Brian White
Oklahoma City, OK -

Brian White is a strong advocate of value investing and index funds, but has known to hold an equity or two from time to time. Financially speaking, he's covered the Fortune 500 for six years in various reporting and writing positions and currently owns a business consulting company. Additionally, Mr. White holds BA and MBA degrees.

It's a forgone conclusion that Apple (AAPL) has been the savior of AT&T (T) for the past few years. Little did any of the wireless companies know that Apple's various iPhone models would change the face of the wireless phone industry and sell millions and millions.

And the thing just turned three years old. Is there pent-up demand, though, to use the iPhone on different networks than AT&T (at least, in the U.S.)?

While Ford Motor (F) has been busy integrating the Sync hands-free entertainment system into many of its passenger car lines in recent years, most other auto manufacturers have been late to the game. That is, until now. After all, we're all connected 24/7 by laptops, netbooks, iPads, iPhones and other smartphones -- why should the car be any different?

The voice-activated music and wireless phone technology already exists in $500 smartphones -- why aren't automakers taking a lead in integrating more tech into vehicles? That's a question Ford answered years ago and GM is just now -- after a tumultuous few years -- finally realizing.

After watching Apple, Inc. (AAPL) jet past them in market capitalization last month, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) has to be wondering what will come next -- more quarterly revenue? While that didn't happen with the latest set of financials, Redmond is probably asking "not if, but when." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, although dismissive of the Apple iPad originally, has seen his rival now sell more then three million of them.

Walmart (WMT) seems to have the big-box retail format cornered. It is growing sales faster than the competition, is expanding internationally with success and seems to be able to do no wrong (albeit with a few small sidesteps).

Shares haven't really done much in recent years, closing yesterday right above $50 after sitting in $40 land for much of the past three years. About this time last year, shares were on a trajectory to hit $60 -- which they made before declining again.

Dell, Inc. (DELL) is coming under fire for allegedly selling defective PCs full of faulty electronics. The Round Rock, Tex. company supposedly knew of technical problems in many of its corporate-level personal computers, but sold them anyway and deflected issues when customers started complaining.

Former Target Corporation (TGT) merchandising chief and current Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) merchandising chief John Fleming will be leaving the world's largest retailer come August. The retailing veteran succumbed to four straight quarters of declining same-store sales, and made the personal decision to leave the company. In all fairness, would any merchandising chief had fared any better through the recent economic recession, even as Walmart fared well among all retailers?

Nissan has launched one of the first interactive iAd mobile marketing campaigns for the new Apple, Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 4, and it's taking the chance to promote its new all-electric Leaf passenger car. Although hybrid vehicles have been around in the U.S. for years (think Toyota Prius), all-electric cars have been limited to those teeny-tiny, mileage-limited vehicles. Nissan wants to change that with the four-door Leaf sedan.

Much has been written in recent years about the waning relevance of the world's largest software company, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). The cancellation of some of Microsoft's mobile efforts just this week, after two short months, as well as seeming uncertainty about its overall strategy outside operating system and productivity software, has made its stock languish for years.

Where is eBay (EBAY) going these days? Sure, the online auctioneer has the same brand power it's had for years, but the transition to bulk discounter from garage-sale auction house hasn't really occurred like CEO John Donahoe wanted it to.

Instead, we see eBay's marketplace still filled with one-off auctions for all kinds of goods (and junk trading hands) along with thousands of Chinese-based bulk sellers selling everything for a few dollars each.

Best Buy (BBY) is living on cloud nine these days. It's principal competitor, Circuit City, went belly-up over a year ago and retailing behemoth Walmart (WMT) still can't match (yet) Best Buy's consumer electronics product depth or presentation. That doesn't mean Best Buy's aggressive moves into mobile and services are the only two legs the retailing giant is relying on.

The retailer's moves into mall kiosks and nontraditional retail areas is helping attract more female shoppers, something the traditional consumer electronics retail segments largely forgets. While Best Buy sells 22% of the consumer electronics products in the U.S., only 16% of women buy their consumer electronics there.

Dell's (DELL) lack of good press these days centers around what could be considered a tired game of "me too" in the consumer electronics business combined with the relatively banal business of corporate IT. Even so, the Round Rock, Tex., company has its head in the clouds in a good way.

Dell's bet in the clouds is part of a strategy to revive its stock price from the doldrums of sub-$20s it has languished in for years. While keeping its status quo in the PC and server business -- and losing some of its shirt to HP (HPQ) and Acer -- the company needs to lead in a hit area. Selling a billion or so in goods for high-end server farms specifically targeting the delivery and interaction of high-tech games to game addicts seems like a great area to target.