Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOGL) and Facebook (FB) will have a bigger impact on this year’s holiday shopping than ever before, a new study finds. Mobile devices and social media sites will play a bigger role in consumer buying habits during the Christmas gift-buying period, says a survey from MarketLive, an e-commerce technology services company. Apple stock was up a fraction in early trading in the stock market today, but shares of Google and
Apple (AAPL) is inching closer to unveiling an app store for its Apple TV set-top box, according to software developers interviewed by Global Equities Research. An app download store has long been rumored for Apple (AAPL) TV but has not yet come to light. Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdhry thinks the Apple TV app store is close to becoming reality based on a handful of developers he has questioned. All of the developers are expecting a new Apple TV player with its own app store soon, but they are split on the timing of the launch, he said in a research note Wednesday. Some say Apple will announce the new set-top box and app store on Oct. 16, when it is expected to show off new iPads and Mac computers. Others say it will happen in February, around the launch of the Apple Watch, he said.
Apple hopes to give slowing iPad sales a push with new models for the holiday shopping season. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company sent out invites Wednesday for an Oct. 16 media event at its corporate headquarters. The typically cryptic invite reads, “It’s been way too long.” While Apple (AAPL) isn’t tipping its hand, analysts expect the company to unveil new iPads at the event. The possible product launch event comes just over a month after Apple (AAPL) unveiled the iPhone 6 series smartphones, Apple Watch and Apple Pay on Sept. 9. Apple is widely expected to unveil new versions of its iPad Air and iPad Mini tablets with speedier processors and other enhanced features. The latest tablets could come with Touch ID for security and Apple Pay technology. Apple is also expected to use the event to show off its latest Mac desktop and notebook computers running on Mac OS X Yosemite…