Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:
More Research: During Tim Cook’s first year as CEO at Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), the company increased R&D spending by 40%, the Business Journal noted. The technology company spent $3.4 billion on R&D over the last year, up $1 billion from the previous year. Over the last two months, Apple has unveiled a number of new products, including updated iMacs, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the iPhone 5, an updated standard-sized iPad and its new iPad Mini. The company is also reportedly working on either a television set of its own, or a set-top box for media streaming. In addition to the new devices, Apple developed its own Maps app, though that met with significant criticism from users, and designed the new A6 processor found in the latest iPhone and iPads. The company also added 12,400 workers over the past twelve months. More than half of its workforce is employed at its Apple Stores.
Better Apology Demanded: A panel of British judges has ordered Apple to draft a new statement to be placed on its website stating that Samsung did not violate its patents, the BBC notes. After ruling that Samsung’s tablets had not copied the iPad’s design, a judge ordered Apple to append a statement to that effect on its website. After losing an appeal, Apple posted the statement earlier this week, but worded it to highlight the iPad’s advantages over the Samsung tablets, calling them “not as cool.” Samsung filed a motion with the court saying that the statement did not fulfill the judge’s order. The court agreed and ordered to remove the original statement and post a new statement within 48 hours. Apple requested a delay, but it was denied.
Charitable Response: Apple is offering iTunes users an opportunity to donate funds to help recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy, which slammed the U.S. Eastern Coast earlier this week, MacRumors notes. Residents of coastal areas across the Middle Atlantic states experienced significant flooding and power outages in the storm’s wake. iTunes users can make donations to the American Red Cross through their desktop web browsers, or using the iTunes app on iPads and iPhones. Donations can be made in incremental amounts from $5 to $200. 100% of each donation is sent to the Red Cross. Donations will appear on users’ iTunes account bills. Apple has previously promoted relief efforts for the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and last year’s tsunami in Japan.
For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
