BUSINESS

By Greg Peel"The exchange rate has been little changed at a historically high level over the past 18 months, which is unusual given the decline in export prices and interest rates during that time".

The Australian share market has started the week's trade on a positive note, following a positive lead from Wall Street at the end of last week on the back of better than expected US Jobs numbers.

The Australian sharemarket is higher thanks to a better than expected US jobs on Friday, however a portion of the gains were wiped out due to a weaker than forecast retail spending report. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 1.1 per cent or 54.4 pts to 5159.8. The mining sector is the standout at lunch thanks to a strong rise in commodity prices, in particular copper which jumped by 6.2 per cent.

Five of the best brands have released their remarkable design across the Android history and Google is now developing their next Nexus line up. HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony and Samsung have individual trademarks on every device they made and it is so exciting to know which among them will be chosen to complete the future of Google Nexus.

At least 1,170 students stand to get affected and 157 teachers stand to lose their jobs once Queensland pursues to close nine of its state public schools.

In what seemed to be another feather on its cap, devices created by Samsung Electronics Co have entered the radar zone of muggers in San Francisco, US, with the device getting preferential treatment over Apple's iPhone.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean will seem to roll out after the Google I/O conference this May 15th and speculations of new features with the upcoming Android version leaked out. HTC teases two new technologies rumoured to appear on Android 4.3 - the Bluetooth Low Energy and OpenGL ES 3.0.

The number of infected due to the new SARS-like novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia have jumped to 13 cases, of which seven have already died.

True to their word, Melbourne's taxi drivers converged for another protest action at the city's airport, creating passenger and traffic mayhem on the first day of the week.

For people deciding to replace their old Android smartphones, making a choice is now more difficult as new models are coming out one after the other with features so enticing.

The Australian Livestock Exporters' Council suspended over the weekend live export of cattle to Egypt following the release of video footing by Animals Australia showing extreme cruel practices on animals for culling at Egyptian abattoirs.

As demand for pickups is rising, Ford Motor Co. is to announce that it will create 2000 new positions at its Claycomo car plant located in Kansas City.

News of a New York real estate company offering its employees a 15 per cent pay increase if they would tattoo the firm's logo on their body renewed public interest in skin advertising.

A $169 three-way tablet war is brewing with the entry of the new Acer Iconia A1. The 7.9-inch tablet is going against the Nexus 7 and HP Slate.

Sony has finally released the Android 4.1.1 firmware update for Sony Xperia Tablet S, featuring Google Now, Project Butter and more from Sony. It is the latest and official update from Sony which you can access from Over-the-Air procedure.

Sony finally released updates of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to four of their Xperia devices - Xperia P, Xperia Go, Xperia E & Xperia E Dual. Now the four Android Xperia smartphones can enjoy the Jelly Bean features such Google Now, Project Butter and much more.

By Ashley Jessen, director of LearnCFDs.com and author of CFDs Made SimpleDespite an extremely healthy lead from the US bourses overnight and an incredible day for our banking sector, our S&P/ASX 200 was unable to inspire any upside remaining flat for the day, down 0.

Samsung dominates smartphone market in China but Apple continues to edge the global tablet market sales. The iOS maker, Apple, stands tough as the biggest tablet maker in world. Is it going to last long against Android tablets?

The Australian sharemarket improved for the second consecutive week, albeit only modestly. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) edged higher by 0.5 per cent over the five past days and finished largely flat today.

Apple's FaceTime is expected to improve on iOS 7 running devices having 1080p video quality using the new OmniVision OV2724 chip. At the same time, speculation revolves on Nokia taking camera technology seriously by including Lytro Camera to their next wave of mobile devices. So which one is better?

The recent meeting between Google CEO Larry Page and LG CEO Koo Bon Joon in Seoul, South Korea has sparked up the rumors on another collaborative work to release the much anticipated Nexus 5 smart phone. The two giant companies reportedly discussed plans on improving their business deal and pairing up to create new televisions and Glass-like devices.

The European Central Bank's (ECB) first rate cut in 10 months overnight is encouraging buyers on the local market for the third time this week. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.3 per cent, taking the gains this week to 0.76 per cent. Monthly non-farm payrolls tonight in the US will keep investors on edge for the next 10 hours. The creation of around 150,000 is now expected by the market for April.

At least five people have died and two others now in critical condition after getting infected with a new SARS-like virus in Saudi Arabia.

Travelers who have scheduled airflights this weekend at the Melbourne Airport have been advised to take alternative options as taxi drivers vowed to refuse taking in passengers in light of their protest to the end of the short-fare queues system at the airport.

Apple's FaceTime is expected to improve on iOS 7 running devices having 1080p video quality using the new OmniVision OV2724 chip. At the same time, speculation revolves on Nokia taking camera technology seriously by including Lytro Camera to their next wave of mobile devices. So which one is better?

Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for austerity among his high- and low-ranking officials have unwittingly created an alleged covert underground spending movement.

Finally, both Verizon and AT&T released update their Galaxy Note devices with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean allowing owners to use Google Now and experience Project Butter smoothness. Aside from the standard Jelly Bean features, the devices gain more app support for Multi-Window feature and Pop-up capabilities.

When in a foreign land, tourists often pose in front of famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty as proof that they have the good fortune to travel to these places. And in the era of social media, they would post those photos and videos in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler and YouTube.

The Australian dollar has edged slightly higher overnight following the European Central Bank's decision to cut its key interest rate and the release of better US economic data.