BUSINESS

While all tech eyes are on the newly launched iPad Air and iPad Mini tablet of Apple, reality is there would be Apple fans and non-fans. The bigger number of tablet users, because of the sheer number of available models, are those run by Android OS. In the Android world, Google Nexus devices reign, based on the recently listing of two tech Web site wherein the Google Nexus 10 and Nexus 7 topped the list of best tablets.

Local stocks went against the regional trend today which saw most of the leading indices lose ground. The improvement on Friday has meant that over the last 5 days the index has gained about 1.2%.

Carl Icahn predicted that Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock can be at an all-time high at $1,250 in three years time

While many had written off BlackBerry when it admitted substantial losses due to its large inventory of unsold smartphones, the Waterloo, Ontario-based phonemaker appears to have made a successful comeback this week when it rolled out the BlackBerry Messaging app for Android and iOS phones.

A three-year-old toddler who contracted the deadly HIV virus while still inside her mother's womb continue to remain health and scot free of the infection even if it has been 18 months since she last received her treatment. Doctors hope the AIDS virus will go into permanent remission so the child can really live normally.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock returns to highs with cheap buybacks possibly closing

There have been a number of encouraging signs for the bulls in the last 24 hours. The weak close on Wednesday as rising interest rates in China saw buyers retreat from stocks across the region has faded from memory and buyers have maintained the grind higher for the ASX200 this week, which has risen by 1.3% with several hours of trade remaining.

According to a study published in medical journal, The Lancet, there has been an increase of 25 percent in the last 20 years in the 20- to 64-year-old age bracket either affected or dying due to stroke.

Saudi Arabia has signified it will slap appropriate sanctions to protesters once they push through their planned Oct 26 mass action objecting to the ban against women drivers in the oil-rich kingdom.

In today's Daily Reckoning we're going to discuss the possible impact on Australia of a changing global monetary system. We say possible because no one really knows where this rabbit hole we're heading down leads, so it's all guesswork.

Money Printing: Everything Old is New Again

The Spanish economy grew by 0.1 percent between July and September this year on the back of stronger exports, according to estimates from Spain's central bank on Wednesday, though unemployment remains stubbornly high at around the 26 percent mark.

It has been a very interesting week on the markets; the unusual event of seeing major US data in the third week of the month certainly didn't spook the markets as it reconfirmed what most already believe; taper will not happen in 2013.

Microblogging site Twitter is aiming to raise up to $1.6 billion in its initial public offering. It set on Thursday the price range of $17 to $20 a share.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 95 points or 0.6% while the S&P gained 0.3% to 1752 and the Nasdaq added 0.5%.

The US trade deficit came in at $38.8 billion in August, roughly in line with that recorded in July. The underlying trend remains of very gradual narrowing of the deficit. Initial jobless claims dipped further down by 12,000 to 350,000 last week. Flash US manufacturing fell from 52.8 to 51.1 in October. Output declined for the first time in four years, with the subindex dipping to 49.5.

No one wants to be on a waiting list, especially if millions of other names are ahead of yours. Android and iOS users who want to sign up for a BlackBerry Messaging account but are on the waiting list have relief on the way soon. They can jump the queue by following these tips suggested by tech Web site CNET

The Australian sharemarket benefited from a better than expected reading on Chinese manufacturing sector activity, only to give back part of the gains late in the session. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) finished 0.3 per cent or 16.9pts higher.

The Australian sharemarket is trading around a five-year high, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up by 0.3 per cent. This is quite a positive outcome considering that global markets lost ground overnight as short-term Chinese interest rates rose. This following the Chinese central bank's (PBoC) decision to remove some excess liquidity from financial markets.

Coca-Cola, its name, logo and taste, is one of the best brands in the world. For those thinking to invest in the beverage giant should first take a look at the following facts.

The New Zealand government approved a NZ$3.2 billion initial public offering (IPO) of power generator Meridian Energy. It is the largest IPO in New Zealand's history.

Carl Icahn Tweets again saying he just sent letter to Tim Cook, insisting on Apple Inc. (AAPL) buyback programme

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is no longer the number one favourite stock among U.S. and Canadian millionaires, Tiger 21 survey says

Businesses in earthquake-damaged Bohol in the Philippines have resumed tour operations Thursday as survivors reclaimed lives amid the rising death toll that has reached 195. Cost of damages caused by 7.2 magnitude temblor had hit Php 1 billion (AU$24 million).

Beginning on Wednesday, Oct 23, Walmart shoppers could bring in their old tablets and trade them for up to $300 voucher that they can used to buy a new tablet. The promo covers the newly launched iPad Air and iPad Mini.

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, has sought to toughen the existing Sharia law penal code in the country. Effective April 2014, offenders of the revised law, such as adulterers face death by stoning, amputation of limbs for theft, as well as flogging for alcohol consumption and abortion, among other types of punishments.

The long rally in US equities finally came to a halt, with disappointing earnings being pinned as the main reason behind the fall. However, US earnings have been largely ignored as the US market rallied and I feel some of the disappointing earnings were just an excuse for the sell-off. After four consecutive sessions of printing record highs, the S&P finally gave up ground and declined half a per cent. The main result the market concentrated on was a disappointing Q3 report from Caterpillar (CAT...

The Bank of Canada monetary policy decision resulted in no change to the overnight lending rate which remained at 1.0pct. This was as expected. However, the BoC dropped its previous bias to lift the policy rate. This bias has been in place for a year. In other words the BoC has now moved to outright neutral. Inflation is now expected to remain low for longer, the level of economic activity is also lower than expected, while risks of further weakness in the economy are taking on increasing import...

Real money as we know it arose along with marriage and the golden rule. These innovations allowed people to live together, peacefully, and to do business with one another. Trade, savings, investment, the division of labour - these are the bedrock innovations upon which modern capitalism rests.