MacRumors

A new survey commissioned by CNBC is as good a reason as any of why Apple's stock price has been on such a tear in recent years. More than half of all US homes own an Apple product, according to CNBC's All-America Economic survey -- and 1 in 10 homes that don't own any Apple products plan to purchase one in the next year.

“It's a fantastic business model — the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more,” says Jay Campbell, a vice president of Hart Research Associates, which conducts the CNBC survey along with Bill McInturff. “Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.”

Among other findings in the survey:

- Income level is a strong indicator of Apple product ownership: 28% of those making under $30k/year own one, while 77% of those making more than $75k/year do.

- 63% of those aged 18-34 and 35-49 own Apple products, while only 50% of the 50-64 group do, and 26% among those 65 and older.

- 61% of households with children own an Apple product, versus 48% in those without kids.

- The average home in the South owns 1.2 Apple products, the smallest in any region. The average household in the country owns 1.6 devices.

CNBC noted that "the poll of 836 Americans was conducted by landline and cellphone from March 19 to 22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent."

Business Insider reports on a new research note from Hong Kong-based research firm CLSA claiming that Apple's much-rumored television set is likely to debut in 2013 rather than the late 2012 timeframe that has been suggested by several other reports. CLSA is also one of a number of analyst firms that believe Foxconn's investment in Sharp is likely tied to potential for an Apple television.

We continue to view Apple TV hardware as a 2013 event.

The timing of Hon Hai/Foxconn's equity stake and partnership with Sharp along with Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou's separate 46.5% investment in Sharp's Sakai City plant lends further credibility that Apple TV is in the works. This also follows reports that Apple is investing ~$1.3bn in equipment destined for Sharp facilities.

CLSA does not offer a specific rationale for its belief that the Apple television won't debut until next year, but a number of rumors from last year suggested that it could appear in either late 2012 or early 2013. More recent reports have claimed that component suppliers have already begun moving parts for the Apple television, with a launch potentially coming in the fourth quarter of this year.

CLSA does not have a particularly prolific track record, but the only previous report we have on record from the firm is an incorrect one from June 2011 claiming that an LTE-equipped iPad would launch ahead of the 2011 holiday season. The new iPad with LTE support of course didn't launch until earlier this month.

Network World reports on a keynote speech given in Chicago yesterday by Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus in which he described some of the early developments that ultimately led to Apple acquiring the company and folding the technology into the iPhone 4S. According to Kittlaus, Steve Jobs personally contacted him just three weeks after Siri launched its iPhone app back in 2010 to set up a meeting that started their relationship.

And he wanted me to come over to his house the next day, and I did, and I spent 3 hours with him in front of his fireplace having this surreal conversation about the future.

And, you know, he talked about why Apple was going to win, and we talked about how Siri was doing. And he was very excited about the fact that.. you know, he was very interested in this area in general but, you know, they're patient, they don't jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new and he felt that we cracked it. So that was his attraction.

Kittlaus noted that Jobs initially wasn't enamored with the "Siri" name, but under persistent support from Kittlaus and with a failure to come up with an alternative he liked better, Jobs eventually decided to keep the name when the feature launched on the iPhone 4S last October.

Siri's iPhone app launched in February 2010, and Apple acquired the company less than three months later. Kittlaus worked at Apple until last October, when he left to pursue other opportunities and be closer to his family in Chicago.

Earlier this week, we reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook has shown up in Beijing, posing for photos with customers at the company's Xidan Joy City retail store as part of a trip to meet with unspecified "Chinese officials" as disclosed by an Apple spokesperson.

Over the past several days, media reports have revealed that Cook has been meeting with several government officials in China, with IDG News Service reporting yesterday that Cook had met with Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong to discuss further cooperation.

Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong, who met Cook on Monday afternoon, said he hoped Apple and Beijing could take further steps to deepen the company’s cooperation with the capital. Beijing’s top schools, rich talent, and market potential, makes the city ideal to develop the IT industry, he added.

The brief report from the Beijing Daily did not elaborate more on Apple’s cooperation with Beijing.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, discussing intellectual property issues and other topics of mutual interest.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang to discuss intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation, according to state media report. It was the strongest signal yet that the company is strengthening ties in a market it long neglected.

The executive met with Mr. Li, who is expected to be named premier next year, on Tuesday, state radio and television reported. "China will create a good environment for and strengthen the protection of intellectual-property rights for fair competition among various enterprises including foreign and domestic ones, according to the Chinese law," Mr. Li said, according to Wednesday's report.

With intellectual property issues being one of the highlighted topics of discussion between Cook and Li, it seems likely that the two addressed the ongoing iPad trademark dispute that has seen Proview seeking up to $2 billion from Apple in exchange for the Chinese rights to the name. Apple claims that it already legally acquired the trademark in a broader rights deal and that Proview and its subsidiaries are colluding to extort considerably more money from Apple for the Chinese rights.

Update: Sources have indicated to AllThingsD that Cook also met with executives at China Mobile, the world's largest carrier. Apple has yet to launch the iPhone on the carrier, likely due at least in part due to the need for specialized hardware to run on its 3G network.

Sources say Cook visited China Mobile’s Beijing offices, and while they offered no details beyond that, it’s not much of a leap to conclude that he was there to talk about the iPhone, which is currently offered by China Mobile rivals China Unicom and China Telecom.

Apple and China Mobile have been in discussions for several years, and Cook was seen at the carrier's headquarters last June, but no deal has yet been struck.

CPU World reports that Intel will be introducing a number of its new Ivy Bridge processors for desktop and mobile systems during the week of April 22-28, with availability set for April 29. The date had previously been cited as the launch for quad-core desktop chips, but the latest rumors indicate that several quad-core mobile chips will be making their debuts at the same time.

The new chips launching on April 29 seem to give Apple a number of options for upgrading its higher-end Mac lineup, including the iMac and MacBook Pro. But lower-power chips suitable for the MacBook Air will not arrive until June 3 based on the claimed timetable.

Ivy Bridge processors will be announced in the 4th week of April, between April 22 and April 28. The announcement will include only quad-core models: mobile Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme families, desktop Core i7, Core i5-3570K, i5-3570T, i5-3550, i5-3550S, i5-3450 and i5-3450S. The announced chips will be available for sale on April 29, and the reviews and benchmarks should be published on the same day.

On the MacBook Pro side, the Core i7-3720QM and 3820QM chips appearing on April 29 would appear to be the natural successors to the processors found in the current high-end 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple is, however, reportedly slimming down its 13-inch and 15-inch models, and it is unclear how those design changes will impact the company's selection of processors in the smaller models.

The June 3 launch will bring a significant expansion of availability for mobile computers, adding six dual-core mobile Core i5 and Core i7 processors and a pair of ultra-low voltage dual-core chips. Lower-end Core i3 chips are scheduled to follow in the third quarter of the year.

Yesterday, we noted that Australian regulators are targeting Apple over its "misleading" marketing of the new iPad as a "4G" device in the country despite the fact that the device is incompatible with LTE networks being rolled out there. In response, Apple has offered refunds to customers who feel they were misled by the marketing.

Concerns over the 4G marketing are now getting the attention of regulators in several European countries as well, with The Wall Street Journal noting that the Swedish Consumer Agency is also considering launching an investigation into the matter.

Marek Andersson, a lawyer at the authority whose task is to safeguard consumer interests in Sweden, said the consumer agency has received several complaints from consumers over marketing which touts the new iPad as having 4G connectivity. [...]

“One may rightfully ask if the marketing of the new iPad is misleading,” Mr. Andersson said. While iPad is equipped with 4G connectivity, it will only work in the U.S. and Canada.

“The question is whether this information is clear enough in Apple’s marketing,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pocket-lint reports that a similar situation is playing out in the United Kingdom, where the Advertising Standards Authority is also fielding complaints from customers about the issue.

“We are aware of the news from Australia regarding the iPad 4G marketing claim,” an ASA spokeswoman told us. “Without going through due process we can't say whether the (UK) ad is likely to be problematic. If anyone has concerns about the iPad ad then they can lodge a complaint with us and we will establish whether or not there is a problem under the Code.”

The UK has strict regulation of advertising claims, and Apple's marketing has been the subject of several decisions from the ASA. In 2008, the agency banned an iPhone ad over misleading claims, while a more recent decision regarding claims of the world's thinnest smartphone came down in Apple's favor. The ASA also ruled in Apple's favor last month in a dispute over advertising for Siri on the iPhone 4S.

Rumors of an "iPad mini" have been persistent over the past couple of years, despite an early dismissal of the 7" tablet form-factor by Apple's Steve Jobs:

There are clear limits to how close elements can be on the screen before users can't touch accurately. We believe 10-inch screen is minimum necessary.

Jobs' dismissal centers around an interface issue that a 10-inch screen is believed to be the minimum necessary to provide a good user interface.

Still, rumors of a smaller iPad have persisted with the latest rumors pinpointing a 7.85" screen for such a device. Apple has reportedly received samples of 1024x768 7.85" screens with rumors of mass production of the device sometime this fall.

AppAdvice digs into this exact screen size and reveals why the 7.85" size is not as arbitrary as it might seem.

The site calculates the points per inch (PPI) of such an imaginary 7.85" 1024x768 display and finds it to be 163 PPI. This is the exact same pixel density as the original iPhone and iPod Touch before the Retina Display. Apple's human interface guidelines for iOS development for both iPad and iPhone outline that the minimum size for tappable user interface elements at 44 x 44 points (0.27 x 0.27 inches on the original iPhone screen).

This 44 x 44 point size recommendation is true for the original iPhone and the original iPad, even though the original iPad was slightly less pixel-dense. (On Retina-enabled displays, the recommendation remains at 44 x 44 points, but with each point represented by 2 pixels)

What this means is that any iPad application that was designed with these guidelines in mind would never drop below Apple's recommended 44 x 44 point (0.27 x 0.27 inches) when displayed on a 7.85" miniaturized iPad. As we noted in our paper mockup of a iPad mini, that the user interface elements seemed perfectly usable on the smaller screen, and this would explain why. iPad apps would run without modification on a 7.85" iPad without any elements dropping below what Apple considers the minimal tappable size.

None of this means that Apple will definitely be producing such a device, but does show the 7.85" size is not an arbitrary decision. Existing iPad apps would run reasonably well without modification on such a device.

Australian regulators had targeted Apple earlier today over the use of the term "4G" in advertising its new iPad.

The issue stems from Apple's use of "4G" in its marketing terms for the cellular-capable models of the new iPad, while 4G LTE compatibility is actually only offered in the United States and Canada due to differences in the frequency bands used for LTE in different countries.

ABC News reports that Apple is now offering refunds to Australians who purchased the new iPad and felt misled by the "4G" advertising.

The company says it will email purchasers offering a refund if they believe they have been misled. Clarifications will also be made at point of sale.

Beyond that, Apple has agreed to publish clarification that the new iPad's 4G is not compatible with the Telstra network, but did point out that "the device is compatible with other networks that by international standards are deemed 4G."

Among the many topics related to charging, battery, and heat issues with the new iPad, observers have noted that the device continues to charge for up to an hour after the point at which the iPad reports a charge level of 100%.

AllThingsD has now spoken with Apple's Michael Tchao about the phenomenon, with Tchao noting that it is simply an effect of the same trickle charging feature that has always been included in iOS devices.

So, here’s how things work: Apple does in fact display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.

Doing so allows devices to maintain an optimum charge, Apple VP Michael Tchao told AllThingsD today.

“That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like,” Tchao said. “It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS.”

Tchao notes that users can expect 10-hour battery life on the new iPad regardless of when in that trickle charge/discharge cycle they unplug their device, and that Apple intentionally displays the battery level at 100% throughout that cycle so as to not confuse consumers who might otherwise think their device is not completing charging correctly.

Dow Jones reports on comments from Sprint Chief Financial Officer Joe Euteneuer indicating that the carrier would be free to launch an LTE-equipped iPhone should one be introduced by Apple as many expect to occur later this year. There had been speculation that Apple might keep an LTE iPhone off of Sprint given that the carrier is well behind AT&T and Verizon in its plans to roll out an LTE network as it transitions away from WiMAX as its "4G" technology.

Sprint Chief Financial Officer Joe Euteneuer declined to say if Apple has such an iPhone planned. The carrier plans to introduce the 4G LTE network in only six cities by midyear.

Nonetheless, Euteneuer said Tuesday at an investor conference that Sprint's Apple contract is similar to those of rivals AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless, and that the carrier isn't being held to any 4G LTE coverage requirements. In comparison, the other two carriers have rolled out 4G LTE to large swaths of the country.

Euteneuer noted that a theoretical iPhone launch in October of this year, in line with last year's schedule, would arrive with Sprint having rolled out LTE to many of the major cities in the United States. Consequently, he suggested that Sprint would in reality not be that far behind AT&T and Verizon by that time.

Sharp today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Foxconn/Hon Hai Precision, seeking to stabilize its own financial situation and fund investments to continue pushing LCD technology forward.

Foxconn is of course Apple's primary manufacturing partner for many of its products, while Sharp was reportedly responsible for the Retina display technology in the new iPad. But production difficulties at Sharp have resulted in the company delaying its entry into the supply chain for the iPad display as Samsung and LG have ramped their own production.

Looking at the business environment, Hon Hai Precision Industry, the key company of Hon Hai group, saw Sharp's LCD technology with high reputation, and decided to procure ultimately up to 50% of large-size LCD panels and LCD modules manufactured at the LCD panel plant in Sakai-city, Osaka, Japan. The LCD panel plant will be mutually managed by one company set by partner companies.

In addition, this partnership allows each company to establish a new business model, combining each company's strength, to launch cost competitive component and products fit to market demand by utilizing Sharp's potential for the development of one-of-a-kind components and products with Hon Hai group's mounting technology and cost competitiveness.

Sharp and various Foxconn-related entities will split Sharp's existing ownership share of the cutting edge LCD plant in Sakai, while Sony will retain its 7% stake in the plant. On the corporate side, Sharp is issuing over 120 million new shares that will give Foxconn-related entities a roughly 10% ownership stake in Sharp with their investment of over $800 million.

While Apple is not directly related in the partnership developments, closer ties between Foxconn and Sharp could help speed and streamline the development and adoption of new technologies that could make their way into Apple's products.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australian regulators are taking action to address "misleading" marketing claims regarding the new iPad, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announcing that it will pursue injunctions, fines and other remedies in its case. The issue stems from Apple's use of "4G" in its marketing terms for the cellular-capable models of the new iPad, while 4G LTE compatibility is actually only offered in the United States and Canada due to differences in the frequency bands used for LTE in different countries.

“The ACCC alleges that Apple's recent promotion of the new "iPad with WiFi + 4G" is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product "iPad with WiFi + 4G" can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case.

The competition regulator said it was seeking injunctions, penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers who were misled.

Apple has added fine print in several places on its website to clarify that LTE connectivity is not available in most countries, but the ACCC clearly feels that this step is insufficient and that the company should cease using the "4G" term in association with the iPad in countries where the device is incompatible with LTE networks.

Apple has been prominently featuring Siri, the voice recognition feature, in its iPhone 4S advertising. And, for a good reason: it's apparently very popular amongst iPhone 4S owners. 87 percent of iPhone 4S users use at least one Siri feature each month, according to a new study. However, they aren't using all that Siri, which is technically still in Beta, has to offer.

Making phone calls and sending text-messages are the most popular activities, according to the report, a sign that Siri usage is mirroring how people use their phones more generally. Roughly a third of 4S owners use Siri to place phone calls, send text messages, or look up information daily or almost daily.

Many other Siri services are getting little pickup, however. They include playing music and scheduling meetings. Thirty-two and 35% of 4S users, respectively, said they had never used Siri to perform those actions. Those categories also had some of the lowest percentage of users that did either daily or almost daily.

The survey, performed by Parks Associates, also found that 55% of iPhone 4S users were satisfied with Siri and 9% were unsatisfied. The rest were somewhere in between. It seems likely that Apple will expand the Siri feature-set going forward, adding more partners to the current Wolfram and Yelp integration. ESPN has been mentioned as a possible partner for serving up sports scores and schedules.