BUSINESS

After three sessions of losses, local stocks are back in the black today, being lifted by another win on Wall Street and strength in European markets.

How is Apple dealing with the increasingly rising market threat that is Samsung? The iPhone maker, it appears, is playing the Galaxy manufacturer’s game – selling as many handsets as conceivable to all market segments.

The two most popular social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, are adding features to their Web sites in a bid to improve user experience and entrench their hold on the market.

Australian flag carrier Qantas (ASX: QAN) is determined to regain its lost glory as the country's premier airline. In a bid to get a larger slice of the domestic market it partly lost to Virgin Australia, Qantas said it will double the capacity for every plane that Virgin deploys.

Nexus 5 has inspired two interesting ideas that render a very powerful and attractive image of the upcoming Google device – a power-packed CPU that breaks the 2.0GHz barrier with a price tag of less than $100.

While too many eyes are trained on Samsung Galaxy S4 at the moment, the tech giant is collaborating with Amazon to keep its outgoing flagships’ brisk sales and the result – the Galaxy S3 now sells for a penny while the Galaxy Note flies away for as low as $US70.

Had estranged Rinehart daughter Hope Welker listened to her younger sister, Ginia, she would not have complained of having only $60,000 in the bank and no funds to hire a cook and nanny as well as money to send her children to school in New York.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 83 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P gained 0.6% to 1563 (2 points shy) and the Nasdaq added 0.

Another part of Google's various services will shut down on July 1, 2013, as part of their spring cleaning. The company decided to axe down the Google Reader RSS which was launched back in 2005. The last update of the product was an integration for the Google+ social network and the removal of the Reader's own sharing service.

The social media site Twitter has launched its first app for Windows 8 and Windows RT. The newly launched Twitter app justified the platform by including Windows 8 focused features such as support for Windows 8 share, Search charms, snap view, live tiles and notifications.

One week after Tourism Australia announced the revival of its Best Jobs in the World Promo, the agency was deluged with 275,000 applications from 150,000 people in 196 countries, attracted no doubt by the promise of outdoors adventure and the hefty salary offer.

For much of its history, Australia had to wait months for news from the northern hemisphere to reach its shores. Early settlers crowded the docks when a new ship arrived from England to get the 'latest' news. It was usually delayed by at least 6 months.

January's trade deficit was $1.6 billion, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). That was a 53% increase from December's deficit. But it was 16% lower than the deficit in December of 2012, according to the ABS. So was it good or bad?

On the 13th of March, British travel firm Thomas Cook informed that it aimed to improve its profits by around £350 billion by 2015 through its turnaround strategy. The 171-year-old UK tour operator plans to reduce the number of its stores, dispose non-core businesses and concentrate on online sales as it is trying to stand on its feet.

The Confederation of British Industry, UK's leading lobbying organization, suggested that the forthcoming 2013 Budget should be centrally focused on creating around 50,000 new homes in order to reduce fiscal deficit. Moreover, the British Chambers of Commerce supported the plea put forward by the CBI to promote infrastructure.

Experts greeted the arrival of Optimus G Pro with open arms. One reviewer declared that finally there is a true phablet competition in the making, with the new LG phablet serving the specs that could give Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 a run for its money.

It is the eve of Samsung Galaxy Launch S4 launch and the world is expecting a phenomenal show at the New York Time Square. However, on the same night, Apple Marketing Chief Phil Schiller insulted rival Android directly before the new Samsung flagship smartphone has been launched.

Microsoft’s rumoured Xbox 720 will make the company the undisputed king of gaming console, with competitions like Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii U likely withering away in the few years to come, one analyst said.

Both HTC and Samsung are being watched closely by people around the world with their two monster flagship devices. HTC One M7 was launched at the recent Mobile World Congress 2013 and amazed many with its unique features such as HTC Zoe, BlinkFeed, dual-speakers with amplifiers, and HTC Voice Sense. Samsung Galaxy S IV will make its own solo performance in New York City tomorrow evening, March 14, 2013.

Both HTC and Samsung are being watched closely by people around the world with their two monster flagship devices. HTC One M7 was launched at the recent Mobile World Congress 2013 and amazed many with its unique features such as HTC Zoe, BlinkFeed, dual-speakers with amplifiers, and HTC Voice Sense. Samsung Galaxy S IV will make its own solo performance in New York City tomorrow evening, March 14, 2013.

Now is the best time to consider trading in your Galaxy S3 if you are bent on getting Samsung’s Galaxy S4 once it hits global store shelves on April.

Despite a slightly firmer start to the day's trade, local stocks are trading in the red at lunchtime, weighed down by weakness from the mining players.

Today is D-Day for Samsung as the company embarks on what experts perceive as its biggest smartphone launch to date, the Galaxy S4 global debut, likely eclipsing what was seen in 2013 when the million-selling Galaxy S3 was rolled out.

By Jonathan BarrattCopper is not performing on the back of disappointing economic data from the number one consumer of the metal, China.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 5 points, while the S&P gained 0.1% to 1554 (still 11 points shy) and the Nasdaq added 0.

- Aussie resilient despite stronger greenback- Importers/exporters expecting further AUD strength- Investment and hedging plans adjusted accordinglyBy Greg PeelThe US dollar index has rallied 5.

The Australian share market eased for a second session today, as big falls from the big four banks dragged on the local bourse.

An iPad could be used as a remote control for an old Opel Vectra, Russian computer experts have demonstrated in a home. To move the vehicle, also sold as Holden in Australia in the late 1990s, the geeks connected servo motors to metal rods that control the wheel steering and gear selection.

Rovio, the Finnish creator of the popular online game Angry Birds, will launch this weekend the TV cartoon version in a bid to widen its entertainment and merchandising reach.