Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)
New iPhone expected (BusinessTech)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) on Tuesday (3 September) sent official invitations to a September 10 event at which it is expected to unveil the latest version of the iPhone, possibly in colors other than its trademark black and white. “This should brighten everyone’s day,” the typically cryptic invitation read, under a graphic depicting pastel-colored circles surrounding a stark white Apple logo. The company, which is making a focused effort to win over consumers in Asia where rivals Samsung Electronics Co and other Android manufacturers dominate, said in the invitation it will host a breakfast and presentation at its Cupertino, California headquarters.
Android 4.4 Will Be Named After ‘Kit-Kat’ Biscuits (HuffingtonPost)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced that the next version of its popular mobile operating system will be named ‘KitKat’. Continuing its tradition of naming each major release after a popular desert or sweet, analysts said the update (otherwise known as Android 4.4) would continue to push Android forward onto mobile devices, as well as potentially gaming consoles and smart watches. Needless to say, details on features and what the upgrade will entail are frustratingly slim at present.
Elop Rejoining Microsoft Lifts Odds of Succeeding Ballmer (Bloomberg)
Stephen Elop, already an odds-makers’ favorite to take over as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s next leader, just boosted his chances by helping orchestrate the $7.2 billion deal that makes him a senior executive at the software maker he once helped run. The 49-year-old Canadian, who has been chief executive officer at Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) for three years, will move back to Microsoft as it buys the Finnish company’s mobile-phone unit. The one-time head of the software maker’s business division returns with experience competing head-on in mobile devices against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)
Apple Releases OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 7 For Registered Devs (AppAdvice)
Apple has released OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 7 for registered developers, making little in the way of major improvements and alterations but adding a handful of new wallpapers. As a reminder, the forthcoming operating system features a number of iOS-inspired apps, such as iBooks and Maps for OS X. Over the course of the past few months, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been releasing refreshed “beta” previews of OS X Mavericks for registered Apple developers to test their Mac apps against.
Google-Motorola Deal Foreshadows Challenge Awaiting Microsoft (BusinessWeek)
If Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) deal is anything to go by, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) investors will need to brace for diminished profitability now that it has agreed to purchase Nokia Oyj (NOK1V)’s handset business. The profit margin at Google has shrunk by more than 7 percentage points since the search provider purchased the struggling hardware unit in May of 2012, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Motorola business posted an operating loss equal to 34 percent of sales in the most recent quarter.
