Apple will give away operating and work software free to Mac computer users, challenging Microsoft's near-stranglehold on personal computing as the latter starts to make inroads into the mobile market. Apple revealed the surprise offer, available to all users of MacBooks and Mac computers, on Tuesday at the same time as it unveiled a slimmer,

The dollar slid to a two-year low against the euro and global equity markets rose for a fifth straight session on Tuesday after weak U.S. jobs data reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve will keep its easy-money policy intact into 2014. The S&P 500 index, a benchmark for U.S. stocks, set an intraday record high, while

Starbucks Corp has been charging higher prices in China than other markets, helping the company realize fat profit margins, the official China Central Television (CCTV) said in a report. Starbucks, the world's largest coffee chain, is the latest foreign company to come under fire from official Chinese media, which have targeted other prominent foreign names

Optimism over Hyundai Motor Co's first major makeover of its key models in about five years may fizzle as some industry insiders question whether the redesigns are too conservative for international tastes. Hyundai is facing fierce competition in its home market of South Korea. Free trade deals opened the door for U.S., Japanese and European

Global spending to combat climate change fell last year and remains far below the level needed to prevent its most dangerous effects, a report by the Climate Policy Initiative said on Tuesday. Investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and adaptation to climate change totalled $359 billion, $5 billion less than in 2011, as an economic

Google Inc will begin to shield news organizations and human rights groups from cyberattacks as part of a new package of services designed to support "free expression" on the Web, the internet giant said Monday. At a presentation in New York, the company also unveiled a new technology called uProxy that allows citizens under some

Asian shares pulled back from a five-month high and the dollar edged up after recent heavy losses as markets braced themselves for U.S. jobs data that could decide whether the Federal Reserve will start withdrawing its stimulus this year. Investors were reluctant to make aggressive bets after U.S. stocks ended little changed, partly on concerns