greenlight

Apple's cash problem is easy to solve, one of its most outspoken shareholders said today.

During a conference call with Apple investors today, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital -- which is currently in litigation with the iPhone and iPad maker -- made the case that Apple's strategy to stockpile cash was flawed, and argued that his plan to bring some of that back to investors could be solved with a new program called "iPrefs."

"Many have asked, why not just increase the dividend?" Einhorn said. "This sounds too complicated. It's not complicated. … Read more

David Einhorn, the hedge fund manager waging a legal battle with Apple over its mountain of cash reserves, is taking his case directly to the iPhone maker's investors.

Einhorn's Greenlight Capital, which sued Apple earlier this month over the issue, will host a public conference call and Webcast Thursday to discuss the merits of his proposal for issuing preferred stock to investors.

The conference call and Webcast will begin at 11 a.m. PT. U.S. callers can dial in at 1-800-901-5241 and entering the passcode 62063868#. The Webcast can be accessed by visiting www.media-server.com/m/p/aj2p6kq7. … Read more

Apple accused an activist hedge fund manager of attempting to hold investors "hostage" in his effort to get the electronics giant to share more of its massive cash reserves with investors.

The charge came today in Apple's response to a lawsuit filed last week by Greenlight Capital, which asserts that the company needed to distribute preferred stock to current shareholders and that Apple had balked at the idea when it was first discussed. The filing comes a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook called the lawsuit a "silly sideshow."

"Shareholders should not be held … Read more

Looks like there's a second act for Apple's "silly sideshow."

Another Apple shareholder is suing Apple, Reuters reported today. This time, it's over Apple's executive compensation policy, in addition to the company's intent to eliminate preferred stock for investors.

Pennsylvania resident Brian Gralnick has filed suit against Apple in an attempt to stop Apple from holding a shareholder vote on the two matters. The vote is scheduled for February 27. Gralnick has been a shareholder since 2007, but it's unclear how much of a stake in Apple he owns.

We've contacted … Read more

Apple will soon respond to the lawsuit filed against it last week by David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to file its response to Greenlight by tomorrow. Greenlight will then file its reply on Friday. The first hearing could take place as early as next week.

The Greenlight hedge fund filed a lawsuit against Apple last week, saying that the company should distribute high-yield preferred stock to shareholders. According to Greenlight, this would allow Apple to hold a large amount of its cash while giving shareholders more of the value of Apple's … Read more

A federal judge has approved Apple's request to fast-track a lawsuit filed last week by hedge fund manager David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital in an effort to get the electronics giant to share more of its massive cash reserves with investors.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan for the Southern District of New York granted Apple's request, moving forward the schedule for a hearing on a preliminary injunction sought by Greenlight Capital. Apple had argued that the proposed meeting would have an effect on its shareholder meeting later this month.

The modification request suggested that document filing … Read more

After a complaint from a notable Apple investor that the company needs to share more of its cash pile with investors, the iPhone and Mac maker says it's "evaluating" its possibilities.

In a statement today, Apple said it's aware its cash has grown beyond what is needed to run day-to-day business -- hence its dividend and stock buyback plan -- but that it is still talking about other possibilities.

"Apple's management team and Board of Directors have been in active discussions about returning additional cash to shareholders," the company said this afternoon, just … Read more

"Show me the money" might have been the most famous line from the old Tom Cruise movie "Jerry Maguire," but that's exactly what a big Apple shareholder wants.

Greenlight Capital, a hedge fund run by David Einhorn, today filed a lawsuit and issued a letter to Apple shareholders (PDF), urging them to support his push to get Apple to share more of its cash with investors.

"Apple is a phenomenal company ... but Apple has a problem," Einhorn said during an interview on CNBC. "It has sort of a mentality of a depression. … Read more

You can't turn around without hearing someone telling you how bad sodas are for your health. If only you could get the sensation of enjoying a cold cola without all the harmful side effects. Thank goodness for Soda Drinker Pro, a soda-drinking simulator for Mac and PC that is one of the most bizarre gaming creations in recent memory.

The experience of actually downloading Soda Drinker Pro feels a bit sketchy. You have to send in a contact form and cough up your e-mail to get the link. Then, you have to sit through a mysterious download that Google can't scan for viruses because it's too big. This goes against everything you were ever taught about downloading from the Internet. I threw caution to the wind and did it anyway.

I install Soda Drinker Pro and hit "play." I'm greeted with music that sounds like it was created on a 1985 Casio keyboard. I scramble to turn down the volume. Level 1 takes place on a beach, at least that's what it's supposed to be. The virtual environment looks like it came out of a Max Headroom fever dream.… Read more