Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will investigate allegations by advocacy group China Labor Watch that factories run by Taiwanese supplier Pegatron Corp. (4938) use underage workers, pay insufficient wages and force employees to work overtime. The New York-based group found at least 86 labor rights violations while investigating three Pegatron factories from March to July, it said in a report issued today. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been in close contact with the group for several months, yet the report contains “claims that are new to us,” and those will be probed immediately, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), said in a phone interview today.
Students to explore filmmaking with Google Glass (Elpasoinc)
Beauty is in the eye of the Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass wearer. At least that’s what the Internet search giant hopes a handful of young filmmakers will discover. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is enlisting film students from five colleges to help it explore how its wearable computing device can be used to make movies. The $1,500 Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass headset is already being used by 10,000 so-called explorers. The device resembles a pair of glasses and allows users to take pictures, shoot video, search the Internet, compose email and check schedules. As part of its experiment, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will lend each school three pairs of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass.
Banks Poised to Lead S&P 500 as JPMorgan Beats Microsoft (Bloomberg)
U.S. financial companies, fueled by the fastest earnings growth in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, are poised to reclaim their position as the market’s biggest industry for the first time since the credit crisis. Banks, brokers and insurance companies make up 16.8 percent of the S&P 500, almost double the level from 2009 and closing in on technology companies at 17.6 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) are helping lead gains in the index this month after profits topped analyst estimates. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) are among the worst after earnings trailed forecasts.
What Does the Future Have In Store For Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)? (BasicsMedia)
This article seeks to give out answers to anyone with interest in learning whether there is any future in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). This will be done by learning whatever we can from the latest data to have come out from the company’s financial statements, and other information it released to the public. AAPL, or Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), has been in the news for awhile now and all for good reasons. It’s not a single entity but has several subsidies, and teams of manufactures it works with to produce and distribute its products, not only in the USA, but throughout the rest of the world.
Google not “taking-down” Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).com (GDPInsider)
In the manner that numerous copyright holders do, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) also very routinely asks Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to remove links to copyrighted material, from its wide-reaching search engine. However, last week Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) accidently asked GOOG to have its own pages removed from search results. TorrentFreak first reported that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) filed a DMCA or a Digital Millennium Copyright Act, takedown-request against Microsoft.com. It accused its own site of copyright-infringement. This request was submitted by a company who is working on behalf of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), LeakID. It asked that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) remove links to the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) support pages, store as well as all product descriptions from its search results. The rivalry between Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is not an unknown one.
Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) goes tough on Microsoft (GDPInsider)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been snail-paced with providing updates for Windows phone and Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) has probably reached the end of the line with its patience. The company very openly criticized Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) for its lackadaisical attitude with pushing apps and updates. NOK has been launching new handset models as well as updated versions of its apps and services. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) on the other hand had come under flak on numerous occasions, for not being up-to-the-mark when it comes to upping its mobile OS functionality to level it out with iOS and Android. To date, techies as well as Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) fans had been censuring Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) for cold shouldering the Windows Phone 8 platform…
iPhone market share slips to 13.1 percent (BizJournals)
Competition in the highly fragmented smartphone market continued to grow in the most recent quarter, with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shipping more iPhones than ever—while simultaneously seeing its share of the global smartphone market fall more than 3 percent. Two reports out Thursday—from analysts at IDC and Strategy Analytics—paint similar pictures: More people are buying smartphones than ever before, in a marketplace glutted with choice. Smartphone newcomers LG, Lenovo and ZTE all saw year-over-year gains in global market share, at the expense of Samsung and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Yahoo And Google Are Both Spending Big Money On Acquisition Sprees And What That Says About Their Futures (TechCrunch)
These days it seems as if a startup so much as glances in Marissa Mayer’s direction, it can expect a bid within 24 hours. There’s been a lot of buzz about Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO)’s new role as an acquisition hound of late, and Mayer’s attempts to turn the beleaguered giant into a mobile-first company and energize its ranks with young, acqui-hired talent. But Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) isn’t alone in its pursuit of “serial acquirer” status. Highlighted by its blockbuster acquisition of Waze last month, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has quietly snapped up a cadre of companies as well — and has spent a pretty penny doing it. In its “10-Q” filing with the SEC on Thursday, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) revealed that it spent $1.3 billion on acquisitions during the first half of 2013, with $966 million of that total going to Waze.
Microsoft Corp. Given “Buy” Rating at TheStreet (MSFT) (Zolmax)
TheStreet reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, AnalystRatingsNetwork reports. “Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of A-. The company’s strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, notable return on equity, attractive valuation levels and impressive record of earnings per share growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.,” TheStreet’s analyst wrote.
