Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “More Shoppers Going Mobile, New York Drives Most iPad Traffic [INFOGRAPHIC]”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “More Shoppers Going Mobile, New York Drives Most iPad Traffic [INFOGRAPHIC]”


More Shoppers Going Mobile, New York Drives Most iPad Traffic [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 05:05 AM PDT





As more and more consumers are using their mobile devices to get the latest news and stay connected with friends and family, they're also finding even more ways to incorporate mobile productivity into their daily lives.

Take shopping, for instance. If you've ever missed a great sale at a clothing store you love because you just can't find time to get to the brick and mortar store, you understand how incredibly useful and convenient mobile shopping can be.

Stores are eagerly re-designing their mobile sites and apps to become more immersive and visual, while offering customers who want it a social experience as well.

And then there's the convenience. You can hit up that sale while…
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More About: infographic, ipad, mobile shopping


Trailer for Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ Is a Visual Treat [VIDEO]

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 04:47 AM PDT




The first trailer for the upcoming Ang Lee movie, "Life of Pi," is now available for your viewing pleasure.

Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Yann Martel, "Life of Pi" follows Indian boy Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, who is stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean after a shipwreck, with only a couple of animals -- including a Bengal tiger -- to keep him company.

From what can be seen in the trailer, the movie will be quite a visual feast, with a lot of digital effects and some amazing imagery from cinematographer Claudio Miranda, known for his work on "Tron," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Seven."

The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ang Lee, kn…
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More About: Ang Lee, Life of Pi


Still a Hobby? Apple Sells 4 Million Apple TV’s in Fiscal Year

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 04:08 AM PDT




Apple sold 1.3 million Apple TV devices in its third quarter, CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday's earnings call. That was up over 170% year over year.

According to Cook, Apple has now sold more than 4 million Apple TV's in the fiscal year. While Cook still says that this is "still at a level that [the company] would call a hobby," he says the company is continuing to "pull the string to see where it takes us."

Cook also acknowledged that Apple "isn't one to keep around projects that it doesn't believe in," noting that the Apple TV has a lot of support at Apple.

Of course, most analysts expect that the Apple TV will serve as a stepping stone for Apple's more broad TV plans.

It's remark…
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More About: Apple TV, apple, connected devices, set-top box


9 Apps For Editing Video On Your Smartphone

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 03:06 AM PDT




Just a few years ago creating your own movie would have required an expensive camcorder to shoot, and your own –- often expensive -– video editing equipment in order to polish your video into something you'd want to share with others.

Now most smartphones come with built-in video cameras that can often capture high-definition videos worthy of your 50-inch high-definition television.

In addition to replacing the camcorder, your smartphone can also be used as a video editor. There are a variety of different apps available on the market today for editing video. From basic video editors that let you trim out pieces of your video you don't want, to themed editors that let you c…
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More About: App, Video, android, iphone, mobile apps


Mountain Lion Arrives Today and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:45 AM PDT




Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Apple's Mountain Lion Arrives Today

New version of Apple's PC operating system, Mac OS X 10.8 or Mountain Lion, becomes available today through the Mac App Store.

The upgrade costs $19.99 and brings more than 200 new features, including social networking integration and automatic synchronization of Reminders, Messages and Notes. Anyone who bought a new Mac on or after June 11 is entitled to a free upgrade.

Angry Birds Now Available on Samsung Smart TVs

Owners of Samsu…
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More About: Angry Birds; Samsung, Mountain Lion, Nintendo, apple, features, first to know series, mashable


Foursquare Rolls Out First Ads

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:48 AM PDT




Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr have all gotten into the "Promoted" game -- launching advertising products called "Promoted Tweets" and "Highlighted Posts" that offer businesses additional exposure for their content. On Wednesday, Foursquare is joining them with the launch of "Promoted Updates," its first paid product offering for merchants.

Last week, Foursquare began allowing business owners to send local updates -- say, their specials for the day, or a picture of their new outdoor seating area -- to their "best customers" when they're nearby. "Best customers" are those who check in frequently, and possibly have "Liked" the venue on Foursquare.

Now, businesses can aim those up…
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More About: foursquare, promoted specials, promoted updates, trending


From Model T to Electric: The Evolution of the Car [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 12:12 AM PDT




Automobiles have transformed dramatically since the first mass-produced Ford Model T car hit the consumer market about 104 years ago. But the evolution still continues, with gas-guzzling vehicles slowly turning into energy-efficient roadsters.

UK-based company Car Loan 4U has released an infographic highlighting the history of the car and it's transformation into what we see in vehicles today.

The infographic highlights some of the most fuel-efficient cars in production, from the 2012 Chevrolet Volt to the Ford Focus E (76 miles) and the Renault Fluence Z.E. (115).

SEE ALSO: New York Auto Show: The Coolest Tech

It also hints at the industry ahead: "In the near future, electri…
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More About: Electric Car, Future Cars, Sports Cars, Tesla, Vehicles


How to Justify a Vacation When You’re Self-Employed

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 08:23 PM PDT




Taking time off is critical to refresh and recharge yourself. However, when it comes to vacation time, considerations are quite different for those who are self-employed versus company employees with paid vacation time.

For starters, when you're self-employed, you're typically paid based on your productivity. Taking one week off means no pay check. That cost needs to be factored into any vacation budget.

SEE ALSO: Self-Employed? How to Give Yourself a Raise in 2012

Perhaps more importantly, when you're running a business of one, there's no one who can assist your clients and customers while you're enjoying a well-deserved respite. Many freelancers worry about leavin…
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More About: contributor, features, national small business week, small businesses, startup


15 Instagram Pics Capturing City Life

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 08:02 PM PDT


Berlin




Grand prize winning shot by Björn Köcher (@bjoekoe)

Click here to view this gallery.




Back in May, we wrote about a Social Media Week contest in which your Instagram photo of your city could win you a trip around the world. A winner, along with finalists from 14 cities, have now been chosen.

The contest sought pictures showing the vibrancy of city life from the 14 cities hosting Social Media Week events: Barcelona, Berlin, Bogota, Chicago, Doha, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Jeddah, London, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Torino and Vancouver.

The winning image, the first slide in the above gallery, was taken by Berlin resident Björn Köcher. The shot is of the words "The World is Too Small for Walls," which were written by a graffiti artist on a remaining piece of the Berlin Wal…
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More About: World, cities, instagram, photography, social media week


Meet the Woman Who Tried to Marry Off Her Niece on eBay

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:52 PM PDT





Today, online dating services help filter exactly what people are looking for in a significant other. Other times, people take even less traditional routes to secure companionship.

In an attempt to find the perfect suitor for her niece, auction agent Diane Hayes placed an eBay ad offering her niece's hand in marriage for $9.99. Only the subject of the ad, 21-year-old Emilie Rogers, was unaware.

According to the ad, which has since been removed from eBay, Hayes was concerned that Rogers was a little too fond of boys with tattoos.

"Your choice to 'tattoo or not to tattoo' is a good indicator of your internal thought process," Hayes wrote in the ad. "If, for instance, on an act of im…
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More About: ebay, ecommerce, features, online dating


Inside the 2012 Google Science Fair [PICS]

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:29 PM PDT


Sabera Talukder (US)




Talukder's developed a system to bring clean water to developing countries. As well as being efficient, it is also cheap.

Click here to view this gallery.




This past Monday, Google partnered with CERN, National Geographic, Lego, and Scientific American to host the second annual Google Science Fair. This year's fair hosted 21 teens from all over the world. Each age group 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18 presented a variety of projects -- from new ways to farm and be more environmentally friendly, to new ways to diagnose and treat diseases.

Most of these projects were pursued by these students independently of their required science assignments at school. Many finalists' projects stemmed from personal interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, medicine, and simply increasing the quality of life in their hometowns.

When asked what inspir…
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More About: CERN, Google, Google Science Fair, Lego, Scientific American, national geographic


Not Your Average Science Fair: Google Announces Winners of 2012 Contest

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:12 PM PDT




When you hear "science fair," do homemade volcanoes and paper mache solar systems come to mind?

The Google Science Fair is a different animal entirely.

The company's second annual science fair was held yesterday at Google HQ in Mountain View, Calif. Students from around the world were invited to submit their science projects digitally, and 15 outstanding entries were selected based on criteria ranging from hypotheses to experiment design and data collection.

The finalists presented their projects yesterday, with winners selected in each of three age groups -- 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18 -- as well as a grand prize winner.

This year, one of Google's science fair partners, S
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More About: Google, science fair, winners


Apple Sold Twice as Many iPads as Macs to Schools

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:50 PM PDT




Apple's third quarter earnings call on Tuesday unveiled some information that goes to show just how useful the iPad is for educators.

"I've never seen an adoption rate like this in the past," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The company announced it sold twice as many iPads as Macs for use in educational environments. Apple sold 1 million iPads for educational purposes, and interest in the iPad2 in k-12 was strong, it was said during the call.

Overall during the quarter, Apple sold 17.0 million iPads, an 84% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. It sold 4.0 million Macs during the quarter, a two percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.

Apple has touted the iPad as being a…
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More About: apple, education, ipad, ipad sales


Businesses Should Adapt – Not React – to New Tech [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:35 PM PDT




USA Today tech reporter Jon Swartz says new trends are less about hype and more about how technology impacts everyday business and society.

Sometimes technology is the solution as much as it is part of the problem. For consumers, the ability to use mobile, social and the web is not only enlivening real-time experiences, but it's also delivering immediacy to e-commerce and social commerce.

On this episode, Jon expands on "the urgency of now" and how it's changing the landscape for commerce. As technology changes customer expectations, businesses must now evaluate how to adapt -- not react -- in order to lead customer experiences before they fall…
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More About: Google, Square, online payments


Family of Late Online Giving Hero Visits Ethiopia [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:17 PM PDT




For Rachel Beckwith's ninth birthday, she launched an online fundraiser on Charity: water, hoping to raise $300 to bring clean drinking water to children in Africa.

Rachel fell short of her goal, raising just $220, by her birthday in June 2011. The following month, the 9-year-old was tragically killed in a car accident. In her memory, donations poured into Charity: water, to complete her attempt to build a well.

More than $1.2 million was raised in her memory. That money is now bringing clean water to 60,000 people in 100 villages.

A year after her death, her family traveled to Ethiopia, to see the impact Rachel had on local communities. The above video shares footage from thei…
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More About: Social Good, Video, charity: water, online fundraising, viral philanthropy


Crest Takes to Social Media to Show How Nasty Your Yellow Teeth Look [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:03 PM PDT




Procter & Gamble's Crest 3D White oral care brand is taking a social media-first strategy for a new campaign that graphically depicts the perils of having yellow teeth.

The brand unleashed the first in a series of six online-only videos on Tuesday. The ad, called "Pretty Girl," shows a fetching young woman entering a party in a slinky black dress. The triumphant moment turns sour, however, when her smiles reveals a row of amber teeth. The push for the sub-brand's line of Whitestrips and other whitening products will be executed entirely on social media, says Ernesto Levy, P&G's North America oral care marketing director. "Consumers are there [in social media] and we want to talk…
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More About: Advertising, Marketing, Procter & Gamble, crest


KCRW’s Slick New System Lets Indie Bands Submit Their Own Tunes

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:50 PM PDT




KCRW, an NPR affiliate station and Los Angeles indie music mainstay, introduced on Tuesday a new digital music submission system that will help independent artists make their way onto public radio.

The new-and-improved MALCOLM, as the station affectionately calls its internal record filing system, offers artists the chance to create profiles that include a bio, photo, social media links and three of their best tracks. Artists can then designate which DJs and/or shows their tracks are best suited for and receive notifications when a KCRW DJ has commented or rated their music.

KCRW prides itself on being one of the few radio stations that still accepts and listens to demos and unsolicit…
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More About: Entertainment, Music, NPR, artists, independent, indie, kcrw, malcolm, radio


After Malware Scare, Apple Makes First Appearance at Black Hat Conference

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:31 PM PDT




Apple will make its first appearance at computer security conference Black Hat on Thursday when Dallas De Atley, Manager of the Platform Security team at the company, takes the stage to talk about key security technologies in iOS.

Typically absent for security conferences, the move is a significant one, and one that shows Apple realizes that its operating system is vulnerable and that the company could benefit from the input of a group of people who have the main goal of revealing those vulnerabilities.

The first iOS malware app was confirmed earlier this month. Called "Find and Call" the app would have users upload all of their contact information to a server that would them spam al…
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More About: apple, iOS, security


Which VP Possibility Has the Most Heat on the Web?

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:20 PM PDT




Ever since Mitt Romney became the presumptive Republican nominee for president, the political world has been wondering who he will pick to run beside him for Vice President.

While some rumors were floated and suddenly deflated (Condi, anyone?), many are guessing the short list has three likely possibilities: Ohio Senator Rob Portman, former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

Have those names generated any excitement on Twitter? Mashable turned to social media analysis firm Topsy Labs to find out:

Currently, mentions for any of the three have fallen rather flat. However, Jindal has gotten the most mentions over the past month, spiking when he…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Google, Mitt Romney, Politics, Social Media, Twitter, US


2012 Olympics: The Must-Follow Athletes on Twitter

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:37 PM PDT


1. Lolo Jones




Jones, whose social media success we profiled in May, is the standard bearer for Olympians on Twitter. She's honest, hilarious, tweets often, and is a world class hurdler for the United States.

Click here to view this gallery.




After months of hype, the 2012 Olympics in London will finally get underway this Friday. With two weeks of excitement, drama and athletic brilliance, much of the Olympic action and reaction will take place online.

Social media will play a bigger role this summer than in any games before -- especially compared to the last summer Olympics, in 2008. Why? Social media's growth, influence and ubiquity has been exponential since '08. Facebook has gone from 100 million users to over 900 million. More than 400 million tweets are sent each day now, compared to just 300,000 four years ago. And YouTube has grown steadily too; its users now upload more than 72 hours of video content each minute.…
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More About: Entertainment, Social Media, Sports, Twitter, features, olympics


Apple Falls Victim to Its Own Hype Cycle

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:15 PM PDT





Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

There are millions of people who are in the market for an iPhone, but are holding off on buying one because they believe Apple will introduce a new iteration this fall.

That's probably a good decision. Apple is all but certain to announce an iPhone 5 (though there's a good chance they won't call it that) as early as September. You'd have to be a fool to buy an iPhone 4S when the next-generation model was coming in just a few weeks.

Such a predicament isn't unique to Apple. In the auto industry, everyone knows that the new models arrive in September, so the best time to buy a car is around Labor Day, when dealers are eager to clear the old models from the lots.

But Apple's re…
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More About: Opinion, apple, iphone, tim cook


Design the Steve Jobs Monument Coming to Russia

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT




A monument dedicated to late Apple founder Steve Jobs is in the works to go up in the main square in St. Petersburg, Russia, but the organization behind the initiative wants help with coming up with the design.

A Russian-based company called The Foundation of IT Progress has launched a competition to find the best concept for a memorial in St. Petersburg, which is considered the country's information technology (IT) hub.

"This can be any idea – a classical monument, stele, memorial plaque and even any kind of modern electronic installation," the project notes via a translated version of its website. "His ideas helped IT technologies become so widespread. A memorial should be inst…
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More About: apple, steve jobs


Remembering Sherman Hemsley With His Finest Dance Moves

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:37 PM PDT


1. Soul Train, 1990


Hemsley performs "Ain't That a Kick in the Head."

Click here to view this gallery.




Beloved television actor Sherman Hemsley passed away Tuesday. While perhaps best known for his role as George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," Hemsley demonstrated his vocal chops in a side gig as a singer. Hemsley's 1992 R&B album "Dance" proved to be the perfect title considering the actor's fancy feet mastery.

In celebration of Hemsley's life, we compiled five videos showing off Sherman's finest dance moves. Heaven just got a little bit groovier.

More About: Watercooler, YouTube, videos


LeBron James’ Email Kinda, Sorta Hacked

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:33 PM PDT




LeBron James: Basketball superstar. Gold medalist. Gchat frequenter?

Justin Halpern imagines what the Miami Heat forward's Gmail might look like if a hacker elbowed their way into his account.

In LeBron's defense, spelling 'Krzyzewski' is more difficult than earning your first NBA championship ring.

Image courtesy of Grantland

More About: Watercooler, gmail, lebron james


Christian Bale Visits Shooting Victims in Aurora

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:13 PM PDT




Christian Bale, the star of The Dark Knight Rises, is in Colorado visiting victims of the Aurora theater shooting.

In the wake of the shooting, fans petitioned the actor to visit victims of the shooting. It looks like Bale got the message. The Denver Post reports that the actor is in town.

Bale, who won an Oscar for his role in The Fighter, stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan's franchise. An assistant for Warner Bros. corporate communications told the Post that "Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing Warner Brothers."

Fans have already started posting images of Bale in Aurora to Twitter.

First pic of Christian Bale at Aurora hospital to meet victims #the
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More About: The Dark Knight Rises, aurora shooting, christian bale, warner bros


Warner Bros. to Donate Money to Theater Shooting Victims

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 02:23 PM PDT




Warner Bros. -- the studio behind The Dark Knight Rises -- has announced that it will make a "substantial" donation to charities supporting victims of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.

The studio has been in contact with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's office, saying it will contribute funds to givingfirst.org, a branch of Colorado's Community First Foundation, which will distribute money across various charities for the July 20 shooting victims, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The shooting, which occurred at a midnight premiere of the Batman film, killed 12 and left at least 58 wounded. Police have suspected gunman James Holmes in custody.

Warner Bros. will not publicl…
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More About: 'dark knight' shooting, aurora shooting, dark knight rises, theater shooting


Mark Zuckerberg’s First Patent Finally Approved After Six Years [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 02:11 PM PDT




The first patent Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg submitted to the US Patent Trademark and Office six years ago was finally approved on Tuesday. He submitted the patent in July 2006.

The patent, called Dynamically generating a privacy summary is described in the abstract:

A system and method for dynamically generating a privacy summary is provided. The present invention provides a system and method for dynamically generating a privacy summary. A profile for a user is generated. One or more privacy setting selections are received from the user associated with the profile. The profile associated with the user is updated to incorporate the one or more…
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More About: Facebook, legal, mark zuckerberg, patent


Apple OS X Mountain Lion Goes on Sale Tomorrow

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 01:59 PM PDT




For Mac owners, it's Christmas in July again.

In its earnings report Tuesday, Apple officially announced that the long-anticipated Mountain Lion, otherwise known as OS X 10.8, would go on sale first thing Wednesday morning -- just as predicted.

Costing $19.99, it will be available in the Mac app store only. Anyone who bought a new Mac on or after June 11 is entitled to a free upgrade.

Apple is making a habit of releasing new versions of the Mac OS in July; that's when we got our first taste of OS X 10.7, known simply as Lion. That, too, was announced on the company's earnings call and made available the following morning.

Lion is now used by 40% of Mac owners, according to Ap…
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More About: Mountain Lion, apple, trending


‘George Jefferson’ Actor Sherman Hemsley Dies at 74

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 01:47 PM PDT




Sherman Hemsley, who most famously played George Jefferson in TV sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off The Jeffersons, has reportedly died in Texas at age 74. Hemsley also had stints on Broadway and as a recording artist (see video below).

TMZ on Tuesday reported Hemsley died at his El Paso home but had no details about the cause of death.

"George Jefferson" became an immediate worldwide trending topic on Twitter as the web and celebrity friends reacted to Hemsley's passing:

RIP To My Longtime Friend & Comedic LEGEND, Sherman Hemsley aka George Jefferson. #NeverToBeForgotten— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) July 24, 2012

RIP Sherman Hemsley aka George Jefferson. re…
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More About: Entertainment, TV, celebrities


Apple’s iPhone Sales Fall, Dragging Down Results

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 01:44 PM PDT




Apple's iPhone sales fell dragging down expected revenues, but the company posted strong iPad sales in its fiscal third quarter.

Apple sold 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads vs. 35.1 million and 11.8 million, respectively, in the second quarter. The consensus among analysts was that Apple would sell 29 million iPhones and 16 million iPads. The company also sold 4 million Macs in the quarter, a 2% increase over the year-ago quarter.

Earnings for the quarter were $9.23 per share on revenues of $35 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected earnings of $10.22 on revenues of $38 billion. Apple had provided guidance of $34 billion and earnings per diluted share o…
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More About: apple, ipad, iphone


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