…in how much cash Apple was willing to pay out to shareholders — $100 billion in stock buybacks by 2015 and a 15% boost to Apple’s dividend. While Apple is spending $5 billion of its cash hoard on Steve Jobs’ last great innovation — a new Cupertino headquarters, CEO Tim Cook was raving about the “exciting” products that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has in the works.
Is Research In Motion Ltd (BBRY) A Long-Term Investment? (Insider Monkey)
A global leader in wireless innovation, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) completely changed the industry outlook when it was introduced in 1999. Today, Blackberry/Research In Motion is a name which rules the corporate world and inspires millions of its customers around the globe by its enhanced mobile experience. Research In Motion Ltd recently, reported the results of Q4 fiscal 2013. The results came as a surprise to the market, as the company outdid several expectations. The robust performance exhibited by Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) can be attributed to several factors such as; the launch of the new BB10 OS- based smart phone, a strong and dedicated BlackBerry subscriber base of approximately 76 million, a strong investments balance of $2.9 billion and zero debt on its balance sheet.
Nokia Chat beta messaging app released for WP8, is exclusive to Lumias (Engadget)
One of the benefits of buying a Windows Phone 8 handset with a Nokia stamp is the exclusive apps, and today we can add another to that list with the beta release of Nokia Chat for WP8. The software started life on Symbian and Series 40 devices before falling out of favor with Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), but this WP8 refresh enables cross-platform chatter between those older phones, the newer Lumia range and, as Yahoo Messenger contacts are supported, anything running that IM client, too.
Google-Facebook Tactics in Privacy Probes Slated by Germany (Bloomberg)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) were criticized by German data protection regulators for “delay tactics” and “impertinent” behavior when responding to probes into their privacy policies. Experience has shown that “Google will keep making attempts to delay investigations through continuous correspondence and always freshly packaged arguments,” Peter Schaar, Germany’s federal data protection commissioner, said in a report yesterday. Facebook was separately described earlier this month as having “impertinent” behavior by Thilo Weichert, the privacy regulator for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Google and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are among U.S. Internet companies under scrutiny in the European Union for possible privacy-rule violations over the use of consumers’ personal data.
iKlatch: Apple CEO holding charity auction for coffee break with himself (RT)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has started an online charity auction for a coffee break with one of the most powerful figures in tech and business: Himself. The winner will get the chance to meet up with Cook at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, for a coffee break, which will last from 30 minutes to an hour. Bidding began at $50,000, and 52 bids have already been placed, with the highest offering currently standing at $180,000. The sum will surely grow even larger, as the auction at the Charitybuzz website does not end until May 14.
Will the Q10 Be Enough For Research In Motion’s Top Institutional Shareholders? (Wall St. Cheat Sheet)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY): Following the long anticipated release of its touchscreen only Z10, the comeback hopeful company is readying to launch the Q10, with its iconic physical keyboard. The phone could launch as early as Friday in the U.K., and the company is hoping that…
