BUSINESS

By Andrew NelsonWith reporting season swinging into top gear last week, this week's report is chock-a-block full of recommendation revisions.

Perth police raised on Tuesday the house of a male hacker who attempted to sell a prototype of Microsoft's new Xbox gaming console over eBay. The suspect, named as superDaE, tried to auction a Durango development kit for the new Xbox, said to be in time for Christmas 2013.

After the human tooth and horsemeat incident, another surprising find puts Tesco back on the map as a dead bird was found inside one of its salads.

At a time when even tech giants such as Dell are downsizing because of the weak business environment, a U.S.-based company that logged a 400 per cent increase in accounts the past 12 months is certainly impressive and truly blessed. Samasource, founded in 2008 by Harvard graduate Leila Janah, is a leading provider of data and content services. Its clients include Google, Walmart, eBay, the University of California San Francisco and Getty Images.

All the Microsoft polishing in the past few years appears to be working for the software giant as a new survey showed the Windows maker is fast-gaining on the cool factor, thanks mainly to the revamped operating system and the recently issued Surface tablet.

Prices for HTC One have started coming out and Aussies wanting to own the new powerful Android phone will have to give up $746 when buying via Harvey Norman, pricey for a device wanting to lure hordes of buyers, analysts said.

The Australian sharemarket is starting to record a comeback following yesterday's hefty 2.2 per cent slump. The All Ordinaries index (XAO) is up 1.2 per cent or 58.6 pts to 5057.2. Concerns were high yesterday, which resulted in the local market's biggest daily pullback since May 2012. This Sunday's Italian leadership election was keeping investors at bay while U.S Congress has barely a week to deal with the Fiscal Cliff spending cuts drama.

Google has unveiled a MacBook rival in the touch-enabled Chromebook Pixel which starts selling Friday on Google Play and Best Buy at $US1300 for the Wi-Fi model.

3D imaging or stereoscopy is a technique used for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereoscopic for binocular vision. Most methods used present two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. This advance imaging technique is being used in several media such as film photography, digital photography, motion picture, and even on smartphones. Recently, this technique has become available to writing using the world's first 3D printing pen c...

Apple’s fifth iPad serving is due for release on Q3 2013, a Taiwan-based analyst said, underscoring too that the bigger tablet is taking on the form-factor that made the iPad Mini a global hot seller.

Images of purportedly the second-generation iPad Mini chassis in initial stage of production leaked out this week, showing off the small Apple tablet in a bare shell and minus all the fresh components that we would love to see.

BAE posted lower-than-expected full year profits for 2012 as sales reduced while pre-tax profits slumped by approximately 6 percent, blaming delay in the final terms of pricing of the Saudi Arabia-based contract.

By Andrew NelsonJapan is entering a new era, the era of Abeconomics. This refers to the new economic policy platform being rolled out by the new Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

While many women lie about their age when they reach 40, this 104-year-old granny from Michigan had to because of a Facebook technical glitch.

This article was first published exclusively for FNArena subscribers on February 15 and is now open for general readership.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 46 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P lost 0.6% to 1502 and the Nasdaq fell 1.

Local stocks suffered their biggest fall since May 2012 today, slumping by more than two percent as investors booked profits following the recent rally. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) fell 115.8pts or 2.3pct to 4998.6pts. The ASX/200 (XJO) also dropped below 5000pts, easing by 118.6pts or 2.3pct to 4980.1pts.

Apple snatched back its smartphone crown from Samsung and would want to remain on top this year by unleashing the iPhone Mini as early as April 2013 with starting price tag of $US330.

The March 14 market entry of Samsung Galaxy S4 is a heartbeat away and sellers are rushing to push out their stocks of the Galaxy S3 by offering it for one cent like in Amazon Wireless.

Japan taps young women to wear their brand, not on their sleeves, but on their legs, as the hype for this unique business advertising increases.

To get to salvation, though, you must take the road of repentance. We'll have a look at the major landmarks along the highway. But first, to more pedestrian matters.

Quick, somebody tell the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) about natural gas. It's the new investment boom the bank is looking for, only it's already happening in the energy sector, not the housing sector. Even central bankers can't always get what they want.

A dedicated Android camera is what the Samsung Galaxy Camera is all about and the snapper has become more attractive, that is affordable because the new version is doing away with the cellular signal.

Reports of Nexus 5 arriving this year gained more traction as one Google official hinted that indeed the company has lined up handsets bearing the brand with ‘insanely great’ camera features.

Australia has enjoyed strong consistent economic growth (over 20 years of expansion), low unemployment and increasing living standards. Its old economy avoided the implosion of the new economy. Its economic performance was underpinned by strong growth in emerging nations, especially China and India, and demand for commodities.

In what could be his last final stand before actual resignation day, outgoing Pope Benedict XVI is mulling to implement last-minute changes to the 99-yea- old procedures surrounding a papal conclave in a bid seen to hold this year's much anticipated assembly of cardinals at a much earlier date, or on Mar. 10.

The Australian share market opened lower this morning after a late trade selloff on US markets. US investors sold out of stocks and commodities after US Central Bank (Federal Reserve - FOMC) minutes from its January meeting showed policymaker´s held further discussions on slowing its bond buying program. The US Fed has been restimulating the US economy by buying bonds (basically printing money) and pushing it back into the economy, but if they reduce this program is could stall or slow growth. O...

The European Union will imposed retroactive duties on Made-in-China solar panels and Chinese firms that export the PVs if proven that the panels were sold below production cost because of subsidies.

Supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl topped the annual supermarket survey as they were voted second and third most favorite while rivals Morrisons and Sainsbury were left lagging behind. The survey, which was conducted among the UK's nine biggest supermarkets, named Tesco as the least favorite supermarket.