BUSINESS

The stifling effect of Europe's sovereign debt crisis and weakness in developing nations led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to downgrade its global growth forecasts on Monday to 3.5 per cent for 2012 and 3.9 per cent for 2013.

Apple's iPhone has been one of the top selling Apple devices in the world. The latest iPhone model which is iPhone 4S is one of the top-selling smartphones in the world. Recently, there are numerous reports stating that Apple is slated to release a new iPhone model which iPhone 5.

By Greg Peel"Domestically, members noted that the March quarter national accounts data implied that the economy had had more momentum since mid 2011 than had previously been indicated".

"Globalization" has been a buzzword for decades, but the word has competing definitions. It can refer to the reduction of barriers to trade and travel, which allows goods, ideas, and people to act as though the world is one free-flowing community. But it can also refer to the centralization of power into a nexus from which policy decisions are broadcast into all corners of the world.

It was an apparent empty victory for Toll Holdings, operator of the Somerton warehouse of Coles, even at it got an order from the Victoria Supreme Court on Monday. The court mandated the lifting of the blockade at the facility which has been ongoing for more than one week.

Protesters tried but failed to enter the BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) Olympic Dam mine site in South Australia on Monday to stop the uranium mining operations of BHP.'

FNArena has added another video to its Investors Education section on the website. This week ATW's Jerry Simmons focuses on natural gas and the euro among a host of other topics.

Fifteen New Zealand miners remain trapped in three refuge areas underground at a Newmont Waihi gold mine on Tuesday. The 15 are part of a group of 28 miners deployed at the site. Thirteen of the workers have escaped the blaze.

What would you prefer? A predictable business or an unpredictable one? Would you prefer to be able to predict your profitability next month rather than get that nasty shock when you look at the general account?

Google has just revealed their newest Android OS which is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 49 points or 0.4% while the S&P lost 0.2% to 1353 and the Nasdaq fell 0.

Microsoft has just unveiled its latest OS which is Windows 8. Windows 8 is set to officially arrive in the market by October, 2012 and experts are predicting that this would help the growth of the PC industry.

Chinese tech firms are on the roll as Lenovo is set to take the top spot in the personal computer market by the year-end, reports said, likely toppling perennial leader Hewlett-Packard (HP).

The newest OS version from Apple which is iOS 6 is set to bring about new and additional features for different Apple devices. A preview of these new features were already showcased during the WWDC 2012.

Blizzard, the developer behind the highly successful game, Diablo 3 recently released an update for the Diablo 3's game guide.

MSNBC is no more as Microsoft and American network NBC News formally severed their business ties, which more than a decade ago cost the software giant $US220 million for a 50 percent stake on the online news site.

A very bizarre exchange between several CNBC finance pundits recently aired in the US. They started saying exactly the things they ridiculed not long ago.

Nokia downgraded the retail price of its Lumia 900 smartphone over the weekend, a few months prior to the expected debut of Windows 8 operating system that Microsoft said would leave behind current crops of Windows phones.

Gold Now Flat On A Year Ago, By Adrian AshGold in Dollars just went flat from 12 months ago. But in Euros.

While more Australian men are shifting to careers within the lucrative resources sector, there are also a rising number of Aussie women who are venturing into Outback jobs.

By Alexander Green, Investment U Chief Investment StrategistWhen I first got started in the investment business 27 years ago ? as a novice stockbroker ? I had an awkward conversation with a client.

During the year to March 2012, the average price of apartments in Riga, the capital, dropped by 1.5%, according to Arco Real Estate (although during the latest quarterly, residential property prices were up by 1.54%).

"Everybody is analyzing policies...as if policies could make any real difference. What really matters is culture," said an Irish friend yesterday.

After introducing in 2011 the 24/7 postal services for parcels ordered online, the Australia Post is taking its service to another level by linking farmers and consumers.

The Victoria Supreme Court will hear on Monday a petition by Toll Holdings, which operates the Cole Warehouse in Somerton, Melbourne, to issue an injunction to stop the blockade set up by striking workers.

Volkswagen Australia has launched the second-generation Passat CC four-door coupe with a starting price of $54,990 for the diesel. This time around the Germans have gone for a simpler naming convention by removing the Passat badge and sticking with just Volkswagen CC.

A new report from IDC reveals that the demand for Apple's MacBooks are growing and its biggest competitor, the ultrabooks are not faring that well in the market.

Samsung Electronics Co., one of the largest smartphone companies in the world, is rumored to reveal Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in the market. Though details are still scarce about Samsung Galaxy Note 2, many people are already questioning if whether or not they should upgrade their Samsung Galaxy Note with the newest Galaxy Note model.

Virgin Australia owner Richard Branson revealed on Friday that his space tourism program, Virgin Galactic, will lift off as planned in the last quarter of 2013, with him and his family as among the first passengers.