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Tony Ibrahim

Two Thirds Of Small Businesses Have No Web Identity

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Google and MYOB have teamed up to help Small Medium Enterprises build their online identity as new stastistics reveal 60% of them are absent from the World Wide Web.

With the vast availability of the internet, more and more people are jumping online to find the goods and services they need. Unfortunately for the little guys, information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that 60% of Australian businesses do not have a web presence.

In the midst of an ending financial year, the figures dealing with consumers searching for accountants/taxation specialists reveal the dramatic extent a web presence can be, as according to the ABS, tax related Google searches rose by 1000%.

 “In Australia only one third of small businesses have a web presence” said Kate Conroy, Google’s product specialist.

“The fact is, if you’re not on the web and cannot be found your business simply is invisible. Having a website is just as important as having a phone or mail address. During this busy industry period, for small and medium tax accountants in particular, it’s a big risk they really don’t have to take.”

Worse yet, 70% of businesses who employ four people or less don’t have a web presence. Sitting in the information age, it is important for SMEs to develop on online identity, not only to compete against their larger rivals, but also to survive.

Google and MYOB have teamed up to help them get started on the World Wide Web through their Getting Aussie Business Online program. The program allows small businesses to activate and maintain a free website for a year, a free .com.au domain name for 2 years, $75 of Google advertising allowance with expert phone support and free tips on website optimisation. According to the website it only takes 15 minutes to create a web presence.

Since the program’s launch in March this year, over 16 000 SMEs have signed up to the service.

Pentax DSLRs & Mirrorless Cams To Debut At Photokina

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In total four new Pentax cameras are being unveiled and include the company’s flagship DSLR K-5 II, their interchangeable lens Q and the introductory X-5.

The DSLRs promote the familiar function-meets-style akin to Pentax, largely owed to their seemingly bulky size, but their mirrorless camera seems to be on the skinny side, only exhibiting Pentax DNA through its retro styling.

Also on show are the company’s new K-mount lens and a medium format lens. Following are the cameras detailed as per Pentax’s official press release.

PENTAX K-5 II


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The advanced K-5 II has a host of new features that passionate photographers will love- including the 11 point SAFOX X autofocus system that has superior low light performance, the renowned 16.3 MP CMOS sensor offering low noise from ISO of 80-51200, and an air-gap-free LCD with 921,000 dots that makes reviewing images a pleasure.

PENTAX K-5 IIs.

The premium K-5 IIs, without an anti-aliasing filter, is perfect for photographers who value the sharpest possible image resolution over all other factors.

 


PENTAX Q System


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Three new products will join our revolutionary Q-mount interchangeable lens camera system. The Q10 packs an improved 12.4 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor with SR, improved auto focus, and full 1080p30 video with h.264 compression into one tiny, stylish package. The PENTAX 06 Telephoto Zoom is a lightweight 15-45mm lens (equivalent to 83-249mm in the 35mm format) for the Q system. Last but not least, there’s a new Q Adaptor for K-mount lenses so you can use your favourite K-mount lenses with the Q-system super compact bodies.

PENTAX X-5


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With a 26X super zoom, 16MP backlit sensor, electronic viewfinder and tilting 3 inch LCD screen, this affordable compact digital gives you the most options for framing, capturing and reviewing photos.

New K-mount lenses


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DA 18-270mm lens- Capture sharp images in a wide range of perspectives with this 15x zoom lens for all PENTAX DSLRs. DA 560mm F5.6- Our first long telephoto lens in years is one of the best.

New medium format lens for portrait

HD PENTAX D FA 645 MACRO 90mm F5.6 ED AW SR – The new high-grade HD multi-layer lens coating on this medium-telephoto lens creates bright, velvety images.

Huawei: Proposed Laws Discriminate Chinese

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Huawei has expressed concern over proposed Australian legislation prohibiting them from working on communication networks simply because they’re Chinese.

The new legislation has been designed to protect Australian communication networks from cyber-attacks.

Addressing a parliamentary committee, Huawei’s chairmen John Lord said Australia could be disadvantaged if it continues to exclude companies from sensitive projects based on their nationality alone.

Last year, Huawei Australia’s motion to work on the national broadband network was rejected on ‘security grounds.’

Australia is not the only country closely scrutinising Huawei. A Gulf News report claims the US House Intelligence Committee has been quizzing executives of Huawei and ZTE corp. to determine if the Chinese companies pose a threat to US national security. The probe has so far lasted more than a year.

Huawei has continually denied it poses any threat. Last week it pledged never to partake in spying in an effort to alleviate concerns that could halt its growth in the US and other markets. 

In Australia, Huawei has been contracted by telcos Optus and Vodafone to deploy their new 4G networks, contributing largely to Australia’s telecommunication infrastructure.

Huawei is China’s second largest private company and has branches in over 140 countries.

Teac’s New Soundbar Tickles The Senses

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Teac has packed theatrical audio into a sleek (and affordable) sound bar.

The SB01T Sound Bar produces sound through an integrated 2.0 speaker and dual 2″ full range drivers in a sleek body designed to complement any flat panel display.

The long, sleek speaker is characterised by a passive radiator design, features a convenient mini USB power port, an auxiliary in and a headphone port. On the side is a volume ring bordered by a white LED light which indicates the power is on.

The Soundbar can be mounted on a wall or can reside elegantly on your TV’s base.


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Teac’s SB01T is available now with a $99 retail price-tag, which includes a 12 month warranty.

‘First-Ever’ 2TB Portable Drive Intro’d By WD

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Western Digital has just upped the ante on its My Passport range which now includes the ‘first-ever’ 2TB portable hard drive.

The new range will consist of a 500GB, 750GB, 1TB and 2TB models.

In addition to increased capacities, the new range is characterised by a more robust and finger-print resistant skin, which comes in five different colours. On board is USB 3.0 connectivity, backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 and continuous, automatic backup software.

Up to 5Gb/s of data can be transferred between the drive and a USB 3.0 device, with USB 2.0 transferring 480 Mb/s.

A password can be set up to protect the content of your drive in addition to its hardware encryption.

As you’d expect from the storage aficionado, the drives come with included software. The user has the option of installing all features, just the components you want or none of them at all.

Even though the available memory capacity has gone up in size, the drive’s proportions remain small and slender enough to slide into a pocket.

 

WD’s Vice President of branded products and consumer electronics, Jim Welsh, believes personal data bears intangible value, which the new My Passport range preserves.

“More than money, jewellery and other valuables, the item most missed if ever lost or stolen is ones computer – and everything on it – so our goal in launching the next-generation of the popular My Passport drives is to encourage more consumers to protect their data before something happens,” said Welsh.

“The new My Passport makes backing up and preserving one’s digital life easier, reliable and more secure than ever.”

Update: The new range is available in stores now with the 2TB variant retailing at $299.

 

Samsung Prepping US iPhone 5 Ban

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Samsung’s lawyers are itching to file a motion that could see the iPhone 5 banned in the US.

Even before the smartphone was launched, Samsung’s lawyers were getting ready to file a notice claiming it infringes their 4G LTE technology. The only thing the Koreans are waiting for is for the iPhone 5 to be released so they can rip it apart and assess its components.

Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product. On September 12, 2012, Apple announced that it will release the iPhone 5 on September 21, 2012. Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models. Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device. Because Samsung believes the accused functionality of the iPhone 5 will be similar to the accused functionality of other accused Apple products, Samsung does not believe that amendment of its infringement contentions should affect the case schedule.

Samsung is hoping the new iPhone uses the same 4G LTE technology as the Apple iPad, and if it does, will motion to have it added to their ‘Please Ban’ list.

According to GSMArena, Apple won’t be taking the hit lying down either. Apple’s lawyers are now targeting Android’s Jelly Bean with the aim of proving its core functionality infringes their patents.

A hearing is scheduled before Judge Lucy Koh on Wednesday the 26th of September to discuss the matter further.

Samsung Australia could not comment at the time of publication.