Company

Congressional Investigation Scopes Apple's Web of Tax Havens
May 21, 2013

A series of subsidiaries spanning numerous countries have helped Apple avoid billions in United States taxes, congressional investigators reported Monday. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., head of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is looking into Apple's suspected transgressions, said that Apple "sought the holy grail of tax avoidance."

China Bashes Apple for Tax Evasion
May 13, 2013

China has been having a good go at Apple lately, having slammed the company in March for substandard post-sale service and quickly following that up with charges of copyright infringement. The latest accusation: tax evasion. Oh, and pornography. Apple's online stores in China reportedly are not paying proper import taxes for software sold to Chinese customers.

India to Get a Smartphone for the Blind
April 25, 2013

A company in India has developed a smartphone for the blind. The device will be equipped to read text messages and emails, and it will then convert the text to Braille. It will utilize shape memory alloy technology, which exploits a metal's ability to "remember" its original shape. The phone's screen is not a screen so much as a grid of pins that move up and down to form Braille characters.

Cook Replacement Rumors Smolder
April 22, 2013

Steve Jobs left big shoes to fill, and rumors circulated this week that Apple CEO Tim Cook may not be living up to expectations. This comes as Apple's stock closed at a 52-week low last Friday. Adding to the company's misery, Apple reportedly has earned the nickname "Poison Apple" with some Asian suppliers who are finding its high standards and low price expectations somewhat hard to meet.

Icelandic App Aims to Prevent Accidental Incest
April 18, 2013

Before knocking boots, knock phones. Three software engineers at the University of Iceland have designed an app to alert people if a casual encounter might in fact be casual incest. By bumping their mobile devices together, the app lets users -- and potential partners -- instantly compare their lineage, showing the nearest common ancestors. If a close relative is detected, users are alerted via an alarm and text warning.

Apple Falls From Investors' Grace
April 18, 2013

Apple's stock took another hit on Thursday, sinking to a dismal $392.25 by the closing bell. Fears have been mounting about Apple's place in the world, and they were heightened earlier this week by a report from a key supplier, Cirrus Logic, which posted a disappointing revenue forecast. On Wednesday, Apple's shares dipped below $400 per unit for the first time in more than a year.

Can Apple's 'Genius' Sprout Far From the Tree?
April 17, 2013

Messianic tendencies are seldom healthy, but they can be doubly destructive in business, where a misstep, missed trend or messy product launch can turn last year's wunderkind into this year's washout. So it's interesting to consider why Silicon Valley -- along with much of the rest of IT -- is so fixated on "rock star" executives. If you think an industry that prides itself on innovation would be immune to self-indulgent behavioral clichés, you'd be wrong.

Cook's Apology Part of China Brand Rehab
April 02, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology to customers in China this week following nationwide criticism over the way the company handles warranty and return policies in the country. For the past two weeks, several media outlets in China have run stories claiming that Apple's customer service policies, particularly in regards to the iPhone, leave much to be desired.

Apple Apologizes to Chinese Customers Following Media Beatdown
April 02, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized Monday to Chinese customers over the company's warranty policy, adding that he would improve customer service in China, which is now Apple's second-biggest market. The apology may be linked to a mid-March television special that aired on "Consumer Rights Day," claiming Apple's Chinese customers were treated worse than their Western counterparts.

Beyond the Grave, Onto the Smartphone
March 25, 2013

A cemetery in Shenyang, the capital of China's Liaoning Province, will become, for lack of a better term, interactive. With mobile devices, people will be able to scan a quick response code on graves of people whose relatives have requested the feature. Scanning this code will allow visitors to learn about the person's life; they can also access a Web page where relatives and friends can upload photos or video.

E-Book Trial Requires Tim Cook's Presence on the Stand
March 14, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been ordered to testify in the antitrust case that accuses his company of e-book price fixing. Apple has tried to keep Cook from having to appear, claiming it was unnecessary considering 11 other top company executives have given depositions in the case.

Canonical: The Next Apple
March 14, 2013

Given all the legends surrounding Apple's widely mourned Steve Jobs, it's not entirely surprising that comparisons should be made any time another tech leader begins to resemble him in any way. Case in point: Mark Shuttleworth. The billionaire Canonical founder has actually been compared to Jobs on numerous occasions before, but lately the discussion was renewed afresh by a recent post on Linux Advocates.

Supply Chain Snags Weigh Down Apple's Stock
March 13, 2013

Jefferies on Tuesday became the latest Wall Street firm to downgrade its Apple price target as it blamed a delay with an iPhone product launch and slower smartphone sales. Analyst Peter Misek trimmed his target price from $500 to $420. Several other analysts also have downgraded the stock since it fell from its $705 peak last September.

Cook Cheers Investors While Saying Very Little
February 28, 2013

CEO Tim Cook presided over Apple's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, where he fielded questions about a lawsuit filed by activist investor David Einhorn. In his complaint, Einhorn demanded that Apple unbundle scheduled votes that he claimed would require shareholders to consider separate matters in one ballot. Cook called the lawsuit "silly," but the judge ruled in favor of Einhorn.

Einhorn Wins a Legal Skirmish but Still Could Lose the War
February 25, 2013

A U.S. federal judge ruled in favor of hedge fund manager David Einhorn Friday, forcing Apple to remove a bundled proposal that was supposed to be voted on at this week's annual shareholder meeting. Einhorn began pushing back against the company's proposed charter earlier this month when he filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple's bundled votes would ask shareholders to consider separate matters in one ballot.

Foxconn Hiring Freeze Ignites Rumors of Chilled iPhone Demand
February 22, 2013

Foxconn, the Chinese technology manufacturer for many popular devices including the iPhone 5, said this week it was cutting back on hiring. However, the company met attempts to tie that action to reports of cutbacks in demand for Apple products with a resounding "no." Due to an unprecedented rate of return for employees following the Chinese New Year holiday, Foxconn said it was also slowing down its recruitment process.

Einhorn to Apple: Time to Pay the Piper
February 22, 2013

Hedge fund manager and rogue Apple investor David Einhorn hosted a conference call for shareholders Thursday as he continued his campaign to steer more cash from the company's balance sheet toward investors. Einhorn, a manager at Greenlight Capital, used the call as part of his broader strategy to pressure Apple to issue a stockholder dividend rather than let the company's $137 billion lay idle.

The Patient and Telling Vocabulary of Apple CEO Tim Cook
February 14, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook is growing on me. His reputation comes from being an operational genius, a guy who could manage supply chains and factories around the world, and connect them with suppliers and distributors and all sorts of trucks, boats, planes and trains to get products into the hands of customers.

Apple's Cook: We're Not Done Innovating Yet
February 13, 2013

Despite a stock drop, a lawsuit from a hedge fund manager and questions about future products, Apple CEO Tim Cook told the audience at a Goldman Sachs technology conference Tuesday that innovation remains "deeply embedded" in the company's culture, and that it has "never been stronger."

Dell Goes Private - Should Apple Follow?
February 11, 2013

I'm not asking the question, "Could Apple follow?" because the amount of cash that would need to be raised would be mind-boggling. Most thought that taking Dell private was impossible, and once you get past "impossible," degree doesn't make that much difference. With Apple stock down sharply, the opportunity may increase to eliminate the impossible part.