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BRING YOUR BUSINESS UP TO SPEED IN THE DIGITAL AGE

e i g h t e e n

t w e n t y t w oGTA V BANNED FROM AUSTRALIAN TARGET AND KMART

HOW TO BOOST ACCOUNTABILITY AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

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t w e n t y n i n eIPAD AIR 2 SMART CASE

ANDROID 5.0 LOLLIPOP

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PING! ZINE 074

Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine © October 2014, Ping! Zine Web Tech

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SPRINT AND T-MOBILE MOVING TOWARDS A $32 BILLION DEALSprint is reportedly close to closing its purchase agreement of acquiring T-Mobile, a move that could reduce competition in the mobile market.“In an industry this concentrated, normally going from four to three will not make it more competitive,” says law professor at NYU, Harry First. “The incentives are to be more cooperative than competitive.”According to Forbes, Sprint has agreed to pay roughly $40 per share, around $32 billion, and undertake T-Mobile’s $9 billion debt.Sprint Chairman Masayoshi Son, who purchased the company last year for $22 billion, says he needs more if they are to stand a chance against top competitor AT&T and Verizon.“We can start a small fight, but it does not scale, it does not last, it’s not sustainable,” said Son during a speech in March.If the merger gets approved, Sprint would have to lower its costs to match T-Mobiles, a move that could hurt their revenue, reports Reuters. On average, Sprint customers spend $62 a month, while T-Mobile customers only spend $50.

IPHONE 6 RELEASE DATE REPORTS POINT TOWARDS SEPTEMBERSeptember seems like it’s shaping up to be a big month for Apple, with more reports claiming that we will see the newest iPhone released during that time.Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White, the man who revealed Apple’s plan on launching the iPad mini in 2012 and the colorful iPhone 5C, has predicted that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, along with the rumored iWatch, will be launching sometime in September, reports BGR.“Our research indicates that Apple will launch the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in September, and we believe the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be announced at a similar time or shortly thereafter in October. As such, we are confident that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be launched this year,” wrote White.As for the iWatch, White claims that research points to the development of Apple’s wearable to begin production this month, with the unveiling of it in September.

GOOGLE’S SKYBOX IMAGING ACQUISITION SAID TO IMPROVE GOOGLE MAPSGoogle announced that it has acquired satellite startup Skybox Imaging, a move that could further the tech giant’s vision to bring Internet access to remote areas of the world.This $500 million acquisition will help to ensure the accuracy and quality of the satellite imagery used in Google Maps.“Skybox and Google share more than just a zip code. We both believe in making information (especially accurate geospatial information) accessible and useful. And to do this, we’re both willing to tackle problems head on — whether it’s building cars that drive themselves or designing our own satellites from scratch,” says a blog post from Skybox.Earlier this month reports surfaced claiming that Google is planning on spending more than $1 billion on a project to offer Internet access to those in some of the world’s most remote areas.According to the Wall Street Journal, the project will begin with 180 “small, high capacity satellites” that orbit the earth at low altitudes through its Project Loon initiative.

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NEW ANDROID MALWARE ATTACK DEMANDS MONEY FOR DECRYPTED DATAAndroid users beware, a security firm has detected the first ever ransomware for Android, specifically targeting Ukrainian users.The software, called Simplelocker, uses AES encryption to block users from accessing their docs, images, PDFs, and files.According to security firm ESET, if users want their information decrypted, they have to pay 260 Ukrainian hryvnias ($22 US) through the MoneXy transfer system.Affected users received a message on their devices saying they were locked out because they viewed and distributed “child pornography, zoophilia and other perversion.”“After payment your device will be unlocked within 24 hours. In case of no PAYMENT YOU WILL LOSE ALL DATA ON your device!,” says the message.The security firm noted that the ransomware is hard to trace because it is located on Tor, a “hidden part” of the Internet.A similar attack such as this one recently occurred, but for iPhone users. Hackers remotely compromised Australian and US iPhones, demanding the user pay a ransom if they wanted access back into their devices.

COURT RULES THATINTERNET BROWSING ISN’T COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTEuropean Internet users can safely surf the net without having to worry about infringing any copyrighted material.Recently, the European Court of Justice ruled that digital copies of newspapers and articles on the Internet do not infringe on copyright laws, The Guardian reports.This case was brought on by media monitoring company Melwater in 2009 against the Newspaper Licensing Agency in a copyright tribunal that claimsThe ECJ ruled that the law “must be interpreted as meaning that the on-screen copies and the cached copies made by an end-user in the course of viewing a website satisfy the conditions… and that they may therefore be made without the authorisation of the copyright holders.”According to the European Parliament, digital copies stored online constitute as a “integral and essential part of a technological process” and do not infringe on any copyrighted work.Without this law, users would be infringing copyrighted material every time they went on the Internet.

The tablet market isn’t dead yet, despite many saying it has reached its peak after four years.According to a report from Liberty Voice, the tablet market is seeing an increase in sales due to software companies marketing the tablet as a replacement for laptops.Samsung’s South Africa Director of Mobile Communications, Craige Fleischer, says consumers are shifting their preference towards tablets rather than computers.“Traditionally tablets were seen as social devices that consumers predominantly used to view content. The technology has since evolved, with a clear focus on productivity, enabling users to both consume and create content, all on the same portable device.”As stated in the report, the demands in increase for tablets are due to three markets, the healthcare

industry, schools, and the elderly.Hospitals, doctor’s offices, and emergency medical services has seen an increase in tablets due to its portability and the increase in applications that assist medical personnel with medical diagnoses and storing information.With the educational system, tablets are becoming more accessible. Studies conducted by Tufts’ Center for Reading and MIT have found that widespread tablet use could potentially fight against illiteracy.Over the last year, tablet sales from K-12 schools increased by 60%, and by the end of 2014, U.S. schools are expected to purchase more than 3.5 million tablets, theWashington Post reports.Tablet sales increased by 12 percent from 2012 to 2013 among senior citizens, due to an increase in Internet and email use.

NEW OPENSSL BUG DISCOVERED, ANDROID USERS VULNERABLE TO ATTACKSA new security bug has been found in the popular encryption tool OpenSSL that exposes users Internet data to malicious hackers across the web.Accoding to CNN, the SSL/TLS bug allows hackers to look into your Internet sessions through the “handshake” process between computers and web servers.“Attackers can exploit this behavior so that they can decrypt and/or modify data in the communication channel,” says a blog post from the researcher who discovered the bug, Masahi Kikuchi.Kikuchi noted that the vulnerability has been hiding on the web for more than 16 years.“The biggest reason why the bug hasn’t been found for over 16 years is that code reviews were insufficient, especially from experts who had experiences with TLS/SSL implementation. If the reviewers had enough experiences, they should have been verified OpenSSL code in the same way they do their own code. They could have detected the problem.”Users using Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, and Chrome are not affected by the SSL/TLS MITM bug, though Android and Chrome for Android are vulnerable to the security flaw.

TABLET COMPUTERS CONTINUE TO SEE INCREASE IN DEMANDS

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By Garen Arnold

Tasks You Should and Can OutsourcePeople used to have the wrong notion that outsourcing means hiring someone from abroad to man a call center. This utterly outdated misconception has changed though, and many businesses have come to realize that outsourcing simply means hiring freelancers/providers outside the company (not necessarily overseas) to do specific tasks on short term basis – at less cost. >>>

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Stop Being A Superhero!When starting a business, it is understandable how entrepreneurs have to act like they’re superhuman – performing multiple roles and multi-tasking – especially if they have limited resources. However, some founders still find it difficult to let go of low-level tasks even when the business becomes more profitable; they seem to enjoy the sense of control and busyness when doing it all. Unfortunately, working yourself into an early grave doesn’t really contribute much to advance your business. As an entrepreneur, your primary concern should be to focus on strategy, not tasks. For instance, it may seem tough to relinquish the conceptualization of a new logo design to someone else, but you must realize that you’d be much more effective and productive in the conference room, meeting and discussing the details with a possible business partner. Moreover, you must face up to the fact that it is not possible for one person to have expertise in all aspects of business needs, so do yourself a favor – skip the superhero complex and don’t even attempt to do everything totally by yourself. The Indicators – When to Outsource So how do you know when to outsource? Answering these three questions can determine when it’s time to find someone else to do the job for you. 1. Are you procrastinating on certain tasks? If you are putting off a task until the last minute, you may not have the knowledge, skill, or competence to complete the job well as it deserves.

2. Are you proficient at completing the task? If you are not, it may be best to find an expert who can help you out.

3. Do you dread the thought of starting a particular task? If you look at the task with trepidation rather than enthusiasm at getting it done, it may indicate that you don’t actually want to do it (which can also mean that you won’t be putting the same level of passion and dedication to performing the task as much as you would with a job that you’re excited about). The Tasks – Which Ones Can (and Should) You Outsource?Specific tasks that a business should outsource do vary depending on the distinct needs of each business. However, outsourcing technology tasks is the ideal way to go for startups and small businesses, as it can definitely cut costs and enhance productivity. 1. Infrastructure. Setting up your own infrastructure is neither easy nor cheap. Besides the huge budget it requires to purchase and house the equipment, you are also looking at heavy maintenance by highly competent IT staff. Outsourcing equipment such as servers, hardware, and network systems can save your business a hefty amount in costs and manpower. Since the service provider owns the equipment and is responsible for the smooth running and maintenance of the infrastructure system, you only need to pay on a per-use/per subscription basis. 2. Cloud Hosting. The beauty of cloud computing is it allows you to access information anytime, anywhere, across any compatible device. By outsourcing cloud technology, you save your business the costly maintenance of in-house cloud system hosting, which may even pose security threats if you’re using outdated technology.

3. IT Functions/Help Desk. Your IT needs will undoubtedly grow along with your business, which invariably means more equipment (computers, phones, etc.) and can translate to more issues that would necessitate more troubleshooting. You can outsource most IT functions (e.g., network management, data warehousing) and have an outside IT provider to manage these essential, but tedious tasks so you can concentrate on building your client base, products, and services. You can even have the added benefit of obtaining current technology and software upgrades without having to spend more on high-priced systems to keep up with industry trends. 4. Customer Relationship Management (CRM). CRM involves more than just the literal implication of the name. It’s not merely about managing relationships with customers; it’s also creating a systematic strategy to help your business retain customers, not just acquire them. Although it can be done manually at the onset, things can dramatically change as your business grows. You will eventually realize that you can only handle so many customers in the conventional way without compromising efficiency and effectiveness. It will make perfect sense to think about outsourcing to CRM SaaS providers early on, and if your company has more than 50 customers, it’s most likely a good time to get some help. One great advantage of CRM outsourcing is that it provides the required resources to leverage those relationships for more potential business and referrals, allowing you to meet or even exceed your sales target. 5. Website Design and Development. Website development is a vital element for any business in this technological age. Sure, you can build a basic website all by yourself. With all the available plug-and-play website templates and drag-and-drop website builders these days, anybody can create a website; but that doesn’t mean everyone can do it well. Keep in mind that your website will represent your brand, so you want to do it right and make it stand out. The “do-it-yourself” attitude can sometimes backfire and probably turn into a disaster unless you have extensive knowledge about codes, graphic designs and other (necessary) technological skills, and more importantly, plenty of time in your hands to complete this task. When you outsource the design and development of your website, you are assured that it will be built by experienced professionals with technical knowledge to make your brand look good online and optimize your business visibility, while providing visitors with the best user experience possible. Outsourcing to large creative design providers can be quite expensive, so if you’re on a tight budget you may consider outsourcing to freelance designers or fellow small business owners. 6. Ecommerce. Online stores consist of several moving components such as shopping carts, virtual storefronts, and credit card processing security, which are usually provided by third-party apps. Even if you have ample resources to set up your own online store and handle the maintenance with an in-house team, you would most likely still rely on other outsourced components of any Ecommerce solution you choose. Because of this, it makes more sense for businesses with online shops to outsource their Ecommerce need to one particular provider. It’s always more prudent to work with a single provider/company that has everything you require, rather than deal with different providers for every function necessary to run your online shop.

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7. Content Creation/Blogging. It’s observable how nearly all companies have launched their own blog in recent days. Unfortunately, it’s equally noticeable how a lot of such efforts border on thinly veiled sales pitches, or writings that are far from engaging. Lamentably, these blog sites are also rarely updated, if at all. If you want to create compelling content for your website or increase your blog’s activity and foster visitor loyalty, you have to find high quality content creators that can produce “on-brand”, entertaining, and inspiring contents/articles for your audience. When you outsource your content creation, you increase the likelihood of engaging your visitors, thus pave the way for them to explore your site further. 8. Social Media. Most every business realizes by now that social media plays a crucial role in building up brands, generally keeping them visible and relevant online. However, it’s no secret that for that to happen, one has to devote several hours just being social. As a business owner, you almost certainly have more pressing concerns to attend to than post messages and photos or tweet all day. Building a brand takes up a lot of time. While it is vital that you personally respond to people in your social networks, you can easily outsource social media posting to a competent social media manager or social media strategist to do it for you. This will certainly leave you with more time that can be better spent in developing and ensuring the quality of your products and services. 9. Graphic Design/Digital Presentation. If you’re trying to tinker around with Photoshop but have no clue what exactly you’re doing, or wasting valuable time on PowerPoint animations, pondering whether to use bold or italic fonts; you may want to consider spending a few bucks and outsource your digital presentation or graphic design – whether logo, banner, ads – to a professional graphic designer. You are guaranteed to have a professional-looking logo and marketing collaterals, plus you’ll have more time to rehearse your digital presentation. 10. SEO/Web Marketing. The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) landscape has drastically changed in the last couple of years. Many techniques that have previously worked are considered unacceptable today and there’s a good chance that techniques which are effective today might not even make an impact tomorrow. SEO is more than just website development or content creation/writing – you need someone who knows how to integrate it all together to enhance your search engine rankings. Outsourcing and integrated SEO and web marketing strategy will ensure that your content are positioned and marketed in such a way that will ascertain constant/consistent, long-term traffic to your site. The Benefits – Why Outsourcing Makes More SenseSmart entrepreneurs handle their changing human resources needs through technology, which is basically why online outsourcing has become such a huge trend. It eliminates the need for you to play Jack/Jill-of –all-trades and brings in a range of other benefits, among them: 1. Cost Reduction. You only pay for services you actually use, with little to no investment in staff (inclusive of benefits), new equipment, or training.

2. Save Valuable Time. Remember that time is closely tied with money. Strategy, processes, and training are time-consuming and you will certainly be frittering precious time away if you pursue activity instead of productivity.

3. Enhanced Efficiency. You don’t even need to set up an intricate in-house IT network or establish a specialized IT department to attain this.

4. Better Use of Manpower. Outsourcing allows your staff to concentrate their energy to the core competencies of your company and focus on value-added, business-critical operations.

5. Make More Money. For one, you can build multiple teams for multiple projects all at once, and you don’t even have to spend for the overhead of traditional employees. This will allow you to compete with in-house companies in terms of pricing and stand to profit more from each project. How to Make Outsourcing Work for YouThe advantages you can gain from outsourcing are quite substantial. It may be tempting to simply rush into outsourcing but you have to make sure that you have a clear understanding of what you need, full awareness of the terms, and the suitable service provider for the tasks at hand. Here are some tips that you might find helpful to ensure that outsourcing really works to your advantage. 1. Although the provider/supplier is supposed to take responsibility for the process, bear in mind that you still need to actively participate and manage the completion of the task.2. Maintain constant communication and flexibility with the outsourcing team/company.3. Designate a staff to act and take responsibility as liaison.4. Keep your staff informed. It is essential to establish regular communication with the internal staff within your business as they may have concerns about their own jobs.5. Frequent switching of outsourcing providers can be pretty disruptive. It is to your best interest if you commit yourself to building long-term relationship from the get-go.6. Besides financial gains, there are benefits that cannot be quantified easily, such as improved customer service, decrease in errors, and increased speed to market. Consider setting up a system to measure success (or failure).7. Plan for a clear exit strategy. Some outsourcing relationships can end up prematurely/abruptly or may simply run its course. It is therefore imperative that your service level agreement should stipulate an unambiguous exit strategy that should:• Clarify who owns what equipment and other assets• Specify the process of bringing outsourcing back in-house• Detail the amount of compensation and when it is due. Bottom LineOutsourcing in several key areas can save you time and money, help you become more flexible to better manage your business’ growth more effectively, enhance your personal productivity, and help your business flourish. It also enables your business to have access to outside technologies and expertise. Turning away from outsourcing can hold back the growth of your business. If you want a thriving business that leaves you with ample time to rest and relax, now is the best time to start outsourcing those tasks that you can and should!

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If you have not already done so, now is the time to embrace the digital and technological approach to business management. Ignoring modern technology is no longer an option

because most of your competitors will already be using it to gain an advantage over you and your business. Most companies use some form of computerized support system to help manage and run their business. How the technology is actually utilized varies widely; some just use simple cloud based file storage to secure data while others have implemented full enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) to increase productivity and manage workflows. IT is now a key part of strategic growth in all markets, at all levels. No business is too small to take advantage of the huge array of services that is offered today. Many self-employed traders are using websites, social media and email to promote and manage their services. Here we will share with you some of the most useful digital solutions and explain the advantages of using them. Some are easy to install while others may require technical support to get started, but once you are running you will soon learn to manage the system yourself. >>>

BRINGING YOUR BUSINESS UP TO SPEED

IN THE DIGITAL AGEBy Dave Charles

NOW IS TIME TO EMBRACE THE DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.

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E-COMMERCEToday there is a simple rule in commerce, if you are selling something you must be selling it online. Many traditional retail outlets have implemented e-commerce solutions. However, some have been put off due to an assumption that you need to invest in a fully functioning website that can handle payments and process orders; this is not the case. Many retailers are taking advantage of companies such as eBay and Amazon who have developed services to support merchants. The majority of consumers buying online use these companies to source products and read reviews. Many businesses sell more products through these channels than via their own e-commerce websites. BUSINESS APPSThe explosive growth of smartphones has opened up an entirely new market, as people use them to access the Internet rather than traditional desktop computers, with apps that provide much of the content. Although every business should have a mobile optimized website, the new growth area is app development. There are essentially two types of apps for business. First, apps that you create to help promote your business brand and reach new customers. These are designed to provide a useful service to customers while also giving you the opportunity to advertise your services. Some apps are designed purely to help encourage repeat orders; for example, an e-commerce app will allow customers to submit a new order from their phone. These are especially useful in industries where customers are working remotely from an office for most of the day. The other type of app is one that is created by a third party to help support your business. One of the biggest providers today is Google Apps, which currently supports five million businesses. Apps include email, calendar, drive and docs. The most basic and possibly the most important app is email. Many businesses receive most of their orders and inquiries via email, and the ability to respond at any time can help convert inquiries into buyers. MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE Online business marketing is a massive growth area currently being driven by social media. Having an online presence goes far beyond a listing in Yell and creating your own web page. Social media has developed to become a vital source of new business for many companies, with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ all providing innovative ways to reach a wider audience. Facebook is still the number one platform in terms of the total number of people who use it. It only takes

a few minutes to create a Facebook Page, which can be shared with family, friends and customers. This is a place to provide limited information about your services, promote new products and manage customer enquiries and feedback. LinkedIn can be a useful tool to network with other people in your industry. Create a profile page and explain what your skills are and what services you offer. Next, connect with current suppliers, customers and people you have worked with in the past. This may help develop new business-to-business connections that can become an important source of repeat business THE CLOUDThe cloud is often talked about but often misunderstood. It sounds mysterious and ethereal, but in fact it is just a way to describe a computer system that is located remotely from your premises. The benefit of using cloud servers is that they are secure and reliable. Computer hard drives are prone to failure, and therefore vulnerable to burglary and fire or flood, which could easily result in all your records being lost. Cloud service providers create multiple data backups and regularly test for data integrity. However, the cloud also has more practical uses. Cloud based databases provide a way to easily collaborate on projects and update company records. If you have a sales team operating out of the office most of the time a cloud-based database enables sales data to be input allowing management to monitor performance in real time. Documents can be drafted, edited and approved quickly without the need to send multiple emails. Many companies are now providing full business support via cloud-based systems. A growing area is BPM (Business Process Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which are management systems that allow information to be gathered from all departments to provide management reports on company health and progress. Many businesses are using these systems to identify new markets and improve workflows to aid rapid business growth. One service that focuses on process automation is document management software, which is designed to speed up critical decision making by ensuring all company data is accessible and actionable. The most successful businesses respond to changing markets by identifying new trends, while those that rely on traditional monthly management accounts are left behind.

NO BUSINESS IS TOO SMALL TO

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Rockstar continues to stir up controversy with its wildly popular car theft game, Grand Theft Auto 5, so much in fact that some retailers

have started to ban the game from being sold in their stores.

In early December Target announced that its Australian stores would be removing the game from its shelves due to the many depictions of violence against women.

“We’ve been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game, and there is a significant level of concern about the game’s content,” stated Jim Cooper, Target General Manager of Corporate Affairs. “We’ve also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game, and we respect their perspective on the issue. However, we feel the decision to stop selling GTA5 is in line with the majority view of our customers.”

The retail giant noted via press release that other R-rated games and movies will continue to be sold in the store due to the fact that the company believes “they are appropriate products for us to sell to adult customers,” even though they may contain graphic images and offensive material as well.

“In the case of GTA 5, we have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell,” added Cooper.

This ban stemmed from a Change.org petition in which three women, all victims of some sort of violence, called for the game to be removed from shelves due to the games strong displayed message of violence, killing, and sexual assault against women.

“It’s a game that encourages players to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed to get ‘health’ points- and now Target are stocking it and promoting it for your Xmas stocking,” reads the petition.

“Games like this are grooming yet another generating of boys to tolerate violence against women. It is fueling the epidemic of violence experienced by so many girls and women in Australia- and globally.”

In response to Targets compliance with the ban and its customer feedback, GTA publisher Take-Two

Interactive President Karl Slatoff spoke out, stated that the decision violates freedom of expression and a poor decision on Targets part.

“It’s one thing for a person to not want to buy a piece of content, which is completely understandable. And that’s really the solution. If you don’t like it, if it’s offensive to you, then you don’t buy it,” expressed Slatoff during a BMO Capital Markets Technology and Digital Media conference. “But for a person or a group of people to try to make that decision for millions of people… If these folks had their way, none of those people would be able to buy Grand Theft Auto.”

He added that the decision “just flies in the face of everything that free society’s based on. It’s the freedom of expression, and to try to quelch that is a very dangerous and slippery slope to go down. So it’s really more disappointing for us in that regard than it is in the context of our business. Our business is going to be completely unaffected by this. It doesn’t make a difference to us. At the end of the day, though, it’s not something that you want because it’s just a poor leadership decision.”

Kmart also followed in Targets footsteps by removing the game from its Australian stores as well. A Kmart spokesperson commented on the matter to Kotaku Australia, telling the site that after a “significant review of all content in Grand Theft Auto Games” the company decided to remove it from its stores.

“Kmart apologizes for not being closer to the content of this game,” said the spokesperson.

The women who created the petition expressed their joy of the news, calling it a huge win for women.

“This is a huge win. For years, games like Grand Theft Auto have got away with this in-game misogyny and sexual violence… You’ve helped send a message to family retailers and brands that their customers have had enough, and they’ve started listening,” wrote the women.

The petition currently has over 48,000 signatures.

This isn’t the first time any of the games in the GTA franchise have been banned from a country. Numerous countries such as Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Thailand previously or have banned the game due to its violence, sexual themes, and presence of cruelty.

GTA V Gets Banned From Australian Target and Kmart

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GTA V Gets Banned From Australian Target and Kmart

Got an accountability problem at your organization? There are two main ways to tackle it. First, you need to forestall excuse-generating problems upfront by creating conditions that make it more likely people will follow through. Second, you need to help and encourage people to take responsibility after mistakes have already been made—without making them feel worse than they already do.

Here, excerpted from Rick Lepsinger's Closing the Execution Gap, are a few before and after accountability boosting suggestions to help keep you, your team, and your projects on track:

Before-the-Fact Accountability Booster: Set People Up for Success The best way to manage accountability is to ensure that people follow through in the first place. Three techniques can help you dramatically increase the chances that people will follow through and keep their commitments: 1) clarifying actions and expectations, 2) agreeing on due dates for deliverables, and 3) establishing checkpoints. The acronym ATC can help you remember the techniques.

Action. This is the starting point for both setting people up for success and being able to hold them accountable after the fact, so it is critical to get it right. This is where you clarify expectations (what "good looks like") and identify who is accountable for which parts of the work. Regardless of how good an idea someone has or how sincere his intentions, nothing happens until someone commits to taking some action to produce a specific deliverable.

Timetable. Just as important as clarifying actions and expectations, establishing an agreed upon due date is critical to ensuring everyone is on the same page. Due dates like "as soon as possible" and "by next week" lay the foundation for misunderstandings, because your "as soon as possible" may not be anywhere near theirs. (Does "by next week" mean before next week? Does it mean Monday of next week or Friday of next week?) In addition, commitments that don't have a time frame frequently do not get attention and usually fall by the wayside.

Checkpoints. One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting to check in until the action or deliverable is due. Although the pitfall seems obvious—waiting until the due date to check in does not leave time for problem solving—it is surprising how many people stumble into it. One explanation leaders offer for this self-defeating behavior is that they're afraid of communicating a lack of trust in the other person's ability—or of being labeled a micro-manager.

The simple, yet powerful, solution is to establish periodic progress checkpoints before the due date. The frequency of the checkpoints will depend on the difficulty of the task and the experience of the person. This technique simultaneously solves both problems: the implied lack of trust and the micro-managing.

Agreeing on checkpoints with the other person makes follow-up and progress checks a shared and mutually endorsed activity. The check-ins are now part of project management, and they also provide opportunities for you to coach if there is a problem and recognize and reinforce behavior when things are going well.

In addition, because you've outlined the milestones you are comfortable with and built in time to get things back on track if you discover there is a problem, you don't have to give in to the temptation to make spontaneous or surprise visits or to call when you get nervous about whether the project is on track.

After-the-Fact Accountability Booster: Three Accountability Questions Sure, prevention is better than an after-the-fact remedy. But in the real world, people will drop the ball from time to time. Rather than berating a person for her failure to deliver results, reinforce her accountability and focus on problem solving.

Three questions will encourage the person to think about how she contributed to the current situation, what she can do to get things back on track, and what she can do to prevent it from happening again. In addition to asking these questions directly yourself (which might come across as accusatory), you should coach the person to pose them to herself as a way to manage her own accountability. The three questions are: Present: "What can I do now to get on track?"Future: "What can I do to prevent this problem from happening again in the future?"Past: "What could I have done to prevent the problem? What, if anything, did I do that might have possibly contributed to the problem?" The first two questions are less likely to evoke a defensive response, but the third one might very well push that button. Be prepared to deal with defensive behaviors. One way to do so is to show empathy. Try something like: "I know you're as concerned as I am about this and I realize it's not the way you wanted things to turn out. This conversation is not about assigning blame. It's about solving the problem and ensuring that we keep it from happening again."

How to Boost Accountability at Your Organization By Richard Lepsinger

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Apple’s newest leather Smart Case offers quality protection and a sleek design for its newest iPad Air 2 tablet. The case can double as a stand for watching movies or face timing, can be folded back as a keyboard stand, and includes a sleep/ wake functionality that wakes the tablet when the case opens and puts it to sleep when the case is closed.

ProsApple’s new Smart Case for the iPad Air 2 is very stylish, yet offers great protection from damage and scratches. The thin, lightweight case provides great coverage without being bulky and heavy. The sleep/wake functionality makes for a handy feature when on the go.

ConsWhen folded back, the case serves as a stand, though does not have as many angles as previous versions. With its hefty price tag, the case is a little flimsier compared to other iPad cases on the market.

VerdictThe Smart Case does cost a little more than others on the market, though it is a good quality case. It is well worth it if you’re willing to shell out the $80, if not then there are plenty of other excellent cases for cheaper prices.

SpecsWeight: 6.3 ouncesMaterial: LeatherModel compatibility: iPad Air 2 onlyColors: Soft Pink, Midnight Blue, Olive Brown, Red, BlackWarranty: 1 yearPrice: $79

IPAD AIR 2 SMART CASE

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Google’s latest update for its Android mobile operating system, Lollipop, was unveiled during Google’s annual I/O developer conference in June. The update includes an array of improvements and features such as a new responsive user interface, new notification center, device sharing, improved audio and video, and a battery saver feature that extends battery time by up to 90 minutes, among many others. Lollipop was made available as an over the air update on November 12th.

ProGoogle adds a clean, beautiful new design with it Lollipop update. The Android experience is enhanced with many of the new features added, such as better notifications and its improved performance.

ConsGoogle excessive use of animations makes it a little too much to take in. Some aspects of the new user interface can be a bit confusing at times.

VerdictAndroid 5.0 Lollipop is one of Google�s best updates yet. The stunning design and many must have features make this one update you will want to have. Though there are still some kinks to be worked out, it is to be expected when a new OS is made available.

ANDROID 5.0 LOLLIPOP

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