Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Bylo Selhi wrote:
max88 wrote:My office phone # is displayed on my BB's screen for lost and found. Can the same be done on iPhone or other smart phones?
Yes for Android. Dunno about iPhone. If not natively then "there's an app for that."

That functionality may suffice for returning lost phones but it doesn't address the other security, privacy and civil rights issues.
That's why I use password for the issues, and put my # on the screen for lost and found. The owner of the BB Ms Bylo found could have put his # on the screen. Same for Iphone and others.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I don't understand why some investor thinks his has more right than others. Can he just vote with his shares? He can sell out his shares and be done with Apple, or buy enough shares to control the board/company.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... ref-shares
In a conference call peppered with light metaphors and eccentric asides, the prominent activist investor David Einhorn continued his battle against Apple by laying out why the technology giant should deploy its $137bn cash hoard by giving its investors new shares that would pay "50 cents in dividends, every quarter, forever".
I am cautiously optimistic. When it goes up, I claim I have been optimistic; when it goes down, I claim I have been cautious.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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I've never invested in preferred shares and haven't had the fortitude to wade through the massive preferred shares threads in FWF. Can someone encapsulate the arguments for and against Apple issuing preferred shares? How would it affect the shares already out there?

BTW, I can't see how Apple is such a bad investment. It's expecting about 40billion in income, has about 150billion in cash, and Apple still seems to be the brand of choice for every new generation of teenager out there. The recent pullback seems to bring the stock back in line with its steady rise throughout previous years.
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Re: The ultimate irony: google forecasts apple rebound

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The ultimate irony: google trends forecasts apple rebound

According to this tool, AAPL will recover lost smartphone share as a result of the iPhone 5S and 6 introductions.

We shall see...
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Confessions of an Apple fanboy:

Here.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Apple analyst Felix Salmon wrote:Apple says that its new capital-return scheme "translates to an average rate of $30 billion per year from the time of the first dividend payment in August 2012 through December 2015″; it's pretty hard to imagine that number falling thereafter. If you assume fungibility of dividends and share repurchases, then you can express that number as an effective dividend yield: a $30 billion dividend, divided by a $400 billion market cap, works out to a yield of a whopping 7.5%. No wonder the stock market is welcoming the news.
They accomplish this by borrowing rather than repatriating profits from overseas, thereby increasing corporate leverage as a result. Their current rate of profit is $9.5 billion/quarter, or just over $100 million a day. No longer a growth stock.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Details of the borrowing are becoming available, Apple Said to Plan $17 Billion Bond Offering in Record U.S. Sale - Bloomberg
Bloomberg wrote:Apple is issuing $3 billion of floating-rate notes and $14 billion of fixed-rate securities in six parts with maturities from three to 30 years, according to a person familiar with the offering. Proceeds may help the company avoid repatriation taxes on its $102.3 billion of funds held overseas as Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook returns an additional $55 billion to shareholders through 2015 to compensate for a stock that’s been hammered by signs of slowing growth.
Despite the huge cash hoard, Apple's not getting straight A's,
Bloomberg wrote:While Apple’s $145 billion of cash is more than the combined funds of every AAA rated U.S. company including Microsoft, it failed to win the bond market’s highest credit grade from Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s. Moody’s rated the firm Aa1 with S&P giving it a grade of AA+.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Peculiar_Investor wrote:Despite the huge cash hoard, Apple's not getting straight A's . Moody’s rated the firm Aa1 with S&P giving it a grade of AA+.
and we should trust these ratings agencies because of their stirling track records?

(At current profits, it will take just 2 quarters to pay off the lot.)
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Apple death knell counter

Apple has been declared dead 62 times since 1995. This site keeps track of them all. It is kind of amusing.

I wonder if we should start one for Blackberry? :rofl:
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Samsung act like a petulant child in paying up to Apple for their patent infringement

I wonder how much extra it cost them to assemble this payment? :rofl:
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

Post by Bylo Selhi »

I wonder if Apple's bank, like TD/CT, will charge them 2.5% to process the cash deposit. (2.5% of $1B is a cool $25M.) :twisted:
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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kcowan wrote:Samsung act like a petulant child in paying up to Apple for their patent infringement

I wonder how much extra it cost them to assemble this payment? :rofl:
Unfortunately, it is just a joke that was making the rounds.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Yes sorry about that. Normally I can smell them out but that one slipped by!
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

Post by Bylo Selhi »

I thought the "20 billion coins" was a pretty good clue. (Dunno about the US of A but Canada such payment wouldn't be considered legal tender anyway. )
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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In the 70s, my Edmonton branch made a big bet with the Montreal branch on the outcome of the Grey Cup. When Montreal won, we paid with a jar of tar sand with a cheque etched on the glass. The bank was so impressed that they agreed to cash a scanned image of the outside of the bottle. :thumbsup:
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Busted
Spokes models for BBY and MS return to iPhones after campaign.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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What is up with iOS 7?

We upgraded at the weekend. Photos are substantially improved as well. It will take square shots. You can enhance the photos on the phone including red eye elimination as well as cropping. This is for the iPad.

For the iPhone only, Pan shots are great. And it will work vertically for skyscraper/waterfall shots. Definitely worth the upgrade!
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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http://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2013/ccc-b ... le-touchid

Well, that didn't take long... it would appear that someone has already managed to successfully bypass the fingerprint security in iOS-7.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

Post by Sensei »

Hi,

Chaos Club, huh? You know when I read stuff like that, I just shake my head and say, 'Chaos club members, get a life!' Or even more to the point, 'So what?' Does it mean people are going to follow other people and dust for fingerprints and then steal their phone, just so they can unlock all the top secret information stored in it????? Sheesh. Why not just cut off someone's finger if you need the information badly enough? (Chaos Club members, I'm being sarcastic BTW.) The point is that any security system can be circumvented if needs be. Security is a deterrent, and for most people that means deterring snoopy family members or partners.

The real significance of what iPhone has done (and has been doing) is take another step towards integration of machines and humans. I imagine one day in the very near future you'll be able to just pick up your iPhone (or any other smart phone) and it will know it is yours. I can also see the end of keyboards and even the touch screen should voice recognition software reach its full promise. Beyond that, I see no little box at all, but some sort of implant that integrates human sight and hearing into a wireless network.
Cheers

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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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As I work in the software industry, for a company that makes security software no less, articles about attack vectors such as these ARE part of my life. I normally worry about the hacker that has extensive computer resources at their disposal and has serious knowledge about computer systems breaking into my system - but my mother could follow these instructions and break into an iphone. As one of my coworkers put it - how secure is something if you leave a copy of your "password" on everything you touch, and a simple picture can mimic it?

Apple has done nothing inventive here - I have a fingerprint scanner on my Dell laptop, and its 5 years old, biometric security has been around for a while. However, there is some value in this initiative - it provides the mass of iPhone users that either don't lock their phones or use simple "1111" security codes with a better base security level that is simple to initialize. IMO a true biometric security system is still a ways off.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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There are probably some quite nice copies of your fingerprints on your iPhone. :wink: Or does it have a special, fingerprint free, coating?
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

Post by westcoastfella »

it does not, and yes, you do leave a fingerprint on your fingerprint scanner, albeit probably a smudged and unusable one from repeated use. However with the standard passcode technology, it is sometimes possible to deduce the code (or at least narrow down the permutations substantially) by looking at where on the screen there are smudges, and lining those smudges up with numbers on the number pad.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Apple CEO Tim Cook tells Investors Who Care More About Return on Investment than Climate Change: Your Money is No Longer Welcome
"Mr. Cook made it very clear to me that if I, or any other investor, was more concerned with return on investment than reducing carbon dioxide emissions, my investment is no longer welcome at Apple," said Justin Danhof, Esq., director of the National Center's Free Enterprise Project.

Danhof also asked Apple CEO Tim Cook about the company's green energy pursuits. Danhof asked whether the company's environmental investments increased or decreased the company's bottom line. After initially suggesting that the investments make economic sense, Cook said the company would pursue environmental goals even if there was no economic point at all to the venture. Danhof further asked if the company's projects would continue to make sense if the federal government stopped heavily subsidizing alternative energy. Cook completely ignored the inquiry and became visibly agitated.

Danhof went on to ask if Cook was willing to amend Apple's corporate documents to indicate that the company would not pursue environmental initiatives that have some sort of reasonable return on investment - similar to the concession the National Center recently received from General Electric. This question was greeted by boos and hisses from the Al gore contingency in the room.

"Here's the bottom line: Apple is as obsessed with the theory of so-called climate change as its board member Al Gore is," said Danhof. "The company's CEO fervently wants investors who care more about return on investments than reducing CO2 emissions to no longer invest in Apple. Maybe they should take him up on that advice."

[...]

After Danhof presented the proposal, a representative of CalPERS rose to object and stated that climate change should be one of corporate America's primary concerns, and after she called carbon dioxide emissions a "mortal danger," Apple board member and former vice president Al Gore turned around and loudly clapped and cheered.

"If Apple wants to follow Al Gore and his chimera of climate change, it does so at its own peril," said Danhof. "Sustainability and the free market can work in concert, but not if Al Gore is directing corporate behavior."

"Tim Cook, like every other American, is entitled to his own political views and to be an activist of any legal sort he likes on his own time," said Amy Ridenour, chairman of the National Center for Public Policy Research. "And if Tim Cook, private citizen, does not care that over 95 percent of all climate models have over-forecast the extent of predicted global warming, and wishes to use those faulty models to lobby for government policies that raise prices, kill jobs and retard economic growth and extended lifespans in the Third World, he has a right to lobby as he likes. But as the CEO of a publicly-held corporation, Tim Cook has a responsibility to, consistent with the law, to make money for his investors. If he'd rather be CEO of the Sierra Club or Greenpeace, he should apply."
Regardless of your views on AGW, IMO the statements of Mr. Cook are completely inappropriate.

Imagine if he said something like: "Most of Americans believe in the Christian God, therefore we do not want money from Muslims to be invested in Apple. The proposed joint venture with the Qatar based investment fund will be rejected by the board with no recourse".
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Apple's CFO Peter Oppenheimer to Retire at the End of September
In Planned Transition, Luca Maestri to Become His Successor

CUPERTINO, California—March 4, 2014—Apple® today announced that Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s senior vice president and CFO, will retire at the end of September. Luca Maestri, Apple’s vice president of Finance and corporate controller, will succeed Peter as CFO reporting to Apple CEO, Tim Cook. Peter will transition the CFO role to Luca in June and the balance of his responsibilities over the remaining time allowing for a professional and seamless transition.

“Peter has served as our CFO for the past decade as Apple’s annual revenue grew from $8 billion to $171 billion and our global footprint expanded dramatically. His guidance, leadership and expertise have been instrumental to Apple’s success, not only as our CFO but also in many areas beyond finance, as he frequently took on additional activities to assist across the company. His contributions and integrity as our CFO create a new benchmark for public company CFOs,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO. “Peter is also a dear friend I always knew I could count on. Although I am sad to see him leave, I am happy he is taking time for himself and his family. As all of us who know him would have expected, he has created a professional succession plan to ensure Apple doesn’t miss a beat.”

“Luca has over 25 years of global experience in senior financial management, including roles as a public company CFO, and I am confident he will be a great CFO at Apple,” added Tim. “When we were recruiting for a corporate controller, we met Luca and knew he would become Peter’s successor. His contributions to Apple have already been significant in his time with us and he has quickly gained respect from his colleagues throughout the company.”

“I love Apple and the people I have had the privilege to work with and after 18 years here, it is time for me to take time for myself and my family,” said Peter Oppenheimer. “For quite some time, I have wanted to live on the central coast of California and get more involved at Cal Poly, my alma mater; spend more time with my wife and sons; travel to interesting parts of the world; and something I have wanted to do for years— finish the requirements for my pilot’s license.”

As CFO, Peter oversees the controller, treasury, investor relations, tax, information systems, internal audit and facilities functions. He started with Apple in 1996 as controller for the Americas, and in 1997 was promoted to vice president and Worldwide Sales controller and then promoted to corporate controller prior to being named CFO. As Apple’s annual revenue has grown more than twentyfold during his time as CFO, Peter has overseen development of a disciplined global financial strategy, robust systems and procedures, and a very strong balance sheet. Under his leadership, Apple has built a world-class finance team. Peter has managed facilities expansion including the addition of four data centers and Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, all of which will be powered by renewable energy.

Peter also recently joined the Board of Directors of Goldman Sachs.

Luca has deep knowledge in all of the major aspects of finance with over 25 years of experience building and leading finance teams in global companies with significant operating scale and complexity. Prior to joining Apple, Luca was CFO at both Nokia Siemens Networks and Xerox. Since joining Apple in March 2013, Luca has managed most of Apple’s financial functions and done an excellent job leading them, while also working closely with Apple’s senior leadership.

Luca began his career with General Motors and spent 20 years in finance and operating roles in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. While at GM, Luca had many significant assignments building and operating the business. He was part of the team that established GM’s regional operations in Asia Pacific, including manufacturing investments in China and Thailand. He was later CFO of the team that restructured operations in Brazil and Argentina and returned the region to profitability. His last role at GM was CFO for all of GM’s operations in Europe, which spanned over 45 countries with annual net revenue of approximately $40 billion.

Luca has an exceptionally broad international background, with time spent living and working in Italy, Poland, Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore, Thailand, Brazil and Germany, as well as the U.S.

Luca graduated from Luiss University in Rome with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and received a master’s degree in Science of Management from Boston University.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

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Apple revealed its new CarPlay system in its announcement from the Geneva International Motor Show on
Monday. CarPlay allows iPhone users to access functions in their car through an onboard system to make calls, use Maps, listen
to music and access messages with just a word or a touch. Users can easily control CarPlay from the car’s native interface or
just push-and-hold the voice control button on the steering wheel to activate Siri without distraction.

Vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week, while additional auto manufacturers will be bringing CarPlay to their drivers down the road. The CarPlay platform is powered by a surprising partner:
Blackberry. Blackberry’s QNX platform is the base on which the Blackberry 10 operating system is based. Apple has a long
term strategic partnership with QNX to ensure high-quality connectivity with their devices and this partnership extends to
support for Apple CarPlay.
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Re: Apple Corp (Symbol-AAPL)

Post by Bylo Selhi »

Apple’s New CarPlay Is Almost a Step in the Right Direction
The point of this story? Be very wary of buying a car with a hard-wired, proprietary phone integration solution, unless you plan to keep both the car and the phone for a very long time. I don’t know if you have noticed, but Apple does not really encourage you to hang onto phones for very long.
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