BUSINESS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 80 points, or 0.5%, while the S&P gained 0.9% to 1622 and the Nasdaq added 0.

The Australian dollar ended the day's trade in the red for the third session this week. Local stocks are now holding at levels not seen since January.

With about 1.6 million Americans having experienced violent phone thefts in 2012, law enforcement officials have taken two steps forward to combat the situation.

Not only do they get to live normal lives, but children of gay parents and same-sex couples are actually healthier, happier and thrive more than children of straight heterosexual couples, according to a study by the Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families.

Apple dropped recently an app in their store promising people to “free” them from their homosexuality. However, Google’s Play Store and several Android platforms are yet to make their move on removing the Gay Cure app.

Because it failed to comply with the kingdom's regulatory requirements and laws, Saudi Arabia has banned the use of the web-based communication application Viber in the country, at the same time threatening others face the same risk if they don't adhere to the country's rules.

The Australian share market remains under selling pressure on Thursday following weakness from offshore markets. The Aussie dollar has also been under pressure in early trade, briefly dipping below US95c for the first time since October 2011.

Medical authorities in Saudi Arabia are racing against the clock to implement measures to control the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) into a feared, potential pandemic in light of the forthcoming annual Mecca Hajj pilgrimage season on October 13-18.

HTC One will soon receive its official Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware update and owners can expect it to roll out by the middle of June 2013.

By Andrew NelsonFreedom Foods Group ((FNP)) is a diversified food company producing a number of branded and unbranded products across its three main divisions: Freedom Foods, Specialty Seafood and Pactum.

By Jonathan BarrattThe physical demand for Gold over the last few weeks has been unprecedented. Not only has the physical demand for Gold and Silver been absorbent but Central Banks (CB) seem to be lifting their interest in the metal, which is helping to offset the paper selling that has been a feat...

One point for Samsung Electronics as it won against its biggest competitor Apple Inc on patents. The long-running case against patent infringements and market selling has created a stiff competition between the two electronic giants – the odds were in favor of Samsung this time.

Kia Rondo, a seven-seater minivan hits Australia. Rondo starts selling at $29,990. The latest model from the Kia faces challenges from previous attempts to enter the market and launch a well loved and selling car. The revamped edition seeks to replace previous features that made it difficult for previous models to sell.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 216 points, or 1.4% to under 15,000 for the first time since May 7. The S&P fell 1.

Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S4 active featuring its notable asset - the dust and water protection to the newly-designed body.

The Australian share market was sharply sold off during Wednesday's trade as economic growth figures missed expectations and as Japanese stocks shed almost four per cent on Prime Minister Abe's growth strategy.

A second airport may be what the country needs to contribute to economic growth, says a business group based in Sydney. Existing plans are in place to increase the annual number of passengers to 74 million by 2033.

The Audi R8 has successfully carved its own niche some people has even considered it as the “sickest car” in the world. While some people in industry feel the R8 is just a way for the company to amortize the costs of the Lamborghini Gallardo – it is impossible to deny the Audi R8.

In the movie Big Trouble in Little China there's a classic line by the 'hero' of the show, Jack Burton. The group he's leading is in a panic as they're getting away from the bad guys. But Jack reassures them in a swaggering drawl... 'Everybody relax, I'm here.'

So, the monthly interest rate hype has come and gone for, well, another month. Boss Stevens, of course, left interest rates on hold yesterday, at 2.75%. If anything the absence of a cut saved us from the hysteria about how it will be good for consumption/housing/building/retail and whatever else presumably benefits from more credit creation and less saving.

The world has a new favorite OS and it is now slowing down. Recent reports suggest the increasing shares of Android in the mobile phone and computing industry. While there aren’t clear announcements from Google, the rumour mill has it that Android 4.3 update is coming soon. Android market shares not only jumped in the smartphone department but also in the tablet industry. More and more tablets are coming out with the Android OS and it is not difficult to understand why.

On June 3, 2013, LG Electronics Australia announced that the highly successful Optimus L Series is getting both a specification update and further enhance the smartphone's range with new style and appeal. Optimus L2 II, L3 II, L5 II, L7 II and L9 II will be made available to a wider range of local operators and retail partners.

The Australian market is slumping for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 1.00 per cent. Local shares are currently at their lowest levels since mid-January, pushed lower by a disappointing growth reading just before lunch. Comments by another Federal Reserve official overnight supporting a slowing in stimulus kept US investors on edge. Many market participants are remaining pensive ahead of the monthly non-farm payrolls out this Friday (US jobs report).

Samsung Galaxy Express finally arrives in Australia boasting 4.5-inches display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5MP camera and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to both Optus Online and retail stores.

The French court ordered Apple Inc to pay over 5 million euros or $6.5 million worth of copyright taxes for iPad sales in 2011. The court ruling was removed last 2012 but this time, the French government is considering creating a new law on involving cultural taxes related to devices.

Davao International Airport in the Philippines resumes normal operations after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) cleared the runway and removed the damaged Cebu Pacific aircraft. The third busiest airport in the country has remained closed from Sunday night until Tuesday afternoon. CAAP allowed the airport to operate Tuesday evening.

Sydney is counting on a 20-year airport masterplan to handle the expected doubling of passengers to 74 million by 2023, making it unnecessary to build a second airport.

Chevrolet revealed the seventh-generation Corvette at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show showcasing the new engine, improved technologies and much better look. The C7 is the not only new car from Chevy. The company has also released its Malibu and Silverado series – perfect treats for the car enthusiast.

The Reserve Bank of Australia Board meets today to discuss possible cuts on interest rates amidst slow growth in the manufacturing industry and rise in inflation rate. Majority of economists think that the bank should put interest rates on hold.