Apple
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Is Microsoft a Good Buy ?
By Ahsan Aslam - June 18, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has recently released a version of Microsoft Office for iOS.
This decision has been in the works for some time and is partially a defensive response to Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iWork announcement. Offering the Office Mobile app for the iPhone through an Office 365 subscription is an important strategic move for Microsoft. The application is available for free on the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store, allowing more »
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The Consequences of Apple Losing its Ebook Trial
By Mark Hibben - June 18, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL |
On the face of it, the stakes in Apple's ebook trial may not seem very big. During the trial, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) executive Keith Moerer claimed that Apple has 20% of the U.S. ebook market. That market was estimated to be worth about $1.4 billion, which means that Apple makes about $280 million a year, small compared to total iTunes revenue. In contrast, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is more »
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Microsoft Can Still Dominate the Tablet Market
By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - June 18, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, HPQ, MSFT
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has finally released an Office app for Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone. Interestingly enough, this app isn't available on the iPad.
That shouldn't be too surprising. At this point, Microsoft still has a chance to become a major player in the tablet market. The smartphone market? Not so much. If Microsoft acts quickly, it can still popularize Windows tablets -- and thereby halt Window’s seemingly more »
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Microsoft and Apple Jostle for Strategic Positioning with Consumers and Investors
By Ajay Goel - June 18, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT, SSNLF
Apple has recently announced sweeping changes to its mobile OS, attempting to appease customers with greater ease of use, a fresher design and plenty of new features that offer users an enhanced mobile experience. Part of the reason for the redesign is no doubt to gain more ground against its most competitive rival, the Samsung (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) Galaxy, as well as other mobile rivals, but to also continue delivering painful more »
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Is This Organic Apple Rotten?
By Mohammed Shaaban - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, FB, GOOG
Earlier last month’s rumors were circulating that Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) is interested in acquiring the crowd-sourced digital mapping company Waze. The price tag for such a transaction was rumored to hover around the $1 Billion mark which would have been Facebook's second 10 figure acquisition within the space of a year, the first being the Instagram acquisition. However, late last month, news came out that the acquisition talks more »
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How You Can Prevail in the Smartphone Wars
By John Casteele - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, SSNLF, TMUS
You'd think that we would have heard everything about the ongoing legal dispute between Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF) by now. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong. With more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan ending, the patent battle has taken yet another unexpected turn. But with so much focus on these companies, is it possible that you're missing out on other investment options in the smartphone more »
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Battle of the Word Docs
By John McKenna - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, MSFT
It wasn’t too long ago when Apple launched the quirky ad campaign “Mac vs. PC” to get people excited about Macbooks over the industry-standard PC. The ads featured “Mac” represented by a young guy in casual clothing and jeans talking about creative software features like iMovie, Photo Booth, and Mac’s unique ability to be creative, while “PC” was a nerdy man in a business suit that could only more »
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Google Explores Facilitating Worldwide Internet with Balloons
By Phillip Woolgar - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, MSFT
Just when I thought Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) was the coolest brand out there, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) does something that takes my breath away.
Google announced its Project Loon on June 14, which is a plan to send balloons into the stratosphere that can facilitate Internet in rural areas, even on mountaintops. That means that if you are climbing Mt. Everest and need to call your mom to let her know more »
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Maps May Lead Google Astray
By David Danna - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, FB, GOOG
Just last month, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) released a whole new version of Google Maps at their I/O conference. The focus of the new Maps is to be more personal, with things that you are interested in showing up more prominently on your maps. Google also introduced new advertising features that it hopes will give them an edge in the local, personalized advertising market. A revamp of Google Maps to more »
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Tech Giants Look for World Domination
By Phillip Woolgar - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, S
In a battle to place American products in the hands of those in the developing world, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has just made a move that could secure it a heap of profits.
On June 13, Amazon launched its Kindle Fire HD tablet and the Kindle Paperwhite e-book reader in India. This comes about one week after the company unveiled an online marketplace in India.
The company is pursuing what others more »
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Microsoft Blunders Again with Mobile Office
By Phillip Woolgar - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT, SNE
With Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows 8 flop and the firm's restriction on gamers in its upcoming Xbox One release, it looked as if the company couldn't get more bad press. But then along came the new Microsoft Office Mobile for the iPhone.
If the company continues down its current path, it could become as obsolete as International Business Machines was in the 1990s. In the company's more »
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Tablets Will Be More Popular than PCs This Year
By Phillip Woolgar - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, MSFT
In a report on May 28 by PC Magazine, the company said that tablets will be more popular than laptops this year. While the idea that tablets will dominate the more traditional way of mobile computing isn't news, the fact that it could be the more popular selection this year is surprising. Market research company IDC, which was quoted in the article, said tablet shipments are set to increase more »
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Pandora's Moat Not Nearly as Strong as Analysts Believe
By Margie Nemcick-Cruz - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, EBAY, FB, P
After Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced iTunes Radio last week, I watched a panel of experts on Bloomberg discuss its effect on Pandora (NYSE: P), as Pandora's stock was actually up following the announcement. When asked whether Pandora would be negatively impacted by Apple's move, an analyst equated Apple going after Pandora's market to the following, "It reminds me of Yahoo and Amazon going after eBay (NASDAQ: EBAYmore »)
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The 3 Leading Cell Phone Companies: Where Are They Heading
By Louie Grint - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, NOK
Few industries change at the pace cell phone does. Nowadays, cell phones have become a crucial part of our everyday life and almost everyone from any age has one of their own. Improved technology has transformed the huge brick-like cell phones we would see in 1995 to elegant and stylish smart phones we carry with us now. There are always new technologies, trends, and companies changing the way we see more »
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3 Reasons Apple Will Make You Rich
By Marie Palumbo - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, BRK-A, BBRY
“Siri, how is Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock performing?” A soft double ring assures me Siri has gotten my message and is contemplating a response. A short time later a friendly, somewhat snarky voice answers, “It’s been better.”
“It’s been better” is a generous description of the stock’s performance. If for a moment Siri dropped her clever personality, I venture it might say something along the lines of more »
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Three Attractive, Future Dividend Achievers
By Greg Williamson - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AMGN, AAPL, COH
I am an advocate of investing in companies with a long-term proven ability to regularly increase their annual dividend.
I regularly browse through a current list of components within the dividend achiever index (companies with 10 or more years of consecutive dividend increases) for new investment ideas to consider. That being said, do I neglect to consider adding companies to my watch list that have not achieved the dividend achiever more »
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Sony Stepping on Apple's and Microsoft's Turf
By Alexander Cho - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT, SNE
Sony (NYSE: SNE) recently released the next iteration of its tablets, with the Xperia Tablet Z. The tablet market is becoming increasingly important as it is seen as the third alternative to entry-level computing. Most of the growth in tablets is driven by the low-end, because component costs for creating a tablet are much cheaper than a PC. Tablet devices are becoming a product substitute in emerging markets.
Sony's more »
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Wearable Technology: Apple versus Google
By Jag Mitra - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG
Wearable technology has been around for some time. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) revived the languishing mobile music scene with its iPods and replaced brick-like tablets with the iPad, and the company is set to shake up the wearable technology arena. However, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is already set to make a splash and offer formidable competition to Apple.
Until now, wearable technology meant products like FitBit or the Nike FuelBand. However, these more »
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Globalization Is Essential for Market Dominance
By Phillip Woolgar - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MCD, SBUX
Two major developments have quickly changed the corporate environment since the turn of the century: globalization and technology. In order for a company to really dominate its market, it needs to be savvy in at least these two areas. Often, it is the largest firms that are best equipped for market dominance worldwide, and these companies have set the stage for others to follow.
McDonald's leads the way
McDonald more »
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Top CAPS (Investment) Ideas for the Second Half of 2013
By Brian Nichols - June 17, 2013 | Tickers: ALU, AAPL, HPQ, WDAY
The Motley Fool CAPS is a place where you can test your wits against fellow retail and professional investors. I began playing in the fourth quarter of 2012 and already have a player rating of 96.49 with a score of 1,174.79.
The player rating indicates how you compare against fellow players and the score is a tally of every percentage point where your selection outperforms its benchmark more »