T-shirts that ‘talk’… China may lead world in broadband… Performing arts funding suffers… Boomers hit banana lounges

T-shirts that talk for you

T-shirts and the web really seem to go together like apple and pie. SmartCompany reported online t-shirt design website Threadless, and now Springwise has found another company that allows people to unlock their inner t-shirt artiste, called Reactee.

Reactee allows people to have a personal slogan and a unique keyword printed on a colourful American Apparel t-shirt. Anyone interested in knowing more about the slogan or its wearer can text the keyword to Reactee’s number to get an immediate response, as set by the wearer, who also receives a copy of the message including the sender’s mobile phone number.

The response can be updated as often as the user likes, either at reactee.com or on the fly by mobile. The shirts cost $US20-27 depending on size and colour, and texting only works with US phones.

Great for people who have something to say but don’t have the time to keep saying it.

Chinese soon to lead on broadband use

About 1.1 billion of the world’s 6.6 billion people are online, with almost a third of them accessing the internet at high speeds. Internet consultancy Point Topic predicts that almost 300 million people have broadband. But while there is high broadband penetration in countries like Western Europe, North America and South Korea, connections in some countries like Africa are pitiful.

The US leads the pack with broadband use, reports The Guardian, with more than 60 million subscribers. But China has more than 56 million broadband users, with the Chinese Government aiming to get every household high speed internet access in time for the Beijing Olympics.

Corporate spending on performing arts sponsorship falls

Big theatre, music, dance, opera and circus companies are finding it harder to raise money from corporate Australia, despite the booming economy. The annual sponsorship and donations survey by the Australian Major Performing Arts Group shows revenue of $40.9 million in 2006, down from $42.2 million in 2005. The Australian Financial Review reports this is the first fall since the survey started in 2002.

If you look closer at who is donating, corporations’ share is falling as philanthropists step up to pay 30% of the total. NSW and Victoria led the decline, while WA and Queensland grew.

Baby boomers hit the banana lounges

With Gen X and Y demanding a better work life balance and the baby boomers with great new super packages eyeing off the banana lounge, Federal Treasurer Peter Costello may need to recast productivity projections.

The 2007 Intergeneration Report says the average hours worked per person would fall from about 17 hours a week in 2009-10 to 15.5 hours a week in 2042.

As Treasury Deputy Secretary David Parker pointed out yesterday at a CEDA conference, Australia’s productivity could start to fall within two years as baby boomers work fewer hours.

Instead expect the emphasis to participation rates as Australia has the 12^th highest participation rate in the developed world.