Technology
Coalition undecided on tax rule changes for start-ups
The Coalition government will not say when it will decide on changes to tax rules that technology start-ups argue are needed to keep their businesses in Australia.
Microsoft close to naming CEO, Ford’s Mulally out
Updated | Ford chief executive Alan Mulally will reportedly not take a job at software giant Microsoft, and will remain at the US car maker through at least this year.
Samsung hands out special staff bonus, investors upset
Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker, has reignited shareholder calls for more returns after splashing out on a special employee bonus estimated at nearly $US1 billion ($1.1 billion).
Tech start-ups leave Oz over tax
Australia risks missing out on the digital investment boom as local technology companies increasingly move their operations overseas in search of better regulatory incentives.
Charm of wearable computers may soon wear thin
If it’s wearable computers you want then at the world’s latest annual gadget festival, wearable computers is what you got.
Yahoo’s Mayer unveils rival to Google Now
Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer unveiled a handful of new products, including a competitor to Google’s predictive search technology for smartphones, in a debut appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show that drew a big crowd.
Apple seeks removal of court-appointed antitrust monitor
Apple is seeking the removal of a lawyer appointed by a US court to monitor its antitrust compliance following a ruling last year that the company had conspired to fix e-book prices.
Twitter co-founder unveils search engine Jelly
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has unveiled his new venture since helping to build the popular micro-blogging website; a social search engine.
iPhone, iPad app sales top $10bn in 2013
Consumers downloaded more than three billion apps from Apple’s App Store during December, generating $US1 billion in sales, the company said Tuesday.
Intel drops McAfee name from security software, founder glad
John McAfee, the flamboyant millionaire who founded the eponymous anti-virus software pioneer that Intel bought for $US7.7 billion, says he is glad the chipmaker plans to drop his name from the product.
Sony testing cloud TV service for PlayStation
Sony, making a big bet on cloud-based TV and media, will begin testing a new PlayStation-based service that combines traditional television viewing with on-demand content.
CES 2014: Intel Booth Tour
In the first of a series of virtual booth tours, we take you around the Intel stand. This year the world’s largest chip maker launched a wearable computing initiative, and a computer the size of a postage stamp.
Sony: a 4k cam for the rest of us
Ultra HD TVs have a problem: there’s almost no content for them. Sony’s solution: make the content for yourself with its cheap new 4k camcorder.
Intel launches RealSense, giving PCs human-like senses
Hoping to add some value to PCs to make people want them all over again, Intel has launched a new line of computer sensing technology it’s calling Intel RealSense.
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Internet
Ireland aims to rekindle a tech recovery
Last month, Ireland became the first debt-ridden European country to exit an international rescue package and now there are increased hopes for a rebound in the country’s tech sector, giving a new push to the recovery.
Selling social media clicks big business
Celebrities, businesses and even the US State Department have bought bogus Facebook likes, Twitter followers or YouTube viewers from offshore "click farms", where workers tap, tap, tap the thumbs up button, view videos or retweet comments to inflate social media numbers.
Telecommunications
Vodafone expands global roaming plan into Asia
Vodafone Hutchison Australia will on Wednesday expand its low-cost global roaming plan to six extra Asian countries as part of efforts to attract business travellers and holidaymakers to its troubled network.
Telstra’s billions stay in bank until new NBN deal
Telstra will sit on its multibillion-dollar cash pile until after a new deal is finalised with NBN Co, say fund managers and analysts.
Consumer electronics
Samsung hands out special staff bonus, investors upset
Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker, has reignited shareholder calls for more returns after splashing out on a special employee bonus estimated at nearly $US1 billion ($1.1 billion).
Charm of wearable computers may soon wear thin
If it’s wearable computers you want then at the world’s latest annual gadget festival, wearable computers is what you got.
Science
NASA astronauts step out on Christmas spacewalk
Two NASA astronauts have stepped out on a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk to wrap up repairs to an equipment cooling system at the International Space Station.
Sydney PhD builds $2m business disrupting the industrial sales process: AZoNetwork
People who can make X-ray diffraction guns are rarely good at explaining them to people who can not - a fact upon which Sydney-based scientist Ian Birkby has built a business with nearly $2 million annual revenues.
