Apple Inc

Some Apple Inc. investors are advocating the unthinkable: Apple Inc. without Steve Jobs running it. The charismatic chief executive, they said, should take on a new role when he returns in a week or two from a six-month medical leave -- as an advisor, thus removing himself from the rigors of overseeing day-to-day operations. His impending return spurred fresh speculation about his health and the future of the Cupertino, Calif., computer, iPod and iPhone maker.

A thirst among shoppers for stylish cellphones that can do more than make calls and take grainy snapshots has helped Apple Inc. ring up sales of more than 1 million units of its high-end iPhone 3G S just three days after the device went on sale, the company reported Monday. "Even with a down economy, food, shelter, clothing and now smart phones are becoming an essential part of people's lives," quipped Ken Dulaney, an analyst at Gartner Inc.

Despite an economy that has crippled consumer spending, shoppers still shelled out money for iPhones, iPod Touches and other premium products sold by Apple Inc., driving the company to post its best June quarter sales, the electronics giant said Tuesday. The recession, however, did not spare Yahoo Inc. The beleaguered Internet portal posted a 13% plunge in revenue over a year earlier as businesses continued to cut back spending on online advertising.

Apple Inc. may unveil a version of the iPhone for Canada as early as today, but China Mobile said Monday that talks over the launch of iPhone handsets in China had been called off. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs may make the announcement about the iPhone for Canada during his speech at the Macworld conference in San Francisco, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. Apple probably will outline an agreement with Rogers Communications Inc.

Netflix, seeking not to be bypassed in the transition to digital distribution of movies, removed limits on how many films and TV shows subscribers can watch over the Internet. The move comes as Apple Inc. is set to unveil plans for users to rent major Hollywood movies online through its iTunes Store. Netflix, which pioneered the online movie rental business in 1997, had capped the number of hours available to its 7 million subscribers based on the price of their monthly plan.

Investors are spooked about consumer spending, and Tuesday they took it out on Apple Inc. The maker of the iPod and Macintosh computer saw its stock fall 3.5%, then plunge an additional 11% in extended trading, after its fiscal first-quarter earnings didn't beat Wall Street's expectations enough and its forecast for the current quarter fell short of estimates. "Investors are so trained right now to be fearful of the future," said Gene Munster, an analyst with investment bank Piper Jaffray.

. -- Apple Inc. has no plans to declare a dividend or buy back its stock, Chief Executive Steve Jobs told the company's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, adding that iPhone sales were on track. Jobs said he was confident Apple would hit its 2008 sales target of 10 million iPhones, a figure that some analysts have questioned, and executives said the iPhone would reach Asian markets this year.

When she whipped out her iPhone, Erica Sadum could feel her husband's eyes roll. But she had a point to prove. And in less than a minute, she was able to report to the skeptics around the dinner table that Menno Simons, whose followers are known as Mennonites, was in fact born in 1496. Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which went on sale nine months ago, isn't the only so-called smart phone that provides itinerant access to the Web.

Apple Inc. has surpassed Wal-Mart to become America's No. 1 music store, the first time that a seller of digital downloads has ever beaten the big CD retailers. Apple sold more albums in January and February than any other U.S. retailer, market research firm NPD Group said Thursday, underscoring how the music industry is on the front edge of a digital media shift that is upending businesses as diverse as bookstores and video game makers. U.S.

When the new iPhone goes on sale Friday, Apple Inc. will also launch an online software store peddling a potpourri of programs such as games, pedometers, tip calculators and language translators for the device. The company hopes that by enabling buyers to transform the phone into a personalized electronic Swiss Army knife of sorts, it can boost sales. "We live in a post-modern world of fragmented preferences," said Shiv Bakhshi, an analyst at research firm IDC.