Google shook up its lucrative online advertising service in Europe on Wednesday, saying it would allow sellers to register other companies' brand names as search 'keywords' when shopping on the internet.  Google currently allows advertisers ...

The joint founder of German discount grocer Aldi has reportedly passed away. Theo Albrecht, last seen in public after his release from a kidnapping nearly 40 years ago, has died aged 88, news magazine Spiegel said on Wednesday. The publicity-s...

Apple on Tuesday unveiled the 'Magic Trackpad', a touchpad which allows users to operate a desktop computer with finger gestures, eliminating the need for a mouse. The Magic Trackpad costs $US69 ($A76) in the online Apple Store in the US. ...

Strong debuts for the iPad tablet computer and the new iPhone powered gadget maker Apple to a record quarter of earnings, well exceeding the expectations of Wall Street analysts.  The California-based company said its net profit rose 78 per ...

Reception problems with the new iPhone 4 have been overblown, says Apple CEO Steve Jobs.  But that hasn't stopped the company apologising to buyers and offering free cases - or full refunds - if they remain unhappy. Jobs, speaking at a n...

US retail sales fell more than expected in June for a second straight month, the government said on Wednesday.  But some key categories showed improvement with motor vehicles the biggest downwards drag. Sales declined 0.5 per cent from Ma...

Send out those virtual birthday cakes and flowers now - Facebook is closing its Gift Shop.  Jared Morgenstern, Facebook's product manager for games and credits, says the Gift Shop will shut down on August 1 so the social networking site can ...

Woot, the quirky online store which sells only one product a day, has been bought by web retail giant Amazon.  Woot announced on Wednesday it will become an independent subsidiary of Amazon and will operate autonomously like another Amazon-o...

Apple has sold more than 1.7 million new iPhones in the product's first three days on the market, the California gadget maker said after its most successful launch ever.  The iPhone 4, which features video calling, a crisper resolution scree...

US consumer spending edged up in May as income growth slowed and saving increased, official data showed on Monday in a report suggesting consumers remain cautious amid high unemployment.  The Commerce Department said consumer spending rose 0...

Britain will in January raise the VAT tax levied on goods and services from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent, finance minister George Osborne announced in an emergency budget on Tuesday.  "On January 4 next year, the main rate of VAT will rise f...

Chinese card issuer UnionPay hit out at Visa on Friday after the US giant told banks to stop using the Chinese firm's system to process overseas transactions on cards bearing both firms' logos.  State media reported that Visa was stepping up enf...

The value of world merchandise trade rose 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2010, fuelled mainly by demand from Asia and higher commodity prices, World Trade Organisation data shows.  Exports from the US and Europe were up about a fifth co...

Germans headed back to the high street in April, pushing up retail sales for the first time in 2010, official data released on Tuesday by the national statistics office showed.  Retail sales in the biggest European economy gained a seasonall...

The luxury goods market is rebounding from the global recession, but analysts say upscale sellers still face a hard slog due to changing demographics and lingering consumer caution.  Global luxury goods industry sales are expected to grow four...