Apple Corporate

With the working conditions at overseas factories still in the public eye, Apple says it's picking up the pace on when we'll see the results of its first third-party audits.

Earlier today, the company said that the Fair Labor Association (FLA), a nonprofit labor rights group Apple joined last month, is already in China doing its first round of auditing at Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China.

The first results from those audits will go up on the FLA's site next month, with reports on additional suppliers used by Apple and other technology companies to follow … Read more

Apple has charged ahead of Google in brand reputation, jumping from fifth place last year to No. 1 this year, according to a U.S. consumer survey released today.

Apple has the highest score in the 13-year history of the study by Harris Interactive and beats all the other companies in four of the six key reputation areas: financial performance, products and services, vision and leadership, and workplace environment. Whole Foods was top ranked for social responsibility and Amazon.com for emotional appeal.

The Reputation Quotient (RQ) for Apple is 85.62 and for Google, 82.82. Rounding out the … Read more

Apple's stock surpassed $500 a share today, reaching an all-time high and prompting many investors to wonder just how high the company's shares can go.

At their height this morning, Apple's shares reached $503.83 before falling to about $499. Throughout the day, the company's stock flirted with the $500-a-share mark before finally ending the day at $502.60.

In after-hours trading, the company's stock is up to $502.93. Apple's market capitalization currently stands at $468.6 billion, making it the most valuable company in the world.

Although hitting $500 a share means … Read more

Apple said it has asked the Fair Labor Association to audit the company’s Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China. The move comes after Apple has taken heat for working conditions in its supply chain.

According to Apple, a team of labor rights experts started inspections Monday at Foxconn City. Foxconn makes the iPad and iPhone for Apple. The Fair Labor Association (FLA) described itself this way:

Incorporated in 1999, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) is a collaborative effort of socially responsible companies, colleges and universities, and civil society organizations to improve working conditions in factories around the world. … Read more

Apple has heard the critics and is now ready to dig deeper into Foxconn's working conditions.

The iPhone maker announced today that it has asked the Fair Labor Association (FLA), an organization "dedicated to ending sweatshop conditions in factories worldwide," to investigate Foxconn facilities in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China.

The first inspections began this morning in the Shenzhen factory known as Foxconn City.

"We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we've asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers," … Read more

It wouldn't be a normal week in Apple news land without a healthy dose of lawsuits, rumors, and spy shots of future products. This week did not disappoint in any of those categories.

First things first, the iPad 3. Rumor has it we'll see it the first week of March, or at least a device that will succeed the iPad 2. Word of that was joined with a photo of what might just be the back casing of the new device, which when stuck next to an iPad 2 suggested we could be looking at the real deal. … Read more

Apple's Apple TV, iPhone, and remote-control app for iOS are the targets of a new lawsuit alleging that when used together, the three products infringe on a patent held by another company.

Switzerland-based technology firm SmartData filed suit against Apple earlier this week in the Northern District of California, claiming that the trio of products infringe on a patent it holds covering "wireless computing technology."

The suit asks for damages, a permanent injunction against Apple's products, and a trial by jury.

Apple set new records on Wall Street today, reaching an all-time high in intraday trading and closing at a record high.

Apple's stock closed at $493.17, up $16.49 or a gain of 3.46 percent from its opening price, according to Google Finance. In the early afternoon it ticked off a new intraday high at $496.75.

With the gains, Apple's market capitalization, or the value of shares times the number of shares outstanding, topped off at $459.82 billion, putting it $58 billion ahead of Exxon Mobil. The two companies traded spots to be the company with the largest market cap … Read more

Another day, another German court ruling over whether Samsung can sell a device within the country's borders.

Earlier today, a court in Dusseldorf ruled that Samsung could sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1N in Germany, rebuffing calls by Apple to ban the device from sale because of patent infringement. The court told the companies, according to Reuters, which was in attendance at the hearing, that there were "clear differences" between the Galaxy Tab 10.1N and the iPad.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1N should be not be confused with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The "N&… Read more