COMPANIES

Toyota, allegedly, is using Holden's closure to compel workers to accept poorer work conditions.

The Smarty Ring Bluetooth-enabled wearable gadget for easy smartphone alert checks and incoming call management is finally here! Move over, Samsung Galaxy Gear watch, Pebble Watch and Sony SmartWatch, here comes the latest wearable gadget designed to work in sync with one's smartphone. It is much sleeker, fashionable and easier to wear than the smart watches out there today. It can be worn even if you are dressed casually or dressed to the nines.

Qantas staff will start wearing the controversial uniform modeled by Miranda Kerr starting Thursday, Dec 12.

The last analogue television (TV) transmitter in Australia has officially been switched off at 9 am on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 in Melbourne, Victoria as well as other communities in eastern and central Australia. It has reportedly been used in Australia for 57 years. What this means is that all the free-to-air TV in Australia will now be available only on digital TV. Their analogue TV can still be used if a digital set-top box is used along with it.

Prime Minsiter Tony Abbott is reportedly replacing Holden cars with BMW bomb-free cars

Ninja Blocks, a Sydney start-up company that was founded by Marcus Schappi with co-founders wife Madeleine and Mark Wotton in January 2012, has amazing gadgets called the Ninja Block and the Ninja Sphere, which are essentially "remote controls" for the home. The company has attracted funding of up to $1 million from companies such as Atlassian Software founders Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes.

Despite the extreme popularity of King's Candy Crush Sage, the game was crushed on Monday by Pretty Simple's Criminal Case which was picked by Facebook as the game of 2013.

A commercial from Australian manufacturer Four Seasons Condoms has been banned to air on the small screen for being too sexy. The controversial ad, which shows a young couple testing out condom sizes inside a pharmacy by engaging in various sexual positions, was deemed inappropriate for television.

Microsoft Non-Security Updates will be released on Patch Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 at 1PM Eastern Time. A brief description of the 16 main updates can be found on Microsoft's Support Page, including updates on Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows Servers.

Here is good news for all the fans of HBO’s fantasy drama show “Game of Thrones.” Have you ever dreamt of playing as your favorite character from “Games of Thrones” universe? Your dreams will now be manifested into reality. Along with the New Year, comes a chance to play “Game of Thrones” videogame. Telltale Games, a digital publisher and maker of “The Walking Dead” game has announced the release of the video game in 2014.

About 200 employees are about to be jobless as Wilkie Creek Mine announces closure in Queensland

Pantone Inc., the global authority on color, named the PANTONE® 18-3224 Radiant Orchid as the official color of 2014 on Dec. 5, 2013. PANTONE® 18-3224 Radiant Orchid is described by the X-Rite company located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, as "a captivating, magical, enigmatic purple."

It is not just iPhones that are exploding. A report came out on Monday that a Samsung Galaxy S4 caught fire when the phone was charging. While the battery did not explode, the smartphone became useless, prompting the phone owner to seek a replacement since the unit is still under warranty.

Retail therapy, which many females turn to when they are depressed or angry or lonely, appears to be more than just an excuse to shop - as most of the husbands or boyfriends of these women think.

While Android devices make up most of the world's smart phone market share, Apple Inc has increased its lead in the United States based on recent figures by comScore. According to the report, Apple Inc continues to dominate the smart phone market in the U.S. with 40.6 per cent. As Apple Inc continues to look forward to higher sales for the new versions of the iPhone and iPads in the holiday quarter, the company's stocks may be on its way to reaching $700 in 2014.

All Justin Bieber wanted from BlackBerry was $200,000 and 20 devices and he would be glad to be the company’s Ambassador. But the officials of the company, then known Research In Motion (RIM), thought it was a bad idea. Fifteen million sales of album after and $55 million earnings in the last twelve months, Bieber was no longer the rising star he was when he made the offer.

Members of the Auckland Taxi Association are on a hunger strike starting Monday after their talk with the airport company failed. Around 180 taxi drivers at the Auckland International Airport are demanding better working conditions and taxi-rank positions among other issues.

Sunshine Coast Daily, a newspaper for Maroochydore, Queensland (QLD) in Australia is giving away six prizes from Nov. 9 to Dec. 23, 2013 as part of its Countdown to Christmas contest. Giveaways include an iPhone 5s, a $1,000 Flight Centre travel voucher, a GoPro Hero3+, a system 12 lotto ticket, five $100 vouchers at Bunnings, Kmart or Boating Camping Fishing (BCF) and five $100 Coles Group vouchers.

Black Friday may have been over a week ago, but techies who failed to get a good bargain during those days need not wait for Boxing Day to enjoy price cuts on devices.

A seemingly atheist advertisement gets an unofficial ban in Vancouver.

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama, leader of the free world, has reportedly not allowed the use Apple's iPhone for security reasons. The Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Defense might have given Apple's iPhone security clearance for official use but the smartphone is apparently still not secure enough for Mr. Obama.

Apple Inc (AAPL) stock is showing erratic signs as news on China denied

Microsoft has partnered with Australia's University of Melbourne in the opening of a new research centre to study the social uses and applications for natural user interface the likes used by Xbox Kinect.

Shares of tech giant Apple (AAPL) surged on Thursday on reports it has finally entered an arrangement with China Mobile. However, the Chinese operator and the world's biggest wireless at that, denied the existence of any deal.

New Zealand firms are in the spotlight for making it to the top 100 of the annual Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Index. A list of the region's fastest growing technology firms was recently announced in Hong Kong with 40 Kiwi tech companies in the list, and 16 in the top 100.

There are a lot of choices for Christmas gifts meant for women. It can range from jewelry to makeup, clothes, shoes, bags, watches or even gadgets. However, due to the number of choices out there, it's difficult to choose which one to actually buy for women. The risk is that they may already have the gift you will be giving them. To help you with your shopping dilemma, here is a helpful Holiday 2013 Gift Guide featuring the Top 5 Gifts for Women.

Disney gave Adelaide’s ‘Frying Nemo’ until Friday to change its name

Let's face it, when it comes to gift giving, it's always difficult to find the perfect gift for the men in your life, whether he is a boyfriend, a husband, your dad, uncle or even brother. But, don't worry, here is a simple Holiday 2013 Gift Guide featuring the Top 5 Gifts for Men to give you some ideas on what to shop for this Christmas.

The dispute of one of the Australian DJs who caused a nurse to commit suicide as a result of the infamous royal prank call has been resolved, South Cross Austereo said in a statement on Thursday.