BUSINESS

Apple has described Siri as an "intelligent assistant" but developers should have added another feature to Siri: budding comedian.

Spain can be joining Greece as one of the unhealthy Euro zone nations if it misses its budget goal this year as a result of sluggish economic growth, excessive spending and increasing unemployment.

Small and medium-sized business firms are expected to allocate more resources and increase spending for digital channels instead of traditional advertising.

A raft of soft data weighed on investor sentiment today, sending local stocks down by almost one percent. Weaker than expected Chinese trade data and disappointing earnings result from US heavyweight JP Morgan Chase sent global markets into the red overnight, while this morning ratings agency S&P downgraded Spain from AA to AA-. Another ratings agency, Fitch, downgraded UBS and seven more financial institutions.

Research in Motion co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie held a phone press conference Thursday to announce that BlackBerry services have been restored globally after several days of network failure.

Incoming head of third party for Suncorp Steven Heavey has vowed the bank’s credit policies and broker processes will go under the microscope when he begins his role.

Over the next 10 years, Australians would do well investing on the share market, which according to new report released on Wednesday by Australia-New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) will be the sure bet of the future.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), the national association which represents the country’s $108 billion food, drink and grocery manufacturing sectors is demanding for additional compensation from government.

Iron ore prices are set to get more competitive in the following months as BHP Billiton, along with other iron ore miners and steel producers, mull the creation of a new iron ore global pricing system by year-end or early 2012.

iPad 2-manufacturer Apple only won half of the battle with Samsung Electronics when it was granted by Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett on Thursday a temporary injunction that stops the South Korean firm from launching the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia.

The Australian sharemarket is pulling back for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) down 0.9 pct or 39.2 pts to 4266.8. Almost all sectors are lower with the defensive telecommunication sector one of the lone regions of the market to be gaining some ground. Telstra (TSL) is up 0.16 pct or 0.5 cent to $3.08.

Higher iron ore and coal production led to a strong third quarter performance for Rio Tinto. As a result, the Australian mining firm is expected to break its record $14.43 billion profit in 2010.

Qantas is expecting another day of turbulence as it canceled 18 flights and delayed 32 more due to a schedule engineers strike.

London Session: Risk Moderates:Profit Taking Or Something More Sinister?By Kathleen Brooks, Research Director, FOREX.

Good news for the Australian iron ore and coal industries, and of course the country's balance of payments for the next 18 months or so.

A case is emerging for the Reserve Bank not to cut interest rates, either next month or December.

Questions are being asked if China's economic slowdown is starting to crunch sections of the economy, just as the trade surplus weakens as export growth fades.

The financial sector led U.S. stocks lower Thursday following less than stellar results from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., although strength in technology stocks kept the broader market's losses in check. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 59 points, or 0.5%, at 11459 in Thursday afternoon trading, after earlier dropping as much as 141 points.

The US trade deficit narrowed marginally from $45.63 billion to $45.61 billion in August. US exports fell 0.1pct while imports were flat. The trade gap with China widened to a record $29 billion in August. US jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 404,000 in the past week. The four-week moving average of claims (considered a better measure of labour market trends) fell by 7,000 to 408,000.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 40 points or 0.4% while the S&P lost 0.3% to 1203 and the Nasdaq gained 0.

Apple Stores, resellers, and carriers in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom are opening their doors today, Oct. 14, to people eager to be the first to get their hands on iPhone 4S.

Qantas long-haul pilots launched a new website on Thursday to help concerned Qantas shareholders stand up to current Qantas management and their plans to offshore the iconic airline.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has granted the alliance between Virgin Australia group of airlines (ASX: VBA) and Singapore Airlines draft approval.

Even with a subdued quarter for rental prices, annual growth figures show rental prices for units are approaching that for houses in most capital cities, according to a new report released on Thursday.

Qantas licensed aircraft maintenance engineers are among the highest paid in the world and the current demands from the union are unreasonable, Qantas Group Executive Government and Corporate Affairs Olivia Wirth said on Thursday.

Apple released the iOS 5 today and its perhaps the biggest update to the software. The iOS 5 comes with over 200 new features and it has been released for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Labor force figures released on Thursday highlighted the underlying strength and resilience of the Australian economy in the face of heightened global instability.

Speculations are ripe that China is into a copper buying spree after the world's second-largest economy voluntarily disclosed the size of its copper inventories.

In support of the booming mining sector, Virgin Australia announced today it will provide more than 1,000 additional seats each week from Perth to Port Hedland and Karratha in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The increase in services will commence on November 21 and end in March next year.