COMPANIES

Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), Europe?s largest engineering company, is in early internal talks to slash thousands of jobs after posting quarterly results that came in sharply below analysts? estimates, a German newspaper reported Tuesday.

Best Buy Co. (NYSE: BBY) is not having a good week.

The Instacube, which launched on Kickstarter Tuesday morning, is the solution for Instagram users that want enjoy their photos in more casual way. Now, anyone can passively view their Instagram feeds in their living rooms, on their work desks, or on their nightstands. They're party centerpieces, and a great way to immediately display photos being taken at that very party. It's the only way to share photos with a crowd of people; its viewfinder is far superior to that of an iPhone.

The Apple stock (AAPL) has emerged a market favorite ahead of the September 12 event, cited to be the probable launch date for next-generation iPhone, iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. Witnessing a huge rally for the last few days, the stock closed August 20 at an all-time high of $665.15 resulting in a market capitalization value of $665.15 billion.

Dell is scheduled to report second-quarter results Tuesday below last year?s. For the first time, the company founded by Chairman Michael S. Dell nearly 30 years ago in a dorm room will be ranked No. 3 in PC sales, having lost its No. 2 ranking last quarter to China?s Lenovo Group.

This past weekend's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Monterey Car Week brought out the world's top classic car collectors like Jay Leno, auction houses like RM Auctions and Gooding & Co. and luxury brands from Rolls-Royce to Ferrari to Lamborghini for a week of cars, money and society along California's Pacific coastline.

Apple Inc's market value climbed past $623 billion on Monday, surpassing the record set by Microsoft Corp during the heyday of technology stocks in 1999.

According to the New York Observer, three more writers have been cut from the Village Voice's already-skeletal staff, while one full-time editor was reduced to part-time status.

Don?t say technology companies aren?t enormously profitable. An IBTimes review of the cash and investment holdings of 11 of the top technology leaders shows they are sitting atop nearly $375 billion in cash and investments ? or about 24 percent more since the last survey nine months ago.

After enjoying a record-breaking quarter earlier this year, Apple posted yet another milestone on Monday, this time for its stock. With its stock reaching $660.73 a share early Monday morning, Apple finally surpassed Microsoft as the most valuable publicly-traded stock ever, achieving a market capitalization of $619.37 billion, the largest cap ever recorded.

Rolls-Royce doubled down and unveiled both its Phantom Coupe Aviator and 2013 Ghost at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Quail car show.

Apple fans can't wait to get their hands on the iPhone 5, Apple's sixth-generation smartphone believed to finally debut and hit stores next month. But for those who can't wait for the finalized product, China GadgetLand is selling what it claims to be a full "iPhone 5" set, complete with an LCD screen and digitizer assembly, for just $199.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, continued its tear as its shares keep setting all-time records in Monday trading. Earlier, its shares hit $664.75, valuing the Cupertino, Calif., company above $621 billion for the first time, more than any other company?s prior value.

New Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) CEO Marissa Mayer appears to continue her housecleaning. U.S. sales chief Wayne Powers quit the search engine and media company Monday to become president of Parade Publications, the Sunday newspaper supplement published by privately held Advance Publications.

Exchange operator CME Group Inc. (Nasdaq:CME) is opening a hot new table in the global financial casino, pushed to set up a derivatives exchange in London by clients who can't be bothered to comply with U.S. law.

Apple fans can't wait to get their hands on the iPhone 5, Apple's sixth-generation smartphone believed to finally debut and hit stores next month. But for those who can't wait for the finalized product, China GadgetLand is selling what it claims to be a full "iPhone 5" set, complete with an LCD screen and digitizer assembly, for just $199. By and large, this iPhone looks to line up with most previous reports, specs, and rumored features of the phone.

European rabbis as well as Israel?s Minister of Public Diplomacy have criticized Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) for publishing and selling an Arabic-language app of ?The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,? probably the best-known anti-Semitic forgery.

Megachains Pizza Hut and Home Depot separately denied claims in court in Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday that they ripped off music by the band The Black Keys in TV spots, reports the Associated Press.

General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) will recall 249,260 mid-size sport utility vehicles to correct a potential fire hazard, a U.S. government safety agency said.

Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) will pay about $5.7 billion in cash and stock to buy Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE:CVH), a managed health care company with a big market share in Medicare- and Medicaid-related products.

In a move to assuage employees and customers, Cloud-gaming service provider OnLive has confirmed asset sale and assured continuation of services without interruption.

The Internet opens and connects you to new worlds of possibilities and opportunities anywhere, anytime.In South Africa, the Internet is a make or break in many situations these days with limited access and expensive rates that abounds just to receive the best Internet connection.

The Supreme Court will hear final arguments starting this week in a landmark case over drug patents that could change the rules for the country's healthcare sector and potentially curb its global role as a supplier of cut-price generic medicines.

Wednesday, Sept. 12 -- the day when Apple is expected to debut its sixth-generation smartphone, unofficially dubbed the "iPhone 5" -- is less than a month away. It looks like the newest iPhone will be packed with more features than any that's come before it.

After three weeks of testimony, the case of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) vs. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Seoul: 005930) is over. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh could instruct the nine-member civil jury in San Jose, Calif., as early as Tuesday The parties should settle first.

AT&T announced August 17 that it will limit FaceTime over 3G and 4G network to iPhone subscribers who sign up for the carrier's mobile share plans that will be launched in late August. This move has drawn criticism from interest group Public Knowledge that argued the company was "violating the FCC's Open Internet rules."

Google Inc's (GOOG), Motorola Mobility filed a new patent infringement case against Apple Inc. (AAPL) claiming features of Apple devices including location reminders, e-mail notification, phone/ video players, and Siri's voice-recognition program infringe on seven of Motorola Mobility patents.

It may be surprising to many who believe that Wall Street and global finance are inherently malevolent that a century ago, the public had a very similar perception of financial services, a notion that was channeled by editorial cartoonists in hard-hitting illustrations in magazines like Puck and newspapers like the New York Herald. These cartoons would be as fitting today as they were in 1912.

Verizon Wireless recently activated new 4G LTE coverage on sites in Ballston Spa and Austerlitz, further expanding coverage on the high-speed wireless data network, which the company launched locally in August 2011.