TOKYO (AP) ― Japan’s industrial output rose 1.5 percent in September from the previous month, as stronger production of vehicles and electronic components added to signs the recovery in the world’s third-largest economy is gaining.The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday a survey found manufacturers expect output to rise 4.7 percent in October but to decline in November. The increase in September compares with a 0.9 percent decline in output in August. Increased shipments by re

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― A Silicon Valley city has designated the boyhood home of Steve Jobs an “historic resource” due to the way the legendary Apple co-founder went on to change the world.Members of the historic commission in Los Altos voted unanimously late Monday to give the single-story, ranch-style home the special status.“This is a childhood home of Apple Computer Company founder Steve Jobs,” the commission noted in a report backing the decision.“The site is also where the Apple Computer Com

If consumer electronics companies are to be believed, someone on your holiday shopping list is just dying for a wristwatch that displays message alerts and weather updates.Samsung and Sony have devices out for the holidays. Qualcomm has one coming. Apple is believed to be making one, and a new report says Google is developing one, too.Why the big push for computerized watches? It‘s not coming from consumers, says Jonathan Gaw, a research manager at IDC. Rather, it’s a product in search of a mark

Investors drove the Dow Jones industrial average to an all-time high Tuesday on expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep its economic stimulus program in place.The Dow rose 111.42 points, or 0.7 percent, to 15,680.35. The Dow also got a big boost from IBM, which announced that it would buy $15 billion more of its own stock.The Fed is in the middle of a two-day policy meeting at which it's expected to maintain its $85 billion worth of bond purchases every month. That program is aimed at st

India's central bank raised its key interest rate for the second time in two months Tuesday, underlining the determination of its new chief to control inflation despite concerns economic growth could slow further.Reserve Bank of India Gov. Raghuram Rajan said the benchmark interest rate was raised by a quarter percentage point to 7.75 percent. His hard line against inflation increases pressure on the government to revive growth through reforms to make the economy more efficient, instead of relyi

Apple's quarterly earnings are still sagging even as sales of its iPhones are rising, a vexing phenomenon feeding investor worries about whether stiffer competition in the mobile device market will continue to undercut the company's prosperity.The fiscal fourth-quarter results announced Monday closed the books on a sobering year that saw Apple's market value plunge by about 25 percent, or about $160 billion. Apple Inc. remains the world's most valuable company, despite the downturn.The company's

LONDON (AP) ― Growing optimism over the global economy is likely to lead to a marked pick-up in the number of mergers and acquisitions over the coming months, a survey of executives found Monday.In its half-yearly report into the M&A sector, consulting firm Ernst & Young said it expects both the volume and size of deals to improve over the coming year, with 35 percent of companies surveyed likely to pursue acquisitions compared with just 25 percent a year ago. The more favorable backdrop is attr

GENEVA (AFP) ― As a United States hunt for tax evaders and their accomplices gains momentum, many Swiss bankers are afraid to go abroad for fear of arrest, one business leader said in an interview published Sunday.“In my opinion, some 1,000 Swiss bankers no longer dare to go to the United States, or even travel abroad,” Martin Naville, the head of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, was quoted as saying by Le Matin Dimanche weekly.Swiss banks and industry representatives are increasingly cau

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― An enormous floating barge has emerged in the San Francisco Bay, which tech-savvy sleuths suspect is a massive data center being constructed by Google, the CNET blog reported.The huge floating structure “stands about four stories high and was made with a series of modern cargo containers. ... Locals refer to it as the secret project,” CNET wrote, adding that Google did not respond to requests for comment.“It’s all but certain that Google is the entity that is building the m