Apple hits keep up coming. We have known for years that Verizon iPhone is in the works. It is nice to see that after a couple of years of speculation, the phone is finally going to make its debut next year. If everything goes according to the plan of course. According to multiple sources, Verizon and Apple are negotiating the final details of their partnership. Could it mean that the deal could still fall through? Perhaps. But things are moving forward:

From our understanding, the Verizon negotiations are not finalized with important details still being ironed out, including technology and economics. We think it is premature to rule out T-Mobile or Sprint (who also uses CDMA but WiMAX for 4G). In addition, there is the possibility of multiple U.S. carriers being signed.

While most iPhone fans are not super excited about the possibility of T-Mobile or Sprint iPhone, we could technically see those before a Verizon iPhone. But Apple needs to pick up another carrier, which should be good news for those frustrated with AT&T’s quality of service.

Credit: StartupMeME

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You know a company has made it big when the Feds start investigating it for antitrust. Apple has played the role of underdog perfectly in the past. These days, the company is in the driver’s seat with its mobile handheld products. That could only mean two things: more lawsuits and dubious investigations. Make no mistake about it. An antitrust investigation is not something Apple wants to deal with, which is why the company may need to make changes to avoid having to go through the trouble.

According to the New York Post, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are preparing an inquiry into Apple’s conducts when it comes to dealing with developers. Apple may have gotten away with its controlling ways in the past. But these days the company is on a high, which is why it can’t get away with policies it used to in the past.

Let’s keep in mind that this is just a rumor at this point. The details are very sketchy. So until a formal inquiry is launched, we are going to take this story with a grain of salt. Besides, an inquiry is much different from an investigation (though if the former is launched, it could only lead to the latter). If an inquiry is launched by the FTC, Apple’s treatment of Adobe Flash will certainly be explored further. That’s not all however. Apple has not turned its developers into fans by imposing all kinds of restrictions on them. The Feds will take a look into Apple’s SDK, which could only mean trouble for Apple.

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Apple may be good at making some of the best gadgets on the market. But it’s even better in marketing its products. For all the people who complained about the iPad, it seems many of them plan to pick up an iPad regardless. After all, how can you explain Apple running out of iPads to ship. At this point, many may want to consider waiting for 3G iPads as WiFi iPads continue to sell out. According to CNN Money, the numbers have been so good for Apple that its suppliers have had to revise their numbers:

iPad suppliers now forecast shipments of 8-10 million iPads in calendar 2010, up from their previous estimate of 5+ million.

Suppliers now expect to ship 2.5 million in the first three months alone (March to May), considerably ahead of Huberty’s estimate of 750,000 by the end of June.

Still, you have to admire Apple for forecasting the demand for its product somewhat accurately. Companies such as Amazon and B&N have had all kinds of troubles in the past shipping their products on time. Nobody likes to wait a month or two to get their device shipped to them. Read the rest of this entry »

The iPad is finally coming to an Apple store near you. As Apple announced last week, the device will go up for sale on March 12th and will start shipping on April 3rd. You know we are getting close to an Apple release date when Apple’s marketing machine starts coming up with fun commercials. The iPad may not have too many commercials at this point, but its very first was aired last night during the Oscars. It has already generated quite a buzz around the Web. We all know that Apple gadgets look much more tempting in Apple ads. This latest ad was no different.

Some people are going to love the iPad based on the above app, and some are just going to save their money and wait for Microsoft’s tablet, which could go on sale on June. Apple bringing out its latest ad during the Oscars shows why the company is so successful in marketing its product. Putting the right product in front of the right audience usually pays off big. Read the rest of this entry »

Things are not as rosy as they used to be for Apple. Not after the company had to admit child labor was used to manufacture Apple products in 3 factories which supply Apple. The issue of children working in factories for such a famous company could be very scandalous. And you can always count on the media to take such a story and spin it to create even more controversy. As Telegraph put it, 11 children were used in 3 factories that work with Apple, something that somehow slipped through and escaped Apple’s attention. The issue of underage workers working in factories is nothing new, especially in China. Those who choose to get work done in that country are aware of this practice, so Apple was probably ready for this bombshell in one way or another.

Apple for its part has done the best a company can to address this PR problem. The company is working towards identifying the source of the issue and is taking measures to minimize the practice:

In each of the three facilities, we required a review of all employment records for the year as well as a complete analysis of the hiring process to clarify how underage people had been able to gain employment

It’s not clear how companies should deal with child labor issues. Apple doesn’t have to face that issue in the U.S., but that is a serious issue in Asia. Do you fire all the underage workers? Could these people be seriously hurt by such actions? Now, I am against underage workers getting work in factories. But these problems are well documented and nothing new. To somehow put the problem on Apple is preposterous. The company could have been more vigilant in identifying issues with its factories. But it’s not as if Apple set out to take advantage of underage workers to keep its manufacturing costs low.

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