COMPANIES

Retail sector throws up sudden twists as new format stores can upset any well run chain.

The 1-minute, 56-second advert by Australian model Miranda Kerr surely sold thousands of EasyTone sneakers for athletic shoe brand Reebok. However, an Australian Federal Court declared on Tuesday that the commercial made false claims that the shoe was better for calves, thighs and buttocks of its user.

This calls for raising the bar on car safety both by manufacturers and regulators.

Fresh from its New York initial public offering (IPO) that raised a record $25 billion fresh capital, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) has partnered with an Australian software company. Its team up with Bigcommerce is expected to further rival its US competitor Amazon.

After releasing a better-than-expected Q4 FY2014 earnings, Apple stock is expected to reach the three-digit territory.

Medibank Private, the largest health insurer in Australia, is targeting to raise $4.8 billion fresh capital with its initial public offering (IPO).

A study by Australian comparison Web site lifeinsurancefinder.com.au found that jobs in the trucking, postal and warehousing sectors were the most dangerous. The basis of the finding was 65 transport and storage workers were killed while on the job in the past 12 months.

Wall Street analysts continue to believe Apple stock will rise beyond $100 per share despite the lack of investor excitement over new iPads.

A growing number of restaurants in Australia are limiting the time that patrons could dine in their establishments to just 90 to 120 minutes. The restaurants would only accept the diners if they are to vacating their table after a specified time.

A Canadian man found dead mouse in McDonald's cup of coffee.

France will build at least eight nuclear reactors in South Africa.

Heidi Montag's ad was dumped after Facebook users complained.

Two technology giants have upped the game insofar as retaining their employees are concerned. Apple and Facebook are offering their female workers up to $20,000 to have their eggs frozen so they could keep their engagement with their companies while tapping science to ensure they could still bear children when they decide to later.

A new model of a Japanese love doll is the toast of bachelor parties because the plaything also doubles as a drink dispenser. It comes, however, with a high price tag of $5,000.

Caltex Australia finally closed on Tuesday its 58-year-old oil refinery in Kurnell, Sydney. The oil and gas giant now runs the facility as a fuel import terminal. It spend $270 million over two years to convert the plant.

The new Apple Pay system will launch in at least 18 retail outlets on Saturday, said a leaked memo from Walgreens and posted by MacRumors.

In a move that seems like a slap on Malaysia Airlines, the widow of a New Zealander who is one of the passengers of the missing Flight MH 370 rejected a $50,000 compensation offer from the air carrier.

Apple Inc has been named the world's most valuable brand at $119 billion ahead of Google and Coca-Cola. The company was ranked the highest in the list of Interbrand Best Global Brands.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella apologised for discouraging women emplyoees against asking for raises.

An accounting software provider in Australia, ironically named Xero, became number 1 when it topped the country's list of most innovative companies. Xero headed the 2014 BRW Most Innovative Companies list which was compiled by Inventium, an innovation consultancy.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and proposed another round of stock buybacks. He said the company's current stock valuation is cheap as the stock should be worth $203 per share with a valuation of $1.2 trillion.

Samsung has been a repeated offenders, this is not the first time that an investigation is commissioned against the company.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left on Tuesday the overnight cash rate unchanged at its record-low rate of 2.5 per cent, set in August 2013. However, the RBA decision did not deter lenders from revising some of their mortgage rates by offering season promotions such as cash-back deals and waived fees for new home loans.

Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) rejected an offer to merge with Glencore that would have created a $160 billion mining and trading firm in August. Rio disclosed the offer made in July on Tuesday, but after thumbing down the proposed merger, there has been no contact about the deal between the two miners.

A survey made by finder.com.au, one of the biggest comparison Web sites in Australia, found that an increase in the overnight cash rate by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would likely come at the earliest by the third quarter of 2015.

Amid talks that unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather is finally considering fighting Filipino eight-division title holder Manny Pacquiao if the congressman beats Chris Algieri on Nov 22, there is another boxing coup in the offing besides the higher chances of the Dream Match finally taking place.

The furor over the bending iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units has barely died down, yet, Apple is faced with another public relations crisis as #Hairgate threatens to be another headache for the Cupertino-based tech giant that was supposed to be enjoying brisk sales of its new flagship devices.

Apple claimed that there were only 9 complaints of bending iPhone 6s, but it seems there are more than 9 based on recent postings in Instagram. There were seven recent postings complete with pictures in the photo sharing site.

A renowned Israeli psychic who was famous in the 1970s for bending spoons using only his mind may be the bane of Apple, not teens who just walk into a device store and attempt to bend the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus using their bare hands.