BUSINESS

Microsoft just paid $100,000 to a hacker who successfully breached Windows 8.1 security. The hacker is James Forshaw, head of vulnerability research at Context Information Security.

New Zealand is expected to enjoy the strongest growth among the fastest-growing advanced economies in 2013 and 2013 based on the annual World Economic Outlook of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) collectively agreed on Wednesday to share satellite data information that will monitor the haze development in each country in a bid to curb illegal fires and prevent its occurrence and spread in the region.

By Jonathan BarrattWe have been focused on the reasons as to why gold has not benefitted from US fiscal mismanagement.

The anticipated billionaire vs billionaire battle at the New South Wales Supreme Court between Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest did not happen on Wednesday. The reason is John Hancock, the estranged adult son of Australia's richest person, withdrew his nomination made by Mr Forrest as trustee of the $5-billion Hope Margaret Hancock Foundation to replace his mum.

Based on the estimated median wealth of $219,505, according to the Credit Suisse 2013 Global Wealth Report released on Wednesday, Australians are the richest people in the world.

Canadian Treasury Board President Tony Clement said the federal government would cite national security as reasons in scrutinising the potential buyer of Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry in case it would be a foreign company.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 26 points or 0.2% while the S&P gained a point to 1656 as the Nasdaq fell 0.

One of the more valuable aspects of the current market atmospherics is to see how the market performs when dealing with the headwinds being generated by US politics. Today, and not for the first time, the local index showed some mettle. Have been handed a poor finish on Wall St, the market started under duress, losing as much as 30 points in the first hour of trade. From that point however buyers slowly began to reel in the deficit. By the early part of the afternoon the market peaked at its bes...

Samsung Galaxy Gear watch ad resembles that of Apple iPhone TV ad of 2007

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will meet his Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN and the East Asia Summit Oct 9-10. Top on the agenda will be the need for finalisation of a nuclear deal between the two countries. The External Affairs Ministry has already said that the two countries are hoping to hold a third round of nuclear cooperation talks in Dec 2013.

8 police officers who risked their lives by entering a burning building in Wentworthville, New South Wales (NSW), Australia on Oct. 8, 2013 to help people who were trapped inside have been praised as heroes for their brave act. However, the man they saved, 36-year-old Jomaa Market store owner Chadi Jomaa, could be the one who started the fire in the first place.

A marine mammal park has been set to be constructed and launched within five years in Taiji, in Wakayama Prefecture on the south-west coast of Honshu. Visitors will get to swim alongside marine animals whales and dolphins. However, there's something more - visitors can also eat the animals' meat, a project sure to catch the ire of animal lovers and protectors.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) iTunes radio will rollout in Australia and New Zealand, beating Pandor at their game.

The Australian sharemarket is down for the fourth straight day, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 0.1 per cent. The US government shutdown has entered day eight and we're only nine days away from the debt ceiling deadline (US will run out of cash to keep economy running unless ceiling raised).

In an obvious marketing ploy to make it appear that its newly released Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets are selling, Microsoft advised consumers to purchase the device now or face a shortage of the gadget.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportOne of the great tragedies of US history was the Hindenburg disaster.

By Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.comRumours that the US Congress would reach a deal to extend the debt ceiling, albeit only for a few weeks, ended up being hopeless optimism, after the Republicans held a press conference with the hash tag #letstalk in the background.

The legal battle between Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, and her two estranged adult children, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, has moved from family feud to a higher level. It is now a billionaire versus billionaire galactic war.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 159 points or 1.1% while the S&P lost 1.2% to 1655 and the Nasdaq dropped 1.9%.

An explosion rocked a two-storey building on Station Street in Wentworthville, New South Wales (NSW), Australia at around 4:30am on October 8, 2013. The building reportedly contained residential units on top of an Afghan supermarket.

Apple Inc still reigns supreme in the US with a 40 per cent market share that seems to keep on growing, according to Comscore's research. Samsung's market share has also increased but not as much as Apple's. HTC, LG and Motorola's market share have either dropped or remained flat.

The Australian sharemarket finished lower for the third consecutive session, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) falling by approximately 0.2 per cent.

A looming national default may be on the horizon as the partial U.S. government shutdown remains causing the U.S. and other global market shares to decline. The shutdown is brought by a deadlock in U.S. Congress over "Obamacare" funding or the new healthcare law.

By end 2015, the Coca-Cola Company, popularly known as Coke, will be launching 1,500 to 2,000 Ekocenters or mini one-stop shops that will supply cooked meals, clean water, power, Internet, vaccines and Coke products to 20 developing countries, which including Africa, Asia, North America and Latin America.

Nike opens contest for kids to design LeBron James' shirt.

38 solar-powered cars are participating at the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (WSC) from Oct. 6-13, 2013 in Australia. The 3,000 km race starts in Darwin, Northern Territory and ends in Adelaide, South Australia.

In what could be a major blow to U.S. plane maker Boeing (BA), Japan Airlines on Monday announced it has finally decided to purchase 31 A350 wide-body jets from Airbus, with a worth placed at $9.5 billion. Moreover, the purchase agreement between the two companies has options for a further 25 aircraft.

For the first time ever, Japan Air line placed a deal with Airbus. Airbus, Giant Aircraft maker has too agreed with the deal for 31 long-haul A350 jetliners having a price of $9.75 billion. The agreement on Monday predicts that the deliveries will start in 2019 and new planes will be rolled over six years.