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Apple Unveils iTunes Radio

English: A gray version of an emblem used by i...

English: A gray version of an emblem used by iOS app developers to indicate that something is available for download from the App Store. It has a image of an iPhone and reads “Available on the iPhone – App Store”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

iOS 7 got a makeover and iTunes Radio made its debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference Monday.

Apple unveiled a wide range of products and updates at its 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference Monday.

Among the highlights were Apple’s new operating system OS X Mavericks, iTunes Radio, iCloud Keychain, and the new-and-improved iOS 7, which Apple CEO Tim Cook called “the biggest change to iOS since the beginning of iPhone.”

“Can’t innovate anymore my a**,” added Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

Here’s what you need to know.

OS X Mavericks

Mac’s new operating system has a “deep-tech focus,” according to Cook, that includes an extended battery life and features that appeal to “power users.” Among those improvements are finder and document tags, and a “supercharged” Mission Control. CPU utilization rapidly compresses inactive memory, thereby freeing up space for more data and cutting battery usage.

iTunes Radio

The so-called Pandora killer is finally here. Part of iOS 7, which arrives this fall in the U.S., iTunes Radio lets users build stations and skip as they please–a big plus for frustrated Pandora users. The streaming music service can also track what you’ve played across several devices, and will feature an iTunes buy button. Also notable: It will come pre-loaded with stations and track what’s trending on Twitter.

The service will be free with an iTunes Match subscription.

iOS 7

Cook said Apple’s operating system is used on more 600 million devices. Now it will feature a flatter interface (so long, skeumorphism) and a camera that “is four cameras in one,” as Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, put it. The new operating system also includes upgrades to Safari, a male-voiced Siri, and automatic updates from the App Store (big applause for that one).

iCloud Keychain

Apple’s new iCloud Keychain helps users store passwords and credit card information across various websites and Wi-Fi networks.

The new feature can also auto-store credit card numbers and expiration dates, except for security codes, which must be re-entered each time they’re used.

Julie Strickland covers start-ups, small businesses, and entrepreneurial endeavors of all kinds for Inc.

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by jackbassteam on June 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by jackbassteam on June 11, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/06/11/apple-unveils-itunes-radio/

Apple and Pandora Media – iRadio Coming Soon ?

Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. (Photo credit: marcopako )

iRadio? After months of stalled negotiations over its planned Internet radio service, Apple is pushing to complete licensing deals with music companies so it can reveal the service as early as next week, according to people briefed on the talks. Apple’s service, a Pandora-like feature that would tailor streams of music to each user’s taste, has been planned since at least last summer.

But Apple has made little progress with record labels and music publishers, which have been seeking higher royalty rates and guaranteed minimum payments. While it is still at odds with some music companies over deal terms, Apple is said to be eager to get the licenses in time to unveil the service. Apple has signed a deal with the Universal Music Group for its recorded music rights and also signed a deal with the Warner Music Group (TWX) for both rights.

It is still in talks with Sony Music Entertainment (SNE) and Sony’s separate publishing arm, Sony/ATV. Meanwhile, in Apple’s e-book division,government lawyers are set to face off against the company this week to prove that the company conspired with publishers to raise prices in the e-book market. But the evidence in the case will not just determine whether Apple has violated antitrust laws.

It will also tell a broader story of how the introduction of e-books created upheaval in the publishing industry — with guest appearances by major players like Amazon (AMZN) and Barnes & Noble (BKS) and e-mails from the late Steven Jobs, Apple’s former CEO. In the case, brought a year ago, the Justice Department accused Apple and five book publishers of conspiring to raise e-book prices. The idea, the government said, was to allow publishers to set their own prices rather than letting retailers do so. Their motivation, according to the Justice Department, was to defend themselves against Amazon, which was setting the price of most new e-books at $9.99 and becoming increasingly dominant in the market.

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by jackbassteam on June 4, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by jackbassteam on June 4, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/06/04/apple-and-pandora-media-iradio-coming-soon/

Blame It On Bill Gates ! PC Sales Slide

Image representing Microsoft as depicted in Cr...

Image via CrunchBase

Microsoft (MSFT : NASDAQ : US$28.79)
Dell (DELL : NASDAQ : US$14.10)
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ : NYSE : US$20.90)
According to IDC, personal computer sales fell 14% this quarter, on a year-over-year-basis, the largest decline
since IDC started tracking sales in 1994.

The research firm had forecast a 7.7% drop in the quarter. “At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,” said Bob O’Donnell, IDC Program Vice President, Clients and Displays in IDC’s press release.

He added, ”While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the UI, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices. Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft is developing a smaller, 7-inch version of its Surface tablet, according to sources close to the matter.

One person familiar with Microsoft’s product plans said the 7-inch tablets weren’t part of the company’s strategy last year, but Microsoft executives realized they needed a response to the rapidly growing popularity of smaller tablets like Google’s (GOOG) 7-inch Nexus, which was announced last summer, and the 7.9-inch iPad Mini introduced by Apple (AAPL) last October.

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by jackbassteam on April 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Android, Apple, Computers
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Posted by jackbassteam on April 15, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/04/15/blame-it-on-bill-gates-pc-sales-slide/

Apple Target $ 600 Q2/F13 PREVIEW; UPDATING ESTIMATES

Image representing Apple as depicted in CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

AAPL : NASDAQ : US$423.20
BUY 
Target: US$600.00

Q2/F13 PREVIEW; UPDATING ESTIMATES

 

Investment recommendation:

Our monthly and overall March quarter global handset surveys indicated iPhone 5 sales declined consistent with normal seasonal patterns after very strong December holiday quarter sales. However, our surveys indicated stronger sales of iPhone 4/4S models at reduced prices, and we have updated our iPhone estimates.
Given our expectations for a summer iPhone refresh combined with competitor smartphone ramps including the Samsung Galaxy S4 during the transitional June quarter, we believe Apple could lose meaningful near-term market and profit share before the iPhone 5S refresh. Longer term, we maintain our belief Apple has a strong product pipeline that should result in reaccelerating Y/Y earnings growth during 2H/C2013.

In the near term, we believe Apple is likely to increase cash returns to shareholders. We reiterate our BUY rating and $600 price target.
Investment highlights
 Our March quarter global handset surveys indicated the iPhone 5, 4S, and 4 maintained leading share of the high-end smartphone market with improving supply and a stronger mix of iPhone 4 and 4S sales than our expectations.

 Based on reduced iPhone pricing combined with our increased iPhone 4 and 4S sales assumptions, we are increasing our March/June quarter iPhone unit estimates from 34.5M/25M to 37M/27M. However, with an increased mix of iPhone 4/4S sales, we are decreasing our ASP estimate from $651 in the December quarter to $601 in the March quarter.
 These adjustments slightly raise our F2013 EPS estimate from $43.59 to $43.86 and our F2014 estimate from $50.00 to $50.16.
Valuation:

Our $600 price target is based on shares trading at roughly 12x our F2014 EPS estimate.

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by jackbassteam on April 8, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, Computers, Smartphones, Tablets, Tech stocks, Telecommunications
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Posted by jackbassteam on April 8, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/04/08/apple-target-600-q2f13-preview-updating-estimates/

Cirrus Logic LOWERING ESTIMATES ON TIMING OF IPHONE/IPAD LAUNCHES

Cirrus Logic CL-GD5446

Cirrus Logic CL-GD5446 (Photo credit: /~helmar)

CRUS : NASDAQ : US$23.39
BUY 
Target: US$30.00

COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
Cirrus Logic, a fabless semiconductor company, develops and sells high-precision analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) for audio and energy markets worldwide. The company offers analog and mixed-signal audio converter, digital amplifiers and audio digital signal processor (DSP) products. The company also provides high-precision analog and mixed-signal ICs and boardlevel modules for energy-related applications.

Investment recommendation


With expectations markedly lower around iPhone units in the H1, including lower estimates from Canaccord’s Apple analyst Mike Walkley, we believe it is prudent to trim our estimates, especially in light of our own recent checks into long lead time suppliers. Given valuation, weak
relative performance since November, and a deluge of negative Apple notes/revisions, we believe CRUS is pricing in a cut to estimates, and our
reduced outlook is unlikely to negatively impact the stock. Even with the number cut, CRUS is the least expensive name within our semiconductor
coverage and is trading at the most substantial discount to its median historic forward multiple of earnings (6x vs. two year historical median
of 14x).
Timing of new products from Apple weighted to Q3 based on long lead time suppliers.
Suppliers with 1.5- to 2-month lead times are seeing low volume iPhone and iPad related orders beginning in June and ramping to volume in July. If this forecast isn’t pulled in over the next month and a half, it means that refreshes on these products aren’t likely until August at the earliest. Previous expectations in the supply chain, including PCB forecasts (short lead time so less dependable), indicated a late Q2/early Q3 launch.
Valuation
Cirrus Logic’s price target of $30.00 (was $35) is 8x our C2013 EPS estimate of $3.67 plus net cash of $2.15/share.

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by jackbassteam on March 22, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, Smartphones, Tech stocks, Telecommunications
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Posted by jackbassteam on March 22, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/03/22/cirrus-logic-lowering-estimates-on-timing-of-iphoneipad-launches/

Peregrine Semiconductor UPDATING ESTIMATES FOR IPHONE 5 SUMMER LAUNCH

A couple shows excitement as they buy their iP...

A couple shows excitement as they buy their iPhone when it was released in June 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PSMI : NASDAQ : US$9.36
BUY 
Target: US$13.00

COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
Peregrine Semiconductor is a leading fabless supplier of high-end RF switches and supplies several other RFICs. Peregrine utilizes its proprietary UltraCMOS process, based on its Silicon on Sapphire (“SOS”) technology, to produce RFICs for the handset, infrastructure, test and
measurement, and aerospace markets.

Investment recommendation:

Based on our handset market analysis, we believe Apple could launch a refreshed iPhone 5S this summer or during Q3/C2013 versus our initial expectation for a launch in June. 

Consistent with our analysis, we believe Peregrine’s disappointing Q1/13 guidance is primarily due to its customer concentration with Apple.
While we anticipate much stronger H2/13 sales for Peregrine into LTE smartphones, including the refreshed iPhone 5S, we are lowering our
estimates due to our belief Apple will launch more affordable 3G-only iPhones resulting in reduced content share for Peregrine. We believe
Peregrine’s patented UltraCMOS provides competitive advantages such as better performance, improved integration, and lower power than
competing technologies especially for LTE smartphones.

We maintain our BUY rating, but reduce our price target to $13 from $17.


Investment highlights


 Given our expectations for a transitional Q2/13 for the iPhone, we have reduced our iPhone estimates for the June quarter resulting in
quarterly estimate adjustments to our Peregrine model. Please see our Apple note published today titled “Anticipate iPhone 5S summer
refresh; adjusting estimates for later launch” for further details on our iPhone estimate changes.


 We believe Apple could launch a mid-tier competitively priced iPhone ramping in 2014 for pre-paid international markets. Given our expectations for lower RFIC content in mid-tier iPhones that may include 3G-only SKUs as part of the broader iPhone portfolio in 2014, we have reduced our estimates for Peregrine’s dollar-content share per iPhone. This change results in us lowering our 2014 pro forma EPS estimate from $0.99 to $0.87.


Valuation:

Our $13 price target is based on shares trading at roughly 15x our 2014 pro forma EPS estimate.

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by jackbassteam on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, Smartphones, Tech stocks
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Posted by jackbassteam on March 21, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/03/21/peregrine-semiconductor-updating-estimates-for-iphone-5-summer-launch/

Apple ANTICIPATE IPHONE 5S SUMMER REFRESH;

Image representing Apple as depicted in CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

AAPL : NASDAQ : US$454.49
BUY 
Target: US$600.00

Investment recommendation:

Based on  handset market analysis and discussions with suppliers, we believe Apple could launch a refreshed iPhone 5S this summer or during  3/C2013 versus our initial expectation for a launch in June. Further, with a host of impressive recently launched high-end Android smartphones expected to ramp in Q2/C2013, we believe Apple could lose smartphone market share during 1H/C2013 and have reduced our Q3/F2013 iPhone estimates.

Longer term, we maintain our belief Apple has a strong product pipeline that should result in reaccelerating Y/Y earnings growth during the Sept. quarter. We reiterate our BUY rating, but lower our price target to $600 from $650.
Investment highlights
 Based on our analysis of earnings and of near-term demand trends for component suppliers into the iPhone and post our meetings at MWC, we
believe Apple could launch a refreshed iPhone 5 later this summer or during Q3/C2013. We also believe Apple will launch a more competitively
priced mid-tier iPhone for pre-paid international markets and have adjusted our F2014 estimates and ASP assumptions.
 With a host of impressive Android smartphones ramping in 1H/C2013, including Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S 4, we believe Apple could lose
meaningful near-term market and profit share. Given our expectations for competitor smartphone ramps impacting iPhone sales during a
transitional Q2/C2013, we have lowered our June quarter iPhone estimates from 36M to 25M units. However, we have increased our September quarter iPhone estimates from 38M to 39.6M units to reflect an August launch for the iPhone 5S.
 Overall, we are lowering our F2013 EPS estimate from $45.70 to $43.59 and our F2014 EPS estimate from $53.68 to $50.00.
Valuation:

Our $600 price target is based on shares trading at roughly 12x our F2014 EPS estimate.

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by jackbassteam on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, Smartphones
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Posted by jackbassteam on March 21, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/03/21/apple-anticipate-iphone-5s-summer-refresh/

Apple : Manufacturing Slows ?

English: The logo for Apple Computer, now Appl...

English: The logo for Apple Computer, now Apple Inc.. The design of the logo started in 1977 designed by Rob Janoff with the rainbow color theme used until 1999 when Apple stopped using the rainbow color theme and used a few different color themes for the same design. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AAPL : NASDAQ  $448

Foxconn, the largest electronics manufacturer in the world, has implemented a recruitment freeze.

The suspension in hiring for China‟s largest private sector employer is the first such move since the 2009 downturn, and some believe it highlights weakening demand for some Apple products. “Currently, none of the plants in mainland China have hiring plans,” said Liu Kun, a company spokesman. Hiring has reportedly stopped for the iPhone and iPad production lines at the company‟s largest and second largest plants.

The move comes on the back of a Nomura research report that said, “In January, Apple supply chain-related names generally delivered a slowing sales momentum due to the sluggish shipments of MacBook, iPhone 5 and iPad during the holiday season.” Apple did not comment on the changes at Foxconn, but CEO Tim Cook said last week, “We don‟t have the word „limit‟ in the Apple vocabulary…I see a [smartphone] market that‟s
incredible to be in. Maybe one of the best markets of all time.”

However, an external recruiter in China said that Foxconn‟s demand for worker this year was as low as that in 2009. Workers‟ tenure at the company is less than 13 months on average, according to a person close to the company. The Financial Times said this suggests that headcount at Foxconn could fall by tens of thousands if it stopped hiring for a month and its turnover of workers remained as high as last year.

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by jackbassteam on February 22, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, China

Posted by jackbassteam on February 22, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/02/22/apple-manufacturing-slows/

BlackBerry SELL

BlackBerry Jam Asia 2012

BlackBerry Jam Asia 2012 (Photo credit: isriya)

BBRY : NASDAQ : US$14.15
BB : TSX
SELL 
Target: US$9.00 

Investment recommendation:

Global surveys post the recent BlackBerry Z10 launch indicated mixed initial sales with limited initial supply cited as the reason for early post-launch stock-outs at some carrier stores rather than overwhelming demand. Our follow-up checks have indicated steady but modest sales levels.

With new BB10  smartphones launching in the U.S. only in mid-March or later at subsidized prices no better than competing high-end  Apple/Samsung smartphones, combined with our expectations for the Galaxy S IV to launch at a similar time frame in the US market, we are lowering our BB10 sales estimates for the February quarter and all of F2014.

We reiterate our SELL rating and $9 price target

Highlights

 Given our store surveys indicated modest Z10 sales into the channel in the U.K. and Canada, we have reduced our February quarter BB10 smartphone shipment estimates from 1.75M units to 300K units.
 Further, we believe carrier support for BlackBerry 10 in the U.S. is modest, as demonstrated by Sprint only planning to launch the Q10 and T-Mobile only the Z10. Further, we anticipate carriers will not build large inventory levels for BB10, consistent with prior BB7 high-end launches, and will initially stock modest levels given the weaker consumer demand for high-end BlackBerry smartphones.
 With our expectations BB10 smartphones will face increasing competition from a host of new Android and Windows smartphones and potentially a new iPhone in 1H/C2013, we anticipate global carrier partners will order cautious initial BB10 inventory levels, leading us to lower our Feb. quarter and F2014 BB10 estimates.
 We reduce our F2013/14 EPS estimate from ($1.10)/($0.48) to ($1.18)/($0.62) and introduce our F2015 estimate of ($1.03). Valuation: Our $9 price target is based on sum-of-parts analysis .

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by jackbassteam on February 20, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple, BlackBerry, Research In Motion, Smartphones
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Posted by jackbassteam on February 20, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/02/20/blackberry-sell/

Apple Dividend OR Apple Cider ?

Apple fruit

Apple fruit (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

AAPL

 NASDAQ : US$467.90

Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s current cash distribution policy, calling the proxy fight over preferred stock a “silly sideshow.” Last week, David Einhorn sued Apple in a New York court arguing that the proposed restriction in issuing preferred stock could limit how the company will return its $137-billion cash hoard to investors.

Einhorn suggested the distribution of “perpetual preferred” stock with a yield of 4%. Cook said the idea was creative and worth investigating, but was sure to note that its current proposal of requiring shareholder approval for security issuance wouldn’t prevent an idea like Einhorn’s from happening. Cook went on to say, “Find it bizarre we find ourselves being sued for doing something that’s good for shareholders. I think it would be a lot better use of funds to donate that time and money to a worthy cause.”

The CEO noted that the company is returning $45 billion to shareholders through a combination of dividends and buybacks. “Apple doesn’t have a depression-era mentality,” he said in response to criticism that Apple is hoarding its money

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by jackbassteam on February 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Apple
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Posted by jackbassteam on February 14, 2013

http://amp2012.com/2013/02/14/apple-dividend-or-apple-cider/

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