Amazon on their new Kindle:

“Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle.

We designed Kindle to provide an exceptional reading experience. Thanks to electronic paper, a revolutionary new display technology, reading Kindle’s screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper—and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen. Kindle is also easy on the fingertips. It never becomes hot and is designed for ambidextrous use so both “lefties” and “righties” can read comfortably at any angle for long periods of time.

We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills—we take care of the hassles so you can just read.

With Whispernet, you can be anywhere, think of a book, and get it in one minute. Similarly, your content automatically comes to you, wherever you are. Newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly each morning. Most magazines arrive before they hit newsstands. Haven’t read the book for tomorrow night’s book club? Get it in a minute. Finished your book in the airport? Download the sequel while you board the plane. Whether you’re in the mood for something serious or hilarious, lighthearted or studious, Kindle delivers your spontaneous reading choices on demand.

And because we know you can’t judge a book by its cover, Kindle lets you download and read the beginning of books for free. This way, you can try it out—if you like it, simply buy and download with 1-Click, right from your Kindle, and continue reading. Want to try a newspaper as well? All newspaper subscriptions start with a risk-free two-week trial.

Kindle’s paperback size and expandable memory let you travel light with your library. With the freedom to download what you want, when you want, we hope you’ll never again find yourself stuck without a great read.

We’re very proud to introduce Amazon Kindle and we hope you like it as much as we do”.

This is funny and so true. Found it here.

Critics have bashed Apple for omitting Adobe Flash support from the iPhone’s “real life” Safari browser, and with good reason: a quick spin around the Web on an iPhone reveals sites that don’t work, or don’t work well without the plug-in.

Now, it’s rumored to be coming, via a quote from Mossberg himself. The question is, was the original exclusion of Flash a technical decision or a business decision?

Read the rest of this article at Gizmoda

If big names mean much in big business then online movie rental service Quickflix must be doing something right.

In just four years it has already acquired a Packer-backed rival, attracted investment from a Murdoch, emerged as Telstra’s main competition, and is playing no small part in helping the internet kill off the video store.

Started with less than half a million dollars, Quickflix now has a market capitalisation of $20 million, a subscriber base of 22,000 and strategic partnerships with some of the biggest names in the retail and entertainment industry.

Read More…

If you’d like to give Quickflix a go yourself (as I have) check out the following link. It’s really worth it; such a good, easy to use, fun service and best of all there is a 14-day FREE trial to start out with:

Get movies in the mail - Try Quickflix FREE

Doing a Google search on the keywords ‘business au’ results in 199,000,000 results. That’s a lot of sites to wade through when looking for something decent and useful.

I am always on the look out for useful sites but visit a select few on a regular basis. Here is one of my favourites:

CEO Online

Expert Talk

A constantly growing library of articles from CEO Online’s world-wide network of experts from Business Schools and the private sector. Browse through 17 article categories to develop new business ideas, upgrade your business and life skills and keep up-to-date with the latest issues.

Case Studies

Learn from the ideas, practices and ethos of business leaders as they candidly share their pathway to business success - or, for some, their business failure. The two or more short - but informative - key learning points listed in every case study can provide you with a powerful business checklist.

Resource Centre

In addition to articles, case studies and expert opinions published on this web site, you will have the opportunity to purchase CDs of the popular IIDM audio seminar series, and selected top-selling business books.

Those are just some of the many features.

Check it out here:

Your business resource. Worldwide. Affordable. 24/7.

Radiohead’s name-your-own-price sale of its new In Rainbows album has generated lots of commentary, especially since comscore released data claiming that 62% of customers set their price at zero, with the remaining 38% setting an average price of $6, which comes to an average price of $2.28 per customer. (There are reasons to question these numbers, but let’s take them as roughly accurate for the sake of argument.)

Read the rest of this article

This advert irritates me. Liberal are again using a scare campaign to attract uneducated voters. The advert certainly tries to paint interest rates under labor in a negative light.

Firstly, we see a peak when Hawke was in control which declines 5% under Keating. Then the Liberals took over and have taken the credit for it which may well be deserved.

But prior to Whitlam who was treasurer and how high were the interests rates? Howard and 21.39%.

Also, does the advert reveal the various external influences at the time that were affecting the rates? Of course not.

Most people that know me know my views towards tax cuts. When the Government offers tax cuts I think of two things: unnecessary and inflation.

Here is an interesting view I found over at Jesaurai:

Modern governments don’t pool money for the good of all they just run the business of politics.

Imagine this:

You live in Australia, and you have $100 to spare, you say to your government; which is a democratically elected representative of you, who’s purpose is to lead, maintain and increase the communities wellbeing.

“Take my $100 dollars and pool it with other peoples money and please use it to try and fix some of the problems I and my friends, family and fellow citizens have. Here’s a list of the things that are important to me, some of them are very important as they threaten my survival, and that of my kin.

We don’t have any water, the dams are at 30%, the farmers say they can’t plant, and it never seems to rain. Can you do something?

The climates changing, not sure if this will be good or bad, but everyone that seems to know about these things says its bad and its our fault. Can you do something to slow it, or stop it?

The train to work never runs on time, and is over crowded, and often derails itself, it is a horrible experience everyday for an hour as it was, now its beyond a joke.

Our jobs keep going overseas, and I’m tired of re-training, is it possible to just get some security?

There are beggars on my street, more than ever before, can we give them homes (not just rooms) and food, and self worth.

There are loony people on he train stations, are they sick? or just on ice? I don’t know but they are scary and they threaten people. Can we help them?

I want to work less. Not more !”

The Government takes you $100 and gives $20 to a fund for universities, and other education, $30 for a fund for government employee’s superannuation, $1 for enviromental stuff.

Then the government puts out his hand and says you can have this back ($49). I don’t need this! Whoops sorry I need $15 back I need to buy us a gun, those bloody neighbours keep misbehaving. And you get $34 back… but.

This is essentially what the Australian government did tonight in its pre election budget, and no-one seems to find fault with it.

Its not about them and their budget surplus, its about us, we want them to spend the money to help us, not just give it back.

Subscript: figures are indicative only. And they are giving a subsidy for solar panel of $8000 which is really good.

Long has there been a romance of going to the bottle shop; picking out a bottle of wine with some fancifully designed label; consuming its content; and putting out the bottle with the recycling or worse, straight into the trash. These aesthetically pleasing glass bottles were recently challenged by the cleanskin brigade, great, because they do away with all the unnecessary labels and marketing expenditure and carry over a lower price to the consumer.

Other innovations in the wine industry include, of course, the invention of screw-top bottles and synthetic corks. All of this considered, we are still drinking from the bottle. Heavy glass bottles that sure, can be recycled but still require a lot of energy in their production and recycling. There has to be a better, more environmentally friendly way, right?

Tetrapak, the same Swedish company that revolutionised the fruit juice market, have done just that. They have invented a design called tetraprisma which is a multi-layer carton with a screw cap.

An early-adopter of this technology in the Australian wine industry is Andrew Pease Wines which reported the following to SMH about the logistical efficiency of the tetraprisma design:

“A standard six-metre container holds 1176 cases of wine, including 10,584kg of wine and weighing 18,816kg overall. With tetraprisma that same container holds 1575 twelve packs holding 18,900kg of wine for a total overall weight of 19,530k”. “That is substantially more wine for virtually the same weight,” Andrew Peace said to SMH.

To read the entire article, check out this link.

BA (British Airways) have been flying phantom flights containing only pilots and freight between the UK and USA.

According to SMH “BA has been flying airliners from Britain to North America this month without a single passenger aboard because of a cabin crew shortage”.

Naturally environmental groups are enraged at this incident.

Fox reports that “the airline (BA) has been promoting its green-friendly policies and has even begun levying an increase on fuel surcharges to passengers”. And now they do this: emit huge amounts of pollution into the atmosphere all to send some cargo across The Pond and to retain their valuable slots at Heathrow and Gatwick.