Hi there,

Welcome back!

Friends in the United States held a ‘New Year’s’ party yesterday. They wouldn’t believe the bizarre year that was 2020 was behind them until Donald Trump had actually vacated the White House.

Indeed, the sigh of relief has been global as Trump did finally exit – albeit via his own stage right – and fortunately without the major civil unrest or tantrums some had predicted.

There’s a hope that his departure signals a return to stability so headlines can focus on Covid-19 vaccines, social media platform beat-ups and FUD on cybersecurity (and Google's hissy fit today over the Australian media code suggests there will still be plenty of drama in the year ahead).

So here’s to 2021, may it be a good year for all of us, and one filled with plenty of interesting stories and a return to more ‘normal’ business.

In this week’s news:

RDTI hindering not helping
Surveilling the SLAID Bill
Twitter’s last stand against Trump
Google and Fitbit tie the knot – without permission
Who’s winning the mobile app race?
The latest in consumer electronics from CES 2021

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Enjoy the read,

Heather Wright
Editor
editor@istart.com.au

R&D INCENTIVES

RDTI a software fail

Existing RDTI ‘hampering investment and growth’…

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise ombudsman Kate Carnell has joined the call for software-specific R&D incentives – or at least more clarity around software claiming.

“We want small businesses to grow into big businesses and a fit-for-purpose RDTI scheme is a key support mechanism.”

[Read more]

LEGISLATION

Sweeping powers, rising concerns

New surveillance legislation update aims to ‘address gaps’ in existing framework surveillance framework…

It’s a frightening cyber-landscape out there and the country’s existing electronic surveillance powers are no longer up to snuff, says the Australian Government.

“There is growing concern about how our national security institutions are operating.”

[Read more]

READERSHIP SURVEY

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter deplatforms Trump

Twitter has finally dropped Trump, but the ugliness is likely only beginning…

After the violent invasion of the US Capitol earlier this month, the great enabling of Donald Trump by social media giant Twitter may have finally come to an end.

Whether by design or accident, the model encourages human pathos, and then feeds off it.

[Read more]

ACQUISITION

Google, Fitbit say ‘done deal’

Is it time to delete your Fitbit account?…

It’s been dubbed ‘sinister’ by some privacy and antitrust experts, but according to Google its US$2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit is a done deal.

“We will consider whether to take legal action on this matter.”

[Read more]

MOBILE APPS

m-Com, TikTok big movers as mobile surges

It’s app-y days as consumers spend up on mobile…

Australians spent more than US$1.9 billion on mobile apps last year, with Kiwis topping US$270 million, in a year which also saw in-app commerce boom.

Retail mobile spend was up 20 percent to US$143 billion.

[Read more]

FUTURETECH

CES 2021: From sanitisers to GM’s flying car

Rollable phones, handy robots and UV-C keyboard disinfection…

From rollable phones to 'handy' robots and flying cars – CES 2021 might have been virtual, but it still served up plenty of offerings, from the practical to the futuristic.

CES showcased plenty of Covid-related offerings – and a number targeting stress reduction.

[Read more]

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