BUSINESS

The rumoured Apple iOS 7.1 updates will come with a major overhaul to its Mobile Device Management; Google Translate with iOS 7 support will be free for 24 hours

The ASX 200 acquitted itself well on Wednesday in the face of a mixed picture for regional stocks the index was able to post a fourth consecutive day of gains.

Brand Finance listed Apple Inc as its no. 1 brand among world’s most valuable brands

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock downgraded to ‘Hold’ by Thomson Reuters; other analysts gave ratings

Chinese millionaires sought special investment visas, bringing their money with them to the country.

Local stocks continued to grind higher on Wednesday despite an indifferent lead from US markets overnight. Company results remain the overwhelming focus for local investors.

Chinese millionaires sought special investment visas, bringing their money with them to the country

Frequent Canadian air travelers may soon expect more direct flights between the country and Mexico following an expanded air travel agreement signed on Tuesday. Mexicans flying to Canada, however, still need to apply and secure visas.

US markets returned to trade on a fairly quiet note with the major bourses relatively mixed. Data out of the US was underwhelming to say the least, with the Empire State manufacturing index and the NAHB housing market index sharply disappointing. Weather continues to be blamed for some of the disappointing readings but at some point this could start to weigh on sentiment. The Nikkei had a big day yesterday, rising 3% on the back of the BoJ. USD/JPY spiked to ¥102.75 on the back of the BoJ but ha...

In US economic data, the Empire State manufacturing index eased from +12.51 to +4.48 in February. In December there were capital outflows from the US totalling US$119.6 billion, up from $16.6 billion in November. And the National Association of Home Builders index eased from +56 to +46 in February - the biggest one-month decline recorded.

In a tie-up campaign with Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand is enticing Japanese tourists to visit the country Down Under during the colder months by offering them hefty 30 per cent discounts on plane fare.

The federal government of Australia approved on Tuesday the master plan for Sydney Airport to meet the expected higher number of 74 million passengers the gateway would handle in 2033, up from the 38 million air travelers in 2013.

The Australian share market closed slightly higher today, as investors digested positive earnings reports from the likes of BHP Billiton (BHP) against numbers which missed the mark from companies such as Coca-Cola Amatil (CCL).

The Australian sharemarket is rising for the third straight day and for the eighth time in nine trading sessions. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.1 per cent and the index is back above 5400pts for the first time in three months. Strong gains within the mining sector is driving the broader market higher at lunch. Investors looked to Europe for a lead, due to the closure of the U.S. markets (Presidents Day public holiday). Shares in the UK jumped by 1.1 per cent.

Analysts based in London have likened New Zealand to Ireland in its state of pre-global financial crisis with an economy on the brink of collapse. In a Bloomberg report, SLJ Macro Partners Stephen Jen and colleague Faith Yimazn said it was only a matter of time before the New Zealand dollar will decline. Both analysts remarked that the reality is "quite different" despite the Kiwi dollar's strong performance as of late.

Chinese millionaires whose applications have been withdrawn after Canada scraped its Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) were hardly upset. They can always turn to the U.S. and Europe to expand and migrate anyway.

Mining giant BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) reported on Tuesday a first half profit of A$9 billion for its 2014 financial year. It is almost double compared to BHP's profit 12 months ago and better than most analysts' expectations.

After an in-depth analysis of the strength and stability of Australia’s financial sector, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s concluded that Aussie banks are among the five most stable in the world.

The positive equity momentum of the past week remains robust. Having now turned positive for the first time in 2014, the ASX is now 30 points in the black year-to-date as the US markets snap back from their New Year slump.

European shares were mixed on Monday in thin trade with volumes affected by holidays in North America. The FTSEurofirst 300 index rose by 0.4% with the UK FTSE up by 1.1% but the German Dax lost 0.1%. Mining shares were stronger in response to strong Chinese lending data and in London trade shares in both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto rose by 1.2%.

A question asked in 2012 is being raised again this time by Harry Dent, a book author, economist and demographer raised the spectre of a property slump in Australia in the next few years. He warned that property prices could go down as low as 50% in the coming years, causing median house prices in Sydney to tumble down to $381,584 from the present $763,169.

Apple Inc. is gradually eating away Microsoft's personal computer market share.

China is planning to build the world's longest underwater tunnel at a whopping cost of 220 billion yuan ($36 billion).

The Australian share market continued its recent winning streak today, rising 0.5 per cent on the back of positive moves on Wall Street on Friday night and data out of China on the weekend.

A web site in Russia accepts Bitcoin while USD is used in more unlawful transactions said chair of Bitcoin foundation.

With the growing childcare costs for nannies contracted through agencies, Australian mothers were forced to pay nannies through the 'black market' or through online and referral by friends. Nannies taken through this unregulated approach were only paid $15 per hour.

Indonesia has started to claim normalcy and control as it reopened on Sunday the airports closed on Java island following Mount Kelud's eruption on Thursday.

The Australian share market has started the trading week on a positive note, after gaining 3.5 per cent over the course of last week.

The Abbott government is paying $4.3 million for media positioning analysis.