Top Headlines - part 74
Sector Snapshot: Green Power in Australia
BUSINESS June 1, 2011 | 3:20 PM
- 1 million homes in Australia expected to pay a green tax by end 2011
- Young consumers less likely to agree to pay green tax
- Over 10% of households in Australia use green power
Over 1 million homes in Australia are expected to pay a green tax by the end of 2011. The number of people expected to pay the tax is equal to more than 14% of the market.
Recent research shows that young consumers were less likely to agree to pay the tax, but are willing to take part in green initiatives if they did not have to pay extra money. This may be due to the fact that young people typically have lower incomes.
Read more »UK Moves Forward with Energy-Efficient Green Deal
ECONOMY June 1, 2011 | 11:54 AM
- UK reveals more on Green Deal energy efficiency incentive scheme for homeowners
- Measures will allow people to finance up to £10,000 of energy efficiency measures
- 25 million homes to be upgraded by 2030
The UK government has given more information about its new Green Deal initiative, that aims to make UK homes more energy efficient.
Due to be launched next autumn, it will allow homeowners to finance as much as £10,000 of insulation renovations in order to reduce power consumption. Certified companies will foot the bill for the installation, and property owners will reimburse the loans, with interest, through charges added to their electricity bills.
Read more »Changes to Brazil Amazon Forest Code in Talks
BUSINESS May 31, 2011 | 5:45 PM
- 80% of the Amazon rainforest is protected under the ‘Forest Code’
- Amazon rainforest under risk of deforestation as government seeks to expand land for cattle, soybean production
A proposal to change the environmental law in Brazil could reverse protective policies to reduce the greenhouse effect in the Amazon.
The Brazilian government would like to expand development of the land parcels environmentalists are working hard to preserve. Environmentalists say that changing the law, called the Forest Code, could launch the effects of deforestation in the Amazon, one of the biggest forests in the world. The vote determining the fate of the Amazon rainforest is expected to take place before the end of the month, according to the New York Times.
Read more »BT and TalkTalk: Piracy Laws Violate Basic Rights
BUSINESS May 31, 2011 | 4:10 PM
- British ISPs BT and TalkTalk seek appeal to mend anti-piracy law
- ISPs required to hand over filesharer information
- Anti-piracy measures could come to halt due to appeal
British service providers BT Group and TalkTalk are seeking an appeal against a law that would force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to identify those breaking anti-piracy laws.
The two telecom providers argue that it is not their responsibility to tackle illegal file sharing. The High Court rejected the providers' claims last month, but the BT and TalkTalk believe it is important to appeal the law.
Read more »The Millionaire Next Door: Surge in Luxury Home Market
ECONOMY May 31, 2011 | 10:48 AM
- 1,745,000 (14%) Canadian households have a net worth of $1 million or more
- Among the ultra-wealthy, worth over $30 million, 21% of their net worth was found in their homes
- Luxury home market is booming, particularly in Vancouver
The Millionaire Next Door?This American book title aptly describes the 1,745,000 Canadian households, or one out of every seven households, found by a Deloitte Centre for Financial Services study on global wealth to have net assets of $1 million or more.
Individuals with net assets of over $5 million totaled 199,000, or one out of every 65 households in Canada. Among this group, the ultra-wealthy, worth over $30 million, numbered 17,000, or 1% of millionaires.
Read more »VisionChina in Control of China Subway Advertising
FINANCE May 31, 2011 | 10:04 AM
- VisionChina Media announces contract extensions in Guangzhou and Shenyang; new contract in Shenzen
- VisionChina will have over 15,000 advertising screens in Guangdong Province subway stations
VisionChina Media announced on Thursday the renewal of exclusive contracts to advertise on Guangzhou's subway system and the Shenyang bus network.
One of China’s main outdoor digital advertising networks, VisionChina, will continue on for another five years in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, where it will broadcast its mobile television advertising network on the city’s five subway lines. It will also take over three new lines that are being added to cater to increasing commuter numbers.
Read more »Product Focus: Panasonic Introduces New Camcorder Line
BUSINESS May 30, 2011 | 12:09 PM
- Panasonic launches the HX-DC1, the HX-WA10 and the HX-DC15 camcorders
- New line is a version of Sanyo's former flip cameras
Panasonic has proved that flip cameras with a pistol-grip are still around, with the unveiling of three new camcorders that have a similar look to Sanyo's flip camera.
Panasonic, which bought out Sanyo in 2009, expects to release the products in June 2011 in Japan, according to Crunch Gear. The line includes the HX-DC1, which is capable of taking 14 megapixel still shots and shooting video at 1920 X 1080 resolution - a benefit for consumers who have tried to shoot videos in a dark party is this camera's ability to shoot in dim light.
Read more »Japan Consumer Confidence Falls for Third Straight Month
ECONOMY May 29, 2011 | 11:51 AM
- Japanese consumer confidence index falls to 33.1 in April compared to 38.6 in March, following earthquake and tsunami
- Consumer willingness index to buy durable goods fell from 38.8 to 32.9
- Japanese government net debt forecasts for 2013 revised up to 145% of GDP
Confidence among Japanese consumers continued its sharp decline, following on from the earthquake and tsunami that battered the country in March.
The consumer confidence index fell for the third month in a row, with March figures of 38.6 falling to 33.1 in April – the fastest rate of decline since records began in 2004. An index below 50 shows overwhelming consumer pessimism.
Read more »Australia to Crack Down on Spot Betting at Sports Events
WORLD May 27, 2011 | 6:36 PM
- Australia tightens restrictions on live odds betting and promotion during sports broadcasts
- Betting industry will have to conform to new restrictions by end June 2012
- Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports has submitted sports betting legislation suggestions to federal sports minister
The Australian government is set to tighten laws on spot betting during sports broadcasts amid concerns that live odds betting is encouraging unhealthy gambling habits among young and impressionable sports fans.
Worth around US$3 billion in 2008, the sports betting industry has skyrocketed in recent years. Bookmaker sponsors have become a prominent feature of sports broadcasters’ coverage as well as on scoreboards within venues.
Read more »Malauzai Software Launches Innovative Banking Solution for Community Banks
BUSINESS May 27, 2011 | 5:27 PM
- ‘Cool SmartApps’ technology for small-and-medium sized financial institutions helps build revenue
- Software offers 3 key features: social banking, application management and mobile marketing
- 7 banks are currently testing the technology with their customers
US-based mobile technology company Malauzai has launched an innovative mobile banking platform that lets community financial institutions create “Cool SmartApps.” The platform is based on proprietary technology and analytics, and features application management, social banking and mobile marketing for a better end-user experience and to build revenue for financial institutions.
The central control console, called the Application Management System (AMS), enables banks to remotely manage multiple smart application programs, instantly publish and change content, and turn features on or off, among other functions. The applications are protected by superior encryption technology for greater customer security.
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