Apple leaps ahead with 47 percent profits surge

Apple profits jumped 47 percent on surging iPhone and Macintosh computer sales in the latest quarter, capping a remarkable boom year for a company whose rivals were lucky to tread water. Although Google and other tech companies have recently reported strong results or an improved outlook, raising optimism in the sector, none have outstripped expectations as markedly as Apple.

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Montenegro: Europe’s New Ski Destination

If your plans to enjoy North America’s famous powder snow and tree-skiing have been derailed by the current economic downturn, why not try a quicker, cheaper and altogether more unusual winter holiday in the tiny but spectacular country of Montenegro? While many European resorts suffer from overcrowding, limited fresh snow and unskiable pine forests, Montenegro’s mountains offer deep, light powder, virtually no people and acres of perfectly spaced beech trees.

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Amazon’s Kindle e-reader to go international

Amazon said it would begin selling an international version of its popular e-reader that will work in more than 100 countries on October 19. The world’s largest online retailer also said it was lowering the price of the Kindle 2 in the US from $299 to $259, a move likely to spur sales ahead of the holiday season.

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Stylish cool in Scandinavia’s floating city

Although most Swedes would be too modest to say so themselves, Stockholm can stake a decent claim to being the capital of Scandinavia. Built on 14 islands where Lake Mlaren meets the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is a soft-hued vision of light and water, the bewitching start to an archipelago of some 24,000 islands and islets

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Train Chaos Brings Berlin to a Standstill

Germany’s reputation for efficiency is under serious threat, as work on Berlin’s main suburban train networks has brought the city to a grinding halt. At the height of tourist season and with Berlin playing host to the World Athletics Championships in just a few weeks, the resulting chaos could not have come at a worse time for the cash-strapped capital. For the first time in its 85-year history, Berlin’s S-Bahn system has slashed services after most of its trains were pulled off the tracks for safety checks.

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Kmart’s Christmas in July: Inspiration or Desperation?

During these dog days of summer, the nation’s department stores are still cold. According to the retail-sales statistics released by the Commerce Department on July 14, June department store sales dipped 1.3% compared to sales in May of this year, and were down 9.4% compared with June of 2008

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