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News, opinions and advice on technology development and the state of innovation.

Three foolproof steps to buying the Best. Computer. Ever

Would you buy a car without researching it first? Nopes, us neither. How about a house? Ditto.

Are we ready for a cloud-exclusive computer? Google thinks so. Meet the Chromebook.

In about a month, on 15 June, Google will push its Internet-based kingdom into a new realm. The big question is: Will users follow? The product is called Chromebook, and it will be the first device to run Chrome OS, the operating system based largely on Google's Chrome browser. Notice that we've not used the word "computer" in describing the Chromebook. And that's because it's something... different. It will run no software. Everything you see and do on a Chromebook will be pulled down from the cloud. Everything.

Why I’m not getting an iPad (a rant)

Recently a friend on Facebook posted the following unqualified comment: “Why the pc is becoming irrelevant. iPad.” And I pointed out that, according to the dictionary, the iPad is a PC (i.e. personal computer). While the gadgetphile in me says I want an iPad v2, I can honestly say I can see no reason whatsoever why I need one.

What do Google and Darth Vadar have in common?

The Google machine has been chest-beating about the latest version of its powerful platform: the smoother, shinier, and 10 times faster Chrome Browser, and with improved graphics and better security you've got to wonder, what's not to love? Well, remember Mum and Dad telling you never to put all your eggs in one basket? Those cool, Gen Y rabble-rousers at Hungry Beast certainly do.

Hackers take Xbox 360’s motion-detection tech in wild, new directions

Hackers and open-source software magicians are taking the motion-detection capability of Xbox 360's Kinect and plugging it into all manner of eye-popping stuff. Imagine what an entrepreneur could do with hands-free computing.

Marketing 3.0: How new media leaders are opening their APIs to third party developers...

Opening up your API to approved third parties can have huge benefits for your brand. Just ask Twitter – they built much of their early success off the backs of their external developer community.

Tech23 event in Sydney challenges emerging ICT companies to show off

Applications opened this week for one of the slots in Tech23, an annual showcase for Australia's emerging, edgy companies in the information and communications technology industry. The event will be held 23 August at Surry Hills in Sydney.

Why take notes when the twits will do all the work for you? (And...

I’m not sure if it was just that it was 8:45am (and that a steady line had already formed for the one coffee machine) or that these digital people preferred to converse in a digital world, but no one seemed to know anyone else (apart from the odd small clique). But hey, it could have been worse; as one bystander pointed out to me, “You should have been at the gaming conference, it was like sunlight was a new concept to them”.

Entrepreneur’s Night Out is coming back to Melbourne!

This is a chance for Entrepreneurs to meet and learn from other business builders. Share a drink. Have a laugh. Gain insights from a panel of business builders who have ‘been there, done that’ and created successful ventures. Benefit from the experiences of other attendees. Click the headline to register to attend.

Angry Nerds: Atlassian’s Mike Cannon-Brookes built his software empire selling t-shirts? It’s called bait-and-switch.

Any parent who has ever driven past McDonalds with kids in the car will know the pulling power of a good bait-and-switch campaign. Those blasted McHappy Meals usually go half-eaten, so it's not the few moments of fat, salt and sugar that make them irresistible. It's the movie tie-in, limited-time collectible nature of the bloody near-worthless-will-break-before-your-car-leaves-the-car-park toy included with the meal. Believe it or not, what works for selling fast food also works for selling other things... like enterprise software products.

Is Ricky Nixon a victim of reputational terrorism? (What Kim Duthie can teach your...

Vilified footy entrepreneur Ricky Nixon's latest, most abortive attempt at PR redemption this weekend provided several clear lessons about the new art of war on the PR and reputation battleground. The most instructive lesson from the interview was when Nixon sulked that he was being unfairly outfoxed and out-PR'ed by a teenager.

Australian upstart 99designs raises $35 million from Facebook’s VC outfit [ANTHILL EXCLUSIVE]

Today, 99designs, the world's largest online marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design services, announced a $35 million first-round investment led by Accel Partners. In this exclusive podcast for Anthill, 99designs co-founder Mark Harbottle speaks with James Tuckerman about the deal and what it means for the 26-person company based in Collingwood, Victoria.

Downloadable film marks 50 years since Yuri Gargarin’s pioneering space flight

This 99-minute film -- available in its entirety in YouTube and reconfigured as Android and Apple apps -- combines archival video and audio with footage shot from the International Space Station to re-create Gagarin's flight in real time. The space station closely followed the orbital path of Vostok 1, giving us an idea of what Gagarin saw out of his window on 12 April, 1961.

Lightning-fast, pour-from-the-bottom beer dispenser has some classy clients [VIDEO]

The video for this fill-from-the-bottom beer dispenser has been sudsing up the Interwebs for about a year now. Yet, strangely, it has never reared its frothy head as one of Anthill's breathtaking (often thirst-inspiring) Beer O'Clock innovations. Sure, we've brought you this beer tossing fridge and Melbourne based Beer Vaults, but not this well-lubricated lubrication machine that can crank out more than 40 pints a minute from a four-tap dispenser.

Sport’s digital future: cloud technology, social media, and other breakthroughs on the horizon

Advances in technology – including cloud computing, Software as a Service and the next generation of CRMs – are all changing the landscape for sporting organisations. However, the primary influence on sport’s digital future is not – strictly speaking – technology-based. Social media, and the ways organisations and their stakeholders are using it, are redefining what it means to interact with a community. So, how is the digital landscape changing and what future does it hold for Australian sport?

The big pitch: High-tech boots protect portal guns from messy human error

A fall from a 10-story-high mainframe extrusion can be messy. Worse, it can damage that expensive handheld portal generator. In a promotion for the new video game "Portal 2," Aperture Laboratories makes a slick investment pitch.

Smarter cities needed! How smart is yours?

Ovum's "Is your city smart enough?" says that cities should start integrating information technologies into their infrastructure so they can become more competitive in the future. The report also states that this implementation has to happen in two different ways: by Digital-City strategies and by Digital-Society initiatives.

Mind Controllers: Will computers soon know how to read our emotions?

Imagine a device that responds to your thoughts instead of your fingers. This capability is at the core of technology being developed by Emotiv, an Australian-born company headquartered in San Francisco. “It’s about total communication,” says Emotiv President Tan Le (pictured). “It’s about having a device that is sensing your bio-signals, so it’s truly understanding how you feel about certain things and how you are experiencing things, and tailoring experiences to you.”

Talking Business podcast: Environmental charity Greenfleet bigs up carbon offsetting

The Talking Business fellas, Leon and Garry, recently sat down with Greenfleet CEO Sara Gipton to discuss the not-for-profit charity’s efforts to offset carbon emissions by planting 7 million trees. And counting.

Do 9 out of 10 new businesses really fail in their first year?...

It's often said that nine out of 10 small businesses fail in their first year. However, according to credit reference checking agency Veda Advantage, only a very small percentage of businesses few close in their first 12-months. Less than two percent, in fact. However, 32 percent close their doors between their second and fifth, while 21 percent wind up between the sixth and ninth. Growing up can be hard. But it doesn't have to be that way. [PROMOTION]
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How to build a retail empire with James Webber [FREE REPORT]

Starting any new business is hard, but starting an online retail business is particularly hard. You see, this is one industry that combines technology, logistics and, of course, marketing – it’s a juggling act. To help us crack this hard nut, we sought the wisdom James Webber, CEO at Bookworld.

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Inbound Marketing Reloaded with James Tuckerman [FREE REPORT]

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New Zealand’s Xero eyes US IPO, further disruption as subscribers increase...

Xero recently held its annual meeting in Wellington, during which the company revealed some interesting details about its future. As has been widely suspected, the...

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