Those who own an Apple (AAPL) iPhone be prepared to have your head explode. Highly regarded think-tank consultant Strand Consult has just released a report that may send shock waves through the iPeople. Apple iPhone users are a tad delusional and many even lie to protect their iPhones.

Strand's report went as far as comparing those who protect their iPhones at all costs as those who may be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. That comparison alone is sure to spark debates for a while, but the question is this: Do you fabricate arguments to protect the "quality of life" your iPhone has provided you? Be honest, now.

Apple (AAPL) saw limited success in China when it recently debuted its iPhone there. Although the Chinese really weren't all that impressed by the device's requirement of an expensive calling plan from Apple partner China Unicom, the iPhone has sold fairly well since its debut. Or, it has sold poorly depending on your perspective.

In two months, China Unicom has sold a little over 100,000 Apple iPhones. Compare that with China Mobile, China Unicom's largest competitor and the largest mobile carrier in China, which apparently doesn't feel threatened by the lackluster sales performance of the iPhone. Indeed, a mobile market with a 1.3 billion potential customer base and the comparison of 100,000 handsets sold for a device that has seemingly revolutionized the entire mobile industry don't appear to belong in the same sentence, right?

Verizon (VZ) is betting the farm on a high-stakes bid to supplant the Apple (AAPL) iPhone with its Droid device. In the long run this may be a good move, but in the short run the ad blitz and high cost of this rollout are really going to eat away at Verizon's bottom line.

While spending on tech devices has been strong, the bottom line is that the initial price point for the Droid may be a bit high and it will take some time for consumers to catch on to this smart phone, considering how loyal Apple users are. Things may change in a few weeks if I hear some favorable news, but for now VZ is a sell.

Next: Dog of the Dow #13: Walmart (WMT)

Tired of the prudes over at Apple (AAPL), who keep a tight leash on filth in iTunes? Well, it seems like the folks at Google (GOOG) are keeping an open mind. Even though its Android Market isn't playing in the adult space, Google isn't preventing adult-only content from getting on its devices, while Apple has made it a point to keep its iPhones and iPods clean from the start.

The latest entrant into the Android experience is a company called MiKandi (say it, "my candy"), which provides mobile access to the hot stuff you can enjoy on a screen of any size. MiKandi has no connection to Google other than the use of its technology.

BT Group, which virtually owns the UK telecommunications market, isn't waiting for Google (GOOG) to launch a full attack. The company probably expects to be under assault from the search engine (and advertising and e-mail) giant, so it's taking early action. Google Voice is still being tested, but words like "free" and "powerful" and "internet-based" are bound to inspire fear in even the most established of companies.

To protect itself from the eventual attack from Mountain View, BT picked up Ribbit Mobile, and testing is in progress. Ribbit's technology has some overlap with Google Voice and even beats it with a few capabilities, according to Bloomberg. Ribbit just launched its beta product this month. It allows either the user's current phone number or a new one from Ribbit -- which is no different from Google's alternative. The product suite is generally the same, with phone- and web-based voicemail retrieval and automatic transcriptions that can be sent by text message or e-mail. For an extra fee, BT's Ribbit does provide human transcription, though it is free during testing. And, calls can be taken directly from a computer, using a microphone and speakers.

The future investment stars are already with us. The NYSE Financial Future Challenge, operated by the NYSE Foundation, By Kids for Kids, K12 Inc. and the United Investors Association, is in full swing, with five finalists just identified. To reach this level, the participants had to develop a new product, idea or process that would "excite, educate and motivate their peers" to become interested in the financial marketplace. The eventual winner lurks within this subset and will receive a $2,500 prize -- a great way to get that portfolio started. And, he or she will be feted at a closing bell ceremony at the NYSE (NYX) on January 11, 2010.

The finalists presented a variety of ideas which are sure to generate some buzz. Kelsey Foss, a 12-year-old from Mountainville, NY, proposed a new television show, "Stock Market Tycoon Idol," which would harness the popularity of reality TV while amping up the content. The program would involve the journeys of 10 kids as they seek to make money or lose it, with the possibility of becoming virtual millionaires along the way. The show would be set at a mock NYSE studio on Wall Street, and exports would be brought out to mentor the contestants. The reality TV reach would help engage a younger audience.

Even the thought is hard to believe for anyone who's been watching Apple Inc. (AAPL) over the long run. Once upon a time, the company was presumed dead, while Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) continued its march to market dominance. Today, Apple's $180 billion market value is evidence of a new era. Though it's still behind Microsoft's $250 billion, the company's rapid ascent and substantial market presence make at least speculation of catching up to the Redmond giant worth a few minutes of thought.

Microsoft is currently the most valuable technology company in the world, according to a Reuters report. Even Google, Inc (GOOG), with its astounding brand recognition and position as gateway to the internet, is worth "only" $136 billion. Apple, which was once considered a computer company that sold into education and appealed to some graphics geeks, has reasserted itself as a major global presence.

By 2013, more than $4 billion will be spent on smartphone applications, according to a new study by the Yankee Group ... and the estimate is said to be conservative. With the average owner of one of these devices downloading around 20 applications a year, it's obvious that this market is getting ready to pop. Currently, only $343 million is spent in this space.

An increase in the number of smartphone applications available -- for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, Reasearch in Motion's (NASDAQ: RIMM) Blackberry, and Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android -- and rising prices for these applications will push the total size of this market higher.

One would think that Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) would be friends. Google CEO Eric Schmidt sits on Apple's board and his company partners heavily with Apple's iPhone for Google's web products. That is, except when Google is trying to do an end-run around Apple partner AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T).

This is what it comes down to: Google Voice, the service that gives you a universal phone number that you have total control over (and even provides free text messaging!) was blocked by Apple's App Store, most likely at AT&T's request. After all, AT&T surely does not want customers bypassing its margin-heavy text messaging plans to use a free Google-provided solution.

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) just keep volleying with each other with the duel between the iPhone and the Palm Pre, don't they? Accusations of an
"iPhone copycat" surfaced right after the Palm Pre was announced. After all, quite a bit of Apple design influence now works at Palm. But the war is not over yet, as one of the neater features of the Palm Pre has now been deactivated by Apple.

"China Unicom (NYSE: CHU) could be one of the best ways to play China's astounding economic growth," says Brandon Clay in Invest with an Edge. Here's the growth advisor's review.

"With the world's largest population as its market, the mobile phone industry in China is set to soar. This makes China Unicom a compelling play. The firm has 21% market share in China.

"China Unicom's vice president recently said the company is targeting subscriber growth of 20 million to 30 million within a year. To put that into context, Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile phone carrier in the U.S., had 72.1 million subscribers at the end of last year.