COMPANIES

2012 could be a banner year for Microsoft. The software giant is set to release the next generation Windows software, Windows 8 which is slated to run on both tablets and desktops. It's a huge gamble for Microsoft, one that could very well spell the difference between success and failure for Microsoft in this post-PC era.

Hewlett Packard finally made the leap to join the growing tablet market by releasing the HP TouchPad, but the response for this tablet was poor. Will this be the end for the HP TouchPad? If the reports true, the probable answer is a big "YES".

Qantas compensated passengers of its Perth-bound plane from Singapore of up to $400,000 each. The 144 travelers were hurt when the Airbus A4330 jet they were riding on October 2008 nosedived twice.

Google could have a potential enemy now that HP (Hewlett Packard) revealed that they are planning to pursue their WebOS project which is incidentally, also an open source project.

Seven LCD manufacturers in Asia including Sharp Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. agreed to pay $553 million to settle anti-trust claims for illegally fixing liquid crystal display prices in televisions, notebook computers and monitors.

Microsoft Corp's Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps available which makes the Windows Phone the second fastest growing app store after Apple. That is good news for Microsoft which took a year to reach 40,000 apps on Windows Phone but only 40 days to reach the 50,000 milestone. On any given standard, the fast growing app store, the good reviews for its Windows Phone; one would expect Microsoft to have a better slice of the smartphone market but it only managed to grab just...

The Boxing Day aftermath proved encouraging enough for the Australian retail sector, and major players are still cautiously optimistic about the general picture.

Stricter U.S. regulations on pollution control, together with higher costs incurred in burning coal, have prompted Sunbury Generation LP, owner of one of the nation's oldest coal-fired power plants, to switch to natural gas by 2015.

The West Australian government invited China to be an investor in its $5.94-billion Oakajee port and rail project. The venture seeks to open up a new iron ore mine site in the state's Mid-West and make it WA's second major iron ore output behind Pilbara.

YouTube launched Tuesday a new game wherein viewers and visitors can vote to pick which of two video clips pitted against each other weekly is more impressive, funnier, cuter or weirder.

A train was derailed on Tuesday caused by floodwater brought by ex-tropical cyclone Grant. The accident involved OZ Minerals (ASX: OZL) whose $8-millon shipment of copper concentrates partly spilled into the Edith River.

Amid the spate of train accidents in Australia involving shipment of minerals, BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) assured on Thursday that the route it would take to move toxic products from its Olympic Dam expansion is safe.

Anyone who's ever flown knows the drill before take-off. Seatbelts on and turn off all electronic devices. However according to a study conducted by U.S.A Today more people are refusing to turn off their electronic devices even during take-off, flight and landing. What are the effects of these electronic devices to a plane? Will they really cause a plane to drop out of the sky?

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) criticised the Australian government on Tuesday for renewing a textile, clothing and footwear scheme with the Fiji government. The scheme is part of a multilateral trade agreement, which ACTU President Ged Kearney insisted would not improve the lives of textile workers in Fiji who are paid low wages.

International mining company Cliffs Natural Resources bought Atlas Iron Limited's (ASX: AGO) magnetite project for $18 million.

Major consumer electronic firms, led by Samsung and Sharp, have agreed to settle on Tuesday the U.S. lawsuits that alleged they collaborated to control prices of LCD panels, reports said.

The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) charged that 400 workers may have been exposed to asbestos for about one year in the $50-million redevelopment of the Museum of Contemporary Arts building in Sydney.

Foxconn, assembler of Apple's iPad and iPhone, has unveiled plans to upgrade its production capacity in mainland China, expanding the company's existing plant in the country's Henan province, reports said.

Australian mining company Arc Exploration (ASX: ARX) temporarily suspended the operation of its gold project at Bima in the Indonesia island of Sumbawa after violence broke out on the site on Christmas Eve.

A lawsuit filed by a mobile phone company against one of its former employees could make clearer the blurry lines on the use of social networking sites by employees for work.

Italy's Antitrust Authority fined three Apple companies $1.18 million (900,000 euros) for misleading local consumers on warranty terms and customer assistance.

The release of Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, paves the way for the mobile platform's further ascension in the tightening battle for mobile market supremacy, reports said.

Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) announced on Thursday that it has extended its offer to purchase Hathor Exploration shares to 5 p.m. of Jan 6, 2012. The offer, made through an indirect wholly-owned Rio subsidiary in Canada, is for C$4.70 in cash per common share.

Sony and Samsung announced on Monday a deal that would transfer whole ownership of S-LCD Corp, an entity jointly-owned by the two consumer electronic firms, to the South Korean tech giant.

Service provider Adam Internet announced on Friday the roll-out in 2012 of its Business Cloud computing service in South Australia.

Australian supermarkets are passing off foreign products as Made in Australia by using loopholes.

A survey by consumer watchdog Choice found that 52 per cent of shoppers are unaware of their rights regarding the purchase and return of products.

Gone are the days where the use of smartphones was limited to “geeks”. Nowadays, shoppers are now utilizing the potential of smartphones as a tool to help them get through their shopping needs.

Sony Corp. has denied news reports that the company has apologized for the glitches with its newest console the PlayStation Vita. According to Sony, there was no evidence of widespread bugs on the Vita and that the reports about Sony apologizing were not true.