IBT Staff Reporter

This was the luxury journey to end all luxury trips: staying at at four of the best resorts in New Zealand – three of them judged among the best hideaway spots in the world.

Who wouldn't love sailing on a luxury cruise ship – especially over the holidays? We recently spent 16 days sailing in ultra-luxurious style on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, on the Mariner, from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal (www.rssc.com)

We've sailed on many cruise lines, but we hadn't, until now, sailed with Princess Cruises. We were in for a most enjoyable treat, and now, after having had such a marvelous experience, we highly recommend this ship to others. Using some of the terminology given to precious gems of all kinds, we will illustrate our many points based on this analogy. One thing's clear – the sparkling brand new R...

Endless cocktails, wine and dessert. Private in-suite dinners. Couples massages. Pillow menus and plush bedding. Ballroom dancing classes. These are just some of the posh perks that Silversea Cruises offers. Most upscale cruise lines have always offered unforgettable experiences – for example, you can often wine and dine to your heart's content in fabulous restaurants, and, unlike real life, nev...

Is it possible to feel like the only couple on a ship of 3500 passengers? The answer on Costa Cruises' new behemoth ship, the Serena, is a resounding yes! My husband and I chose a seven-day cruise in the eastern Med for the itinerary and because, with two busy work schedules, we want someone else to do the organizing. But will we feel herded from place to place? Will the staff be too overwhelmed ...

If you spam is plaguing your inbox you're definitely not alone. A new report shows that of the billions of emails sent around the world daily, only a fraction of those emails are legitimate.

Dissecting the bits and pieces of the latest firmware code for iPhone shows a great posibility that Apple is indeed developing a new version of the iPhone.

A preliminary release candidate for the updated Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) of Microsoft Corp. is on track to offer another public preview in February.

Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt caused a fan frenzy at the premiere of Brad's Oscar nominated movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in Japan on Thursday.

Netflix's users CEO Reed Hastings revealed that people are now switching from DVDs to Online streaming

The original Daisy Duke, Catherine Bach, showed her support for Jessica Simpson, who also acted as Daisy in Dukes of Hazzard in 2005, following recent scrutiny about the singer's new curves.

Final Oscar ballots were mailed on Wednesday to around 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The British pound has enjoyed three consecutive sessions of strong rallies that have brought many of the sterling crosses to significant levels of technical resistance. While short-term momentum is still in the single currency's favor, it cannot be ignored that the pound is just off of recent record lows. Our DailyFX Analysts offer their outlooks for the pound and what they think is the best set up among the crosses.

Unemployment Claims (Weekly) Actual 588K, Expected 580K, Previous 555K (Revised from 589K)

The transition from analog to digital television will continue as planned on Tuesday February 17th, after a vote by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attributed policies of some economies and a lack of self discipline on the part of financial institutions for the current economic crisis, but proposed international cooperation to resolve the current difficulties.

Honda Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo doesn't expect any further major changes to its profit outlook this year, following a profit forecast cut on Friday.

Ford reported heavy losses of $5.88 billion in its latest quarter. Analysts said the losses were due to a strong decline in demand for vehicles but Ford said it won't need a bailout from the Federal government.

Sony Corp. said Thursday its profit for the third quarter fell to 10.4 billion yen ($114 million), or about 10 yen a share. The company attributed losses to a strong yen, falling investments, and losses at its financial unit.

Federal inspectors found that a food plant in Blakely, Georgia, -- responsible for a salmonella outbreak -- knowingly shipped contaminated peanut butter products and they reported of finding roaches, mold on walls and ceilings, and a leaking roof in the location.

Early voting for provincial elections in Iraq began on Wednesday. Smooth elections may encourage supporters of early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq while elections marred by irregularities and violence could raise worries about Iraq’s preparedness.

Starbucks Corp, the world's largest chain of coffee shops ,said Wednesday it will close 300 stores and reduce as many as 6,700 jobs.

DBS Group Holdings announced Thursday that its Chief Executive Officer Richard Stanley, 48, has been diagnosed with leukemia and will begin treatment immediately.

World Economic Forum founder is asking how new online technologies can be used to integrate everyone who can contribute, not just leaders, to help solve problems.

EUR/USD is in a broad consolidation, after bottoming at 1.2331 (Oct.28,2008). Technical indicators are rising, and trading is situated below the 50- and 200-Day SMA, currently projected at 1.3292 and 1.4721.

House prices in the UK according to Nationwide dipped 1.3% m/m (16.6%y/y) in Jan, slightly better than market forecasts of a decline of -1.7% m/m(-16.7% y/y. January's numbers reflected a slight easing in the pace of

Technical oscillators supporting the bearish trend for the currency pair

The pound rose for a third day against the dollar and climbed versus the euro as Citigroup Inc. recommended buying Lloyds Banking Group Plc shares

Kelly Clarkson is to beat the Britney Spears billboard record on Thursday, when her new single My Life Would Suck without You, will leap to No. 1 in the billboard chart's 50 years in breaking the history.