BUSINESS

The upcoming Galaxy S4 handset from Samsung will likely be anything but unbreakable, the screen that is, reports said, dousing speculations that the flagship Android smartphone will break new paths in terms of solid build mobile devices.

So the Fed is doing exactly as expected, but the anticipation was much more fun than the reality. After rallying for weeks on 'hopes' of ever greater QE, last night US markets turned down. Exactly the same thing happened back in September when traders and computer algorithms alike hung precipitously of Bernanke's words...only to lose their grip hours later.

Local stocks have started the trading week in the red, despite reports the US House of Representatives could be one step closer to averting the Fiscal Cliff.

One of the reasons why users loves Android OS platform is the prominent availability of applications. The Android Market or now Google Play Store has been supporting thousands of apps ranging from games to business, social to utilities. And of all these apps from Google Play have been downloaded by millions of users and possibly re-downloaded again for whatever reason.

More modification options for the Nexus 4 were recently unleashed by the generous people over at XDA Developers for maximum enjoyment of the Google-LG smartphone this holiday season.

Leaks for three Sony smartphones came out, following the ongoing trend of phone spec and photo leaks almost every day. The latest leaks are for the Huashan, Odin and Yuga models.

For Android Galaxy S2 users looking for 4.1.2 Jellybean stable firmware, an XXLSJ based 4.1 firmware version will soon be available for installation on the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 model.

- Mid companies return to record confidence- Transport most confident, mining not so- Investment plans remain mutedBy Greg PeelA fiscal cliff, a slower China, European uncertainty, government spending cuts, the strong Aussie dollar ? all are these are factors which one might expect to be weighing on...

Asus issued a companion dock for the Google signature tablet Nexus 7, which blog reports said will first hit the Japanese market within December, with the likelihood of a global rollout to follow shortly.

Europe saw demand for new cars drop for the fourteenth consecutive month in November. On the 14th of December, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association released its survey which showed that European Union car sales decreased as much as 10 percent to almost 926,500 vehicles. PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault SA and Fiat SpA noted the biggest slumps among other carmakers.

There's a fair chance the RBA will drop rates again when they next meet in February.

Qantas's loss is the gain of Middle Eastern air carrier Etihad Airways and Australia's second major airline, Virgin Australia, after the two aviation companies signed three-year marketing deals with Tourism Australia.

Global resource companies BHP Billiton and ExxonMobil will expand the Longford gas plant at the Gippsland region in Victoria at a cost of $1 billion.

John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the US house of Representatives, addressed the media in Washington in US time last night. Not for the first time he said President Obama was not committed to making serious spending cuts and as a consequence the US economy will go over the fiscal cliff. With 18 days left in which to strike a deal, the language still being used in public exchanges between the two parties is less than inspiring. Global markets have recognised the latest salvo as being more o...

A new 2012 International Communications and Market Report has revealed that Australians have been ranked as the highest in the world when it comes to emptying wallets for phone and internet usage spending.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a set of draft rules directing the country's various telcos to inform consumers of exact mobile costs and charges while roaming overseas.

The Australian sharemarket continues its strong run, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) improving for much of the morning for the sixth consecutive session. The XAO is currently only up by a very modest 1.6 pts.

Google’s Nexus 4, it turns out, has a hidden LTE chip and it can be easily activated with bits of digging. Users of this Android smartphone in selected U.S. and Canadian locations are bound to enjoy super-fast wireless broadband connection without mustering any hacking skills.

Australia has flatly rejected to support a United Nations-backed proposed treaty governing international telecommunications by not affixing its signature to the accord and was totally disappointed of the consensus reached.

Today is the last Friday to the supposed end of the world on December 21, 2012, according to cultists of the Mayan calendar doomsday countdown. Seven more days to go and the planet Earth will witness its last, final moments, so they say. As the number of days get shorter towards the much anticipated D-Day, believers of the doomsday phenomenon all the more get agitated looking for a possible area for refuge against the impending Armageddon. Next to France's Bugarach town and Serbia's Mount ...

Android currently reigns supreme in the global smartphone arena, underscoring the fact that the Google platform has been generating satisfaction among the hundreds of millions subscribed to the system since its inception.

After another day and another round of JellyBean update to several mobile devices, Lenovo IdeaTab is finally getting an update. The device originally runs Ice Cream Sandwich and now users can obtain the latest Android version 4.1.1 JellyBean for Lenovo IdeaTab A2109.

Techies who follow the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note flagship from Samsung are also monitoring the future of these two devices, namely the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. Recent rumours include leaks of the upcoming Galaxy Note 3 which entails 6.3 inches of screen display, which would make it almost like any 7-inch tablet in the market.

It is likely that the Galaxy Note 3 will be unveiled sometime in 2013, reports said, and as expected Samsung is pushing the limit on screen size. From the 5.5-inch that came with the Note 2, the upcoming phablet will be deployed with a display panel that stretches to 6.3 inches.

Westpac shareholders approved on Thursday a $9.6 million compensation package for the bank's chief executive, Gail Kelly. Over 88 per cent of stockholders gave the green light for the pay packet.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 74 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P lost 0.6% to 1419 and the Nasdaq dropped 0.

The Australian stock market traded through a narrow 15 point range on Thursday to end the session flat, although it remained within sight of 16 month highs.

By its price alone, at $US199, the HTC Droid DNA is an open invite for Christmas shoppers but with the handset’s circulation marked by mostly positive feedbacks, this 1080p smartphone is set to draw more attention as the shopping season heats up.

Deeper probes of the Nexus 4 revealed that in specific cases and locations the Google smartphone is able to access LTE networks in the United States and Canada, numerous blog reports said.