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1. The top 10 gadgets of 2012 – and 10 more for 2013

Everyone loves a good gadget. Entrepreneurs are especially attracted to the latest tech, and with good reason – a well-crafted gadget can make your work life more organised. Technology has enabled people to be more productive, and the latest smartphones, tablets and computers help entrepreneurs manage their time better. This...

2. Randi Zuckerberg's 10 social media trends to watch

“I graduated from Harvard University in 2003,” begins Randi Zuckerberg. It’s a fact she says she only mentions because her famous younger brother, Mark Zuckerberg, did not. Zuckerberg is wearing bright yellow – a burst of colour on the stage at the Australian Chambers Business Conference in Melbourne. She’s bubbly and charismatic, gushing about how much she loves Melbourne. You half expect her to break for cheers, but judging her sombre corporate audience correctly, she do...

3. Are you paying too much for business services?

No matter what industry you work in, a bit of time and a fine-tooth comb is sure to turn up some pretty hefty cost savings in your business. But with SME resources often stretched to the limit, savings can go unidentified year after year, eating into profits. But a recent Australian survey has uncovered the aver...

4. Crowdfunding pioneers hit back at ASIC, say Australia is mis

The crowdfunding industry has spoken out against a statement made by the corporate regulator yesterday, which warned the operators of crowdfunding sites offering financial rewards to backers could be subject to fines or even imprisonment. The industry veterans say the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is either missing an opportunity to back a c...

5. Ruslan Kogan: Kickstarter nothing more than a "glorified vid

Outspoken internet entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan has lashed out at the crowdfunding industry, saying in an interview with SmartCompany the market is nothing more than a "glorified video editing competition". The comments come as the crowdfunding industry, which has gained a positive reputation due to the success of projects like the Pebble Watch in earning millions,...

6. Crowd-funded iPod Nano watch goes into production

The TikTok and LunaTik multi-watch kits, the kits which allow users to turn their touch-screen iPod Nano gadgets into watches, will now go into production. The project was funded through crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and has brought in over $US900,000 from over 13,500 backers in just under a month – well over the project's expectations of $15,000. Project founder Scott Wilson wanted to put the project into production in China, but was forced to...

7. Kickstarter success Pebble Watch starts shipping as Australi

Nearly a year after a group of engineers in Canada created a prototype watch which wirelessly connects to your smartphone, and raised over $10 million through a crowdfunding website, the Pebble Watch has finally started shipping. The product has now started shipping to “backers”, people who paid the company money through the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The campaign was one of the first on Kickstarter to

8. Aussie entrepreneur unveils US-based crowdfunding platform

An Australian entrepreneur based in the United States is set to launch StartSomeGood.com, a niche crowdfunding platform aimed exclusively at social enterprises. Tom Dawkins, co-founder of StartSomeGood.com, is originally from Sydney but has been living in San Francisco for almost two years after spending two years in Washington DC. Dawkins, whose co-founders are from the US, describes StartSomeGood as "Kickstarter but for social change...

9. GADGET WATCH: Pebble Watch

The Pebble Watch hit the jackpot last year when its founders put the humble smartwatch on Kickstarter. Soon the funding poured in well past its $100,000 goal – in two hours, no less – and topped a massive $10 million. Now the watch has started shipping for a lucky few who backed the company on Kickstarter, and the reviews have started coming in. So is the watch as good as it looks? And more importantly, does it actually work? Hardware and features The watch fea...

10. BEST OF THE WEB: The 10 very best tech stories of the year

It’s been a hectic year in tech. We’ve seen Apple come up against its first true competitor in the mobile space, Samsung. We’ve seen the seven-inch tablet form really take off, and we saw Google veteran Marissa Mayer do what many thought unthinkable: Abandon Google to try and save a sinking ship in Yahoo. Our Best of the Web articles have been designed to bring you the best writing in technology each week. It’s an area that’s seeing more and more high-quality writing, and ...

11. How crowdfunding will help a cafe start-up open 30 stores -

A US-based start-up is planning to open thirty stores on the same date and at the same time, using crowdfunding to finance the rapid expansion, suggesting start-ups here can do the same. New Perspectives Café, which offers unique food and beverages from around the world, will open 30 stores in the US at exactly the same time on April 16. But rather than rely on the usual means of financing store openings, such as angel investors or bank loans, the company is choosing to use the in...

12. How I built a successful company from my Kickstarter campaig

Peter Dering started a Kickstarter campaign last year to get some funding for a gadget he had created – a clip that allows you to attach an SLR camera to anything, such as a belt, a backpack or even a bike. He originally asked for $10,000, but was overwhelmed when backers ultimately put up $350,000 for his idea. And since then, he’s mad...

13. WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK: Monitor your social media constan

Social media monitoring company BuzzNumbers was picked up by Sentia Media last week – the company which until recently ran under the brand Media Monitors. It’s not only a good deal for company founder Nick Holmes a Court, but a confirmation of just how important social media monitoring is for everyday business. The amount of comments being made about your business online could be staggering. And there are simply too many avenues to keep track of – Twitter and Facebook ...

14. BEST OF THE WEB: How Kickstarter is changing everything you

It all started with an idea. Canadian engineer Eric Migicovsky came up with an idea for a wristwatch that could display information from an iPhone, such as text messages and music information. It’s a fun idea –and no one’s done it yet. Except he couldn’t get any financial backers to talk with him, let alone even pitch the idea. So he turned to the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, where you pitch your idea and set a funding goal. If enough people like your idea,...

15. Ruslan Kogan

Ruslan Kogan has made quite the impact on the local consumer electronics scene. From a small start-up in 2007 to a $250 million powerhouse today, Kogan has made a name for himself in spruiking the company – and his own name – in unusual ways. We spoke to Kogan about his humble beginnings, his supply a...

16. Apple working on iWatch to be released later this year, new

The pundits who have been waiting for Apple to come up with a new product category may just get their wish. New reports today suggest Apple is working on a wristwatch that could be released as soon as the end of the year. The new reports come as the wearable computing market is being thrust into the spotlight, with Google plugging its Google Glass headset and smartwatches becoming ...

17. Android-based Ouya console scores $US8.6 million in Kickstar

Android-based console start-up Ouya has completed its crowdsourced fundraising round on Kickstarter after securing over $US8.6 million in funding, with over 63,416 donors backing the project. According to PhoneArena, the Android-based set top box and games console start-up, founded by former IGN executive Julie Uhrman, has already secured On...

18. BEST OF THE WEB: How greed has ruined Groupon

A few years ago, Groupon was on top of the world. The company was enjoying rocketing success under chief executive Andrew Mason, with millions in revenue and a growing team. The concept of group buying was completely new, and the business was milking all the attention it could get. Fast forward to 2013 and things have gone horribly wrong. Founder and chief executive Andrew Mason was recently fired from his position, while the company’s shares have plummeted by 80% from the...

19. What business are you really in?

If I asked you what business you are in, what would you say? Consulting, retail, manufacture, accounting, health – well, you're wrong, kind of. You see, I think you are in the business of behavioural change, because everyday you are influencing people to do something: Buy, sell, read, write, talk, type, click, swipe, walk, run, turn up. Each of us, everyday has the task of influencing others to move from one state to another, and that's why behavioural economics ...

20. Time to cut crowdfunding red tape

The shipping of the Pebble Watch yesterday marked a coming of age for crowdfunding in the United States, while Australia, sadly, lags behind. The creation of the watch was funded by raising $10 million through crowdfunding website Kickstarter and the watch, which wirelessly connects to smartphones, has been shipped to...

21. Bright idea: LIFX hits $1 million in pre-order sales for its

Kickstarter success story LIFX has launched a second batch of pre-orders of its WiFi-enabled, energy-efficient light bulb, with the Melbourne venture on track to eclipse $1 million in sales by the end of the week. LIFX is a WiFi-enabled, multicolour, energy-efficient LED light bulb, controlled via an iPhone or Android. In addition to giving the user "unprecedented control" over their lights, LIFX reduces energy costs and lasts for up to 25 years. The LIFX team consists of Ph...

22. The crowdfunding debate we had to have

In the hands of bureaucrats, the press release can be a rather blunt instrument. ASIC’s missive on crowdfunding is a perfect example. To be fair, the release was long and fairly detailed, a sharp contrast to ASIC’s typically to-the-point communications. And the tone taken was as gentle as ASIC gets. “Crowdfunding, as a discrete activity, is not prohibited in Australia nor is it generally regulated by ASIC,” commissioner Greg Tanzer said. ‘Ho...

23. Apple working on bendable Willow Glass smartwatch

Apple is working on a Willow Glass-based smartwatch, according to sources at the consumer electronics giant. The New York Times reports Apple is experimenting with wrist watch-like devices, which run on iOS and are built using

24. Government moves to stem the tide of apprentice dropouts by

Employers in the building, construction and engineering trades have an extra two months to take advantage of the Apprentice Kickstart Initiative, amid calls for an apprentice pay rise. The Apprentice Kickstart Initiative, which launched in December, is an employer incentive designed to increase the number of Australian apprenticeship commencements in certain sectors. The program was initially aimed at the building and construction industries, but was expanded in January...

25. Diaspora founders hand project back to the community but use

It was meant to be the next Facebook. But its founders have now moved on to greener pastures. Diaspora was started by a group of New York University students in 2010, who put their idea up on crowdfunding site Kickstarter and received a massive reception – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg even donated some cash. But they have now transferred ownership of the site "to the community" and have moved on to other projects. The decision highlights how when a crowdfunded ...

26. Digital roundup: What's the world coming to?

This week we may well ask what has the world come to, as Twitter turns seven, Google Plus is now the second largest social network in the world, and kids are becoming millionaires by developing apps and selling their IP and soul to Yahoo! While people are still getting fired over social media, with the latest doozy being an airport security fella in the UK who got fired for FB posting a photo of himself with a celebrity while on duty. Ellen is still happily employe...