BUSINESS

Samsung and HTC will go head to head sometime this year as they release their two phablets. Samsung is poised to release the Samsung Galaxu Note 3 whereas HTC will release their HTC One Max. Many consumers seem to anticipate more of the other but it is worthwhile to check which phablet features such to see which can dominate the market truly.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 169 points, or 1.1%, while the S&P gained 1.4% to 1675 and the Nasdaq added 1.

Reports hint at Microsoft reorganization. This can spell tons for consumers though the restructuring should be subtle as reported.

Newcrest Mining Ltd is cutting jobs at its Telfer mine in Western Australia as proof of concrete action on its controversial restructuring plans announced last June 7.

The Australian sharemarket jumped by 1.3 per cent, rising for the third consecutive session. Local stocks have improved by 2.5 per cent so far this week.

James Packer is confident in the booming gaming market of the Philippines. Packer's Asian gaming joint venture Melco Crown will be building a gaming complex at Manila Bay. The investment is worth US$1 billion and is one of the three new casino ventures in Manila, Philippines.

The Australian share market is continuing on its solid run, firmer by another one per cent at lunchtime during Thursday's trade.

Tablets with personal computer capacities slowly penetrate the markets these days. Amazon started lowering the price for Kindle Fire HD which can only mean an upgraded version will come soon. Likewise, the market is also anticipating highly the release of Apple’s iPad Mini 2 and Google’s Nexus 7.2 Tablet PC revolution is just down the pipe.

Labour force figures today are expected to push the unemployment rate higher than last month's 5.5 per cent as the decline of the Australian dollar and sluggish economy hampers jobs growth.

In full compliance to orders from the leader of the Roman Catholic church Pope Francis to practice austerity and simplicity at all times, a priest from Colombia has decided to sell off his white Mercedes Benz E200 convertible with a black top to the market for $63,000.

Air New Zealand grants a dying man’s wish as it continues with its dispute with the conditional alliance with Virgin Australia

Intel Corp is just barely managing to cope up with the declining PC sales as its chips finally start to penetrate the tablet and smartphone market. However, Intel may have to exert more. It has to be more than a chip titan to become successful in the mobile industry.

Samsung hopes to tackle down Apple’s and Google’s take on wearable devices. Google continually works on Google Glass while Apple looks forward to releasing their iWatch. For Samsung, wearable computers and devices offer a great market potential.

It is another tough week for the Cupertino-based Apple as it faces a double whammy.

With the recent drop in price of the LG Optimus G Pro to $100 from the original price tag of $200, tech experts find the device worth their money despite its drawbacks.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 8 points, while the S&P was flat at 1652 and the Nasdaq rose 0.5%.Gee those Chinese data releases are a barrel of laughs at the moment aren't they? Talk about killing the mood at a party.

Local stocks ended higher on Wednesday, although the gains were modest compared to the improvements seen in early trade. Economic reports originating locally and elsewhere once again spoke to investor concerns about a slowing global growth pulse.

The gears have shifted. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Intel (INTC) are all eyeing the television industry apart from their computer ventures. While the three companies are working on streamlining television programming into their services, cable companies are stonewalling these efforts aggressively. Evidently, they do not want to share.

The IMF says China's slow growth was a big risk as the world's second biggest economy moves to growth led by consumption. Any kind of economic slowdown could affect Australia and other commodity exporters. China is one of the biggest consumers of energy in the world. China's trade surplus of US$27.13 billion missed expectations this June as both imports and exports declined as well. A government spokesperson says China's foreign trade to face "grave challenges" ahead.

New Zealand has signed a trade deal with Taiwan on Wednesday to become the isolated Taipei's first trading partner outside its allies. The economic cooperation agreement has been negotiated quietly since last year. The two-way trade between the two countries totaled US$1.2 billion in 2012, making New Zealand the 40th largest trading partner of Taiwan.

Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is expected to have a production shortfall of 2 million tonnes at its Pilbara iron ore operations when it releases its June quarter report next week. However, the mining giant is in a position to make up for the lost volume in the later part of 2013.

Consumers were more optimistic about the outlook of the economy in July, though they were vexed about spending and personal finances, says report.

In yesterday's Daily Reckoning we showed you that food and beer are cheap in America and that sweet potato fries are worth a go. Today, we'll investigate more urgent matters. Falling US bond prices are the prime mover in markets right now. As bond prices fall, yields rise. The investment implications multiply.

The Federal Reserve's EZ money policies will either succeed or fail. Either way, it will be a disaster.

BMW has extended its lead over Audi and Mercedes-Benz according to the latest global sales figures.

The Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0-litre petrol turbo is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It has all the performance credentials to be regarded as a genuinely fast SUV without the high price tag.

Court found Steggles branded chickens – Baiada Poultry and Barter Enterprises, Australian Chicken Meat Federation deceiving consumers

The Australian share market is holding at one month highs in early trade on Wednesday, following gains on US and European markets overnight. US stocks managed to make it four wins in a row as investors were encouraged by the start of the earnings season. Aluminium giant Alcoa was first to report, with its earnings coming in in line with market expectations.

Acer released Aspire M5 for more than a year now but the company continues to release a multitude of updates for users to take advantage. Acer just announced it will be offering an M5 update. They device will now run on Intel’s latest Haswell plus it will also feature new speakers and Intel’s Wireless Display technology.