As Google continues the great merger between its Duo and Meet video communications apps, the company today announced that it’s introducing new Apple SharePlay-like live-sharing features to Meet, making it easier for call-participants to engage with content together in real time.
It’s worth noting that Google already introduced some live-sharing features (eg watching YouTube videos together) to Duo back in February, and now it’s bringing them to Meet as the part of the merger.
The live-sharing feature will let users watch YouTube videos together, for example, and listen to songs on Spotify or play games such as Heads Up!, UNO! Mobile or Kahoot!
These new features will be available under a new Activities tab — which also hosts Q&A and polls options — and is accessible through the three-dot menu. From there, users can start a shared activity — for instance, if they want to listen to a Spotify track together, they would tap on the Spotify icon and Meet redirects them to the Spotify app where they can join a group session. Notably, the group session feature is only available for Spotify Premium customers, with support for two to five participants.
Last week, Google took the next step of merging both video calling apps by updating the icon for Duo and renaming it Google Meet. As for Google Meet, it will now be called “Google Meet (original),” with a green icon — yes, it’s all very confusing. The tech giant has been adding other new features to Meet, too, such as instant and schedule meeting options, in-meeting chat and virtual backgrounds.
While these latest updates work well for Meet calls across different platforms, consumers embedded in Apple’s ecosystem will already be familiar with this type of social content consumption through SharePlay, which works across a broader array of apps such as Apple TV+, TikTok, Disney+, Hulu , HBO Max, NBA, Twitch, TikTok, MasterClass, ESPN+, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Music.
FIFA has made a controversial decision to start the Men’s World Cup a day earlier than planned to give the host nation, Qatar, a prime-time kick-off.
Qatar will now play Ecuador on November 20, 24 hours earlier than initially planned.
While the host nation has played the first match of the World Cup since 2006, it’s still unclear why Qatar’s first game was not originally scheduled as the tournament opener.
From Qatar’s successful 2010 bid to hold the World Cup to the month-long tournament, there was already plenty of controversy around this year’s event.
What changes have been made?
Qatar will play Ecuador on November 20, at 7pm local time (2am AEST, 3am AEDT)
The Netherlands and Senegal had been scheduled to play the first game, on Monday, November 21. This match now moves to the 7pm Monday slot vacated by Qatar vs Ecuador.
‘A huge problem’
Sponsors could have their plans disrupted, according to Ricardo Fort, a former marketing executive with World Cup top-tier backers Coca-Cola and Visa, who described the late date change as “a huge problem”.
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“[The sponsors] invited and confirmed hospitality guests, booked flights and hotels, and contracted with all the necessary logistics. Imagine changing it all? “Fort wrote on his Twitter account of him.
Qatar’s controversial winning bid
The Persian Gulf nation was plagued by corruption and bribery allegations when it won the right to host the event in 2010.
In the decade since, Qatar has spent billions building seven stadiums and vast infrastructure to host the event.
Human rights groups have highlighted the slum living conditions and even deaths of migrant workers during the construction of stadiums.
Last year, it was reported that more than 6,500 migrant workers had died in Qatar since it won the rights to host the World Cup.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. A report by Norwegian Broadcaster showed three of the 69 hotels on FIFA’s official list of recommended accommodations would deny entry to same-sex couples, despite FIFA promises of delivering an inclusive experience that is welcoming and safe to all.
Isn’t the world cup in June-July?
yeah. Qatar committed to stay on soccer’s normal calendar and promised innovative stadium-cooling technology when it bid for hosting rights.
Temperatures routinely hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the June-July period in Qatar.
However, in 2015, FIFA eventually concluded that a June World Cup in scorching temperatures might not wise for players or fans.
This meant the league games had to change too
So, to escape the desert heat, the tournament was moved into the cooler months of November and December, ultimately screwing up the global football calendar for leagues everywhere.
When FIFA accepted the inevitable need to delay until Qatar’s cooler months, a tough negotiation with European leagues and clubs led to an agreement for a shorter, 28-day program to minimize disruption for domestic soccer.
European leagues — such as England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A — will play until the weekend of November 12-13, just seven days before the new opening game date.
However, it’s not just European competitions that are pausing. The A-Leagues in Australia will also be on hiatus during the World Cup
World Cup stadium stands could be alcohol-free
Qatar’s World Cup stadium stands are set to be alcohol-free, with beer sales outside arenas only allowed before and after some matches.
An estimated 1.2 million soccer fans — many of whom are used to drinking beer without limits on match day — are expected to attend the November tournament.
While public drinking is illegal in Qatar, World Cup organizers plan to create specific “zones” and curfews for traveling fans.
When will Australia play in the World Cup?
The Socceroos’ first match will be against France on Wednesday, November 23.
The Men’s World Cup opening game on Sunday evening should play well with viewers in Asia and Europe time zones.
While the final Men’s World Cup game is scheduled on Sunday December 18.
A whistleblower suing Hillsong in the Federal Court has alleged the megachurch moved millions of dollars in payments through overseas entities to avoid scrutiny by the Australian charities regulator.
Key points:
Former Hillsong employee Natalie Moses has filed a case against Hillsong, claiming it breached the Fair Work Act
She alleges her internal audits of Hillsong uncovered dubious bookkeeping unlikely to be compliant with legislation
Hillsong’s lawyers told the ABC it will be defending the matter
ABC Investigations can reveal the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) launched an investigation into Hillsong in March, which is examining its compliance obligations as a registered charity.
The existence of the ACNC probe was revealed in Federal Court documents lodged by former Hillsong employee Natalie Moses on Wednesday as part of a Fair Work case against the church.
The documents allege dubious financial record-keeping, the misappropriation of church finances, and claim Hillsong leaders used tax-free money for “large cash gifts” to Hillsong founder Brian Houston and his family.
The 25-page statement of claim filed by Ms Moses’s lawyers at Maurice Blackburn includes accusations Hillsong illegally hid its international transfers by making payments through its US-based entities.
Hillsong Church is yet to file a response in the Federal Court and Ms Moses is the sole source of the allegations in her statement of claim.
The church’s lawyers told the ABC it will defend the matter.
“We are further instructed that Hillsong is continuing to work with the inquiries made by the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission,” they said.
“As the matter is now before the Federal Court of Australia, it is inappropriate to make any further comment.”
Ms Moses, who worked within the church’s financial department, claimed the Australian leadership team suspended her employment after she refused a directive to deceive regulators about its overseas activities.
Natalie Moses was employed by Hillsong for more than two years.(Supplied)
Her lawyers argue Hillsong contravened the Fair Work Act, claiming it breached its own whistleblower policy by preventing her from raising serious complaints about the church’s financial operations.
“There are very serious allegations that our client makes about Hillsong effectively misleading an investigation [by] the ACNC,” Josh Bornstein, who is representing Ms Moses in her employment law case, said.
“There are concerns that Australian taxpayers are being ripped off by Hillsong.
“On top of that, [the allegations] also raise moral and ethical issues about the conduct of a religious institution and what appears to be a cowboy culture operating within that empire.”
Hillsong’s global empire includes campuses, ministries, and musicians across six continents.(Facebook: Hillsong)
Court documents allege internal audits conducted by Ms Moses uncovered dubious bookkeeping unlikely to be compliant with legislation and which would bring the church into disrepute if those details were ever made public.
She claims this included leaders making “significant” gifts to church directors and their family and friends, as well as using credit cards to pay for international travel and designer products.
Hillsong was misleading donors, whistleblower alleges
Ms Moses was employed as the church’s fundraising and governance coordinator on March 25, 2020.
Her responsibilities included ensuring the “Hillsong Global Corporate Group” — entities overseeing religious and business activities across Australia, the US and the UK — were compliant under the Australian Charities Not-for-Profit (ACNFP) Act.
She alleged in her statement of claim the church repeatedly breached charity rules, particularly in regard to transferring money to fund overseas projects.
Hillsong’s chief financial officer Peter Ridley.(Linkedin: Supplied )
Many Australian Hillsong entities are prohibited from doing this because the money would no longer be subject to local oversight designed to ensure the funds are appropriately spent on charitable services.
Ms Moses claimed she regularly raised concerns with chief financial officer Peter Ridley about how Hillsong should manage its financial operations.
The statement of claim suggested the two were often at loggerheads about the church’s compliance obligations.
During a telephone call in early March 2022, Ms Moses alleges she raised the alarm about Australian Hillsong entities asking for donations to renovate Melbourne’s iconic “Festival Hall”, which was purchased by a Hillsong-related entity in 2020.
She allegedly warned Mr Ridley the church may be committing fraud and misleading its followers by spending money it was falsely claiming it was tax deductible.
Hillsong Church was receiving donations to renovate the iconic Festival Hall in Melbourne.(Supplied: Ruel/Michelle Grace Hunder)
She also complained it was unethical and illegal for the church to use tax-deductible donations given to its charity arm, the Hillsong Foundation Trust, in 2022 to cover the church’s $9 million deficit.
The Hillsong Foundation Trust’s stated mission is “to bring care and justice to vulnerable groups in the name of Jesus.”
Ms Moses alleges during the telephone call Mr Ridley “became angry and dismissive and said he just did not understand what Ms Moses’ problem was”.
‘God protects the righteous’
Less than a month after the Festival Hall conversation, the ACNC commenced an investigation into four Australian Hillsong entities to determine if the church was complying with its legal obligations.
At about the same time, Ms Moses was tasked with preparing internal responses to the ACNC investigation.
It was during a March 29, 2022 meeting that Mr Ridley allegedly told key members of the financial department that the charity regulator was putting Hillsong under the microscope.
The statement of claim said the chief financial officer declared in this meeting that God would shield Hillsong during the probe because “God protects the righteous and Hillsong is the righteous.”
Ms Moses said it was after this March 29 meeting that she approached the ACNC anonymously about making a whistleblower inquiry and was advised to obtain independent legal advice.
Brian and Bobbie Houston established Hillsong in 1983 in Sydney’s north-west. (Facebook: Hillsong )
It is alleged that in this meeting Mr Ridley instructed Hillsong’s financial controller to not proceed with a pending cash payment representing five per cent of the megachurch’s income, but instead offset it against money owing.
“The consequence was that there was no record of any cash payment from Hillsong Church to the United States of America,” the statement of claim reads.
Ms Moses also alleged Mr Ridley directed the finance department to reverse a payment owed to a pastor responsible for Hillsong Tokyo as a “transaction error” and instead make the same payment from the US-based Hillsong Global entity.
An ACNC spokesperson said it was “unable to comment or confirm on compliance activity unless it is already in the public domain, or if we take action against a charity”.
“Such action includes issuing warnings and directions, suspending or removing responsible persons, and ultimately, revoking charity registration,” the spokesperson told the ABC.
Ms Moses claimed she ultimately decided against lodging a whistleblower inquiry because she hoped the ACNC’s investigation would force the church to rectify its compliance issues.
However, she continued to keep records and copies of her conversations with Mr Ridley. Her lawyers say she is prepared to produce them in court if necessary.
‘Lying could bite him in the butt’
According to the statement of claim, Ms Moses’s internal audit of the church’s finances uncovered questionable expenditures as well as a need for church leaders to better declare conflicts of interest.
She also alleges artists who were classified as “pastors” were receiving half their salaries tax-free, while also earning millions of dollars in royalties from the sale of music.
Maurice Blackburn lawyer Josh Bornstein is representing Ms Moses in her employment case against Hillsong Church.(ABC News: Sean Warren)
On May 30, 2022, Mr Ridley allegedly told ACNC investigators that Hillsong did not send money overseas beyond small service purchases and that its US operations were disassociated from its Australian entities.
Ms Moses claimed she told the chief financial officer he had lied to the regulator and warned the ACNC could easily disprove him by obtaining board documents or making the connection that Australian staff were managing its US entities.
“Ridley’s lying could bite him in the butt,” the statement of claim reads.
That same month, it is alleged Mr Ridley asked Ms Moses ahead of a meeting with the ACNC to help come up with an acceptable story to give them that would explain transactions between Hillsong’s global entities, which had previously concerned the regulator.
“Ms Moses said she was not comfortable coming up with lies to tell the ACNC,” her claim reads.
Court documents state the relationship between Ms Moses and Hillsong collapsed about June 10, when she discovered she had lost access to her company emails and share files.
On June 14, she said Hillsong advised her that she was suspended.
The statement of claim said Hillsong expressed concern that Ms Moses had downloaded some 40,000 confidential work documents, something Ms Moses claims was necessary to her daily duties.
Court documents state the next day, on June 15, Hillsong staff were informed Ms Moses was taking personal leave.
Ms Moses alleges she was emailed about 24 hours later by a Hillsong human resources representative who threatened to contact the police if she did not return another laptop issued to her.
The case brought by Ms Moses is expected to be heard in the Federal Court later this year.
A Sydneysider returned home to an unexpected – and most definitely unwanted – delivery service on Thursday night.
In a photo posted to a Sydney Reddit forum, an Aramex delivery van appears to be bogged in a homeowner’s front yard, damaging their lawn.
Tire tracks suggest the driver was attempting to use the lawn to do a three-point turn.
But when the vehicle was put in reverse, the wheels looked.
“Delivery driver is stuck in my front yard. They weren’t even delivering to my place – tried to use my lawn to turn around,” the caption accompanying the post read.
While the homeowner is unaware of how long the van was in their yard prior to them returning home, it wasn’t until four hours after the original post that the Aramex franchise owner attempted to free the van.
“The owner came and they have dug a bunch of bigger holes, but still can’t get the van out,” the homeowner posted.
The attempt to remove the van shocked one viewer of the post, who suggested an alternative method to removing the vehicle.
“Please tell me I have let the pressure out of the tires and tried that before digging into your grass,” they said. “It makes the tires wider and distributes the weight.”
However, attempts to remove the van didn’t stop there, with the homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, telling news.com.au that further damage was done when the company attempted to use a second vehicle and some wooden planks to tow the they go out
As for whether Aramex will reimburse for the damages, the homeowner said the delivery service owner told them that their insurance doesn’t cover a “driver driving where they are not supposed to”.
The franchise owner instead left the homeowner his phone number and offered to pay for the damages out of his own pocket.
The van remains at the property. The homeowner hopes it will be removed on Friday.
The post has attracted almost 100 comments, as Reddit users tell of their own trying encounters with Aramex – a global delivery brand with a website that says it has “29 regional franchises and over 900 franchise partners” across Australia.
News.com.au has contacted the company for comment.
One commenter said: “(They) left my parcels, multiple times, on the front door of an apartment complex in a busy area, without even bothering to ring the doorbell.
“I only realized it was delivered when I went to check the website… By then it had been left outside for half a day. It was stolen of course.”
Another said: “Every time I end up with an Aramex parcel it goes missing.”
While a third posted: “Seen facility footage of their drivers treating parcels like actual garbage.”
Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun announced the company’s CyberOne humanoid robot at its launch event in Beijing on August 11th. The debut is ahead of Tesla’s AI Day which many are anticipating a working Optimus Bot prototype. It will be interesting to see the two robots side by side.
According to Xiaomi, the CyberOne robot has arms, and legs, supports bi-pedal motion posture balancing, and reaches peak torque of up to 300 Newton meters (Nm). It can detect human emotions, has advanced vision capabilities, and can create a three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the real world.
Jun spoke about the robot’s AI and mechanical capabilities being self-developed by the lab.
“CyberOne’s AI and mechanical capabilities are all self-developed by Xiaomi Robotics Lab. We have invested heavily in R&D spanning various areas, including software, hardware, and algorithms innovation.”
“With AI at its core and a full-size humanoid frame as its vessel, this is an exploration of possibilities of Xiaomi’s future technological ecosystem and a new breakthrough for the company.”
In the video below, Jun debuses the robot taking small quick steps as it walks on stage handing the CEO a flower. The robot commented that Jun was taller than he thought and said the flower was for him. In the demonstration, the robot said that it had just learned to walk but that its lower body is still not stable. Although, it is also learning Kung Fu.
Will Xiaomi CyberOne Compete With Optimus?
Some have speculated that Xiaomi unveiled the CyberOne to compete with Tesla’s Optimus Bot. It’s most likely true given the timeframe of CyberOne’s debut. And it’s not surprising that there will be competitors.
Although Tesla hasn’t unveiled a working prototype of the Optimus Bot just yet, Elon Musk announced that AI Day was moved to September 30th with the hopes that Tesla would have one by then.
Elon Musk has said many times that the Optimus Bot was one of the most important products Tesla was developing. During the Q4 2021 Tesla earnings call, Elon said,
“So, in terms of priority of products, I think actually the most important product development we’re doing this year is actually the Optimus humanoid robot. This, I think has the potential to be more significant than the vehicle business over time.”
“If you think about the economy, it is—the foundation of the economy is labor. Capital equipment is distilled labor. So, what happens if you don’t actually have a labor shortage? I’m not sure what an economy even means at that point. That’s what Optimus is about. So, very important.”
As we have seen with Tesla’s vehicles, I’m looking forward to the day when we can compare the Tesla Optimus Bot and the Xiaomi CyberOne robot.
Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at [email protected]. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1
You might have heard the news already. Almost 14 years after he first created CyclingTips, our founder, Wade Wallace, is leaving.
While Wade is playing down the significance of his departure and what it will mean for CyclingTips, this is a seismic occasion for the site and for all of us that work here. We hope you’ll indulge us for a few moments as we reflect on Wade’s legacy of him.
For those that aren’t familiar with CyclingTips’s origin story here’s the abridged version. After moving from Canada to Australia for an engineering job back in the 2000s, Wade created a blog as a way of sharing all the riding knowledge he’d picked up over the years. He ran that CyclingTips blog from his kitchen table from September 2008 through to early 2013, writing almost all of the content himself, while also working to build the business.
For those of us who have been fans of CyclingTips since the beginning, those early days are some of the most memorable in the site’s history. Every day we hung out for Wade’s short but insightful riding tips (here’s the very first post he wrote), or to follow along with his latest cycling adventure, or to be educated or inspired by the guest authors he pulled into the fold (one such post played a formative role in the creation of Everesting).
In early 2013, Wade took the plunge and moved CyclingTips from his kitchen table to a small one-room office in inner-eastern Melbourne. He started hiring his first employees from him, and before too long that small office was too small for the whole team.
As CyclingTips continued to grow and started bringing in staff from around the world, Wade continued to forge an ambitious path forward for the site, helping us to adapt to the changing media landscape along the way. He invested heavily in greater coverage of women’s cycling (first through Ella CyclingTips, which then morphed into increased coverage of women’s cycling under the CyclingTips banner), and guided us through several periods of change as we were acquired by BikeExchange, and then Pinkbike, and more recently, Outside.
In concert with Andy van Bergen, Wade built the membership program we now know and love as VeloClub, which has helped the site pivot away from an exclusively advertiser-funded model, to a membership-backed site, ensuring the longevity of everything we do.
It’s been years now since Wade wrote for CyclingTips on a regular basis. And while Caley Fretz leads our editorial efforts today (and Neal Rogers did before him), Wade’s always been there in the background, making little tweaks here and there to ensure we’re always on the right path. To ensure CyclingTips is being the best it can be.
CyclingTips has clearly evolved a lot since 2008. We don’t write nearly as many tips as Wade once did, we focus a lot more on professional racing than Wade ever did, and these days CyclingTips is much more than a one-person blog. But those early articles from Wade, written for a primarily Melbourne-based audience, set the tone for what CyclingTips would become.
At the heart of it all, underpinning everything, is a love and passion for our great sport. It was there when Wade first started blogging back in 2008, and it’s still here today, guiding everything we do. There’s a reason our tagline is “The Beauty of Cycling”.
In the end, it’s pretty simple: CyclingTips wouldn’t exist were it not for Wade. But it’s also hard to overstate the impact he’s had since, both on the site itself and for all of us that have worked with and for him. In truth, the words here do little to convey the magnitude of the role he’s played and what his departure from him will mean to us all.
We’ll miss his positive energy, his vision for a better future, and his ever-supportive and encouraging nature.
So, Wade, thank you for everything you’ve done for the CyclingTips family, for the site, and for everyone that’s read CyclingTips at one time or another. All the time, energy, and care you’ve put in are appreciated more than you know.
An Australian-born high court justice continues to be held in immigration detention in Kiribati, despite an order from the country’s court of appeal on Friday morning ordering his release.
David Lambourne, who serves on the high court of Kiribati and is a long-time resident of the country, was detained on Thursday after a failed attempt by the Kiribati government to deport him, contrary to court orders.
The appeals court of Kiribati ordered Lambourne be released pending a further hearing next week, but the judge remained in a motel in the capital, Tarawa, with a police officer stationed outside the entrance. Lambourne’s passport has also been seized.
‘It’s a very sad day for the constitution in Kiribati’: Australian-born judge detained – video
Speaking to the Guardian at the airport in Tarawa on Thursday as officers attempted to detain him, Lambourne called the actions “an unlawful order to remove me in defiance of the order of the court of appeal”.
“It is a very sad day for the constitution in Kiribati,” he said.
Lambourne told ABC TV on Friday he believed the attempt to deport him was politically motivated; Lambourne’s wife, Tessie, is the opposition leader.
The ongoing separation-of-powers saga, which in recent months has seen the government suspend both Lambourne and the chief justice, New Zealand judge William Hastings, exploded on Thursday morning when police attended Lambourne’s home with a deportation order.
An urgent hearing by the appeal court, consisting of three retired New Zealand judges, saw the Kiribati authorities ordered not to proceed with the deportation.
Immigration officials nonetheless attempted to forcibly place Lambourne on a Fiji Airways flight on Thursday afternoon. After a dramatic standoff – which saw the flight captain refuse to allow authorities to board Lambourne, following which the flight was denied permission to take off – the judge was detained and taken to nearby accommodation. The plane eventually departed.
The court reconvened on Friday morning to consider an urgent application for Lambourne’s release. The court ordered his release from him and barred the government from making further attempts to deport him, pending further litigation.
The court condemned efforts to deport Lambourne. “Their efforts were unsuccessful but appear to have been in clear breach of our order which we understand had been shown to them by a court officer,” the judgment said. “Such behavior is unacceptable and risks putting… the persons directly concerned in contempt of court. It must cease.”
Dr Tess Newton Cain, senior research fellow and project lead for the Pacific Hub at Griffith University’s Asia Institute, expressed concern about the latest developments. “The fact that the government was prepared yesterday to deport David Lambourne in contravention of an order from the court of appeal is a huge red flag when it comes to the rule of law in Kiribati,” she said.
In a statement on his Facebook page, the office of the Kiribati president said: “The Government of Kiribati abides by the laws and the constitution of Kiribati and has a higher duty to protect the interest of the people of Kiribati. It is disheartening to see neocolonial weaponizing forces the laws that have been enacted to protect a Kiribati person to pursue their own interest and suppress the will of the people.”
With Lambourne and Hastings suspended, and the commission of two court of appeal judges shortly expiring, Kiribati is on the verge of having no functional judiciary.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Guardian it was monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance to Lambourne.
“The broader issues between the government of Kiribati and its judiciary are matters for the government of Kiribati to resolve, consistent with its constitutional and legal processes,” said the spokesperson.
Australia and New Zealand are Kiribati’s primary development partners, although Chinese influence in the country has been growing since Kiribati withdrew its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in 2019.
“So price falls would be deeper, but we may get to the bottom faster. I was originally thinking the top to bottom falls could drag out into 2024, but it now looks like it could be as short as 12 months.”
Dr Oliver said there were already tentative signs, such as slower consumer spending, that the aggressive rate rises appeared to be getting traction earlier than normal in a tightening cycle.
AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver. Jim Rice
“The accelerating pace of home price declines would further depress consumer spending via negative wealth effects,” he said.
“This could prompt the RBA to cap rates around 2.6 per cent later this year or early next year and start cutting by late 2023.”
The downturn in house prices accelerated last month. National values fell 2 per cent over three months, which is comparable to what happened in the 2008 global financial crisis and the recessions of the early 1980s and ’90s. Sydney fell by 4.7 per cent over the period, and Melbourne dropped by 3.2 per cent.
“The fall in home prices this cycle could well see some cities – notably Sydney and Melbourne – reverse all or much of the boom in prices since their 2020 pandemic low, which will likely see a rise in negative equity for recent low-deposit buyers, Dr Oliver said.
Sydney housing values peaked in mid-February, based on CoreLogic’s daily home value index (HVI), and have since fallen by 5.9 per cent, a much faster rate of decline than in the previous 2017-2019 downturn.
Over the same number of days after the market peak in 2017, Sydney housing values were down only 2.9 per cent, CoreLogic data shows.
Fastest rate of decline
“Looking at the decline phases historically using monthly data, this is the fastest rate of decline over the first six months of a downturn since at least the early 1980s when CoreLogic’s HVI commences,” said Tim Lawless, CoreLogic’s research director.
“Sydney’s decline trend started off fairly mild. However, the May rate hike was a clear inflection point in the market, causing the pace of decline across Sydney home values to noticeably steepen and diverge from earlier decline trends.”
Similarly, in Melbourne, housing values fell more sharply, down 3.7 per cent from the market peak in early March, compared with a 1 per cent drop during the 2017-2019 downturn over the same number of days.
During the 2017 to 2019 downturn, Sydney house prices took 22 months from the peak to bottom out. It took another 22 months to post a nominal recovery, data from CoreLogic shows.
In the earlier downturn of 2010 and 2012, Sydney values took 16 months to find a floor and another 13 months to record a nominal recovery.
A home at Darlington in inner Sydney goes under the hamer last weekend. Rhett Wyman
Mr Lawless said similar to the pandemic upswing, which was relatively short but sharp, the downturn could be over quickly.
“It depends to a large extent on the trajectory of interest rates. With forecasts for the cash rate to stabilize either late this year or early next year, and potentially a reduction in interest rates through the second half of next year, we could see housing markets finding a floor and potentially recording a subtle rise as interest rates reduce. ,” he said.
“Considering higher interest rates have flowed through to weaker housing market conditions very quickly, we could see the reverse once rates start to fail. However, it really depends on how high rates go, and how the economy is faring after the surge in interest rates.
“If higher interest rates push the economy into reverse, it may take some time for momentum to shift.”
Rebound could be slower
Dr Oliver said the house price rebound this time could be slower because of persistently high inflation and interest rates.
“The long period of falling interest rates in the past 30 years had supercharged the upswings in the past, like waving a magic wand of interest rate cuts, which guaranteed a robust rebound each time, but we no longer have that tailwind because rates are rising again,” he said.
“The return of immigrants could increase demand and rising rents could attract more investors into the market, which may provide a bit of a burst once interest rates top out and start to fall again, but I suspect that the overwhelming influence will be interest rates.
“We’re unlikely to go back to record low interest rates and therefore the recovery may be a more gradual one compared to, say, the last 30 or 40 years, and may take longer than 20 months before prices reach a new high. I think we’ll probably go through a couple of years where prices rise between 5 and 10 per cent.“
Despite the prospect of sharp price falls in the near term and slower growth over the long term, Sydney investor Deniz Sabuncuoglu remains upbeat.
“I’m one of those people who are bullish about the housing market,” he said. “We’re still planning to expand our portfolio. I understand the possibility of recession and rising inflation can scare a lot of people, especially first-time investors.
“For the medium to long term, I understand there may be some price fluctuations, but as long as rents are coming, we can pass the rate rise through rental increases.
“As long as we stick to our own fundamentals of buying affordable properties between $600,000 and $1.2 million in areas with strong growth prospects, we’re not worried about what’s happening with inflation, interest rates and the possibility of subdued growth.”
Flip phones are back, but not as we’ve ever known them. Photo: Supplied
This is branded content for Samsung
Samsung Electronics has today delighted fans with the announcement of their latest generation of premium, foldable smartphones and wearables within the Galaxy Series.
The latest additions to the Galaxy family includes a range of Galaxy Watches, buds and the highly anticipated smartphones, featuring the latest foldable technology.
The Galaxy Flip4 and Galaxy Fold4 have been long awaited by eager and curious consumers, and they challenge everything preconceived about the possibilities of hand-held tech.
The Galaxy Flip4 features an upgrade thanks to a larger screen and enhanced performance, all with the unrivaled portability and style that Samsung is renowned for.
Available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB and in four beautiful colours, including the iconic new Bora Purple, Pink Gold, Graphite and Blue, the Flip4 redefines the art of self-expression through a powerful design that slips right into your back pocket.
The Galaxy Flip4 retails from $1,499 and comes in either the base or Bespoke model, for a more personalized experience.
Its cousin in the Galaxy series, the Galaxy Fold4, pushes all limits in smartphone technology, pairing convenience with luxury where other manufacturers have compromised.
As one of Samsung’s most premium designs, the Z Fold4 provides the ultimate one-hand experience with a slim, reengineered hinge for the thinnest, lightest Galaxy Fold yet.
The Z Fold4 provides the ultimate one-hand experience with a slim, reengineered hinge for the thinnest, lightest Galaxy Fold yet. Photo: Supplied
The Galaxy Fold4 gives consumers the best of both worlds, with an extra large immersive screen to work with that folds in half, providing portability, and dual screen capabilities that allow for seamless integration between apps.
“The new Galaxy Z Series range is the generation of foldables that will see the category become mainstream. Adoption cues are steadily growing from the volume of foldable devices ‘in the wild’, increasing consumer online search trends, indication of purchase intent, app optimization and more,” said Garry McGregor, vice president of Mobile Experience division at Samsung Australia.
“We know there’s been a doubling in consideration for foldables among 18 to 45 year olds, and generation Z specifically showing a colossal 273% increase since last year.
“Without a doubt foldables have more than emerged, they’ve arrived and have a bright future.
“The foldables market is predicted to continue its rapid growth, more than doubling in 2023, and the fact Samsung Australia has maintained year-on-year pricing we see this being very much the case in this market,” said Mr McGregor.
The Galaxy Fold4 comes in Phantom Black, Beige or Greygreen and offers multiple memory options, with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB memory variants. The Galaxy Fold4 retails from $2,449, and both Z series smartphones are available for pre-order from August 11, 2022.
Samsung foldables are engineered to be strong, with Gorilla Glass Victus and aircraft-grade strength Armor Aluminum. Photo: Supplied.
But smartphones weren’t the only gadgets unveiled in the latest product lineup.
Samsung’s expanded Galaxy Watch 5 Series and Galaxy Buds2 Pro also made their Australian debut this week.
The Galaxy Watch5 Pro is a brand new addition to the range, with toughness and durability at its core. Made with the adventurous athlete in mind, it acts as the perfect sidekick to an active lifestyle. The Watch5 on the other hand, is a customizable addition to enhance everybody’s everyday life.
“We know there is a clear desire for an ecosystem of connected products. That is why we are especially excited for our latest additions to the Galaxy portfolio of wearables as well as the all new Watch5 Pro,” said Mr McGregor.
“They offer our customers supreme audio and improved health and well-being functionality – bringing the best of the best.
“It is a very exciting time for the category and with the full support from our partners, offering complete ranges of color skews, memory variants at the best value, we know our customers in Australia are going to love these new devices.”
Pre-orders for all devices begin on August 11, with on-sale launching on September 2. Retailers have various different pre-order offers, with fantastic savings to be made.
The Galaxy Z Series smartphones will be available from the Samsung eStore and Experience Stores, as well as all Samsung retail and telco partners.
For more information about the latest Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Z Series, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-z/
Matty Johns believes that South Sydney can “come from nowhere” to win the NRL premiership this season, but only if they address a potentially decisive part of their game.
South Sydney can move up to fifth on the ladder if they beat Parramatta in a crunch clash at CommBank Stadium on Friday night.
Both teams will be looking to keep their top four hopes alive with a win in the blockbuster, while the loser could risk dropping down the ladder.
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The Rabbitohs began their impressive run of form against Parramatta early last month, recording the first of four consecutive wins.
After wins over the struggling Newcastle Knights and Bulldogs, Souths made a statement with a 12-point win over the Melbourne Storm.
While they lost in golden point the week after against the Sharks, they bounced back with an emphatic win over the Warriors on the Sunshine Coast.
But not everyone is sold on their recent successes, with Matty Johns comparing the team to a “nice Sunday drive.”
“South Sydney, their recent performances remind me of someone taking a nice Sunday drive, and I mean that both in praise and criticism,” Johns said on SEN’s Morning Glory.
“Watching South Sydney, and I think it’s a bad practice, it’s something they’ve got to be really careful of, they’re lifting the intensity only when they think they need to.
“That’s a concern because intensity and focus and poise under pressure is not something you just reach for out of the kit bag and say ‘alright we’re gonna do it now’.
“Last week I was expecting a real statement game against the Warriors, and they delivered in the first-half. Their intent and their blueprint (on) how they played their best football was the evidence.
Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell has been in some sensational form for the Rabbitohs since returning from injury. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“But the second-half there was just no intensity in the contest… and I’m probably knit-picking a little bit because I do like to see coaches showing a range of emotions, but in that second-half when they were really wiping the floor with the Warriors, whenever they cut up to the coaches box the whole coaching staff were really pissing themselves laughing.
“That’s almost a little bit symbolic of where Souths are. It’s got to start tonight, they’ve got to start to lift and they’ve got to start to play with finals intensity football.”
Latrell Mitchell has been in sensational form for the Rabbitohs, after returning from an almost three month absence against the Eels.
Mitchell has had nine try assists since returning just over one month ago, as well as 33 tackle breaks and four tries.
While the Rabbitohs have largely reaped the rewards since he returned, although Johns issued the team with a warning.
“Latrell plays his best football when he’s relaxed. He’s come back from the States really relaxed, and his touch from him, the way he’s playing is just superb, but it does n’t mean that the rest of the side play their best relaxed, ”he added.
“At the moment there’s a reliance on ‘Trell will get it done’. When you’ve got players like Latrell Mitchell in your football side, they are the icing on the cake. They’re the one who can actually get it done for you.
“But you can’t rely on them. Even with Andrew Johns in our side, our forwards were tearing heads off, hitting the line that hard… If suddenly we went out there and say ‘Joey will get us home’, it just doesn’t happen.”
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Despite a tough run home, in which they play the Eels, Panthers, Cowboys and Roosters, Johns believes they can go all the way.
“The way they’re playing, that relaxed style, and the fact they’re playing within themselves and winning, well done to you boys. But they’re in a position, in my opinion, they can win this competition.
“They can come from nowhere and win this competition but they will not win it with the way they’re playing at the moment.
“It’s nothing about talent or anything like that, they’ve just got to develop, in the next few weeks, a really hard edge, and tonight’s a perfect opportunity.”
