Price Gouging: Where Are Adobe & Microsoft Profits Going? COMMENT: As Microsoft and Adobe face a Federal Government probe into their pricing practises in Australia, one has to question why the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has not called for an investigation into the monopoly that both Companies have in the Australian market in the past.

Threats Intimidation Bullying Welcome To iPrimus COMMENT: Back on the 5th of February ChannelNews posted a story indicating that Primus Telecom was up for sales. Our sources were impeccable.

Sony's New SmartWatch Isn't Smart At All Opinion: Sony has released a SmartWatch for your phone, but I'm struggling to understand why.

Optus Fined $3.6M While Google Gets Off Scott Free Funny thing, the law. Google Australia will get off scott-free ? apart from picking up legal costs ? for the conduct of its popular search engine, ruled by the Federal Court to have been "misleading" and "deceptive", while Optus Australia has been fined $3.6 million for a similar offence, also deemed to involve misleading the public ? in its case in advertising claims for its broadband plans.

Why Are News Ltd Journalists Avoiding One Of The Biggest Stories This Year? COMMENT: Despite having easy access to some of the most senior News Ltd executives, journalists at Rupert Murdoch owned publications seem to be avoiding one of the biggest stories of the year after the Australian Financial Review claimed that News Corp had promoted the pirating of its international pay-TV rivals, including Foxtel.

Is Gerry Harvey A Harveynormanosaurus, He Says No Harvey Norman Chairman Gerry Harvey has taken issue with Business Spectator who accused him of "not getting it" when it came to Internet issues.

Lenovo Fails To Issue Press Release For PC That Could Burst Into Flames COMMENT: Lenovo Australia appears to be ducking out from telling consumers they may be working on a PC that could burst into flames.

COMMENT: Poor Sales, Lost Profits Now The Internet Gets The Chop At Harvey Norman COMMENT: Last week Harvey Norman management was demanding that we pull down a story that revealed 24 Harvey Norman electrical store franchisees were set to be moved into new jobs. They also demanded that we hand over confidential emails sent to ChannelNews.

The Social Nework Beast Vs Gerry Harvey Who Will Win? COMMENT: Consumers today are using social networks to vent their anger about Harvey Norman following this morning?s announcement that sales have slumped 10.2% at their Australian stores and that pre tax earnings are down 17.69% for the period ending December 2011.

It's Rudd V Gillard... But Where?s Conroy? Its a K Rudd V Julia G showdown next Monday as both Labor leaders, past and present, vie for the top prize.

Why Apple Should Buy Sony COMMENT: Apple whose share is now hovering at $500 has more money than it needs, according to CEO Tim Cook.

Moan & Groan Gerry Vs JB Hi Fi Who Is Winning? COMMENT: While Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey spent the last six months preaching doom and gloom for the retail industry, including ?massive? job losses,? his opposite number Terry Smart at JB Hi Fi was getting on with the job of delivering an increase in revenues of 5.4% with sales for the six month period ending December coming in at $1.77 Billion.

Has Gerry Harvey Called In His Mates To Get Him Out Of A PR Hole? COMMENT: There is nothing like rounding up your high profile mates or the odd media group where you spend millions of advertising dollars to lobby for you, when you have dug a hole that you now find yourself struggling to get out of.

Sony Is Weak, Sliding Downhill & Gathering Speed To Their Demise COMMENT: Back in 1997 when Apple was facing the real possibility of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Sony was the high flying kid on the block. Sony Trinitron TVs were popular, as was their portable music player, the Walkman.

Why Dick Smith Is An Out Of Touch Whinger What is it with Dick Smith and his obsessive attitude to everything having to be either made in Australia or owned by Australians?

Gaming Fight Reveals The High Cost Of Shopping At Harvey Norman COMMENT: Why are consumer electronics, games and IT gear so expensive in Australia? It?s because retailers like Harvey Norman have been screwing manufacturers for years. Now the big retailer is trying to deflect blame onto other retailers.

Gerry Harvey Sounds Desperate While JB Hi Spends A Lot Of Money Looking Cheap Australian retailers such as JB Hi Fi and Harvey Norman risk becoming Window shopping locations for consumers shopping for cheap deals online.

Apple Hands Over Millions In Free Samsung Tablet Publicity COMMENT: Despite their $86 Billion in the bank and their millions spent trying to teach Samsung a lesson in patent law, Apple have been left with egg on their face after the Australian High Court today denied Apple's request to appeal an earlier decision overturning a ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1.

COMMENT: Canon, Stop Being Pathetic Consumers Are Now In Control Not You Canon, the Japanese digital Camera Company who earlier this year started direct selling to consumers, is now miffed because JB Hi Fi has chosen to source cheap Canon products direct from an Asian distributor as opposed to selling their expensive locally supplied products.

Why JB Hi Fi Is On A Winner Grey Importing Digital Cameras COMMENT: The decision by JB Hi Fi to sell branded digital camera products imported directly from overseas distributors as opposed to sourcing products directly from digital camera subsidiaries operating in Australia has been brought about solely because of competition.

Is Dick Smith Electronics Worth Buying? Dick Smith is an oddball operation that was acquired by Woolworths back in 1981 but will anyone buy it in it's current state?

Apple Store Staff Mourn Jobs Consumers Buy Memento Products Steven P. Jobs, the Apple chairman and co-founder of the now legendary technology Company has never visited Apple Australia but there are a lot of Australians mourning his death today.

'Handle With Care': How Vodafone Labels Disgruntled Users Troubled telco Vodafone are treading carefully after what has been a catastrophic period in customer relations. So much so that it is now categorising customers ?handle with care? or ?service recovery? on their user database.

Has Apple Made Its First Big Mistake & Are Consumers Now Turning Against Apple? Is the PR hype that Apple has wallowed in since the launch of the 1st iPod suddenly become its worst enemy after the Company failed to deliver a much hyped iPhone 5?

Amber A Really Bad Place To Work Claims Former Senior Executive COMMENT: Following our recent story about the poor performance of ASX listed distributor Amber Technology and the loss of several key brands we have been contacted by several former and current staff regarding the attitude of Amber management and the percieved lack of good management practises in the Company.

Is Nikon Set To Hurt Canon With New Mirrorless Cameras? COMMENT: Canon, who is already facing pricing and online trading problems in Australia, is facing a new threat after arch rival Nikon burst into the mirrorless camera market yesterday with their new Nikon 1 offering which they claim is faster than a lot of the pro cameras on the market.

Why Windows Tablets Could Be The Next Big Thing COMMENT: The decision by Apple to start a legal slugfest with the likes of Samsung, HTC and Google may have given arch rival Microsoft a new lease of life, as vendors who had started to migrate away from Microsoft Windows software for tablets & smartphones return to it as an alternative to the patent plagued Android software.

COMMENT: Missing Numbers Flaky Results, Why Gerry Harvey Should Quit COMMENT: What is the difference between Woolworths, Coles and Harvey Norman? A lot when it comes to responsible financial reporting and the way in which their operations are run.

Will Samsung Buy Palm From Hewlett Packard? Shortly after the 2009 CES, where Palm revealed its new WebOS, Hewlett-Packard dived in and acquired the cash poor phone Company for $1.8 billion. It was a high risk gamble to get into the phone and tablet market which now appears to have imploded.

Has Google Just Thrown Windows Phone 7 A Lifeline? Has Google just given Windows Phone 7 a lifeline by buying Motorola Mobility?

Why Has Apple Chosen To Try And Bloody Samsung In OZ? COMMENT: Why has Apple chosen Australia to take on Samsung in a patent fight over tablet design? Is it because we are a Westernised test market that looks good for a legal fight or are our laws weaker than some other markets where Apple and Samsung compete in?

Nokia Management To Blame For Losses & Share Slump COMMENT: As Nokia slumps further into the mire and Samsung, HTC and Apple strip market share away from the Finish phone Company, one has to question the sheer stupidity of Nokia management, who on the surface appear to lack the marketing and sales skills need to turn the Company around.

Apple Profit Teaches Gerry Harvey A Lesson COMMENT: Revenue up 82%, profits up 125%, cash flow up 131%. This is just another day in the office for Apple who earlier today reported a bumper $8 Billion dollar profit.

Fujitsu General Management Issue Rant Email Fujitsu General management in Australia appear to have problems differentiating their company from Fujitsu Ltd. Best known for selling energy guzzling air conditioners, Fujitsu General management yesterday took a swipe at ChannelNews and SmartHouse, claiming that we got a story wrong.

COMMENT: Why Smart TVs Are Plain Dumb COMMENT: When the Financial Review recently panned a new so called 'Smart' Sony Bravia TV, using the headline ?Beautiful but not Smart? the reviewer touched on a subject that could well have an adverse impact on several TV vendors.

iCloud Apple Apps & Google Android Become High Risk Cloud Enviroments COMMENT: Hosting a document or an application on a cloud based server like iCloud has just taken a nasty turn after a US Company managed to intimidate Google into taking down several Android TV applications run by global TV Companies because of the use of the generic words TV Guide.

Nokia Likened To Betting On A Horse Thats On Its Way To The Knackers Yard The decision from Nokia to launch their new N9 phone with a new operating system called MeeGo when they are struggling to sell what they?ve already got was described by a UK journalist as trying to get consumers to bet on a horse that?s already on its way to the knackers yard.

Is The Franchise Model Broken? It Is Very Close To Being When Gerry Harvey went into battle recently for a 10 percent tax on overseas online purchases he set off an explosion which resulted in most Australians suddenly becoming aware that a lot of retailers are price gouging when one compares the overseas cost of a same brand product to that being sold in an Australian retail store.

COMMENT: Plonker Facebook Squad Left With Red Faces COMMENT: A Queensland Police Publicity stunt or cops that do not have a clue about technology and social networking? The recent arrest of Fairfax Journalist Ben Grubb by Queensland Police raises some interesting issues.

Sony Is A Mess & CEO Stringer Is Set To Be The Fall Guy COMMENT: Sony is a mess with little, if any, product innovation coming from the Japanese company, and while financial investors are baying for the dumping of their CEO Sir Howard Stringer, one has to seriously question the company?s ability to survive in a brutal consumer electronics market that is now being driven by the likes of Google, Samsung and Apple.

Why Launching A New iPad 3 In September Makes Sense COMMENT: Speculation has it that Apple is set to announce an iPad 3 in September, with a faster processor and improved functionality. The product, if launched, will come six months after the launch of the iPad2, which goes on sale tomorrow.

Why Million Dollar Apple Bet Was All Hot Air COMMENT: Online retailer Ruslan Kogan the CEO of Kogan Technologies, has bet mass market consumer electronics retailer JB Hi Fi $1M that they will not be selling Apple products in 2014.

COMMENT: Nokia Microsoft Deal Why Two Turkeys Dont Make An Eagle COMMENT: The recent announcement that Nokia and Microsoft will work together in an effort to survive in the brutal world of tablets and smartphones has little chance of success.

Why Telstra Is Set To Become A Frightening Competitor COMMENT: The latest Telstra results reveal a lot of upside despite a 36% decline in profits.

E-Shopping V In-Store, Who Wins? I've been scanning the shelves of the likes of Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith recently trying to find a decent, quality yet pocket friendly notebook.

No Go On GST Harvey, But China Still An Option Gerry Harvey doth protest too much? Yes, says an angry public, who have subjected the head honcho of Harvey Norman, to an ?avalanche? of criticism following his attack on the government?s GST policy on goods bought online.

Why Harvey Norman Is Heading For A Massive Fall The decision by Gerry Harvey the CEO of Harvey Norman along with Myer David Jones and 18 other mass market retailers, to initiate a marketing campaign aimed trying to convince the Federal Government to slap a 10% GST on Internet purchases made from overseas web sites smacks of failure.

Is Apple Close To Delivering 3D Display Without Glasses? Since even before the launch of the iPad last April, there were several rumours of Apple moving to a 3D display, mostly based on US Patent and Trademark Office filings dug up by ambitious Bloggers hoping to get advanced product information.

Kogan TVs And Digital Cameras Slammed On Kogan Owned Web Site Nobbled by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for questionable advertising, slammed by people who have bought his TVs online, Ruslan Kogan, the Melbourne owner of Kogan Technology who loves to see his own name in print, is now attempting to get publicity out of the Wikileaks saga by launching a new web site called TradeLeaks.

Australian Retailers Facing An Online Time Bomb COMMENT: Australian retailers and their domestic suppliers are facing an online time bomb which when it explodes and it will, will leave many of them wondering "what went wrong".