🎬 Hollywood hits the Redlands | Google's $35B cybersecurity buy | Coochie gains national attention | Healthcare savings for regional patients | Dyson drops headphones and more!
Today’s newsletter is 1,044 words: a 5-minute read.
Welcome to Thursday, July 18, a day feeling colder than an Origin III decider loss 🥶😓
🤔 Did you know!? On this day in 2008 (16 years ago!), The Dark Knight was released and became one of the most critically acclaimed and successful films, thanks in part to Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker.
In today’s email
One Big Thing: Straddie features in upcoming Hollywood flick
Rural Patients: Are eligible for new healthcare refunds
Google’s Mega $34B: Move on cybersecurity
Trending: @priyankachopra (91.6M+ followers…) hits Redlands beaches
Around the Web (Snippets): Coochie gets global callout, the world’s rarest whale (that’s never been seen alive) washed ashore, saferooms now available for domestic and family violence victims, people that look like Adam Sandler that aren’t Adam Sandler and more!
Councillors’ Corner
Upcoming Events
Redlands Weather Forecast and Tides
Live National Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: The Bluff filmed at Straddie’s Adder Beach
By Marianne Zander
What’s Happening
Hollywood hits Minjerribah’s Adder Beach as Priyanka Chopra Jonas stars in The Bluff, with scenes recently filmed on North Stradbroke Island.
Zoom In
The 19th-century pirate adventure features Chopra Jonas as a former pirate protecting her family, with Karl Urban co-starring.
By the Numbers
19th-century: Caribbean setting
91 million: Priyanka Chopra Jonas' Instagram followers
2016: Chopra Jonas named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People
2022: Chopra Jonas included in BBC’s 100 Women List
Local Impact
Locals joined the fun as extras, putting Straddie in the spotlight.
What To Look For Next
Catch the full article below and look for familiar beaches on the big screen!
2. Instant healthcare savings for rural patients
By Marianne Zander
What's Happening
Queensland’s Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme is getting an upgrade, providing more financial support for rural residents travelling for healthcare.
Why It Matters
From August 1st, the scheme will cover accommodation costs from the first night of treatment, eliminating the out-of-pocket expenses previously required for the first four nights.
By the Numbers
11.5%: Increase in Super Guarantee
$560: Minimum savings on accommodation for patient and carer traveling to Brisbane
95,000: Queenslanders expected to benefit from the change
$70.3 million: Cost of the program over four years
Local Impact
Rural Queenslanders will have immediate access to the $70 per night subsidy, easing the financial burden of traveling for medical care.
What To Look For Next
Read the full article below to see how you might benefit 👇
3. Google’s Mega $34B Move on Cybersecurity
What’s Happening
Alphabet, Google's parent company, is in advanced talks to acquire cloud security startup Wiz for around AUD $34 billion.
Why It Matters
This would be Google's largest acquisition to date and aims to boost Google’s cloud security capabilities, enhancing its competitiveness against AWS and Microsoft Azure in particular.
By the Numbers
Wiz, a venture capital-backed company, raised USD $1 billion in funding earlier this year at a valuation of $12 billion USD.
Despite the mega valuation, it achieved only USD 350 million in annual recurring revenue in 2023.
For context, here are Google's top acquisitions of all time, converted to Australian dollars.
Motorola Mobility (2012) - USD 12.5 billion - 18.75 billion AUD
Nest Labs (2014) - USD 3.2 billion - 4.8 billion AUD
Mandiant (2022) - USD 5.4 billion - 8.1 billion AUD
DoubleClick (2008) - USD 3.1 billion - 4.65 billion AUD
Looker (2019) - USD 2.6 billion - 3.9 billion AUD
Fitbit (2021) - USD 2.1 billion - 3.15 billion AUD
YouTube (2006) - USD 1.65 billion - 2.475 billion AUD
Waze (2013) - USD 1.1 billion - 1.65 billion AUD
Clouding The Future
Up against it when coming to cloud-based services behind Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure, this acquisition would strengthen Google’s cloud security offering and secure a bigger slice of the rapidly growing market space.
What The People Say
"Google's acquisition of Wiz shows their commitment to cloud security," commented Kieran Moran, Managing Director at Connecting Industry.
What To Look For Next
Probably every generation of humans moving forward looking down at clouds, as opposed to all those that came before us, and up until about ten years ago, who all looked up…
4. Trending
Just @priyankachopra chilling by the beach…
4. Around The Web (Snippets)
The world’s rarest whale, which has never been seen alive, may have: Just washed ashore in New Zealand
Coochie gets a much deserved: Callout in Australian Geographic
Dyson released set of $800: Headphones, the OnTrac, that have no cleaning function…
Safe rooms: Have been established at police stations across the Bayside
People that sort of look like: Adam Sandler, but aren’t Adam Sandler
Metro South Health’s Radiology team: Goes the distance
The best of Amazon’s: Prime Day discount line-up just dropped
Bazzana cashes in: On big baseball bucks in the US
The full history of Presidential assassination attempts: From Donald Trump, to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, all the way to Andrew Jackson in 1835
‘Bitcoin inventor’: Referred to prosecutors for perjury
5. Councillors’ Corner
Mayor of Redland City
6. Upcoming Events
🚲 AusCycling – Learn to Ride: July 20, 9:30 AM to 10:15 AM; AusBike at Redland Bay offers kids of all ages and levels the essential skills to experience the freedom, fun and adventure of life on a bike
🎵SPLASH Macleay Island Ukelele Jam: July 20, The entertainment vibes are on all day with back-to-back concerts, singalongs and performer pop-ups
😂 The Umbilical Brothers – The Distraction: July 21, 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM; Join the world’s favourite Australian comedy duo in their latest performance in Cleveland
🩺 Advance Care Planning Clinic: 23 July, 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM; Take advantage of free clinics in Wynnum West hosted by the Metro South Health ACP Service team
🏉 NRL– Broncos v Bulldogs: July 27, 3:00 PM; Grab your tickets and join the live action in Brisbane