This month’s App of the month is a cracker!

Synaptor is an app that enables people to transform the way they manage hazards in the workplace.

Having Synaptor on your phone or iPad means that safety issues can be reported on and have their progress monitored in real time.  What’s particularly brilliant is that it does away with the monotony and uncertainty associated with paper-based safety systems.

The Synaptor team have clearly thought their product through as it’s reporting process is simple to navigate and even includes the ability to include photos and locations of hazards as part of any observations that are made.

This is just a snapshot, but you can find out more about Synaptor here.

The current population of China is officially around 1,347,350,000 – yes, that’s almost one and a half billion people!  The sheer scale of this figure is further apparent when we realise that this is nearly 20% of the total human population – in one country.

China has experienced remarkable economic growth in recent years.  It makes a significant contribution to the global economy and overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy in the second half of 2010.

China’s booming economy and its demand for our resources has helped Australia stave off recession when most other advanced economies could not do so.
But how is China faring in this volatile economic climate?

The Asian difference
In a speech this year to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Philip Lowe, outlined evidence of a two-speed global recovery, with a dividing line between advanced and Asian countries specifically.

In advanced economies, the true performance in many areas has been weak. There’s been some good news as a result of temporary fiscal measures, but this may show a different story as the stimulatory effect fades.

On the other hand, the RBA has seen a more V-shaped recovery in many Asian countries. In 2012, the Chinese economy is expected to grow by around 7.5% on the back of public-sector infrastructure spending; however, this rate of growth is still lower than the double-digit growth we saw in China for much of the last decade.

Investing in China
There are two exciting investment opportunities available as a result of the Chinese boom.
Firstly, as in the past, Chinese demand for our commodities means our local resource companies are profiting significantly.  Investing on a global scale may find a broader range of businesses benefiting the same way.

Secondly, trillions of dollars of China’s sovereign wealth are being released and this cash is looking for a home outside China.

These sound very exciting but as with any investment opportunity, consult people like Vantage Wealth Management to see if this suits your circumstances.

(Article supplied by Vantage Wealth Management, trusted wealth management and financial advisors.)

At Agworld, we often get phone calls around the issue of how to turn off  iPad apps.  To save you the phone call, we thought it might be helpful to show you how it’s done.

Option 1 – Restart Your iPad

To restart your iPad, simply hold down the Power button on the top right corner for about 3 secs.  The screen will then go dark except for a “Cancel” button and a “Slide to power off” button.  Slide the power off button, and after it has turned off you can restart your iPad by pressing the Power button again.  This will turn off any apps that are still on in the background.

Option 2 – Double Tap Your Home Button

Double tapping your home button opens up a bottom window that shows all the apps you currently have open and that are running in the background.  Pressing one of the icons for for about 2 secs will cause  little red minus signs (-) to appear in all the icons, which will also shake and quiver in fear.  Selecting a minus sign will turn that particular app off.

NOTE: If you press the icons on your normal screen and your icons begin to shake and quiver with little (x) symbols…you are about to delete your app.  That’s generally not a good move…unless of course, you’ve had enough of the kids checking the AFL scores on your iPad every 5 minutes! (Ed.)

One of the understandable questions we regularly get asked is in relation to the personal and business information that is held in Agworld.

What happens to the information?  Who has access to it?  What happens to the information when a client decides not to continue their use of the Agworld system?

Agworld’s commitment from the very beginning has been to integrity in our dealings with our clients – this is especially critical when it comes to your information.

In a world where the value of the handshake agreement has all but vanished and where a promise is a promise so long as comfort and popularity aren’t impinged upon, how can someone assure us of their integrity – particularly around information?

While probably not the slickest answer in the world of marketing, the bottom line is discovered in what we agreed with you in our terms and conditions.  When you read through the T&C’s or what we called our “subscriber agreement”, there was a section outlining our commitment around information (sections 14 and 17 to be precise).

To summarise it, Agworld’s comprehensive permission-based system means:

• You share the information you want to share with the people you want to share it with.
• No-one has access to your information unless you first give your permission.
• Your information remains your information.

Should there come a time you decide to no longer use the Agworld system, we cease to use or hold your information.  That’s Agworld’s commitment to you.

Agworld are thrilled to welcome Sumitomo as Agworld R&D club members.

Sumitomo, as a research and development supply company, will now be placing their trial information, as well as marketing information on their products, in the Agworld library.

Sumitomo have a great range of products in horticulture and they now join the likes of Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, Crop Care, Nufarm and CSBP as R&D club members.

Agworld will continue to work toward bringing Monsanto and Dupont on board as well, so that accessing the information that helps you in your day-to-day business decisions becomes easier and more efficient.