A new business model is springing up right under our noses. The big players like Apple (AAPL), Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) have put together a one-stop shop in their app stores.

First off, an app store is just that, a place where you can pick and choose the apps you want to download. The app store is also a place where entrepreneurs can develop an app and with permission place it on the iPhone, iPad or Android device.

Continue reading App Stores: A New Business Model

App Stores: A New Business Model originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The fast moving world of investing can turn on a dime, especially if you own technology stocks. Research In Motion (RIMM) was a smartphone darling. But then came the iPhone and now the iPad. Then we have Google's (GOOG) Android following on Apple's (AAPL) heels.

RIM suddenly woke up a found that it had fallen off its perch. Now the company is scrambling to do catch up. BlackBerry is losing North American market share and the company expects to ship only 13.5 to 14.5 million Blackberry's this quarter, down from 14.9 million last quarter, according to Reuters.

Continue reading Would You Buy RIM on the Dip?

Would You Buy RIM on the Dip? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Research In Motion (RIMM), which designs and develops the BlackBerry line of smartphones, is also expected to launch its PlayBook tablet in the first quarter of 2011. RIM, which competes with Apple (AAPL), Motorola Mobility (MMI) and Nokia (NOK) in the mobile phone market, is expected to face stiff competition from Apple's iPad and Google's (GOOG) Android-based tablets.

RIM lacks the apps ecosystem strength enjoyed by Apple and Google, one reason why RIM has been slowly losing its share in the smartphone market. Without a conscious effort to improve its app platform, RIM's PlayBook may not gain much traction in the tablet market.

See our full analysis and $74.28 price estimate for RIM.

Continue reading PlayBook Compatibility with Android Apps Could Be Win-Win for RIM and Google

PlayBook Compatibility with Android Apps Could Be Win-Win for RIM and Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google's (GOOG) mobile operating system, Android, is an example of how acquisitions have made a big difference. This technology came from a deal struck in 2005. Then, after lots of internal development, Google launched Android in 2007. Since then, the growth has been sizzling.

In fact, according to the most recent report from comScore, Android's market share hit 31.2%. Yes, it is now the number one mobile operating system.

Continue reading Android Becomes the King of Mobile

Android Becomes the King of Mobile originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google's (GOOG) Android smart phone operating system has seen tremendous adoption over the past year as its market share has increased from a mere 6% in 2009 to around 24% by 2010. This has come at the expense of smart phone operating systems from Nokia (NOK), Research in Motion (RIMM) and Microsoft (MSFT). The other main competitor, Apple's (AAPL) iPhone OS, saw a slight increase during this time period from 26% to 28%.

We believe that Android's success has to do with the fact that it partnered with smart phone makers like Motorola Mobility (MMI), Dell (DELL), LG and Sony Ericsson (SNE) in providing its OS. Higher Android adoption helps Google by enabling more mobile searches from Google's platform as Google is the default search engine on Android phones.

Continue reading Nokia-Microsoft's OS Impact on Android Limited for Now

Nokia-Microsoft's OS Impact on Android Limited for Now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lately, Research In Motion (RIMM) has been ramping up its dealmaking. Some of the recent transactions include QNX, Dash Navigation and Torch Mobile.

Tthe latest deal came this week: RIM agreed to buy Gist (the price tag was not disclosed). The company develops a service that prioritizes incoming messages. It even provides the user with helpful research information on contacts, such as from social networks and blogs. The app is currently for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and Google's (GOOG) Android devices.

Continue reading RIM Strikes a Deal for Gist

RIM Strikes a Deal for Gist originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Will Android Capture First Place?

Will Android Capture First Place? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) gibe at Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android OS is that it was not designed for tablets. Google answered that challenge last week with the launch of Honeycomb. Motorola Mobility's (MMI) Xoom, due out later this month, will feature Honeycomb and should make a splash in the tablet market as competition heats up among tablet manufacturers and affiliated operating systems.

Even with the older version, Android has already started to dent iPad's market share due to the success of Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and we expect that Xoom could improve Android's position intensifying the showdown between Android and Apple's iPad OS.

Continue reading Google Brings Honeycomb to the Frontlines of OS Wars

Google Brings Honeycomb to the Frontlines of OS Wars originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First we had the iPhone revolution. Now, The Financial Times reports that Apple (AAPL) is planning to expand the iPhone to handle mobile commerce, giving the company access to the multibillion-dollar transaction industry.

You are probably wondering what and how this will be done. The iPhone 5, due out this year, likely will incorporate technology called Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC incorporates financial account information and ties the data to specific devices.

Continue reading Apple Expected to Include 'Wave & Pay' with iPhone 5

Apple Expected to Include 'Wave & Pay' with iPhone 5 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As everyone knows by now, the Apple (AAPL) iPhone is headed for Verizon's (VZ) reportedly more reliable network. With so much excitement over the announcement, traders and investors can look at various ways to profit off of this.

The obvious beneficiary is Apple, but there are additional ways to play it, such as the advertising companies, as Verizon hits the airwaves to promote the iPhone, even at the expense of the Android. A few ideas to consider include names like CBS (CBS) and Viacom (VIA), which should win no matter which platform wins.

Continue reading Trading the Verizon iPhone

Trading the Verizon iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google to Take a Hit from Verizon's iPhone?

Google to Take a Hit from Verizon's iPhone? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The battle among iPhone carriers is fierce. Apple's (AAPL) iPhone is the prized device. AT&T (T), Verizon's (VZ) rival, has had the an exclusive hold on the iPhone. Verizon has been trying to play catch up. Now that Verizon will have the iPhone, the playing field will change dramatically. Verizon, with about 93 million subscribers, could grab an estimated 10 million new subscribers with the iPhone, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The move is also a big boost for Apple. Apple has been feeling the pressure from Google (GOOG), with its Android system. Android phones passed the iPhone in sales in the second quarter. This move to Verizon will open up a new expanded base for Apple.

Continue reading Verizon Finally Gets the iPhone

Verizon Finally Gets the iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the e-commerce boom continues, the shares of Amazon.com (AMZN) have been hitting new highs. The company now sports a market cap of a hefty $83 billion.

Besides strong customer service -- and tremendous efficiency -- Amazon.com has also been adept at consolidating markets. It's a big help to consumers.

Continue reading Amazon Builds an Android App Store

Amazon Builds an Android App Store originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google Mobile Payments on the Way?

Google Mobile Payments on the Way? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The wireless communication world is about to receive a new entrant, as the country's third-largest cable company will start a cellular network in three areas today. The company? Cox Communications.

Before you think that this wireless network will be available across the U.S., Cox's wireless offerings will be available in Orange County, California; Omaha, Nebraska; and Hampton Roads, Virginia. These three locales are where Cox is the local cable company, and they hold roughly 1.5 million residents.

Continue reading Cox Communications Launches Cell Phone Service

Cox Communications Launches Cell Phone Service originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple iPad to Face Tough Competition from Android Tablets

Apple iPad to Face Tough Competition from Android Tablets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since Apple Inc. (AAPL) unleashed the iPhone on the world back in 2007 the company has sold millions of the device and created a massive market for iPhone apps. Developers have invested a lot of time and money in creating apps for the popular iPhone, but have been frustrated by the lack of guidelines and communication with Apple.

Developers have been begging for more insight into the approval process, and today Apple gave them what they wanted by releasing the guidelines it uses to review submitted apps.

Continue reading Apple Releases Guidelines for App Developers

Apple Releases Guidelines for App Developers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google to Launch TV Platform Globally in 2011

Google to Launch TV Platform Globally in 2011 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New Smartphone Could Give Nokia's Stock a Boost

New Smartphone Could Give Nokia's Stock a Boost originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG) has been all over the news recently -- if it was the small acquisitions or the proposed net neutrality deal with Verizon (VZ). But perhaps more seriously are the different articles in the media about how the Web is changing and how that's going to affect the search engine giant.

The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet is the provocative title of a Wired article published Tuesday. Chris Anderson explains how we changed our habits from using the "wide-open Web to semiclosed platforms that use the Internet for transport but not the browser for display." Most importantly, he adds, "it's a world Google can't crawl."

Continue reading Google Faces Threats as Web Is Changing

Google Faces Threats as Web Is Changing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.