regrets

18 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ex-Facebook man: no regrets

Brisbane family man Chris Adams is about to be even better friends with 30 of his mates from Facebook as they prepare to become multimillionaires, even billionaires.

Parenting by numbers

18 May 2012 | Mya Frazier

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Parenting by numbers

The day their son was born, Monica Rogati and her husband began obsessively plotting his life via thousands of bits of data they punched into the smartphone app Baby Connect.

Why the IPO model is broken

18 May 2012 | Felix Salmon

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Zuckerberg’s shotgun wedding shows flaws in IPO model

The massive Facebook float throws up questions about the value of a float for a company. And it seems that for most high-tech ventures, going public does not compute.

Mirabela will need to show improvement

17 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

Mirabela Nickel’s $120 million equity raising may have shored up its short-term funding issues, but investors still want to see operating improvement.

New homes dudded over NBN, says Turnbull

17 May 2012 |

Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says the government's "prejudice" against the private sector left about 35,000 new homes connected to copper instead of fibre cable last year.

Anti-depressants lift Brain Resource

17 May 2012 | Trevor Hoey

Brain Resource offers an attractive mix of earnings predictability and the capacity for substantial earnings growth. The fact that it is profitable also sets it apart from other players in the health sector.

LG gives gamers the whole picture

17 May 2012 | John Davidson

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | DIGITAL LIFE JOHN DAVIDSON

An ingenious twist on LG’s excellent passive 3D technology, Dual Play lets two gamers playing on a split-screen see two completely separate full-screen views on the one TV screen.

JB Hi-Fi (JBH)

17 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 27 |

JB Hi-Fi’s days of being a must-have stock are over after last month’s profit downgrade, the second in the space of six months.

HTC shares tumble as patent case delays US sales

17 May 2012 |

US sales of two new smartphones from Taiwan's HTC will be delayed due to a patent dispute with Apple, a fresh blow to the company as it tries to turn around declining sales in what was once its largest market.

Japanese firm unveils gesture controls

17 May 2012 |

Japanese technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that allows users to control their TV, mobile phone or tablet computer using a virtual input device.

Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen: sources

17 May 2012 |

Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation said.

Pirate Bay attacked by . . . attackers!

17 May 2012 | John Davidson

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 |

World’s biggest BitTorrent search engine gets to feel what it’s like to be a victim.

Brokers stop taking Facebook IPO orders

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Investors who want Facebook shares when the No. 1 online social network goes public later this week may have lost the opportunity.

Facebook's IPO: who gets rich?

17 May 2012 |

The rich are going to get richer when Silicon Valley's biggest IPO starts trading on Friday.

Samsung replaces Nokia as leading phone maker

17 May 2012 |

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Samsung became the world’s No.1 phone maker during the first quarter of 2012, with Gartner research showing that Nokia had been knocked off its perch for the first time in 14 years.

How Google search just got smarter

17 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

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If you’ve ever thought Google just doesn’t get what it is you’re asking it, then that’s about to change.

Apple plans larger screen for next iPhone

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | UPDATE 2-Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen-sources

Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, sources say.

Facebook insiders, early investors selling more shares

17 May 2012 |

Insiders and early Facebook investors will be unloading more of their shares in the initial public offering, the company said on Wednesday, as they take advantage of investor demand.

Self-serving regulation

17 May 2012 | Richard Denniss

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Self-serving regulation

The economics of deregulation is supposed to be straightforward; business groups support it, community groups oppose it, and governments “get the balance right”.

GM puts the brakes on Facebook ads

17 May 2012 | Tanzina Vega

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | GM puts the brakes on ads

Just days before Facebook is scheduled to hold its first public stock offering, which could value the company at more than $US100 billion, General Motors has decided to remove its advertising from the social network.

Etsy sets up shop in Melbourne

17 May 2012 | Sue Mitchell

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | E-tailer Etsy sets up shop

Online retailer Etsy is turning to bricks and mortar to showcase its wares as it embarks on a new phase of expansion after raising $40 million from investors last week.

Japan confronts a nuclear void

17 May 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Japan confronts a nuclear void

A battle over nuclear and renewable energy will determine Japan’s future but has also broader global implications.

Jumbo Interactive (JIN)

16 May 2012 | David Ramli

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Online lottery group Jumbo Interactive has been enjoying a streak of good luck since late last year. Where it was selling at 36¢ a share on December 30 2011, it now trades around $1.40 a per share. The company runs the Ozlotteries.com website, which lets customers buy tickets over the internet.

CSR won’t rule out a swoop on Alesco

16 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Stephen Shore

CSRmanaging director Rob Snidel would not rule out a bid for in-play Alesco, saying there were “all sorts of opportunities” available in the building materials sector.

TPG Telecom (TPM)

16 May 2012 | John McDuling

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Shares in TPG Telecom have quietly strung together a 35 per cent rise so far this year, more than three times the rise for Telstra, and easily eclipsing the 5 per cent gains for the broader market.

West Wing writer tapped for Steve Jobs biopic

16 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

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Sony Pictures has enlisted the writer behind political drama The West Wing to adapt last year’s best selling Steve Jobs biography for the big screen.

‘Bigger’ Facebook IPO to raise $US15bn

16 May 2012 |

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Interest in the social networking stock has not been dimmed by debate over its long-term ability to make money.

New eco-engine revs up Falcon hopes

16 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Falcon hopes ride on engine

Ford’s new fuel-efficient four-cylinder version of the Ford Falcon is not a make-or-break factor for the troubled Australian-made large car, says its national boss, but it does offer more choice.

Facebook ads not worth it: GM

16 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

Automotive giant General Motors is threatening to rain on Facebook’s IPO party with a decision to withdraw advertising from the wildly popular social networking site over concerns the ads have limited impact.

Jury considers Oracle patent claims against Google

16 May 2012 |

A California jury has started another round of deliberations in a high-profile trial over allegations that Google’s Android mobile platform violates Oracle’s intellectual property rights.

Greenpeace protesters arrested at Apple HQ

16 May 2012 |

Two Greenpeace activists have been arrested after being pried from a giant iPod in front of Apple’s headquarters during a protest against using dirty energy to power data centres.

New Kindle e-readers could have own light source

16 May 2012 | John Davidson

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Is Amazon about to release e-readers with their own lighting system? There are rumours of colour e-ink displays, too.

World briefs

16 May 2012 |

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Papua New Guinea’s parliament has been dissolved ahead of the June election, after rescinding an earlier vote to delay the poll by six months.

Nokia gets aggressive in developing markets

16 May 2012 |

Nokia has introduced two low-priced dual-SIM card mobile phones designed for the fast-growing developing markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Facebook IPO could now raise $US12.8bn

16 May 2012 |

Already expected to be the largest-ever initial public offering for an internet company, Facebook is making its IPO even bigger.

IBM helps oil companies manage data gush

16 May 2012 |

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | IBM helps oil companies manage gusher of data

IBM has spent the past three years building a team of 5000 consultants, scattered around major oil basins worldwide, to help companies tackle a data explosion.

Does Google+ add up?

16 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

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Wannabe social networking giant Google+ has taken another blow in its battle to prove it can mix it with incumbent king Facebook.

Business failing mobile shoppers: Google

16 May 2012 |

Although a growing number of Australians use smartphones as part of their shopping experience, most business websites leave them frustrated.

Facebook lifts IPO range to $US34-38 a share

16 May 2012 |

Facebook has increased the price range on its IPO an average of 14 per cent to raise more than $US12 billion, giving the world’s No. 1 social network a valuation potentially exceeding $US100 billion.

Not so fast on darling status for Telstra

16 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 18 | Not so fast on market darling status for Telstra

Telstra’s chief executive David Thodey probably has to pinch himself as he reflects on three years in the telco’s top job this week.