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Futures on major U.S. indices point to a higher opening Thursday, ahead of the ADP National Employment Report and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) report on Initial Jobless Claims.

As Apple prepares for WWDC in San Francisco, new parts and components for a sixth-generation iPhone have surfaced on the Internet, via Apple website 9 to 5 Mac. The images, which show the faceplates and backplates for a new black and white iPhone, appear to be legitimate. This could be the iPhone 5 we've all been waiting for.

Facing what seem to be minute-by-minute rejections of various bailout scenarios, Spanish bank Bankia S.A. -- the country's fourth-largest financial institution, which is currently embroiled in a crisis of insolvency -- is putting its faith in the web-shooting hands of a Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man.

Industrial commodities and global stocks fell sharply Wednesday as evidence mounted that the global economy's highfliers are dangerously close to stall speed. Yields on 10-year Treasuries tumbled to a record low 1.64 percent.

The worldwide mobile payment transaction value is going to exceed the $171.5-billion mark in 2012, recording a huge 61.9 percent increase from $105.9 billion in 2011, according to a Gartner report.

Apple has acknowledged that its iPad made it a major force in ebooks but denied that it?s stifling competition in a formal reply to the Justice Department's antitrust suit.

Morgan Stanley has received an in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a banking license, a leading business daily reported Wednesday quoting a spokesperson of the bank.

The Xbox gaming console has evolved over the years, and Microsoft?s Yusuf Mehdi has revealed that the system is only in its beginning stages.

Francesca Eastwood, daughter of actor Clint Eastwood, decided that destruction is a beautiful version of freedom. So she and her boyfriend, photographer Tyler Shields, went out, bought a $100,000 Birkin bag and carelessly destroyed it.

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, developers' conference may be the most exciting time of the year for gaming enthusiasts. With the conference set for June 5-7, it's time to speculate on what's in store for E3 2012.

Acting is a business of red flags, said Howard Bragman, a veteran Hollywood publicist.

The Cisco Cius, we hardly knew ye. Less than a year after the Cius hit shelves on July 31, Cisco announced on Friday (via company blog) that it will discontinue all investments being poured into its tablet designed for business and enterprise professionals. The price may have been the Cius' ultimate killer, but the lack of entertaining features made this tablet all work, and no play.

The common currency was punished overnight as sentiment regarding Greece turned from bad to worse.

Margaret Whitman, the new CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), the No. 1 computer maker, decided to swing her ax Wednesday as the company reported dreadful second-quarter results.

Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL), the No. 1 database company, said it would acquire private cloud media marketer Vitrue for an undisclosed sum a day after German rival SAP (NYSE: SA), Europe's No. 1 software company, offered to acquire e-commerce specialist Ariba Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA) for $4.3 billion.

Ifeadi called the Chinese scavengers who were taking jobs that should be the exclusive preserve of Nigerian people.

Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M), the owner of its namesake and Bloomingdale's department stores, said Wednesday it will start selling some of the department store chain's private label merchandise directly to consumers in China next spring through a deal with a Chinese online retailer.

European consumers are tightening the purse strings as their confidence in the region's economy continues to fade amid concern that the recession may worsen.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) shares climbed almost 2 percent in mid-day trading Wednesday, a day after Moody's Investors Service upgraded the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker's credit rating to investment grade.

Asian, European and U.S. stocks fell hard Wednesday on rising fears and uncertainty about a possible Greek exit from the euro zone as well as concerns over slowing economic growth.

iPhone 5 rumors are heating up if Apple hopes to release the smartphone between June and October. The latest report comes from 9 to 5 Mac, which says it has independently heard that Apple is testing multiple versions of its sixth-generation iPhone, but the displays are not only bigger, but sharper, too.