Big screens and popular designs are helping Samsung take a bite out of Apple’s smartphone lead January 14, 2013 TAKE note. 2013 has already been dubbed the year of the phablet – the hideous nickname given to oversized mobile phones that are closer in form factor to a tablet computer. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show featured new phablets from the likes of Lenovo, Sony and Huawei. Some have gone so far as to call [...]
FTSE falls from four-year high as analysts warn on energy shares January 14, 2013 BRITAIN’S leading shares fell yesterday after touching a 4-1/2 year high early in the session, with technical analysts noting the index could be set for a minor correction. Energy stocks, among Friday’s biggest gainers, were the main drag on blue-chip sentiment as Nomura warned that the sector was inexpensive for a reason and attractive price-to-earnings [...]
Apple stocks take a bite out of US markets January 14, 2013 THE S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended lower yesterday as worries over demand for Apple products drove down its shares and as investors braced for earnings disappointments. But Dell’s stock jumped 13 per cent to about a five-month high at $12.29, offsetting some of the tech-sector weakness, after Bloomberg reported the number three personal computer maker [...]
Misplaced optimism in the European markets January 14, 2013 EUROPEAN equities yesterday took a knock, finishing the session at a near one week low. As reports of lackluster demand for Apple’s iPhone 5 triggered a sell-off in US markets, some investors on this side of the Atlantic followed suit and booked profits on the recent strong bull-run in the European market. Disappointing demand for [...]
MasterChef confessions: Why creativity kicked me out the kitchen January 13, 2013 IT COULD’VE been the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done, but I decided to do it anyway. The offer was to appear on the TV series Celebrity MasterChef, and the main problem was that I could cook about as well as I can speak Swahili. But that oft-repeated mantra of “take yourself out of your [...]
Amazon offers CD downloads January 10, 2013 AMAZON has upped its battle with Apple’s iTunes by offering free music downloads to customers that buy CDs on the website. The service, called AutoRip, will cover tracks on CDs bought directly from Amazon, including purchases dating back 15 years. Amazon has aimed to step up its digital entertainment offering in recent months as its [...]
Apple says no cheap iPhone January 10, 2013 A SENIOR Apple executive has shot down suggestions that the company is looking to build a cheaper version of the iPhone, saying Apple would be unwilling to sacrifice its high profit margins to gain greater market share. “Despite the popularity of cheap smartphones [in China], this will never be the future of Apple’s products,” marketing [...]
Profit-taking cannot halt FTSE as it hits highest close since May 2008 January 10, 2013 BRITAIN’S top share index closed above the 6,100 resistance level for the first time since 22 May 2008, yesterday, recovering from a late wobble after a choppy trading session. The FTSE 100 index was up 2.86 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 6,101,51, having seen some late profit-taking erased in the closing auction, but the [...]
Facebook shares hit six-month high on rumours of smartphone January 9, 2013 SHARES in Facebook reached their highest level in six months yesterday as speculation mounted that Mark Zuckerberg’s company is set to unveil its own smartphone. Facebook sent out invitations to a special event scheduled for next week, encouraging guests to “come and see what we’re building”. The news reignited rumours that the company will look [...]
Cheap iPhone in the works January 8, 2013 A CHEAPER, lower-end iPhone could reportedly go on sale as early as this year, as Apple looks to expand its market share in the face of increasing competition. The company is working on a device that would look the same as current models, but with a less-expensive, plastic body that could appeal to those unwilling [...]