Tag Archives: aapl

NXP Semiconductors Merger Pays In Autos And – Apple?

A more than $40 billion merger plan announced over the weekend begins to build what one analyst calls an “automotive powerhouse.” IBD Leaderboard company NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), a connected-car chipmaker and also a supplier of some chip technology in Apple (AAPL) iPhones, said it will merge with Freescale Semiconductor (FSL) to establish the No. 1 automotive semiconductor supplier as well as the market leader in general purpose microcontroller

Apple faces new patent infringement lawsuits after loss

J ust days after getting socked with a half-billion-dollar patent infringement penalty by a federal jury, Apple (AAPL) is facing fresh patent lawsuits. On Tuesday, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that Apple’s iTunes software infringed three patents held by patent licensing firm Smartflash. The federal jury ordered Apple to pay $532.9 million in damages. On Wednesday, Smartflash decided to take another bite of the apple, suing the Cupertino, Calif.-based company for using the same patents without permission in devices introduced since the original case was filed in May 2013, Reuters reported. Those devices include the iPhone 6 series smartphones and iPad Air 2 tablet. Proponents of patent reform called Smartflash a patent troll for using patents to shake down other companies for money instead of producing products. “This case is Exhibit A for patent reform,” Gary Shapiro,…

Apple Watch pitched more as fashion item than tech gadget

Apple (AAPL) is clearly positioning its new smartwatch as a fashion accessory, rather than just the latest tech gadget. Apple has taken out a 12-page advertising spread in the March issue of Vogue to introduce the Apple Watch to fashionistas. The spread features elegant photos with very little text showing off the three models of the smartwatch: the leather-bound standard model, a rubber-banded Sport and the gold luxury Edition, Business Insider reported . The advertisement provides little information about the Apple Watch. Apple on Thursday scheduled a media event for March 9 in San Francisco, presumably to provide details about the product, which is set to debut in April. Unanswered questions include launch date, pricing for the product lineup (Apple has said only that the watch starts at $349), battery life and available apps. The ad spread in Vogue’s “Spring Fashion Blockbuster” likely cost Apple more than $2.2 million, AdWeek…