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1. Australia’s best online forums

Many companies underestimate the power of online forums as a branding, marketing and communications tool. Here's how Australia's best forums do it – and five of the best examples. By BRAD HOWARTH By Brad Howarth  

2. Apple iPad 2 sells out across Australia, as rumours suggest

3. Mining company sues Hot Copper online investment forum for d

Copper mining and exploration company CuDeco is suing the controversial Hot Copper forum and two of its members for allegedly making misleading and defamatory remarks against the company, a statement revealed this morning. It isn’t the first time Hot Copper members have landed themselves in trouble, with one paying $30,000 earlier this year to security company DataMotion after being accused of defamation. CuDeco

4. The reluctant entrepreneur

Simon Wright is the 28-year-old founder of the very successful website Whirlpool.net.au. Whirlpool makes almost no revenue, has no employees and isn't even a company, Wright says. Instead it will remain his hobby.  He explains to Amanda Gome how he built the ...

5. How to generate interest in a forum

Simon Wright is the 28-year-old founder of the very successful website Whirlpool.net.au. He explains how to generate interest in a forum and build an online community. "The important thing for people who are running a forum is to try and avoid answering everyone's questions." "So let's say you do have a forum about pets and you know everything about every pet, you could be really useful to people. What incentive is there for someone who also happens to know a great...

6. Vodafone secures Google Nexus One – but still no release d

While internet giant Google may have disappointed users by only releasing the Nexus One "superphone" within the US for now, new comments suggest the gadget could be reaching Australian shores earlier than expected. The anticipation of an Australian release may prompt users to wait who were planning to buy the phone overseas and use it on Australian networks, which may or may not have operated correctly with the device. The Nexus One handset will be launched on US network's T-Mob...

7. How to retain staff – without breaking the bank

It’s getting harder to afford financial incentives and bonus payments for staff, but this is not the time to lose your high performers. As LEON GETTLER explains, there are ways to motivate and retain staff without spending a fortune. By Leon Gettler

8. The legal traps of cloud computing

Being unable to retrieve data hosted overseas, downtime stretching for days and recovery costs that reach into the tens of thousands – these are just some of the problems small businesses are now facing when moving into the cloud. Legal experts say while this relatively new market is providing many businesses with pr...

9. 4800 websites destroyed after hacking attack on web hosting

Thousands of site owners and businesses are reeling after Melbourne-based hosting provider Distribute.IT confirmed yesterday the data on 4800 websites was entirely unrecoverable after a massive cyber-attack. The incident is the latest of an unprecedented set of attacks against major corporations and websites over the past few months from hacking groups such as Anonymous, LulzSec and others. The instigator of the latest attack has not been revealed. The groups have attacked compani...

10. Apple confirms Australia iPad 2 pricing, will launch on Frid

Apple has confirmed its Australian pricing for the iPad 2, confirming local users will enjoy a modest discount from last year's launch when the gadget hits shelves this Friday, March 25 at 5pm. But it seems retailers are still in the dark about the launch, with resellers including Next Byte and Myer saying they don't have any new information from Apple about how much stock they will receive. "All we know is that it's out on Friday," one NextByte assistant manager said. "There was...

11. Businesses urged to take advantage of nine million Australia

Australian businesses must begin marketing through social media in order to reach the nine million Australians now interacting through online networks, a new Nielsen report has revealed. But the report comes as separate figures from analytics firm Barracuda Networks reveal the number of users on social networking giant Twitter grew by just 0.15% in December 2009, well down from its high of 20% in April, suggesting the service might be starting to lose its popularity. The Nielsen ...

12. Tips to guard your online reputation

The internet has handed a megaphone to disaffected customers and business partners, and put them on a platform from which to broadcast their tales of woe to a mass audience.  Bloggers are quick to write negative experiences, and occasionally they strike a chord with their readers. The imp...

13. Are these the Australian iPad 2 prices?

Days before the iPad 2 is set to launch in Australia, a supposed list of prices has leaked onto the internet providing consumers with some hope they will see a discount for Apple's latest gadget. A post on the Whirlpool forum has published a list of prices, urging users not to ask him where he received the data as he is "unable to reveal" his sources. Apple was contacted this morning by SmartCompany regardin...

14. iPhone forces users to send SMS as MMS

The iPhone 3GS has already been a hit with Australian consumers, but an issue regarding the SMS function of the device has been flagged that forces users to send group messages as group MMS messages instead. MMS messages, which differ from text-based messages, are usually designed to send media files such as pictures and are usually more expensive than normal SMS messages. As some users do not have MMS capabilities included in their phone contracts, the bug could force use...

15. Kitchen designer and manufacturer collapses with 200 jobs at

National kitchen designer and manufacturer Australian Kitchen Industries has gone into voluntary administration, a victim of tough economic conditions for manufacturers and last year's floods in Queensland. The company has 20 stores across the nation, which operate under the brands Kitchen Connection, Wallspan Kitchen Connections and Impala Kitchen Connection, and it employs around 200 staff. There are store...

16. Setting up Communications Systems

Internet connection The primary concerns in shopping for your businesses internet connection are speed and download limits.   Your internet connection will can be useful to your business, even if you don’t plan to trade over the internet. A fast internet connection will aid the operation of your business because it will help you research your competitors and potential customers.   Fast connection will also allow you to keep in regular contact with...

17. How employer branding can help your business

Employer branding is a relatively new concept in Australia, but smart businesses are fast catching on and reaping the benefits. It’s not surprising. Imagine having plenty of skilled candidates beating your door every time you need to fill a vacancy. Not only would this increase the chance of you finding the right person for the role, it can also c...

18. Five lessons you can learn from Telstra’s 60-person social

Telstra chief executive David Thodey said yesterday the telecommunications giant operates a 60-person social media monitoring team, fuelling discussion about how businesses monitor their own social media presence. It’s been well-known for awhile now that Telstra maintains a healthy social media presence, responding to customers on Twitter, Facebook, or on websites such as the Whirlpool forums. Although 60 people may seem like a lot, Telstra’s a big company, and has a lot...

19. NBN Co. headquarters to be located in Melbourne

The National Broadband Network headquarters will be located in Melbourne, communications minister Stephen Conroy announced today, with the state beating out rival bids from Queensland and New South Wales for the project. The announcement comes as the first NBN customers in Tasmania have reportedly had their services switched on, with one user on the Whirlpool forum even posting graphics of speed tests showing download rates of over 100Mpbs. Conroy announced in a statement today t...

20. Businesses reeling after Telstra shuts down email network ov

SMEs are reeling after they found themselves without internet access on the weekend after Telstra shut down parts of its network due to a privacy breach. Over one million customers lost access to their email on the weekend, but several entrepreneurs have complained about losing access which forced them to put negotiations and other discussions on hold. Telstra updated its blog yesterday, with head of online and social media Danielle Horan saying the company is undertaking a full ...

21. Plan your interior design online

Virtual interior design may not have been the first thing on scientists’ minds when they were inventing the internet, but a new website called Design My Room has sprung up that shows it is a task to which the web is well suited.According to Springwise, users of Design My Room start with an empty digital room, either provided by the website or a picture of your own room ...

22. The power of online reviews

There are more than 183,809 members of the Iron Man 2 movie's Facebook page. Punters just love that movie and they like chatting about it. On the flipside, the new Australian movie I Love You Too's Facebook site has just 686 members. Ouch. Social networks deliver instant feedback on a product, person or service. "The s...

23. Thousands queue for iPhone 5 release but stock already runni

Thousands of people around the country have queued to get their hands on the iPhone 5, and at 8am this morning the latest gadget from the biggest tech company in the world was unveiled – but anyone else searching for the device is going to have some tough luck. Although Australia is the first country in the world to get the new gadget, stock is stil...

24. Webcentral email outage hits thousands of customers

Customers of web hosting business Webcentral (owned by listed group Melbourne IT) are furious after an outage left them unable to receive emails for more than 24 hours.   The first complaints about the outage surfaced on technology site Whirlpool at around 9:30am on 28 April.   While Webcentral told customers this morni...

25. Malware attacks on the rise as JB Hi-Fi site and Whirpoool f

The website of electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi was attacked over the weekend, with customers redirected to websites designed to infect computers with malicious software, it has been reported. But other businesses should take note of the attacks and update their virus and security software to ensure similar disruptions do not happen to them, a security expert has warned. The attack comes after the Whirlpool and Overclockers forums, Australia's biggest online communities for computer a...

26. NetRegistry buys Distribute.IT assets, chief says hacking at

Domain name reseller and web hosting firm NetRegistry has purchased the assets of crippled hosting company Distribute.IT, saying the company’s assets will integrate well with its core business and provide opportunities for expansion. But company founder and chief executive Larry Bloch also says some of the derogatory comments being directed at Distribution.IT are undeserved, saying the cyber-attack that crippled the Melbourne-based firm nearly a week ago was one of the worst he ha...

27. Suppliers hit by Clive Peeters collapse

Electronics suppliers will be hit by the collapse of retailer Clive Peeters, with sources in the sector saying some suppliers could see sales fall by as much as 20% as a result of the collapse. Clive Peeters is now in the hands of receivers after collapsing with $160 million in debt. It is expected the receiver will shut down unprofitable stores and try to sell the profitable ones, with Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi seen as the likely buyers. While much of the attention has focussed...

28. The price is right at overseas websites but Australian onlin

The explosion of online retailing has opened Australia’s eyes to the price difference charged in-store compared to online, but many may not be aware of the price disparity between Australian and international websites. Shirts, books, jeans, shoes and music are just some of the products that are cheaper on international...

29. The web’s cheeky scammers

Yesterday I received a note claiming to be a renewal letter for an internet domain, the part of a web address that appears after the 'www' or behind the "@" in emails. The kind offer was a mere four times the price that I'll be charged by my current domain registrar when the time to renew the address arrives. This little scam, which almost every internet domain owner has encountered, is one of the quaint but profitable rorts that make the online world so interesting. Just as the web has ...

30. Best and worst brands of 2012: Consumer verdict

Start-ups can learn from the best and worst brands as rated by consumer website Product Review, which has highlighted the importance of product quality in addition to customer service. According to Product Review, Dodo is the worst brand of the year, angering customers with its slow speeds and service delays. The ratings were calculated by looking at the average star rating on reviews for brands that had received more than 100 responses in 2012. Nestle was voted seco...

31. iPhone App of the Week: iiQuota

If you have multiple mobile and internet accounts, you may find it frustrating when visiting various sites and entering different passwords and usernames in order to track your usage. Thankfully, an Australian iPhone app now does that for you. iiQuota, developed by SouthFreo Software, allows users to track the usage of multiple web and mobile accounts. The app includes support for popular mobile carriers, such as Three and Vodafone, with internet support for ISPs including...

32. Mr 94%: Why Internode customers love Simon Hackett

Last week at midnight, a user posted a whinge on the popular broadband forum, Whirlpool. User 80XER5ANTAR05 was railing at his internet service provider [ISP], Internode, for allegedly slowing down the speed of his connection. “WTF [What The F--k] Internode?? Why slow me down again?” By 9am the next day, his post had been repli...

33. How I fixed a Google disaster

It's an online retailer's worst nightmare – when your site goes down and Google blocks you from their search results. It happened to Paul Greenberg of online department store DealsDirect last week, when he found users were unable to access the site and were given a malware warning. He says he was able to fix the problem and get hi...

34. How I integrated Distribute.IT after it was taken down by ha

The hacking attack that took down Victorian hosting and domain reseller Distribute.IT was one of the most fascinating tech stories of 2011. But even more fascinating was that NetRegistry bought out the company and attempted to get things under control. It’s been over six months since that catastrophe, and SmartCompany...

35. The value of trust

Many say the most valuable business and personal asset is your reputation. But even more fundamental than reputation is trust.   Trust is the basis for all business dealings. We all have to trust our suppliers will deliver products that are fit for their purpose, and trust our customers will pay in full and on time. WebCentral betrayed their customers' tru...

36. Apple rolls out new iPhone operating system – but not with

Apple iPhone users can now update their gadgets with the new iOS4.0 software, which brings a number of long-awaited features including multitasking and folder organisation for apps. But like previous Apple software updates, users have reported significant problems when updating. Some include wait times of more than one hour while waiting for the software to install, while others have found their backup files inadvertently deleted. A number of discussion forums on the official

37. Wireless not serious option for home internet access: Whirlp

Broadband users continue to not see wireless broadband as a serious option for home internet access, a survey shows. However, most respondents were supportive of the National Broadband Network, although half were unhappy with the way the project is being handled by the Federal Government. The Australian Broadband Survey, which was completed 25,513 times on the online forum Whirlpool in the month to February 1, shows just 31.2% say wireless broadband is a "serious option".

38. Looking for someone to blame

As someone running an internet business, my heart goes out to all of those who have seen their websites – and in some cases their entire businesses – destroyed or decimated in the Distribute.IT hacking scandal. The idea that 4800 websites could simply evaporate should scare the pants off entrepreneurs. All those pieces of data gone. All those ...

39. Australian company caught up in iPhone scam

An Australian IT company has been unwittingly roped into an iPhone scam, after the company’s name was used as a front for selling the device at discounted prices.   Brisbane-based Cellnet says its name was used in a scam on the Melbourne.gumtree.com.au site by a user who identified themselves as “Sarah Reed”. The scammer claimed that Cellnet was selling the 16 gigabyte iPhone for $581. This is a substantial discount, given the 16GB iPhone retails for $899 with...

40. Hosting company threatened with big fine over banned website

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has threatened to fine a data hosting company up to $11,000 per day for inadvertently revealing a website on the Government's secret "blacklist" of banned websites.   Last week ACMA sent an "interim link-deletion notice" to data hosting firm Bulletproof Networks, after one of Bulletproof's clients published a link to an anti-abortion site on ...

41. Telstra fixes glitch on Apple’s iMessage platform

Telstra has confirmed it has fixed a glitch that prevented customers from receiving messages sent through the iPhone’s iMessage platform, although confused customers have spent days posting about their troubles on the Telstra, Apple and

42. Ad watchdog warned it is being "commercially unrealistic" as

The Advertising Standards Board's stance on Facebook brand pages is "commercially unrealistic", according to Foster's, as advertisers push for more time to take action on Facebook comments. The ASB found a brand's Facebook page is an advertisement in a case involving a complaint about the official Smirnoff Vo...

43. Webcentral says email outage resolved, but customers still f

Web hosting company Webcentral says it has fixed the problem that caused customers to lose email service for more than 24 hours, but customers are still furious with the company.   A company spokesperson says the mail system was back online at about 12:40am today, and the delivery of two days worth of queued mail commenced soon after. 

44. Telstra network down, crashes for one hour

A major malfunction has affected Telstra's national network, bringing down cable, ADSL and NextG services across the country for around an hour this morning. The outage affected both home and business broadband and mobile internet customers, but all services were fixed shortly before 9am AEST. "At about 7.50am we started getting indications from our customers that access to the internet appeared to be down," spokesman Craig Middleton told Sky News. "People could not ...

45. New iPad launches in Australia – without the usual stock s

The new iPad has finally arrived, with hundreds of eager fans waiting outside Apple stores and resellers to get their hands on the latest gadget in one of the smoothest and least noteworthy Apple releases in some time. Reviews have poured in, with unanimous praise for the iPad’s new high-resolution screen and new camera, although local reviewers have continued to lament the lack of 4G capability. This morning hundreds of fans lined up outside of Apple stores in capital cit...

46. Distribute.IT client tells: I had 20 websites hit in hack at

One Distribute.IT customer who temporarily lost 20 websites when the Melbourne-based hosting company was struck down by a massive cyber-attack says some affected resellers are overreacting and should have had backups in place for their clients. Thousands of website owners are reeling after Distribute.IT announced the information and details of nearly 5,000 websites were wiped out as part of the attack, the culprit of which is still unknown. But Andrew Thompson, founder of Ro...

47. iiNet queried over “subliminal” advertising stunt, but e

Small businesses have been told to emulate the spirit of new iiNet television advertisements that give users a website link where a free offer is provided – but only if they freeze-frame the commercials at a specific point. While some executives and experts within the advertising community have questioned if the ads cross the line into subliminal advertising, others take a different view and say SMEs should be encouraged by the company's use of interaction within a passive medium.

48. I have two staff members who literally hate each other. Help

Dear Aunty B, I have two staff members who literally hate each other. Honestly it is like an unfunny comedy routine. One is a skinny, very clinical rational analyst/accountant who works closely with the IT department. The other is the obese, straggly haired, shambolic  IT manager who works really odd hours, never does budgets, always has cost overruns but is brilliant, irreplaceable and we get great value from him. ...

49. iPad mini launches, but Apple forced to eat humble pie

Apple's latest gadget has hit Australian shores, with iPad minis being delivered to customers and stores across the country. But the tech giant has been dealt a massive blow on what is meant to be a key day in the release calendar, with a court ruling the company must reissue an apology to Samsung that says the company did not infringe on its patents. It's the lat...

50. WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK: Social media engagement is more i

Small businesses are all about getting the most fans and followers on different social media sites. There's nothing wrong with that, except two separate pieces of research from the past week suggest it's not necessarily the most important game.   One report found that although some businesses have the highest number of fans, they aren't actually making up most of the conversation in their industries. And the other found that retailers can actually be pretty bad about engagi...