In the same period, Microsoft generated USD20.9 billion.

That means, the iPhone is bigger than the whole of Microsoft – Xbox, Windows and Office all together.

Microsoft’s figures are a company record, yet it’s still beaten by Apple.

Apple now has USD100 billion in cash, enough to buy Facebook, if it wanted to.

In May 2010, Apple’s market capitalisation became bigger than Microsoft, the first time it did so in 20 years.

When it comes to market cap, in the third quarter of 2011 Apple even managed to become the world’s number one company, bigger than even O&G giant Exxon!

Truly remarkable, considering that the iPhone didn’t even exist 5 years ago.

But perhaps the most amazing thing is that it’s now even bigger than “a company that, 15 years ago, was dragged into court and threatened with forcible break-up because it had amassed an unassailable and unthinkable profitable monopoly.”

It’s the 4th largest corporate quarterly earnings of all time, and the only non oil and gas related corporation in the all-time top 19 list. The record holder is Gazprom, the Russian O&G giant which posted a net profit of USD16.24 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2011.

Apple’s feat is the equivalent to about USD1 billion PER WEEK.

The total is equivalent to about RM39 billion – 118% higher than during the same period the previous year.

During this period, Apple sold a staggering 37 million iPhones, double the number they sold exactly a year before.

Even iPads and Macs sold more than previously.

And with the iPad 3 slated for release in March 2012, the future looks bright for the company.

I guess Apple employees will get huge bonuses – now they can treat themselves to the finer things in life, like one of those metal address plaques for the house.

The only downside is the iPod which slumped 21%.

More specifically, she said she has:

- 35 stores
- 17 product lines
- racing team
- 14 fragrances
- latest project: the Paris Hilton Beach Club chain, the first of which is opening soon in the Philippines, touting nightclubs, restaurants, bars & gyms.

So who said Paris is a dumb blonde again?

Never mind that she has storage cabinets of cosmetics…

In terms of price by weight, it also set the new record: USD2,717 per kg (that’s more than RM8,000 per kg!).

This particular type of tuna makes the best sushi.

It was sold at the famous first auction of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, to Kiyoshi Kimura, proprietor of a sushi eatery chain.

It was caught off Oma, Aomori prefecture, north of the tsunami-struck coast.

Outline of the steps:

Step 1: produce a brilliant idea, which can take many attempts. An example is the now-iconic Angry Birds game which was Rovio’s 52nd game

Step 2: write the app, which can take a few hours to a few months. Developing Android apps is free of charge, while the developer license for Apple apps is not.

Step 3: submit app, which can take 1-2 weeks. You have to comply with the requirements. For example, for Apple apps, you have to specify on what devices the app will run and the lowest firmware it’ll accept. As for Android apps, it’s not so strict, as long as the apps don’t abuse devices it’ll run on.

Step 4: marketing, which entails things like promotions, Twitter/Facebook campaigns etc. It can be free, and it can be expensive.

Step 5: hopefully the money will then start rolling in. There are several models to choose from, example:
- offer a free version (lite), and offer option to upgrade to a full version for payment
- offer option to skip levels in exchange for payment
- advertising in-game, which can be lucrative; eg, Facebook apps.

So finally you can celebrate with cigars.

Step 6: refine app, including updates. A simple update can take a very short time, but a total overhaul can take several months.

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Of course the one that garners the most attention would be that of the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who declared that, as at the end of 2011:
- his investment in Amanah Mutual Berhad was 124,845 units;
- his investment in Public Mutual Fund was 25,989 units;
- his fixed deposit is RM298,785;
- other investments: 8,000 units;
- he owns 2 shoplots in Malacca (one of them joint property) worth RM435K & RM530K respectively, and that he’d taken RM650K loans to pay for them.

Probably the richest of all the excos is Phee Boon Poh, who has 8 properties including jointly-owned land and houses in New Zealand and shares in 23 companies.

The American owner is now selling it for GBP2 million (about RM10 million). The Classical Numismatic Group will auction it in New York on 4th January 2012.

On one side, there’s two eagles holding a dead hare

On the other side is an image of a Quadriga (four horse chariot) being driven by a young man

Considering that it’s so ancient, only 1″ in diameter and weighs 1.5 ounces, isn’t the amount of detail they put in amazing? Apparently, during those days wealthy cities in Sicily produced their own coins, and they competed with each other to see who could produce the prettiest ones, therefore engaged the services of the best artists to engrave the dies used to make them.

There are only 12 such coins in existence, 6 of them in museums.

A copy of the first issue of Action Comics published June 1938, which features the debut of Superman has sold for USD2.16 million (more than RM6 million) in a ComicConnect online auction on 30th November 2011.

Bids started at USD1 and had a reserve price of USD900K.

Back in 1938 it was sold for 10 cents.

The old record for a comic book was USD1.5 million in March 2010. It was also a copy of Action Comics #1: Superman, and not in as good a condition.

About 100 copies of this edition are probably exists, only a few in good condition.

The buyer / seller was not announced, but the seller is probably Hollywood megastar Nicolas Cage, because he bought his own copy of the comic for USD150,000 in 1997. So, good investment for Mr Cage indeed.

Now investors, get this: comics experts said investing in comics or similar stuff is popular during troubled economic times because rare collectibles hold their value more reliably than property or shares.

You can read/download it, has 14 pages.

And of course you can download from YouTube all the Superman-related multimedia you want.

One the penthouses was reportedly sold for a staggering GBP135 million [RM675 million] to “a buyer who made a casual inquiry on the internet.”

With 86 units built, it was designed by Lord Rogers and built by developer brothers Nicholas and Christian Candy.

The cheapest unit costs GBP6.5 million [more than RM30 million], a one bedroom apartment.

Even the service charge is eye-bulging: GBP150 per square metre per year, meaning owners of the heftiest units can expect to cough out more than GBP100K every year.

The majority of the units cost between GBP27 million and GBP33 million.

Features reputedly include:
- iris-recognition systems in the lifts
- panic rooms
- bullet-proof glass
- 15 different types of precious marble used in construction
- private cinema
- golf simulator
- wine cellar
- valet service
- concierge
- room service from the Mandarin Oriental next door

Now perhaps there’ll be good demand for Licensed Nurse Jobs around that area – so those in that field would do well to set up camp nearby.

One Menerung how?