Apple exceeds 10 billion apps downloaded

Apple's App Store hit the 10 billion mark Saturday, a little more than 2-1/2 years after it started the app craze for mobile devices, beginning with its iPhone.

The store went online in July 2008, as part of the iTunes Store, and paved the way for others, such as Google's Android, Research In Motion's BlackBerry, HP's Palm and Microsoft's Windows mobile platforms to start their own app stores. None have come close to Apple's success, with more than 300,000 apps. or programs in the App Store. Second to it is the Android Market, which has more than 130,000 apps available.

"With more than 10 billion apps downloaded in just two and a half years — a staggering 7 billion apps in the last year alone — the App Store has surpassed our wildest dreams,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, in a statement.

Many of the App Store's programs are free, while others start at 99 cents. The online store's success is in part tied to its ease of use: it only takes one click on an icon on the phone screen to get there. It has also become a central place for Apple's iPad (with more than 40,000 apps specifically for it now available) and iPod Touch. The company also recently launched its Mac App Store for one-click downloads of apps and software for Mac computers.

Three of the top five free App Store apps, as of Saturday, are mainly games: Bubble Ball — downloaded hundreds of thousands of times — and created by a 14-year-old Utah boy; Paper Glider, iFace Fat (a "practical joke" app that makes a photo of someone's face fat), Google Places and the free version of the hugely popular game, Angry Birds.

The top five paid apps as of Saturday are all games that cost 99 cents: Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Burn the Rope and Angry Birds Seasons.

While gaming apps are popular, the App Store also includes programs for navigation, reference, medical, health and fitness, news, education, business, music and weather.

The company has been nearing the 10 billion milestone for weeks now, saying that whomever downloads that 10 billionth app would win a $10,000 iTunes gift card. The winner, announced by Apple, is Gail Davis of the town of Orpington, in Britain. Her download? Paper Glider (on the top five free list above).

Meanwhile, Apple's pending request to trademark "App Store" is being challenged by Microsoft with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Microsoft says "the combined term 'app store' is commonly used in the trade, by the general press, by consumers, by Apple’s competitors and even by Apple’s founder and CEO Steve Jobs, as the generic name for online stores featuring apps."

Even if Microsoft wins on this front, it will still have a long way to go with its Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. Launched last fall, it has more than 4,000 apps available, a respectable start, but still way behind Apple.

"The App Store has revolutionized how software is created, distributed, discovered and sold," Schiller said in a statement Saturday. "While others try to copy the App Store, it continues to offer developers and customers the most innovative experience on the pllanet.”

And App Store downloads are likely to swell even more next month when the iPhone becomes available on Verizon Wireless' network.

News From: technolog.msnbc.msn.com

Pentalobe screwdriver Apple iPhone

Apple screws iPhone customers with un-unscrewable screws Pentalobe screwdriver

Apple has been quietly replacing the standard screws on the iPhone 4 with a rare type of screw you can't even get a screwdriver for - seemingly in a bid to stop customers opening up their own phones.

The iPhone 4 originally came with standard (if rather small) Phillips-head screws - making it relatively easy for customers to open up their own phones to perform basic DIY repairs.

But more recent versions - and phones that have been returned to Apple for repairs - have instead featured five-pointed 'pentalobe' screws, for which there are no widely-available screwdrivers that can unscrew them.

Gadget fans are speculating that this is a deliberate move by Apple to stop customers getting access to their own phone, to ensure that only Apple technicians can carry out repairs.

Gadget DIY site iFixit says: 'there isn’t a single reputable supplier that sells exactly the same screwdrivers Apple’s technicians use—which is Apple’s point. They picked an obscure head that no one would have.'

It's not the first time that Apple have rolled out the pentalobe screws to defeat customers wanting to get into their devices - larger versions of the screw also appeared on the MacBook Pro in 2009, stopping owners from replacing the battery. The new screws first started appearing on Japanese iPhone 4s last year - and now they have started cropping up on iPhones in the US and the UK.

That includes phones that have been brought into Apple for repair - iFixit reports that the phones will come back with the screws swapped out.

iPhone owners faced with the awkward screws do have a couple of options - iFixit is offering an 'iPhone 4 Liberation Kit' that includes screwdrivers that, while not a perfect fit for the pentalobe, will manage to unscrew them with a bit of effort. And Gizmodo think they've tracked down a wholesaler that offers a screwdriver that will fit - although they don't guarantee that it will work.

News From: www.metro.co.uk

Do you feel screwed over by Apple?

Yesterday, we reported on a bit of a brouhaha over Apple adding tamper-resistant screws to its products, most recently the iPhone 4.

Some critics say the company switched from standard Phillips and Torx screws to proprietary pentalobe screws to thwart DIY fixes and keep consumers relying on Apple repair services.

iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens went so far as to title a blog post on the matter "Apple's Diabolical Plan to Screw Your iPhone." "Apple chose this fastener specifically because it was new, guaranteeing repair tools would be both rare and expensive. Shame on them," he wrote.

Granted, a good number of gadgeteers--likely including many Crave readers--feel strongly about having the right to open up gear at will to remove and replace batteries, memory, and drivers (or just have a good look at the inner workings).

But as one tech service rep who posted on ipodnn pointed out, a surprising number of people open up their gadgets before bringing them in for warranty service, leading to more damage than the problem that led them to open up the machine in the first place.

Whatever Cupertino's motivation for switching to the more rare pentalobe screws (we're still waiting to hear back from the company in its own words), some say Apple should be able to do whatever it damn pleases with its products. After all, no one's forcing people to buy them.

News From: news.cnet.com

iPad 2 Announcement Apple Inc

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad 2 Mystery Continues

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad 2 cases have revealed a possible SD card slot and Mini DisplayPort.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stocks were at 338.84 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 10.1% movement in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad 2 Mystery

The whole world is waiting for an official announcement from the Mac Maker on the newest version of the iPad, the hottest topic of discussion in the tech world today.
Although the company has not released any statements regarding the launch date or configuration of the new iPad, curious fans have already offered much speculation on the topic.
The latest, a study on proposed Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad 2 cases, has shown the possible addition of SD slots and a Mini DisplayPort on the upcoming gadget.
If you believe this is a good time to make a play on the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stocks, make sure you take a look at this analyst advice, from a broad range of industry specialists:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.18
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.2
Zack’s Rank: 1 out of 3 in the industry

We will be monitoring the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock price for developments over the next few weeks.

Apple Releases iOS 4.3 Beta 2 Firmware and SDK

If you're not ready to join one of our developer programs, you can register as an Apple Developer for free. As a registered Apple Developer you gain access to technical resources, development tools, and information to assist you in creating applications for iOS and Mac OS X. Register as an Apple Developer or More Info

Apple Earnings New Record Hits $26 BILLION

Apple Earnings Set New Record: Revenue Hits $26 BILLION

A day after Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced he would be taking a medical leave of absence, Apple posted stunning results for the first quarter of 2011.

Apple's revenue and profits both set new records for the company. Revenue reached $26.74 billion for the quarter that ended December 25, 2010 (a 71% increase over last year), and net quarterly profit hit a high of $6 billion.

Expected earnings help put the magnitude of those numbers in perspective: TechCrunch notes, "Well, coming off its best quarter ever in terms of revenue ($20.34 billion in Q4), Apple was projecting $23 billion in revenue for the quarter. The Street, meanwhile, recognizing that Apple always lowballs these numbers, thought revenue would be more like $24.38 billion. The actual number? $26.74 billion."

iPad and iPhone shipments surpassed analysts' expectations, while Mac shipments (4.3 million) and iPod shipments (19.45 million) fell slightly short. In total, Apple reported that 160 million iOS devices have been activated.

Some additional figures from Apple:

Apple sold 4.13 million Macs during the quarter, a 23 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 16.24 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 86 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 19.45 million iPods during the quarter, representing a seven percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. The Company also sold 7.33 million iPads during the quarter.

The company did not announce Apple TV sales, though sales reportedly topped 1 million units in December 2010. Apple noted in a press release that "international sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter's revenue."

After falling slightly during the day on Tuesday, Apple shares (AAPL) increased 4% in after-hours trading.
“We are firing on all cylinders and we’ve got some exciting things in the pipeline for this year including iPhone 4 on Verizon which customers can’t wait to get their hands on," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement, perhaps foreshadowing the new products--such as the next generation iPhone and iPad--consumers can expect to see later this year.

Apple Buy Before Stock Bounces Back

As Apple shares are plunging due to Steve Jobs' renewed health concerns, some Street analysts think it is a good buying opportunity to accumulate shares as Apple is expected to report upbeat numbers, when it reports its quarterly results today.

Wall Street expects Apple to earn $5.38 a share on revenue of $24.38 billion for the first quarter, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

"We view likely weakness in the stock ahead of the 1QFY11 report to be a good buying opportunity given our belief that AAPL is likely to report strong momentum driven by supply-unconstrained iPad traction, global distribution expansion of the iPhone and new product cycles in the iPod and Macbook Air," analyst Rajesh Ghai at ThinkEquity wrote in a note to clients.

The analyst, who has a "buy" rating on Apple stock, said though the duration of Steve Jobs medical leave is unclear, it will not have any significant near-term impact on Apple's projected fortunes. Ghai also raised his price target on Apple stock to $390 from $375.

"We highlight a busy product roadmap in 2011 which includes potential refreshes to the iPad, iPhone and the Macs and the expansion of the iPhone on to the Verizon network, as key reasons why AAPL will likely maintain momentum for the foreseeable future," Ghai said.

The analyst also expressed his belief in the managerial abilities of Tim Cook, who is managing day to day operations on Jobs' absence.

"We also point out that COO Tom Cook is the key Executive behind what we view as AAPL's flawless operational execution and given his past record, we believe remains likely to ensure continued strong execution and maintenance of the company's culture of innovation," the analyst said.

Ghai, who now expects Apple to report first quarter earnings of $5.50 a share on revenue of $25.13 billion, raised his iPad estimate for the quarter to 7.5 million units from 6.5 million units and for fiscal 2011 to 30.5 million units from 26.5 million units.

"At current levels, we believe shares are still cheap. On an ex-cash basis, at Friday's close, shares traded at less than 14 times our new FY11 EPS estimate, which appears to be an attractive entry point considering our expectation of over 40 percent growth for FY11," Ghai said.

Meanwhile, Yair Reiner - an analyst at Oppenheimer said: "..this worry stage (Jobs health concerns) will likely run out of fuel relatively quickly, because convincing evidence of how Jobs' presence or absence is impacting Apple's fundamentals won't present itself for years. Lacking evidence, investors will shortly go back to trading AAPL's stock based on measurable fundamental performance."

"As we expect these to remain strong in 2011-12, we're buyers at current attractive valuation," said Reiner, who has an "outperform" rating and $395 price target on Apple stock.

Another analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro, who is with Susquehanna Financial, said he anticipates continued demand momentum for the iPhone and iPad product lines, including the recent launch of the iPhone at Verizon, as well as solid Mac sales. He also expects the upcoming refresh of the iPad at the end of March/April and the iPhone in July to be well-received.

Fidacaro, who has a "positive" rating on Apple stock, also wrote an interesting point: "While we acknowledge that Steve Jobs is the visionary of Apple and is very influential in every aspect from product design to marketing, we note that during his previous leave in 2009 from January 14 to June 29, Apple's share rose 66%."

Shares of California-based Apple were down $15.15, or 4.3 percent, to trade at $333.33 on Nasdaq.


News From: www.ibtimes.com

Apple iPhone 5 to get completely Release

Apple iPhone 5 to get ‘completely redesigned’ Summer Release Date Expected

So it would seem that Apple weren’t all that happy with the current iPhone 4, as they are planning a major design and hardware overhaul according to a leak that also suggests a successor will launch in the summer.

According to reports across the pond from Engadget who has spoken to multiple sources, they claim that a complete redesign of the handset body is on the cards and that the device is already being tested by staff at Apple HQ.

A new processor is expected in the shape of a A5 CPU boasting a multi-core chip bringing it in line with the current chip that can be found in the power house LG Optimus 2X.

Apple is also being tipped to swap wireless chipset providers moving from Infineon to Qualcomm, likely in a bid to avoid connectivity issues previously faced with the iPhone 4.

Talk of the iPhone 5 has intensified in recent weeks and last week we reported that patents filed by Apple hinted that the iPhone 5 would get a slimmer design, and possibly incorporate a solar charging system. Although we wouldn’t hold our breathe on the solar charging.

An iPhone 5 summer release would fall in place with Apple’s usual cycle for its jewel in the crown, and we fully expect one or two more ‘leaks’ of information to emerge until then.

Apple COO, Meet Tim Cook, Taking Over During Steve Jobs' Medical Leave

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced in an email to Apple employees that he will be taking a medical leave of absence, during which time Apple COO Tim Cook will be taking over the company's day to day operations.

"I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011," Jobs wrote in the note (Read the full text below).

Cook stepped in during Jobs' previous leaves of absence in 2009, during which time the CEO underwent a liver transplant, and 2004, during which time Jobs received treatment for pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND:
Cook, 60, who was named COO in 2005, joined Apple in 1998 as senior vice president of Operations. Prior to his work at Apple, Cook worked in operations at Compaq and spent 12 years at IBM. Born in Alabama, he graduated with an M.B.A. from Duke University and studied engineering at Auburn University.

According to Apple, as COO Cook "is responsible for all of the company's worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple's supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. Cook also heads Apple's Macintosh division and plays a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace."

COOK AT APPLE:

The Wall Street Journal writes of Cook's tenure at Apple, "Mr. Cook shed bloated inventories and whipped the company's supply chain into shape. [...] Mr. Cook ran day-to-day operations during Mr. Jobs’s absence [in 2009] and was praised for his ability to make Apple’s sprawling operations move on time. He has established himself as the CEO-in-waiting since his stint taking over for Mr. Jobs."



Meet Tim Cook, Apple COO, Taking Over During Steve Jobs' Medical Leave

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Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced in an email to Apple employees that he will be taking a medical leave of absence, during which time Apple COO Tim Cook will be taking over the company's day to day operations.

"I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011," Jobs wrote in the note (Read the full text below).

Cook stepped in during Jobs' previous leaves of absence in 2009, during which time the CEO underwent a liver transplant, and 2004, during which time Jobs received treatment for pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND:
Cook, 60, who was named COO in 2005, joined Apple in 1998 as senior vice president of Operations. Prior to his work at Apple, Cook worked in operations at Compaq and spent 12 years at IBM. Born in Alabama, he graduated with an M.B.A. from Duke University and studied engineering at Auburn University.

According to Apple, as COO Cook "is responsible for all of the company's worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple's supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. Cook also heads Apple's Macintosh division and plays a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace."

COOK AT APPLE:

The Wall Street Journal writes of Cook's tenure at Apple, "Mr. Cook shed bloated inventories and whipped the company's supply chain into shape. [...] Mr. Cook ran day-to-day operations during Mr. Jobs’s absence [in 2009] and was praised for his ability to make Apple’s sprawling operations move on time. He has established himself as the CEO-in-waiting since his stint taking over for Mr. Jobs."
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Amid speculation over what Jobs' absence will mean for the Cupertino company, now the most valuable tech firm in the world in terms of market capitalization, some have noted that Cook already plays a major role, albeit a less public one, in overseeing Apple. Bloomberg wrote in 2009, during Steve Jobs' last medical leave of absence, that insiders say Cook has already "been quietly running the company for several years."

"Tim runs Apple and he has been running Apple for a long time now," Michael Janes, a former Apple executive, told Wired in 2009. "Steve is the face of the company and very involved with product development but Tim is the guy who takes all those designs and turns it into a big pile of cash for the company."

Verizon’s Announcement News

Will Verizon’s Announcement Have the “I” Word?

Everyone fully expects that Verizon Wireless will finally make the announcement that everyone has been waiting anxiously for – that the company will finally debut a CDMA version of the Apple iPhone.

Verizon and Apple can say whatever they like tomorrow as long as it has the letter “I” in it and it involves the release of a new iPhone for the largest wireless carrier. Even if they do finally release their CDMA iPhone, what does Verizon need to do in order to have success with this new product?

Verizon’s iPhone will need to have a CDMA cellular radio in it so that users can make both voice calls and data calls. CDMA, which they use for the Verizon network, is a different system than the AT&T iPhone uses, which is GSM-based. It’s expected that the Verizon iPhone will work with their 3G services, which would include EVDO Rev. A, the same type of 3G that’s in the Motorola Droid X, HTC Incredible, and other smart phones in Verizon’s inventory.

It would, however, probably be a better choice, if the new Verizon iPhone did better than just turn out to be a CDMA version of the iPhone 4. They might get more AT&T customers to defect to their network if they instead made a “world edition” type handset.

Verizon already has several smart phones in their inventory that can do this, including the Blackberry Storm/Storm2, which can work with its 3G network in the U.S., and roam the 3G networks of European and Asian carriers.

A CDMA only iPhone couldn’t do this, and therefore, Verizon could lose the chance to get some of the business customers who frequently travel overseas.

Another smart move Verizon and Apple could make would be to make their new iPhone work with Long Term Evolution 4G, Verizon’s new LTE network. Verizon just announced that in the coming months they will offer 10 new units that will be capable of doing this, but if they put out a new iPhone now that was capable of doing this, it would give the company a major head start.

Potential customers are also concerned as to whether or not a new Verizon Wireless iPhone will be bogged down with unneeded applications or if it will have the Verizon branded services such as V CAST Music, Video, Rhapsody, and other similar applications preinstalled.

Other questions include speculation on whether or not the Verizon iPhone will be the same or a different size as current versions. Since it doesn’t require a SIM card, Apple engineers could take advantage of that empty space.

Another question is whether some of the issues that the iPhone 4 has will be corrected in a Verizon model? How about the antenna issues? Will it have a stronger front and rear section that won’t be so likely to break if it falls? Can customers use FaceTime on 3G? How much will a Verizon iPhone cost?

The list of questions goes on and on, but no one is getting any answers until tomorrow. Tick Tock, the clock is counting down.

Apple Moves Higher Into Verizon Announcement (NASDAQ:AAPL) (NYSE:VZ) (NYSE:T)

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is floating higher today in anticipation of tomorrows announcement by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). Verizon is expected to announce the availability of the iPHONE. Up until now, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has had exclusive rights to the iPHONE. This has been long anticipated and seems to be coaxing buyers into Apple today. Apple is trading at $340.81, +4.69 (+1.39%). Apple has a history of running up into announcements only to see some sellers come in after on profit taking. This may be happening today. It will be very interesting to see if the iPHONE has any bells and whistles or if it is the standard phone. Many analysts are talking about this pushing Apples share price far higher as it fuels earnings. While this may be somewhat true, the hype is usually always more than reality. To gain more market analysis, guidance, swing trades and education, join the Research Center.


Gareth Soloway
Chief Market Strategist
www.InTheMoneyStocks.com
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Verizon iPhone

Is It Finally Time for the Verizon iPhone?

In case there was any doubt, The Wall Street Journal confirms that the Verizon Media Event on January 11th will feature the long rumored Verizon iPhone.

The largest U.S. wireless carrier will say Tuesday that Apple Inc.'s iPhone will be available to its subscribers, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Wall Street Journal offers no additional details about when the Verizon iPhone will become available to the public.

Meanwhile, Gizmodo notes that they have not been invited to the event, despite having a good relationship with Verizon.

Here's what's key: We're great friends with Verizon. (Hi guys!) We've worked with them for years, and we've been to like every event they've had over the last three years. We haven't gotten an invite. Which is weird. We've reached out to Verizon to see why, exactly, we weren't invited, but we've gotten no comment yet. (Update: Verizon's official response is a big ol' no comment.)

Due to the iPhone 4 leak, Gizmodo has been blacklisted from Apple's media events, further suggesting that this is a joint Apple-Verizon event.

Update: All Things Digital reports that Apple CEO Steve Jobs is likely to be present at Tuesday's media event.

While the appearance isn't 100 percent assured, sources in position to know tell me that, barring any unforseen circumstances, Jobs will likely join McAdam onstage in New York when he announces the addition of the iPhone to its handset line-up.