Here is your daily Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock news and rumors for September 14, 2010. A new survey shows that Apple may be on its way to dominating the portable video game market. Also, Apple.com introduces a new personalized customer service option and AAPL takes steps to stop dastardly iOS developers from registering fake apps just to secure their names.
New Survey Claims Over 40 Million People Play Games on iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad: A new survey conducted by the Netherlands-based video game market research company NewZoo found that, of the 77 million Americans who play games on mobile devices, 40.1 million of them are playing on APPL’s iOS devices like the iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod Touch. This puts the Cupertino, California company’s machines just behind Nintendo (PINK: NTDOY) in terms of market share. 41 million gamers play on Nintendo’s line of Nintnedo DS handhelds according to NewZoo. This data was compiled after surveying 10000 respondents in June 2010. The numbers would seem to indicate that Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ claim, made during the new iPod Touch’s debut, that the media device was “the #1 portable game player” may not be true yet but soon will be. Of course, video games made for iOS platforms are arguably not as profitable as those on competitors’ machines. NewZoo also found that only 32% of players on iOS devices spend money on the games they play, compared to 67% of players using Nintendo’s machines.
Apple.com’s Customer Support Section Gets ‘Express Lane‘: While the company’s customer service has come under fire in the past 24 hours for ending the iPhone 4 Case Program, Apple’s reputation for quality consumer care has been consistently glowing for the past half decade. Now, users without access to an Apple Store Genius Bar can get personalized service on Apple’s homepage using the new Express Lane on their support website. Users can identify their specific product by selecting it from a model line and then entering their device’s serial number. Users can then write in a full description of the issue they are experiencing. Recommended articles and support documents are provided based on keywords pulled from the provided description. If the user doesn’t find them helpful, they’re put directly in touch with a service representative. While the Express Lane features a lot of the customer service perks on other websites like Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), the ability to have a specific device checked out via its registration number is a fine service addition from APPL.
Apple Moves to Block App Store Name Squatting: Less scrupulous application developers on Apple’s App Store have been abusing the ability to register the name of an application without actually submitting a binary for it for some time now. The practice of squatting on potential app names, while not illegal or breaking App Store submission rules, jams up the application approval process on Apple’s end. TechCrunch is now reporting that Apple has taken steps to stop the practice. Apple now contacts developers who have registered an app without a binary after 90 days. The developer then has 30 days to provide their binary. If they don’t, their record in iTunes Connect is deleted and the app name is available for general use again.
As of this writing, Anthony Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
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