Vittorio Hernandez

The Australian sharemarket continues its formidable run, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up by 0.4 per cent or 19.2 pts to 4665.8. This makes it the Aussie market's fourth consecutive session of gains. Volume has been heavy over the past few days due to equity and index options expiry yesterday. Today marks the end of the final full week of trade for 2012. The market will be closing early on Monday and will not trade next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Risk assets reversed losses once again driven by headlines regarding the fiscal cliff negotiations. House Speaker John Boehner's pledge to work with President Obama was enough to help improve sentiment. There were also plenty of positive economic releases in the US including a better-than-expected GDP print and existing home sales data.

The overnight market focus was all on the US, and its unresolved talks to avert the so-called fiscal cliff which is doing a good job influencing the market at the moment. This has kept risk appetite low and seen to a slight weakening in the AUD.

The Conference Board leading index eased by 0.2pct as expected. Hurricane Sandy had an influence on the result. US September quarter GDP expanded by 3.1pct, up from the 2.7pct reported last month. US jobless claims rose by 17,000 to 361,000 last week.

Businesses are close when chaos and whatever catastrophic events hit the city. Establishments will be deserted and stores are possibly out of stock. Network and Internet connections are severed and it would be almost impossible to get any radio signals from several places. In such a scenario being painted for the Friday End of the World prediction according to the Mayan calendar, of what use would your smartphone be?

Google Play has a lot of doomsday apps ready for download welcoming the Mayan Calendar new cycle and most of these applications are free to use. The apps contain tips ranging from survival guides, food and water safety, first aid kits, emergency plan and even live wallpapers.

On a regular day, Android users usually download smartphone apps such as games, social networking, utilities, photo editor and multimedia. A lot of these applications have gained high ranking and good ratings from users and even get paid for full versions.

Australia's mining sector would likely be in a gloomy mood on Friday, Dec 21, 2012. However, the cause of the downcast outlook is not because the miners believe in the Mayan forecast that the world would end that day, but over the pull out of a major Chinese investor in a resource project in Western Australia.

On the eve of Dec 21, supposed to be the end of the world by Mayan Long Count Calendar reckoning, Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan dropped a financial asteroid that would seem like a doomsday scenario for the country's coffers. His admission that the federal government would not likely delivery its promised budget surplus in 2013 spelled the end of the road for swift economic recovery.

Traditional yearender parties on Dec 31 would be moved 10 days earlier as different establishments across the world hold their version of End-of-the-World parties on Friday, Dec 21, 2012. Champagnes are expected to flow, loud party music are expected to blare, and bodies are expected to sway to upbeat music such as Psy's Gangnam Style.

Despite a flat start on the back of falls on Wall Street, local stocks rose to fresh 17 month highs today as the Federal Government scrapped its commitment for a budget surplus in FY 2013.

Local stocks are trading flat at lunchtime in the East, slightly down from fresh 2012 and 17 month highs reached yesterday.

The Australian Dollar has dipped back below 1.0500 against the Greenback as a lack of development in US budget negotiations drives markets. The US Dollar firmed as risk sentiment turned negative on what appears to be a stalemate between US President Obama and the House of Representatives.

After having had a strong run in recent sessions, risk assets finally retreated in US trade as cracks appeared in the fiscal cliff negotiations. Equities were firmer in European trade as markets continued to ride on fiscal cliff optimism and on the back of a better-than-expected German Ifo business climate reading.

US homebuilding permits increased by 3.6pct in November to a seasonally adjusted rate of 899,000 units - the highest level in nearly 4½-years. In contrast housing starts fell 3pct in November but followed three straight months of solid gains.

As doomsday nears, which according to the Mayan Calendar is just two days away on Dec 21, 2012, even those who have sufficient money to buy shelters, bunkers, highlands properties, or construct underground facilities to survive nuclear radiation have the luxury of time to do so.

In the event that the 2012 Mayan Calendar End-of-the-World scenario would happen on Friday, majority of the human race will likely migrate to nearby areas safe for living until it is clear and safe to go out again. But is there really a shelter that is 100 per cent perfect against anything that could happen in a cosmic catastrophe?

In two days, the world would finally know if the Mayan prophecy would lead to destruction or prosperity. In a run-up to Dec 21, preparations have been made by doomsday preppers just in case something does happen globally. It is expected that if the Apocalypse scenario would take place, chaos will hit the economy, health, welfare, shelter, food, and energy sectors.

The battle for supremacy in Australian skies continues as Singapore Airlines joins the frenzy to get a larger slice of the aviation market by announcing on Wednesday a fourth daily service to Melbourne and the scaling up of services to Adelaide.

Disaster and apocalypse films are a staple of Hollywood. The box-office success of blockbusters such as The Day the World Ended and 2012 are proofs.

Cash registers will be ringing ka-ching, ka-ching from Friday as different parties will be held all over the world to celebrate - not the Mayan New Year - but the failure of the Mayan Long Count Calendar prediction that the world would end on Dec 21, 2012.

The local share market rallied again today, with both the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) and S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) reaching 2012 and 17 month highs.

Rumours are spreading about the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February 2013. Speculations are that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will not make it to the Consumer Electronic Show or Mobile World Congress in January and February, respectively.

Before, Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note users had to wait for a long time to obtain updates of Android Ice Cream Sandwich because both devices were released with Android Gingerbread, which dates back as the first very stable firmware version.

IGB Electronica, a Brazilian company, announced a new smartphone called Gradient Smartphone Line G iPhone, Neo One model. The device is identical to Apple iPhone and its running an Android OS.

The Australian sharemarket continues its stellar run, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) improving modestly once again. Of the last 23 sessions, the Aussie market has ended higher on 17 occasions and has only finished in the red once in 9 trading days. The XAO is up by 0.5 per cent or 22.6 pts to 4633.1.

The Uranium Council has warned in a high-level advisory report to Australian energy and resources ministers that the country's position as top supplier of the mineral is at risk. The council blamed the development on domestic restrictions in shipping uranium.

Getting a ticket for prime seats in a major global or international event such as the Olympics opening or the Miss Universe beauty pageant would cost hundreds of dollars. However, one universal event that people all over the world are anticipating could be viewed anywhere. All that people have to do on midnight of Dec 21, 2012 to see if the end-of-the-world prediction would come to pass or be classified a hoax is to bring out a chair and a telescope on the front yard and gaze at the sky.

One of the most well-loved Bible stories is Noah's ark, which has apparently inspired Liu Qiyuan, a Chinese inventor, to come up with a 21st century version of the ark designed to withstand a doomsday predicted on Dec 21, 2012 by the Mayan calendar.