BUSINESS

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportLast week I got to thinking about sensible investing when conditions are really 'iffy' and as I thought about it, I realised that in most short-term stock market situations there are always Rumsfeldian moments, which explain why there is a seller when ...

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z has emerged as techies' favourite, with the device topping the list of tablets recommended for people who are considering purchasing one.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 75 points, or 0.5%, while the S&P gained 0.7% to 1652 and the Nasdaq added 0.

The Australian share market managed to recover today, thanks to strong offshore gains and as investors chasing yield bought into the banks. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rose 68.9pts or 1.4 per cent today to 4866.5pts.

Lenovo is joining the pack of tech manufacturers as it released another set of tablets. As the race for tablet domination goes on, Lenovo is not staying from behind. The company subtly released their A1000, A3000 and S6000 series.

As the inflation rate of China increases, the stocks in Asian and European Markets improve.

Rumors about the Moto X Phone, the supposedly smartphone from Google (GOOG) continue to persist throughout the market. The stale sales from HTC and Samsung are offering a way for competitors to come in and Google might just have the right product to satisfy this drought for Android.

A train accident involving a crude oil tanker train in Lec-Megantic, Quebec may have an increase in death toll in the coming days.

Apple Inc soars to 19th place in the list of Fortune Global 500. The Cupertino-based tech giant is the second most profitable company in the world after Exxon Mobil. Apple Inc has jumped 36 spots from 55th place based on 2012 revenue.

The New Zealand dollar soared after investors expected the U.S. dollar to move far too fast following the positive U.S. jobs figures last week. The Kiwi dollar increased to 78.01 U.S. cents from closing at 77.26 cents in Wellington last July 8. The U.S. dollar index receded overnight after soaring to its three-year high following upbeat employment numbers last July 5.

Following on from a 0.6 per cent fall yesterday, the Australian market is being pushed higher by global market strength. Overnight, US stocks rose for the third straight session, while the major European markets improved by as much as 2 per cent thanks to solid data. On the economic front, Chinese inflation remains under control while Australian business confidence is sluggish.

Almost 5000 new-generation Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs have been recalled to correct a number of defects with the vehicles' steering and safety systems.

Your editor returns to his Daily Reckoning post finding that nothing and everything has changed in the markets. Our last day in the office was Friday, June 14th. The S&P ASX/200 closed at 4791 on that day. As we fire up our lazy neurons today, the market is trading at 4810, down on the day but up over the last three weeks.

China's key financial centre Shanghai has received State Council approval to establish a trial free-trade zone within its surrounding area, serving as a test for some of the government's financial overhauls, including interest rate liberalisation and full convertibility of the renminbi, reported the China Daily on Thursday.

A report by The Economist's Intelligence Unit called the "Worldwide cost of living index 2013" has named two of Australia's major cities in the top five most expensive cities in the world to live in. Sydney ranked third behind Japan's Tokyo and Osaka, while Melbourne took fifth spot after the Norway's capital, Oslo.

An international study has confirmed the all too obvious - that the air pollution wrought by the excessive coal burning in China's north has affected the life expectancy of the people there, reducing it by as much as five years.

The shared gaming moments of 23-year-old Swedish gamer Felix Kjellberg through his PewDiePie channel are the most viewed videos the past week, garnering almost 50 million hits.

- Slim volumes reported- No changes to prices- US DOE adds more uncertainty- Macquarie sceptical about Japan restart bumpBy Andrew NelsonLast week was slow and quiet in the uranium market.

Australian bonds are lower on speculation that a job rise in the U.S. will lead to an easing of bond buying by the Federal Reserve. According to a report by the U.S. that claimed 195,000 new jobs emerged in June.

It is often hard to trust what manufacturers say about their product’s battery life. Usually, the hype is created to boost sales. Before, when a company claims their laptop can last up to six hours, the actual performance is lower than that – the common reason is that battery life depends on a case to case basis and on what the user is trying to execute. Haswell changed all of that.

The worse has not yet come for the gold market. Commodities expert Jim Rogers warned that the price of the yellow metal could fall to $900 an ounce.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 88 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P gained 0.5% to 1640 and the Nasdaq added 0.

Better than expected employment numbers in the US at week's end and gains for US stocks failed to translate to gains for the local market on Monday. There was a fillip at the outset of trade with some modest gains, although the gains were short lived and the index spent most of the day in the red.

The newest Macbook Air from Apple runs on Intel’s Haswell microprocessor. Despite the decade-long partnership between Intel and Apple, the newest ultrabook also signals the end of this marriage. Intel and Apple are set to part ways soon after iPad maker bypassed the chip giant.

The number of job advertisements has declined for the fourth consecutive month. Western Australia takes a toll as the mining industry slows down due to falling gold prices leading to job cuts.

The demand for easy money is a powerful one. Europe's austerity drive (also known as living within one's means) has hit a few road blocks - again. Portugal has had enough and the political situation there looks shaky. As a result, government bond yields shot up to 8% yesterday.

The Australian market seems to want to ignore looming risks, like China's credit-crunch induced slowdown. Yesterday, the Reserve Bank of Australia kept rates on hold but basically said they stand ready to cut further if the economy continues to weaken. The market liked the sound of that and had its strongest day in 18 months.

Today's market action is brought to you by - once again - central bankers. In what has apparently come as a shock to the market, overnight the European Central Bank (ECB) and The Bank of England (BOE) have come out and said they will keep rates on hold for a long time. Can you believe it?

Bookmaker Offers Odds on Volkswagen Australia Sales