Housing finance up 1.9% in October, Rates still expected to rise in coming months: Economy Roundup
Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Home loan commitments grew by a seasonally adjusted 1.9% in October, according to the latest results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  ...

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Rinehart’s message
Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Gina Rinehart’s $50 million investment in Fairfax Media would seem to confirm one of the theories regarding her sudden interest in the media sector, and blow up a few others.  ...

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Our clients want us to match our competitors’ dodgy deals. What should we do?
Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Dear Aunty B, Our business is in a nightmare industry that is very dependent on the whims of government.  ...

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Telstra separation unlikely to change market, Ovum says
Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Telecommunications research firm Ovum says the structural separation of Telstra won't necessarily result in as much of a changed market as the government believes.  ...

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Phil Hutchings
Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Phil Hutchings is the chief executive of RedFlow, an industrial energy company that is set to list on the Australian Securities Exchange later this month after raising $17.5 million in an initial public offering.  ...

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Lacking in energy
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
Australia's energy providers are struggling to meet the online needs of their customers, with text-heavy websites delivering poor navigation.  ...

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Franchised Food Co attacks Souvlaki Hut sale process, but administrator denies any wrongdoing
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
Franchised Food Company chief executive Stan Gordon has attacked the administrator of collapsed fast food franchise Souvlaki Hut, claiming the sale of the chain to a group of investors led by former Video Ezy chief Daryl McCormack should have been more transparent. ...

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Why we need a review of IR laws
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
As we approach the end of a year of change in industrial relations, revelations that the Federal Opposition might review its policy stance on industrial relations should be welcomed.  ...

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Google launches Nexus S smartphone, eBookstore, but no release dates for Australia
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
Internet giant Google has launched a new eBookstore and an updated version of the Nexus smartphone overnight, with the gadget featuring a wireless technology that will allow users to make contactless payments.  ...

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Rescuing retail
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
The retail news is bad – consumer spending is dropping and the remaining customers are going online, eBay is taunting the big retailers who in turn are threatening to set up China-based online stores.  ...

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Parental leave: uncharted territory
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
The government's paid parental leave scheme, which starts next month, is a groundbreaking change for Australian business and workers. For the first time in Australian history, parental leave will be paid by law and funded by the Government.  ...

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ASP: The Authentic Selling Proposition
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
Over the years I've worked with many companies who try to find that magic bullet, the unique selling proposition or USP that will differentiate them from their competition and shine a light on them in the marketplace for all to see.  ...

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Skype moving products to web browsers
Monday, 06 December 2010
VoIP market leader Skype is reportedly planning a product lunch for the first quarter of next year that will see it introduce services able to be used within web browsers. The news, reported by TechCrunch, reveals the company is also set to introduce those ...

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The problems with Wayne Swan’s fifth banking pillar: Bartholomeusz
Friday, 03 December 2010
If even some of the various reports today about the measures Wayne Swan is planning to create his "fifth pillar" to discipline the major banks are correct, the argument for a proper inquiry into competition in the financial system has become even stronger. ...

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The 12 scams of Christmas: McAfee warns SMEs to stay alert this holiday season
Thursday, 02 December 2010
Scammers are ramping up their activity during the holiday season and SMEs need to be on guard so they aren't duped into revealing confidential bank information or other types of private data, McAfee has warned.  ...

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Former porn site operator Scott Phillips hit with $2 million fine for dating text spam rort
Thursday, 02 December 2010
A Brisbane man has been hit with a $2 million fine by the Federal Court for his role in a complex scam in which fake profiles on dating sites were used to harvest mobile numbers for a premium SMS service.  ...

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Local group buying sites watching Groupon takeover closely, as site launches new platform for merchants
Thursday, 02 December 2010
Speculation within the group buying industry is now reaching fever pitch, with local daily deals entrepreneurs saying they are closely watching developments in the United States regarding a suspected $US6 billion takeover offer for market leader Groupon from ...

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ATOs stance on private equity profits still a sticking point: Bartholomeusz
Thursday, 02 December 2010
It has taken the Australian Taxation Office 12 months to come to the same conclusion about the structure TPG used to shift the $1.5 billion of profits it made from floating Myer to the Cayman Islands as it did a year ago. In the meantime, the private equity ...

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Training college operator threatens legal action against Immigration Minister over visa changes
Wednesday, 01 December 2010
A Brisbane-based training college operator says its business will be hurt by "destructive" changes made to the Federal Government's education visa regime, and is considering legal action against Federal Immigration Minister Chris Bowen.  ...

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European Commission to investigate whether Google is boosting search rankings of its own services
Wednesday, 01 December 2010
The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation targeting search giant Google, sparked by three complaints from minor search engines and websites alleging the company is manipulating search results to promote its own services over other search ...

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