Its a valuable question - why is the data collection from some countries considered a ‘mistake’ worth apologising for, but not from New Zealand? It seems that when a country does not specifically request that the data be deleted, Google does not consider it to be a mistake.

Mr Appleby states that “…it was the lack of transparency, and the global attitude of Google which led many to question their “don’t be evil” motto”.

The debate continues….

One such way around the advertising ban appears to be YouTube.  An Otago University study that looked into 5 major cigarette brands, found that at least 71% of the videos were supportive of smoking or normalised smoking.  Furthermore, users didn’t have to directly search for smoking, but instead it would be paired up with other search terms, such as Marlboro cigarettes appearing in searches for Harley Davidson bikes.

The study found that YouTube doesn’t consider pro-tobacco content as offensive material, so these clips remain on the site.  However, that does not prevent the public from requesting that these videos be removed under the present rules.

The article reports that in New Zealand, the Government had shown it was not willing to put the legal resources to deal with examples of indirect tobacco marketing.

Parents on the whole are positive about the effects of social networking, and use of technology to keep in touch with their kids.  However, the flipside is cyber bullying or cyberstalking.

Researchers at University of Waikato, caution against over- reacting.  Parents are advised that “Strict, inflexible rules tend to be counter-productive and can increase the allure of ‘forbidden’ technology“.

Similarly, Netsafe, a non-profit organisation which promotes cyber-responsibility, advises that “parents should play a supervisory role while their kids are young, preparing them to make good decisions when they’re old enough to be independent”.

Mr Hussain was taken to the Employment Relations Authority, who ruled that his breach of duty of care in the 18 mortgage transactions resulted in a fine of $54,000 NZD.  However, in a separate decision, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled that he must pay more than$1.2 million NZD in damages for loss caused by his fraudulent conduct.

”Mr Hussain’s training and experience was such that he must have known of the real prospect of significant losses being caused by his careless or reckless actions,” stated the Employment Relations Authority.

ANZ maintains that it lost more than $3.5 million NZD as a result of the fraud.

Gamers appear to be the next in line to desert the golfing star, even though the publisher of this gaming franchise, Electronic Arts, has stood by him so far.  An anonymous games retailer states that sales of  Tiger’s latest game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 have gone down by 60 - 70%.   Electronics Arts admits that this could be due to his not-so-brilliant golfing performance of late.

US sales figures are similar, showing that first-month sales of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 were down 68 per cent on all platforms from the previous version a year ago.

The full text of the article is available here.

Hamilton Airport CEO Chris Doak welcomed the services as adding convenience and ease of use for North Island residents, as well as easing congestion in Auckland.

Central Business Association chairman Arthur Pitcher said the more international links Hamilton could get the better. “It’s fantastic. Any increase in international flights is a chance to link Hamilton to the great tourism market. I’m delighted.”

View the full article here.

All of the industry groups showed increases for the month, with the leaders in retail sales being food, liquor and chemist sales.

Consumers seem more upbeat with their financial position, in comparison with spending habits during the recession.

To view the full article, click here.

At the moment, only low risk Trans-Tasman flights will use this technology, but other other countries are also showing interest.

To read the full article, click here.

Digital sales in Australia and NZ has increased by 41.4 percent, and performance rights returns are up 8.6 percent (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) figures), and this rise in the industry figures mean intellectual property needs to be adequately protected.

Commerce Minister Simon Power says “Online copyright infringement has been especially damaging for the creative industry, which has experienced significant declines in revenue as file sharing has become more prevalent”.

To read the full article, click here.