Janice Somosot

Aside from the delicious food, dazzling decorations, beautiful clothes and gifts, the holidays also bring about numerous sales from stores that want to cash in on the consumers' fat wallets and generous spirits. Unfortunately, it is also during this time that a lot of counterfeit products are being sold alongside the real ones. To avoid getting duped into buying fake products, especially electronics, check out some tips on how to spot fake electronics

Avid Tolkien fan Stephen Colbert, American political satirist, comedian, writer, actor and TV host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," reportedly made a cameo appearance in the film "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," which was shown in Australia on Boxing Day, Dec 26, 2013. He appears in the scene with Luke Evans who plays Bard the Bowman/Girion behind him. Clad in a grey hood with his face stained with dirt, Colbert is quite hard to recognise.

YouTube videos of the "Superwog" comedy skits from Theo and Nathan, the Saidden Brothers of Egyptian/Greek Australian descent, have reportedly gone viral with more than 44 million hits and propelled the brothers to become the newest Internet sensations.

2013 is a great year for watching movies because there were a lot of amazing films that were shown during this time such as "Silver Linings Playbook," "The Great Gatsby," and "Gravity." As it comes to a close, let's look at some of the best films that were shown in Australia in 2013. Here are the Top 10 films of 2013.

An amazing nano-scale microscopic muscle with more than 1000x the strength of humans was reportedly created by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) researchers using the vanadium dioxide inorganic compound.

Android, the Linux kernel-based operating system (OS) for smartphones and tablets from big name brands such as Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola, is amazing and all, but what if there are ways to make it even better? Well, wonder no more because here are 5 tips and apps for better Android phones.

Beyonce sang her 2011 single "Love on Top" from her album "4" with a terminally ill girl named Taylon Davis for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Taylon is a 12 year old girl with an inoperable brain tumor. Taylon's last wish was to dance with Beyonce. She not only danced with Beyonce, but she got to sing with her as well on Dec. 6, 2013 at one of Beyonce's "Mrs. Carter" tour concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The new "Lara Croft: Reflections" will reportedly be a free-to-play (F2P) collectible card game and is currently being tested in Australia and New Zealand. However, it is still unclear if the said game will also be available in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. But, if it turns out that it will be made available worldwide, then it is predicted to be released in 2014. As a free-to-play (F2P) card game, "Lara Croft: Reflections" can be downloaded for free, but gamers might be c...

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" reportedly earned a whopping $5.5 Million on its Australian Boxing Day opening on Dec. 26, 2013. The actual box office gross of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is $5.465 million. It is the second installment of "The Hobbit" films directed by Peter Jackson, who also directed "The Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) films ("The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King") from 2001-2003.

Kanye West is reportedly being sued by former child star Ricky Spicer because his voice was used by West in the single "Bound 2" without asking for his permission to do so. Spicer filed a lawsuit on Dec. 23, 2013 against West in the Manhattan Supreme Court. Vincent Imbesi is Spicer's lawyer. 56-year-old Spicer was 12 years old and was the lead singer of the 1960s American soul group The Ponderosa Twins Plus One when he recorded the song "Bound" in 1971 for their "2+2+1=" alb...

Rumours are going around the tech industry that Samsung will release a Galaxy Band Fitness Tracker to debut at the 2014 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. The 2014 MWC will be held at the Fira Gran Via from Feb. 24 -27, 2014.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie or Brangelina, was recently spotted at the Gold Coast in southeastern Queensland (QLD), which is located on Australia's east coast. It is near Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland. Jolie and Pitt were seen enjoying their holiday vacation with their six kids Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, Pax Thien, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie or Brangelina, was recently spotted at the Gold Coast in southeastern Queensland (QLD), which is located on Australia's east coast. It is near Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland. Jolie and Pitt were seen enjoying their holiday vacation with their six kids Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, Pax Thien, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline.

Beyonce handed out $50 gift cards to 750 Walmart customers on Friday, Dec 20, 2013, after Amazon and Target refused to stock her new CD because she released it in secret on iTunes just minutes before midnight EST on Friday morning, Dec 13, 2013.

Singers Katy Perry and John Mayer appeared as guests in "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 to talk about their relationship as well as their new single "Who You Love."

Can Australian scorpion venom actually be used for pain management? Scientists from Queensland University, Canada's Dalhousie University and Portugal's Universidade do Porto think so after studying the venom of Australian scorpions and discovering that it might be an effective painkiller. The study is entitled "Evolution Stings: The Origin and Diversification of Scorpion Toxin Peptide Scaffolds."

Former 3AW 693 radio host Keith McGowan died in his sleep on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013 at around 11 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT). McGowan reportedly suffered a stroke in his sleep and did not regain consciousness after that.

Ian Somerhalder of "Vampire Diaries" recently appeared in Orlando, Florida (FL) for a "Vampire Diaries" convention there. Somerhalder was with co-actor Paul Wesley and answered a few questions from fans. Somerhalder also shared a few tidbits about his life and experiences including getting marriage proposals from fans and random people.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., an American Southern country themed chain of restaurants and gift stores founded in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee (TN), announced on Dec. 22, 2013 that they will bring back selected "Duck Dynasty" products that were deemed "offensive" in its stores' shelves just a day after announcing that it was pulling it out.

Cyanogen, a company known for its free, open source operating system and community built distribution of Android for smartphones and tablets, finally received Google's approval to produce the Oppo N1 phone after previously warning them in Nov. 2013 that its installer encourages phone owners to void their warranty.

The holidays usually mean several parties to attend to, such as Christmas and New Year's Eve parties at work, with the family, with friends and significant others. That's why looking your best should is very important. Here are some Holiday 2013 hair and makeup ideas to help you look fab and be the belle of any ball.

Ian Watkins of the Welsh rock band Lostprophets has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for committing child sex offences. 36-year-old Watkins reportedly pleaded guilty to 13 counts of child abuse at the Cardiff Crown Court in Wales in Nov. 2013. A spokeswoman at the Cardiff court said that he also pleaded guilty to six counts of taking and possessing indecent images of children and the possession of extreme pornographic images.

Justin Bieber was seen attending his "Believe" movie premiere at the Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles, California (LA) on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, just days after saying in an interview that he was retiring from the music industry. Bieber's supporters including fans and celebrity friends such as actor Jaden Smith (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith's son), mentor Usher and Kylie Kardashian of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" fame, came in full force.

Twitter, the popular microblogging Web site, has just released its top Twitter hashtag trends of the year. Check out the most popular tweets of 2013 including the Boston Marathon bombings (#BostonMarathon), 5-year-old leukemia survivor Miles Scott's wish of becoming Batkid, with San Francisco used as Gotham City (#SFBatkid) and the birth of the Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's son Prince George (#RoyalBaby).

Barbara Walters has unveiled the Top 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013 on her last TV special which was aired on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013 at ABC. Walters is reportedly retiring in 2014.

This particular Holiday 2013 Gift Guide features wonderful gifts that give back to those in need. It's a great feeling to receive gifts, but when you are giving gifts, it's even better. Whether you will be the giver or the receiver of gifts this season, it's a nice touch that someone else will benefit from this traditional exchange of gifts this Christmas. Some of the products mentioned in this gift guide include nail polish, makeup, accessories and even a bike!

Paul Walker of "Fast and Furious" film, who died Nov. 30, 2013 at age 40 in a car crash, with his friend Roger Rodas in Santa Clarita, California, has been laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, Dec. 14. He was reportedly cremated. However, controversies and news stories continue to hound him even after his final ceremony. The latest of which is the rumor that photos of Walker and Rodas' badly burned bodies are up for sale.

Cameras are great for taking pictures and more importantly preserving precious memories. With the advent of camera phones, it's not as popular as much as before. But, it is still highly coveted by photography enthusiasts and hobbyists who know that these babies are the best gadgets to take winning photos with. Check out this Holiday 2013 Gift Guide featuring the best cameras to give this Christmas.

Celebrity stylist, editor, reality TV star and fashion designer Rachel Zoe shares her guide to being stylish at holiday parties including her tips to looking fab and "maj" as well as her top picks for holiday clothes, shoes and accessories. Naturally, it has festive colors in red, gold and silver. But, it also has the occasional black clothes. Of course, the quintessential little black dress (LBD) must be part of this list because it is a classic that never goes out of style. Zoe's list...