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Entertainment

Kylie Jenner receives TONS of pink bouquets from beau Travis Scott for her 25th birthday

Anything for his girl! Travis Scott pulled out all the stops as he celebrated his baby mama Kylie Jenner's 25th birthday; Travis, Kylie and their daughter Stormi, four, seen in 2021

Kylie Jenner receives TONS of pink bouquets from beau Travis Scott in celebration of her 25th birthday

By Mark Mcgreal For Dailymail.Com

Published: | Updated:

Travis Scott pulled out all the stops as he celebrated his baby mama Kylie Jenner’s 25th birthday.

Taking to her Instagram Story, the makeup mogul revealed that the 31-year-old rapper had filled her Hidden Hills mansion with large floral bouquets.

Magic Moments by piano player Austin Farwell played over the clip that displayed the hundreds of pink, red and white petals.

Anything for his girl! Travis Scott pulled out all the stops as he celebrated his baby mama Kylie Jenner's 25th birthday; Travis, Kylie and their daughter Stormi, four, seen in 2021

Anything for his girl! Travis Scott pulled out all the stops as he celebrated his baby mama Kylie Jenner’s 25th birthday; Travis, Kylie and their daughter Stormi, four, seen in 2021

The bouquets were set up in such a way that they seemed to snake up the walls, suspended on nearly invisible platforms.

Kylie captioned the short clip with several emojis including two faces with watery eyes and a butterfly.

The Los Angeles native’s sisters were quick to show their support for the goosebumps rapper’s floral choices.

Wall-to-wall: Taking to her Instagram Story, the makeup mogul revealed that the 31-year-old rapper had filled her Hidden Hills mansion with large floral bouquets

Wall-to-wall: Taking to her Instagram Story, the makeup mogul revealed that the 31-year-old rapper had filled her Hidden Hills mansion with large floral bouquets

Magical: Magic Moments by piano player Austin Farwell played over the clip that displayed the hundreds of pink, red and white petals

Magical: Magic Moments by piano player Austin Farwell played over the clip that displayed the hundreds of pink, red and white petals

Spirals: The bouquets were set up in such a way that they seemed to snake up the walls, suspended on nearly invisible platforms

Spirals: The bouquets were set up in such a way that they seemed to snake up the walls, suspended on nearly invisible platforms

Emoji captions: Kylie captioned the short clip with several emojis including two faces with watery eyes and a butterfly

Emoji captions: Kylie captioned the short clip with several emojis including two faces with watery eyes and a butterfly

Kim Kardashian, 41, wrote: ‘So beautiful [flower bouquet emoji]’

Khloe Kardashian, 38, poked fun at the flowers she’d sent to her little sister as she commented: ‘Oh my! Well excuse my rinky dinky flowers that I sent [laughing face emoji]’

Jenner, her sisters and more guests celebrated her 25th birthday in style down in the Bahamas.

The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared some snaps from the elaborate affair, complete with fireworks, where she called herself ‘twenty fine.’

Just a peek: The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared some snaps from the elaborate affair, complete with fireworks, where she called herself 'twenty fine'

Just a peek: The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared some snaps from the elaborate affair, complete with fireworks, where she called herself ‘twenty fine’

Years together: Travis and Kylie first started dating back in 2017 after being spotted holding hands at Coachella (pictured May 2022)

Years together: Travis and Kylie first started dating back in 2017 after being spotted holding hands at Coachella (pictured May 2022)

Travis and Kylie first started dating back in 2017 after being spotted holding hands at Coachella.

News that Kylie was pregnant with their first child broke in September of that year. Stormi was born in February of 2018.

They stayed together for more than a year after their daughter’s birth before Kylie confirmed the pair had broken up in October 2019.

The lovebirds reportedly got back together during 2020, though they themselves remained cagey on the subject.

Travis and Kylie welcomed their second child earlier in the year. Though they initially announced that his name was Wolf, Kylie later took to Instagram to tell fans they were changing it.

Happy family: News that Kylie was pregnant with their first child broke in September of that year. Their first child, Stormi, was born in February of 2018 (pictured August 2022)

Happy family: News that Kylie was pregnant with their first child broke in September of that year. Their first child, Stormi, was born in February of 2018 (pictured August 2022)

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Sports

AFL: Showdown win in Adelaide last thing for Crows and Port to play for

AFL: Showdown win in Adelaide last thing for Crows and Port to play for

With Port Adelaide’s prison bar guernsey out of bounds, skipper Tom Jonas has declared he’ll be happy to beat Adelaide in whichever guernsey he’s given on Saturday night.

Club chairman David Koch has been fighting a losing battle to gain permission from Collingwood for Port’s players to don the fabled prison bars in their home Showdown at Adelaide Oval.

But winning, not his wardrobe, is on Jonas’s mind in a natch that matters no matter when it’s played in a two-team town, more so given the Crows won the first stoush in 2022.

“It would be nice to wear the prison bars, but that’s a decision that is well beyond me,” Jonas said on Monday.

“I’ll run out there and beat the Crows in whatever they want me to wear.

“Certainly, we were on the wrong end of it last time and we want to make amends for that, for sure.

“I don’t think there’s any such thing as a dead rubber when it comes to a Showdown. There’s a huge amount of pride on the line.

“Essentially, there’s bragging rights around the state and you can walk around with your chest puffed out.”

The clash of cross-town rivals could be Robbie Gray’s farewell match, with the five-time Showdown Medal winner mulling retirement.

The four-time All-Australian, who was rested for the 84-point thumping of Essendon, has played 15 games this season to take his career tally to 270 but has been hampered by persistent knee problems.

Jonas remains unsure which way the 34-year-old is leaning as he considers his future.

“Robbie is a very private person,” he said.

“He’ll make the decision that’s right for him at the right time.

“I’m sure that he’s consulting all of the people that are important in his life.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s an absolute champion of our club … he’ll do what’s right for him and the club at the right time.”

The Power bounced back into form in emphatic fashion against the Bombers, with the lopsided victory at Marvel Stadium snapping a four-game losing streak that dashed finals hopes.

While pleased with the performance, many fans will be left asking why Port was unable to perform at the same high standard more consistently in a season that started with premiership aspirations.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Jonas said.

“We’ve played some really quality sides in the last four to six weeks and Essendon are probably at a similar point in their season where you’ve got to find motivation and I think we had a great purpose and that made a huge difference.

“We got a good run on and played some exciting footy.

“Why we haven’t been able to do that consistently is the question we’ll be asking ourselves over the pre-season.”

The 52nd meeting of Adelaide’s AFL rivals will bring both clubs’ seasons to a close, but there is no shortage of motivation for each side despite the lack of a finals angle.

The Crows, who will take the momentum of a three-game winning run into the clash, famously claimed Showdown bragging rights earlier this season when Jordan Dawson kicked the winner after the siren.

Read related topics:Adelaide

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Categories
Australia

Coronial inquest into three Indigenous women’s deaths linked to rheumatic heart disease in Doomadgee continues in Cairns

Alec Doomadgee and Weenie George outside Cairns Courthouse after giving evidence at Rheumatic Heart Disease inquest

A coronial inquest examining the deaths of three Indigenous women in the north-western Queensland town of Doomadgee has begun its next stage in Cairns today, with family members saying “systematic, ingrained racism” was a contributing factor.

The three young women, whose families requested they be referred to as Kaya, Ms Sandy and Betty, died in 2019 and 2020 from complications associated with rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

The inquest was triggered after an ABC Four Corners program revealed the women died after being sent away from the Doomadgee Hospital.

Last month the inquest began in Doomadgee, where family members told the court the women were not properly examined and said the town needed more doctors who live long-term in the community.

During questioning, Counsel Assisting the Coroner, Melina Zerner, told the court that between August 2021 and 2022, only 4 per cent of RHD patients in Doomadgee were receiving all of their prescribed injections.

Kaya’s mother, Weenie George described the years her daughter lived with RHD, and the painful injections she endured.

She told the court Kaya regularly took her medication and brought it with her when she went to boarding school and on a holiday to the Northern Territory, just before she became ill.

Ms George described first seeing her daughter in the NT, after several weeks being stuck because of border closures.

“She wasn’t looking good at all… swollen, short of breath,” she said.

Alec Doomadgee, who was a father figure to Kaya, said she was very responsible with her health and he was sure systemic racism played a part in the women’s deaths.

He said when he spoke to Kaya in June 2020, after she had visited her boyfriend in the NT, he could tell something was wrong.

“She said: ‘I’m not well Dad’.”

‘I had faith in the system’

He said after being discharged from Alice Springs Hospital, Kaya was taken to a clinic in Doomadgee.

“I thought they’d fly her out… I was pretty comfortable, I had faith in the system,” he said.

Mr Doomadgee became choked up and wept while describing the following weeks where he said he had to fight for Kaya to be transported to Mt Isa, Townsville and then Brisbane hospitals, where she underwent several surgeries but never recovered.

He said he’d like to see a “guardian angel” system established in health systems, where someone independent from the health service could advocate for Indigenous patients.

He said this could help address the imbalance of power inherent in health systems, especially in Indigenous communities.

“It’s systemic, ingrained racism that our country is built on… white people are the authority figures in the community,” he said.

The former acting manager of the RHD register, and registered nurse Kylie McKenna, told the court diagnosis and treatment were both challenging in Indigenous communities.

Nurse Kylie McKenna leave court after giving evidence at the Rheumatic Heart Disease inquest
Nurse Kylie McKenna gave evidence about the difficulty of getting people in Indigenous communities treatment for rheumatic heart disease.(ABC News: Brendan Mounter)

She said while there were clear guidelines to diagnose RHD, symptoms weren’t uniform, and some tests could only be done when the person was symptomatic.

“It’s a lot of criteria to be met… a lot [of cases] are probable or possible,” she said.

Ms McKenna also described the pain and burden of the only available treatments for RHD: monthly bicillin injections or twice daily oral penicillin — both could be given for a minimum of five years or for a person’s entire life if required.

She said injections were the most common form of treatment but could be extremely uncomfortable.

“It’s like getting toothpaste administered through a very large needle,” she said.

Ms McKenna said it was crucial for staff to be well trained and known in the community to make sure treatments were administered regularly.

“You need people who understand it’s a painful injection,” she said.

She said staff also needed to be trained in pain reduction techniques as well as cultural issues around shame and the other life commitments many patients have.

Three women sit at a table and chairs outside a brick hospital building. The photo is taken between the bars of the fence.
Family members told the court the women were not properly examined at Doomadgee Hospital.(Four Corners: Louie Eroglu ACS)

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Categories
Business

Australian woman saves $30k through ‘cash stuffing’ trend

Australian woman saves $30k through 'cash stuffing' trend

Millennials struggling to build their wealth have flipped the idea of ​​having a cashless society on their head by reviving a saving technique that originated well before their grandparents’ era.

“Cash stuffing” is the latest money-saving trend growing in popularity in Australia, after it educated hundreds of young people in the UK and US on how to successfully budget.

Also known as the envelope method, cash stuffing involves withdrawing money – typically your monthly earnings – from your bank account and allocating it to a folder which represents a specific spending category.

Folders may represent weekly shopping budgets, holiday savings, fuel costs, mortgage repayments or bills.

The “cash stuffing” hashtag has accrued over 532 million views on TikTok, while sites like Amazon and Etsy have too jumped on board, selling folders, stickers and stationery specifically made for the trend to help kickstart the saving journey.

Daniel Jovevski, CEO and founder of budgeting and debt management app WeMoney, says the saving technique has re-emerged as Australians learn to cope with the rising cost of living.

“Cash stuffing or what budgeters call the ‘Envelope Method’ is back in vogue. This is largely driven out of the requirement to budget now more than ever with envelopes or pencil cases being the primary tool for people to squirrel money away,” Mr Jovevski told news.com.au.

“Tougher times with inflation and cost of living pressures have brought back this old but effective method as consumers combat increasing petrol and food prices.”

Caroline from CAROCASH, commenced her cash stuffing journey last year after learning about personal finance expert Dave Ramsey’s envelope system, which closely mirrors cash stuffing.

The small business owner told news.com.au that she has since saved almost $30,000 using the system.

“I saw how by dividing up your income into separate envelopes, you can save up and prepare for annual bills, holidays, medical and of course for savings,” Caroline said.

While Caroline insists that she is not a financial adviser, she has shared with others how simple the technique can be by documenting her journey on her YouTube channel.

How does cash stuffing differ from internet banking?

Simply put, cash stuffing is a physical method of internet banking.

Rather than splitting your weekly earnings into separate online banking accounts as some budgeters do, those using the cash stuffing method split their income into physical folders.

However Mr Jovevski said there is a psychological aspect to cash stuffing that most don’t experience through online banking or paying for transactions using their credit or debit card.

“This trend has deep behavioral benefits with prominent behavioral scientists identifying the method as helping people increase their “pain of paying”, meaning when we pay with cash we feel a little pain when we see the amount of money leave our wallets or envelopes,” he said.

“Contrasting this against tap-and-pay, where you don’t really see the physical movement of cash, it makes it easier to spend as all the friction has been removed.”

Caroline admitted that this was her situation prior to jumping on the cash stuffing bandwagon. Her de ella old spending habits de ella meant she would unknowingly use all her income de ella on other purchases prior to paying her bills.

“By doing the Cash Envelope System, you budget out your pay and then physically see the money grow or see where your money goes,” she said.

The benefits of cash stuffing

As the cost of living continues on an upward trend, Australians are becoming more conscious of their spending limits and habits.

The search phrase “what is budgeting” has jumped in interest by more than 65 per cent in the last year on Google Search whereas “budgeting apps” has been the most searched query in relation to the word “budget”.

And with budgeting the entire purpose behind cash stuffing, Caroline said there’s no other reason as to why someone who is struggling to manage their savings shouldn’t give the technique a go.

“Benefits include changing spending habits and your mindset on spontaneous spending, living within your means and being prepared for bills,” she said.

Other benefits Caroline mentioned include not feeling the need to get a credit card or use Afterpay and having less financial stress once you’ve mastered your budget.

“The more friction we have in paying, the less we spend and the easier it is to stay on track with our budgets,” Mr Jovevski added.

Being aware of the risks

While it’s great to have cash in hand, it doesn’t come without a heightened risk of losing your money. This may be through theft, fire, or simply misplacing it.

One way Caroline has overcome the threat of mishandling her hard-earned cash is by saving up to a certain amount before banking it, and then using “prop” or “fake money” to represent the savings in her account.

“As a graphic designer myself, I was able to create some fake play money for larger denominations – starting from $250 all the way to $10,000 – that we do not officially have here in Australia,” she said.

“Once I reach $1000 in cash, I swap that with a prop note and get the $1000 back to the bank.”

Another disadvantage associated with cash stuffing is its inability to earn interest as well as the time it takes to separate your money into folders and record the value in a spreadsheet or notebook.

“While there are plenty of upside benefits, the trade-off is additional work,” Mr Jovevski said.

“You have to consider if the cash-stuffing method aligns with the outcomes you want to achieve with your budget.”

end tips

One question that a lot of people ask Caroline is “how do you work out how much to budget for?”.

The savvy saver said she works out how much her bills will cost her on a monthly or yearly basis and then divides that amount by the number of weeks she has until it needs to be paid.

“Say you get paid weekly and you have an annual bill that is $700. You divide 700 by 52 which equals $13.50. That is what you would put aside each pay to have that bill “fully funded” in a year when it is due,” she said.

With a little bit of extra time and preparation, Caroline said anyone can give the saving technique a try.

“Honestly, just give it a go. There’s no schemes or tricks. All that is required is a little more than your time; time to go to the bank or ATM for the cash withdrawal, and time to sit down, make a budget and divide your cash into envelopes.”

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Categories
Technology

Aussie court orders FlexGate fix for MacBook Apple won’t • The Register

screen

Apple has been ordered to repair a MacBook Pro that displays all the symptoms of FlexGate – the syndrome of screen defects that the company has previously repaired for free – but which the company does not believe has the problem.

The Order came from the Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the Australian State of New South Wales (NCAT), in response to an action brought by Tristan Goode – co-owner of OpenStack consultancy Aptira and a former OpenStack board member.

Goode bought a 2017 MacBook Pro and, as he had more time in which to use it during the COVID-19 pandemic, noticed the distinctive “stage light” effect that some MacBooks suffer because their video cables are too short. The displays produce odd artifacts or even become inoperable.

screen

Not a good look – A photo of the ‘stage lights’ effect produced by FlexGate. Click to enlarge

Apple has acknowledged that some MacBooks have the problem, and in 2018 arranged free repairs for machines sold in 2016.

Goode complained to Apple about the issue in his machine, but was rebuffed because his MacBook is a 2017 model that Apple does not acknowledge has the curtailed cable. Apple quoted him AU$977 ($695) to replace the screen, but Goode was not happy with that offer.

I have found numerous complaints – including over 80 videos made by independent Mac repairers – depicting MacBook models from 2017 and later years that clearly described the same problems that Apple acknowledged in its 2016 machines. Teardowns of those machines suggested they have the same cable Apple happily replaced in 2016 machines.

Goode bought the replacement screen so he could assess the parts it used, and felt it had the unhelpfully short cable Apple replaced in other models.

An attempt to have Apple acknowledge the issue in his 2017 machine failed, as did an attempt to involve the local fair trading regulator, which takes up complaints on consumers’ behalf.

Goode therefore arranged an NCAT hearing and compiled extensive documentation of the FlexGate problem appearing in MacBooks other than those Apple acknowledges as impacted by the issue. Goode also used metadata describing the number of times his MacBook’s battery had been charged to demonstrate his machine had been used lightly – so could not have been opened and closed enough times to wear out the cable if it had been sufficiently robust.

The presiding officer had clearly handled matters involving Apple before and wearily asked if it would settle

Apple disputed his analysis and proceeded to an NCAT hearing that was staged online last week.

The Register tuned in. The presiding officer had clearly handled matters involving Apple before, first wearily asking if there was any possibility Apple would settle the matter – the answer was the expected “no” – and later sharing an observation that the Apple representative’s audio was characteristically poor and that the company should really do better in future hearings.

Goode made his case that his MacBook had the same problem as a 2016 model because it used the same known-to-be-inadequate parts. Apple’s representative answered that Goode’s machine was old enough to fail but could not respond to many of the presiding officer’s questions – such as why the 2017 MacBook range was not included in Apple’s free repair program.

Apple’s rep, who was not in Australia, mentioned Apple’s environmental impact FAQ to assert that the company designs its products to last four years – making problems that manifested in 2021 reasonable for Goode’s 2017 MacBook.

Goode countered that the same FAQ states: “Most Apple products last longer and are often passed along, resold, or returned to Apple by the first owner for others to use.” He even mentioned that a 2011 MacBook he gave to a relative still performs perfectly (running Linux to avoid using an unsupported OS).

Apple’s rep could not resolve the seeming contradiction of the passage Goode quoted, and also said she would have to seek guidance on how and why the company decides which machines deserve free fixes. Nor could Apple’s rep explain if parts used in the 2017 MacBook differ from those present in models that were fixed for free.

The presiding officer at NCAT did not make an immediate decision, but later issued a written Order – seen by The Register – in which NCAT declared itself “satisfied that a reasonable consumer fully acquainted with the state and condition of the applicant’s MacBook would regard it as not free from defects at the time of its supply and for that reason not of acceptable quality.”

The Order does not, however, offer an opinion on whether 2017 and 2018 MacBooks have the FlexGate issue. Deciding that matter was not necessary to determine that this individual computer was not free of defects.

The issue of whether MacBooks made after 2016 have the FlexGate issue was therefore left undecided.

NCAT is not a court of law and is neither equipped nor required to hear evidence that would allow that kind of decision. Nor are NCAT decisions used as precedents – other than by NCAT itself.

The decision therefore leaves the way open for Australian MacBook owners to seek redress, but doesn’t allow either consumers or Apple a precedent.

Goode feels confident that the evidence and result show that Apple has a systemic issue, and plans to share the filings and results of his case widely, in the hope it gives other possibly FlexGate-stricken Mac owners a chance to seek redress.

“It would end the grief for many affected MacBook Pro purchasers around the world if Apple just fessed up to the fact FlexGate affects many more models than they have admitted to,” he said. ®

Categories
Entertainment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s embarrassing Netflix deadline looms

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's embarrassing Netflix deadline looms

When the current history of Hollywood gets written, April 19, 2022 will go down as the day that everything changed.

It should have been a routine earnings call during which Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings took tech and business reporters through the company’s latest figures. Instead, Hastings revealed that the company had lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers for the first drop in numbers in 10 years.

The revelations immediately set off something of an earthquake from Wall Street to Los Angeles, with $75 billion in value being wiped off the company’s value in 24 hours.

Why this matters are the consequences this precipitous, stunning reversal in fortune could have for two people about 450km south of Netflix’s headquarters, in the wealthy enclave of Montecito.

In the course of that one earnings one call, not only did the streaming giant’s once-unassailable hold on the entertainment industry come unstuck, but so too did the supposedly cashed-up future of Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, start to look much less certain.

Monday marks 712 days since the world learned on September 2 2020 that the newly self-emancipated Sussexes had signed a reported $US140 million ($A197 million) deal with Netflix via no lesser news outlet than the New York Times with the story trumpeting the duo’s “new Hollywood careers”.

But today, those “new Hollywood careers” have yet to actually take off while once mighty Netflix has lost more than $US200 billion ($A280 billion) in value (yes, billion with a ‘b’) this year.

Nearly two years on from all the self-contributory ballyhoo of September 2, 2020, the landscape for both the titled duo and the streamer has significantly shifted beneath them all.

Will – or even can – the Sussex/Netflix marriage survive?

Not only have the fortunes of Netflix lurched wildly since 2020 but so have Harry and Meghan’s.

At the time the deal was announced, it seemed like the most obvious and logical pairing: Two of the most famous people in the world would worthily churn out documentaries or some such; inreturn; Netflix got to tout the fact that they had a real life Duke and Duchess on their books. Harry and Meghan would get squillions; the company would reap the rewards of the PR coup of the decade.

However, the royal duo are not exactly the sizzlingly-hot property they were back then now are they?

More than 30 months have passed since Harry and Meghan absconded from a life of stifling royal duty for the greener pastures of California and that lucrative embrace of corporate America.

In that time they have managed to ink a series of headline-making deals, including also with Spotify, the coaching company BetterUp and with Ethic, a fintech asset manager, along with launching their charitable foundation and undertaking a seemingly never ending parade of photo opportunities. .

On paper it sounds like it’s been a whirligig of achievement and just the sort of industrious self-starting that America was founded on. Except … what have they actually achieved?

Yes, they have made a series of donations to causes ranging from the World Food Kitchen to helping fix a women’s shelter’s roof after a storm which reflects their generosity and hunger to help others. Kudos. But writing a check here and there is hardly the sort of work that will ever see them make the long list for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sadly, for two people who seem to truly care, there is not one issue, not one cause they have really moved the needle on since they embarked on this new life of theirs.

More importantly for their Netflix and Spotify paymasters, they have failed to genuinely set themselves up as leading voices of the day. They might do their darnedest to sell themselves as inspiring leaders but the proof is in the flaccid pudding that was the lackluster turnout to Harry’s recent UN speech from him.

The international community was hardly turning up in droves to hear him speak while Washington has largely ignored them.

Meghan’s cold-calling of senators about paid parental leave last year went down about as well as a gluten and dairy-free scone at a Buckingham Palace garden party and the Duchess has yet to emerge as any sort of powerplayer ahead of the midterm elections later this year.

In late June, the former actress took part in a conversation with feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem for fashion after the horrendous quashing of abortion protection, saying: “Well, Gloria, maybe it seems as though you and I will be taking a trip to DC together soon.”

Nearly two months on, the Duchess has yet to turn up inside the Beltway.

The bottom line is this: Harry and Meghan have proven totally unsuccessful at making themselves matter in the corridors of power in Washington, New York, Silicon Valley or Los Angeles.

The magic dust of their royalty has largely dulled in the last two years and the novelty factor has worn off. So too has their deal-making momentum seemed to have waned with them not having announced any other venture since July 2021 last year when it was revealed Harry was busy working on a memoir.

Things might look different today if in the last 712 days the Sussexes had been churning out series after doco after one-off specials for Netflix, but as we all know, that is not the case. The company has only ever publicly announced two Sussex projects: Harry’s documentary about the sporting event for wounded armed services personnel Heart of Invictus (an amazing initiative he started years ago as a working member of the royal family) and an animated children’s series from Meghan called Pearl.

In early May it was announced that Netflix was axing the Duchess’ show as part of a much bigger cost-cutting move, with numerous high-profile projects canned as the streamer dramatically tighten their belts.

Then later the same month came news that the company was about to get, as Page Six put it, their “pound of flesh” from the duo with the revelation that Harry and Meghan were already filming something called an “at home” docu series which has a hint of the ignominious about it. (More recent reporting has suggested that Netflix wants it to air before the year is out.)

Potentially hundreds of millions of dollars are riding on this docu series for the self-supporting, private jet-flying, polo-loving Sussexes.

If it turns out that the Duke and Duchess are TV gold, if they are about to demonstrate that they are binge-worthy stars who can pull in streaming viewers globally, then their US careers are set. Get another polo pony! Hell, buy seven.

But, if they fail to live up to the hype and the rhetoric? The huge sums being touted and all those lovely millions supposedly coming their way could dry up faster than a Californian lake.

(And it’s not as if their docuseries is likely to feature much royal access given that Harry and Meghan were embarrassingly sidelined by The Firm when they were in London for the Platinum Jubilee.)

Netflix is ​​clearly a very patient company when it comes to their superstar recruits. Take Barack and Michelle Obama who signed to Netflix and Spotify after they left the White House.

However, this week, Harry and Meghan will break the Obamas’ track record of the 716 days which elapsed between their Netflix deal being announced and their first marquee project starring one of them, coming, being released. (And in the interim they had released two children’s shows and produced two documentaries, one of which won an Oscar.)

Harry and Meghan might have titles and the Buckingham Palace Wi-Fi password but that is not enough of a distinction for big companies to merrily tip millions into their bank accounts for the chance to work with them. They have to actually do something to provide themselves.

They can’t just hope they can coast along on the whiff of a mothballed HRH here forever more.

Since that earnings call in April, Netflix has laid off hundreds of staff and made the drastic decision to finally introduce advertising to the platform. Can the company still afford to carry big name stars who don’t deliver on their books?

Just how much patience and faith will this newly humbled Netflix have for their yet-to-perform big-name hires?

To some degree, the same goes for Spotify too here.

In April, Meghan’s first outing for the audio giant called Archetypes was announced, promising a “groundbreaking” series would launch during the northern summer. With only weeks to go before autumn begins, again, the clock is ticking.

Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.

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Categories
Sports

A-League: Joe Lolley joins Sydney FC

A-League: Joe Lolley joins Sydney FC

Sydney FC has added further English Premier League experience to its squad with the signing of attacker Joe Lolley.

Lolley, 29, made six appearances for Huddersfield Town in the 2017-18 Premier League season.

Since then he has spent the past five seasons in the second-tier English Championship with Nottingham Forest, helping then gain promotion the Premier League for the 2022-23 campaign which started this month.

However, having been deemed surplus to requirements at Forest, he grabbed the chance to move to Sydney FC, where he will team with another ex-Premier League player in former Everton, Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell, who joined the Sky Blues last week after a season with Western Sydney Wanderers.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Sydney FC,” said Lolley, who has signed a two-year deal with his new club.

“I know there’s a lot of expectation to win every season, which is a great challenge,

and they’ve got a fantastic plan in place to do that, which really attracted me to

make the move.

“I really appreciate the intent shown by the club in bringing me to Sydney.

“The club expects to win and I’m looking forward to getting on the pitch with the lads

ahead of the season starting in around eight weeks.”

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica said Lolly had “proven quality at a high level in England”.

“He is the type of player we were targeting and we had to be patient to secure him,” Corica said.

“He brings a goal threat with his ability to cut inside and can also pick a pass.

“He’s got great energy, an amazing ability to carry the ball and works hard for the

team.

“Fans love him because he gives his all and I know he was hugely popular at

Nottingham Forest, so I’m sure he will be here.”

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Australia

Woman faces court charged with child abduction as Darwin girl Grace Hughes, 5, and mother remain missing

Woman faces court charged with child abduction as Darwin girl Grace Hughes, 5, and mother remain missing

A woman charged with child abduction in relation to the disappearance of five-year-old Grace Hughes has faced court, as police continue to search for the Darwin girl.

Juliet Oldroyd, 50, was charged yesterday with one count of abducting a child under 16 and one count of attempting to abduct a child under 16.

She was interviewed at a property in Anula last week, with police saying she was later arrested for allegedly refusing to provide information about Grace and her mother’s whereabouts.

Police allege Grace was taken without permission by her mother Laura Hinks, also known as Laura Bolt, during a supervised parental visit on the afternoon of August 7.

During her first court appearance today, Ms Oldroyd told Judge Thomasin Opie she would not be seeking legal aid, but had no current representation other than her husband, Craig Oldroyd.

A woman and a young girl smile into the camera. The photo is in black and white.
Laura Hinks and her daughter Grace Hughes remain missing. (Supplied: NT Police)

Mr Oldroyd told the court he did not have any legal qualifications, but later told media outside court that he had contacted an “international human rights lawyer”.

The accused was supported in court by a group of people who stood and applauded after she was escorted back to the cells when the case was adjourned.

Judge Opie had to instruct members of the public in the courtroom to sit down and “show courtesy to allow the court to proceed uninterrupted.”

A man with a beard and wearing a tie holds a bundle of papers and speaks into two microphones.
Juliet Oldroyd’s husband Craig Oldroyd said he will act on behalf of his wife in court. (ABC News: Melissa Mackay)

Search for Grace continues

A young girl of age five smiles into the camera.
Police are appealing for public information to find Grace. (Supplied: NT Police)

Police said in a statement yesterday they were using “all resources necessary” to find Grace, who has now been missing for more than a week.

They also said Grace and her mother may have traveled interstate.

Anyone with information on the pair’s whereabouts are being urged to contact police.

Ms Oldroyd’s matter will return to court on August 22.

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Categories
Business

Foxtel boss unloads on outdated regulation

Foxtel boss unloads on outdated regulation

Anti-siphoning laws do not apply to Stan or Paramount. Foxtel claims this allows free-to-air television owners to get ahead of the Murdoch controlled pay TV company and acquire all the rights to a sport. This gives them exclusivity – which is valuable to advertisers and subscribers – and allows them to choose which way to split the rights across their platforms.

“What the regime protects is not true anymore,” he said. “Free companies are winning rights of free sports events, but they’re pushing consumers to their paid outlets.”

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Delany’s comments come as Foxtel fights Nine, Seven and Paramount to keep the broadcast rights to the AFL. Foxtel is a long-standing partner of the AFL and wants more exclusivity on key matches, a point of major tension with the AFL’s incumbent free-to-air network partner, Seven West Media.

But it is also facing competition from Paramount and Nine, both of which have made offers to acquire the free-to-air and streaming rights to AFL games.

“At the moment – under the law – it would be very easy for a foreign owned free-to-air that has a streamer to buy any sport, and then do whatever they want with it,” he said.

“We’re the only pay TV company in the world at 20 per cent penetration. That’s partly our own fault – paying too much for sport and so you have to have a very high retail price. But if the laws about being able to get it for free, then why should it be limited to a free-to-air license? Why can’t it just be that you’re willing to offer it for free? The internet actually reaches more homes than terrestrial does.”

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Free TV Australia, the lobby group for commercial broadcasters Seven West Media, Network Ten and Nine has long advocated for the laws to include global services to allow the public free access to major events.

Seven and Nine have publicly urged the Albanese government to review the laws to avoid the public paying for their favorite sports. The government has made a review of the scheme a priority.

Delany shares the concerns about global services, but has not publicly advocated for increased regulation.

“Australians have really reinvented the way in which they watch TV and the anti-siphoning regime is stuck in a time warp of that 1993-94 period,” he said.

“Why shouldn’t a company like ours have the right to bid for sports in an open process against those other companies who are paid TV companies, and we would commit to make those events that are truly iconic and available for free.”

Kayo Sports already offers an ad-supported product called Kayo Freebies, but there are no rules on how long Foxtel is required to keep something available for free on the service.

“It’s a fact that [the TV networks] don’t acquire free rights alone, they acquire free and paid rights, and they exploit them, and they push customers over to the paid side.”

Delany’s comments were made following the release of Foxtel’s annual results, which showed a 2 per cent fall in subscription video revenue due to a $US61 ($AU85.7) million impact from foreign currency fluctuations.

He said the company was on track to generate $3 billion in revenue by 2025, and to get to five million customers. But Foxtel still has billions of dollars in debt, which is owed to shareholders News Corp and Telstra. “We’re producing lots of cash, which the shareholders can use to invest or pay down debt. How the shareholders choose to spend the cash is obviously up to a decision for them,” he said.

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Categories
Technology

Product Review: cycling shoe + pedal + cleat comparison of several options

Product Review: cycling shoe + pedal + cleat comparison of several options

With a few new pairs of cycling shoes to sample, as well as the (relatively) new Wahoo Powrlink pedals/power meter for review, here is a quick overview of three different systems and a comparison of the weights…

Part of a review series + video by Rob Arnold

Before setting off for my first ride after fitting new Wahoo/Speedplay cleats to a pair of Giant Surge Pro shoes, I thought it was worth comparing the weights of three different shoe / pedal / cleat options that are part of the road cycling scene in 2022 .

Click the link below and you can see a quick overview of three systems:

  • Bontrager (2017) XXX shoe + Shimano (yellow) cleat + Shimano Ultegra pedal (circa 2015)
  • Nimbl Ultimate shoe + Time iClic cleat + Time XPro 12 pedal
  • Giant Surge Pro shoe + Wahoo Powrlink / Speedplay cleat + Wahoo Powrlink pedal

There is more to the story than what each combination weighs, and you can find plenty of commentary about the shoes and pedals and cleats on the RIDE Media site and/or YouTube channel. It’s part of a growing series of video reviews of cycling products, and a way of showcasing some great recent innovations – while occasionally also comparing new with old.

For over five years, I have ridden with Bontrager’s XXX shoes (a pair from 2017 and the updated iteration from around 2020). And Shimano pedals had been my go-to for a long time.

The Shimano SPD-SL option is the predominant system in modern road cycling; it has been slightly refined over the years but the vast majority of riders have sampled this style of pedal and cleat.

Earlier this year, I made the switch from Shimano to Time pedals after being sent the lightweight XPro 12 pedals for review. With the iClic ‘Free’ cleats (ie. with 5 degrees of float) fitted to both Bontrager and Nimbl shoes, this is a pedal system that I have come to like. In my appraisal, the cleat is welcomed by the pedal making it the easiest engagement option I have used.

The Time pedals also have a much larger platform than the other options… and they are much lighter too.

Time cleats on Nimbl shoes.

Last week, however, it was finally time to sample the Wahoo Powerlink pedal and power meter. Unboxed months ago, I never got around to fitting the cleats before the set of pedals I had for review were sent back to the local agent, FE Sports, so sales reps could show them off when visiting shops.

The Powrlink system offers two versions of power meter: one-side or both pedals. FE Sports kindly sent another set of pedals for me to use now that product supply is flowing. You can now find the Wahoo system in shops around Australia, with the one-sided power meter retailing for AUD$950, or the double-side for AUD$1,450.

Giant Surge Pro shoes with the Wahoo/Speedplay cleat.

It is early days with the new Giant shoes/Wahoo pedals but I’ve already adapted to the different style of clipping into what is a double-side pedal (unlike Shimano’s road-specific SPD-SL or the Time options).

You can see more of my commentary on the shoes and pedal experiment on the RIDE Media YouTube channel and I’ll add more to ridemedia.com.au in the coming days and weeks.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment on any of our social media portals and I’ll do my best to get back to you with my answers or opinion.

–By Rob Arnold

Subscribe to RIDE Media’s YouTube channel, click here.

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