BUSINESS

A more affordable Galaxy Note 3 is on the way as Samsung adjust to current market dynamics in which competition is growing and price marks are plunging, approaching the $US200 mark.

Production of the iPad Mini 2 with Retina display technology is currently underway, a new report claims, pointing to a supply chain movement that saw Apple allegedly ordering display panels with 2048 x 1536 resolution for a 7.9 screen tablet.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook admitted to shareholders at the company's yearly meeting on Wednesday that he didn't like the downward trajectory of the company's share prices. He was responding to alarm by shareholders that Apple stocks are down 37 per cent since September 2012.

Apple, LG, ZTE and China Mobile are collaborating to deliver smartphones on a new network implement, TD-LTE, a variant of the emerging superfast internet infrastructure.

Mozilla finally reached smartphone level with their Firefox OS and the roll out of devices using the mobile operating system.

Samsung is making a big move in the United States, which explains the major New York launch of the Galaxy S4 on March 14. Part of the big plan is selling the new Android handset for $US200 or less.

By Mike Kapsch, Investment U ResearchThursday, February 14, 2013It's no secret uranium prices have plummeted since the Great Recession and Japan's Fukushima disaster.

Getting the Samsung Galaxy S3 is no sweat these days as Vodafone in the United Kingdom dangles the Android smartphone for free, that means no upfront payment is required to bring home the sleek handset.

By Jonathan BarrattWe have seen a break below US95.70 (West Texas Intermediate) from two weeks ago and this has culminated in a move lower for the commodity.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 175 points, or 1.3% to 14,075, while the S&P gained 1.3% to 1515 and the Nasdaq added 1.

EADS reported a huge plunge in its full year profits and revenues for the year 2012 as sales were driven by increased deliveries at its Airbus division.

-Solid interim result-Competitor beat in retail-Limited discounting a plus-Loy Yang A robust contributionBy Eva BrocklehurstBrokers gave AGL Energy ((AGK)) the thumbs up after the interim results.

At the close of local trade the ASX200 had gained 0.66 per cent to 5036, the All Ordinaries index had gained 0.62 per cent to 5033. Value remained strong, there were 2.1 bln transactions which gave rise to $4.5bln shares changing hands. 529 stocks ended the day higher, 454 ended in the red and 381 were unchanged.

If you own Google’s Nexus 4 and currently enjoy Android JellyBean on its pure vanilla, stick to it notwithstanding the upcoming arrival of Samsung’s next flagship – the Galaxy S4.

In the midst of the sexual abuse crisis now hounding the Roman Catholic church which ironically is in its most critical period in selecting the new pope, believers of the faith say it is not enough that the highly anticipated new leader is just plain spiritual or has charisma to convert bigots into the secular religion.

Two budget phones from Samsung and Nokia were revealed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, giving price-sensitive consumers the chance to enjoy the basic mobile power wielded by Android and Windows 8.

The Samsung Galaxy experience is no longer confined to the fun realm. With the introduction of Samsung SAFE with Knox, the South Korean firm offers secured productivity moments for Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 users.

The Australian share market has rebounded from yesterday's drop triggered by concerns over Italy's political gridlock. Positive US economic data and assurances by the Fed chairman has given the local market a lift. By midday, the All Ordinaries index (XAO) is up 0.52pct or 25.9pts to 5047.7pts.

During his term as spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic church, he was merely known as Pope Benedict XVI. But on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m., once his resignation and abdication becomes official, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger will get to maintain and be conferred three titles by the Vatican: His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus or Roman Pontiff Emeritus.

Another tablet has joined the battle for supremacy among devices that sport 7-inch screens. The latest entrant is Hewlett-Packard's Slate 7 tablet which retails at $169.

Future iPhone and iPad versions could come with ‘situational awareness’ functions, allowing the device to predict owners’ desired real-time conditions, a new report said.

Samsung will snatch back the smartphone leadership it lost to Apple in Q4 2012, likely eclipsing its predecessor’s record sales of 40 million units and counting.

Android phone manufacturers Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and Windows Mobile lead runner Nokia still are no match to Apple's iPhone when it comes to reliability, a survey says. A report from FixYa showed the loyalty of many smartphone users that made the iPhone beat other top-of-the-line units such as Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia Lumia 920 when it comes to function and ecosystem.

Because of the poor financial performance of Virgin Australia, the air carrier has made an about face on its plan to expand the Tiger fleet under its planned buy-out of the budget airline.

Subaru has sold its 700,000th vehicle in Australia, as the local division of Fuji Heavy Industries celebrates 40 years on our shores.

A new, more powerful variant of the Mazda CX-5 has gone on sale in Australia, priced from $32,880 for the 2.5-litre petrol Maxx automatic.

By Michael Noonan, Edge Trader PlusMarket activity rules! It is the basis for understanding the motivation for all moves, up or down.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 115 points, or 0.8%, while the S&P gained 0.6% to 1496 and the Nasdaq added 0.

For weeks now a common market discussion has turned around the rise of the markets and the speed with which the ASX200 ascended to the 6000 mark. Over the course of this time there have been few outcomes to interfere with the rosier perspective adopted by the market. The last week has seen this paradigm revert to themes that were common place at the end of last year. European political risk and the state of US finances have returned to cast a pall over market sentiment.