As the report highlights, the Apple is still at the top of the consumer satisfaction index. It received 81 points on a scale of 100, dropping 2 points from last year’s position of 83 points. Also, the “iPhone appears to lag in the consumer satisfaction rating of 86 for Apple desktop, laptop and tablet business,” CNET informs.

While the iPhone’s popularity slightly dropped among consumers, Samsung recorded the biggest gain among all handset manufacturers, posting a 7% growth since last year’s position. Motorola is poised to grow as well, as it received 77 points in terms of customer satisfaction, second only to Apple.

“The improvement [for Samsung] is the largest yet for any cellphone manufacturer,” the ACSI report said. “Nevertheless, Samsung remains well behind industry leader Apple.”

The ASCI consumer satisfaction index is based on a survey of 70,000 people in the US. It measures customer satisfaction with more than 230 companies in 43 industries and ten economic sectors.

iPhone Customer Satisfaction Drops as Samsung Devices Advance [Report] is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

A balance of local and global strength, diversified business areas, and strong corporate brand are some of Apple Inc.’s features that have pushed it to the top of the world’s most valuable brands, according to Millward Brown Optimor’s annual BrandZ list (via 9to5mac).

Apple topped this year’s list due to the strength of its brand, valued at $185 billion, although its rate of growth has slowed by 95% because of a slip in stock price and negative investor sentiment. However, as global BrandZ director Peter Walshe points out, the most powerful brands don’t tend to slip as much, while the finances go up and down (see Apple’s stock price).

Apple maintains its top slot in the rankings this year because of the strength of its brand, with a value of $185.1bn. However, its rate of growth has slowed by 95 per cent due to a slip in stock price and negative investor sentiment.

“Its brand value only increased by 1 per cent this year but it still holds the record for the most valuable brand. And it leads by a long way. The next brand in the ranking, Google, is worth $113.7bn [reversing a 3 per cent decline last year to a 5 per cent gain] so Apple is $71.4bn ahead – nearly the value of Coca-Cola, which just shows how strong, powerful and meaningful that brand is,” explains Walshe.

Millward Brown Optimor creates the BrandZ Top 100 global brands list from 14 categories, stretching over five sectors: consumer, food and drink, financial institutions, technology and commodities. A brand’s value is calculated by taking the financial value created by the corporation and multiplying it by the brand contribution, the company explains.

Apple: Most Valuable Brand in the World is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

The hotel announced (via Redmond Pie) it now offers custom-designed 24-carat gold plated iPads for its guests to use during their stay, to act as a virtual concierge to access services like private dining and housekeeping, noted management to The National:

“Our exclusive Burj Al Arab 24-carat gold iPads further enhance our guests’ experience during their stay,” said general manager Heinrich Morio. “We have also recently introduced iMacs inside all our suites.”

The iPads were made by Gold & Co London, described as “the ultimate in luxury accessories” by chief executive Amjad Ali. The iPads are 64GB models with 4G connectivity and will be available for sale soon in the hotel’s gift shop with a price tag of 37,490 AED, or $10,448 Canadian dollars.

Having visited Dubai before and dined at Al Muntaha (on the 27th floor) for Friday Brunch at the Burj Al Arab, this hotel is the real deal when it comes to the ultimate in hotel luxury. If only guests could keep the gold iPads, but unfortunately that is not the case as they are required to be returned at the end of your stay.

Check out this documentary on the hotel below:

7-Star Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai Now Offers 24k Gold iPads for Guests is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation led by Senators Carl Levin and John McCain found that Apple set up corporate structures that allowed the company to pay little or no corporate tax on a big chunk of its overseas income, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The published reports come hot on the heels of Apple’s release of 17 pages of testimony prior to the U.S. Subcommittee investigation on tax practices.

The report seems to reinforce an earlier New York Times investigation which stated that Apple pioneered its famous “double Irish with a Dutch sandwich” technique to avoid paying taxes.

Apple has devoted a major part of its testimony to defending its use of five subsidiaries based in Ireland: Apple Operations International, Apple Operations, Apple Operations Europe, Apple Sales International and Apple Distribution International.

These subsidiaries are key players because ? as the investigation has found ? Irish tax law only considers companies as residents if they are managed and controlled there. The IRS, meanwhile, only counts corporations as American if they are incorporated here, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Here is what the Apple statement says about AOI, reported by Fortune’s Philip Elmer-Dewitt:

AOI is incorporated in Ireland; thus, under US law, it is not tax resident in the US. AOI is also not tax resident in Ireland because it does not meet the fact-specific residency requirements of Irish law.

The WSJ points to several findings of the lengthy investigation including how AOI doesn’t qualify as a tax resident of any other country under the applicable local laws, or how ASI (Apple Sales International) only paid a 0.05% tax rate in 2011. A third Apple subsidiary, AOE (Apple Operations Europe), maintains that its corporate profits aren’t taxable by any country.

Apple’s Corporate Structures Allow Tax Avoidance, Says U.S. Senate Report is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Biggr. A free terabyte of space

At Flickr, we believe you should share all your images in full resolution, so life’s moments can be relived in their original quality. No limited pixels, no cramped formats, no memories that fall flat. We’re giving your photos room to breathe, and you the space to upload a dizzying number of photos and videos, for free. Just how big is a terabyte? Well, you could take a photo every hour for forty years without filling one.

And yep, you heard us. It’s free.

This means you can now upload as many pictures and HD videos as you please to fill up 1 terabyte of free storage. The new web view of Flickr looks more magazine-like with various column layouts.

This new additional storage will work out great for users of the Flickr iOS app, which was revamped last December and updated in February with faster uploading and automatic saving of images from your Photostream to your camera roll.

Flickr notes there are still paid plans, such as $49.99 per year to go ad-free, or $499.99 per year for an extra terabyte of storage.

Anyone going back to Flickr because of this new redesign and storage announcement?

Flickr Gets Revamped: Now Offers 1 Terabyte of Free Storage is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

If you’re into iPhone concept videos, Ran Avni and Uygar Kaya released a new video this morning showcasing an ‘iPhone 6′ with a whole bevy of features such as an HD display, slimmer design and notification LEDs to name a few:

iPhone 6 concept with full hd retina display, ultra slim design, notification leds, charging animation, front facing stereo speakers, dust-water resistant, touch sensitive volume rocker, wide visible screen, wireless charging, 13 mega-pixel camera and more…

The concept created by Uygar KAYA?, and the video created by Ran Avni.

Check out the video below and tell us what you think–is this too much?

iPhone 6 Concept Envisions HD Display, LED Notifications, Wireless Charging [VIDEO] is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Apple has released a 17 page PDF document detailing its stance on tax policies prior to the U.S. Subcommittee hearing set to take place tomorrow, where CEO Tim Cook is set to defend and clarify the company’s tax practices.

Apple clarifies how in its 2012 fiscal year, $6 billion in corporate taxes were paid to Uncle Sam, the most out of any corporation in the USA, accounting for $1 out of every $40 in corporate taxes collected by the U.S. government, or $16 million per day. This number is expected to rise to $7 billion this year.

The company reiterates in its conclusion the company encourages “comprehensive reform” of the US corporate tax system, most likely to include changes to allow the company to repatriate foreign capital without paying a 35 per cent tax rate, which Apple believes would “stimulate economic growth”, since they would be paying more US corporate tax if this number was reduced.

While some Subcommittee members may have differing views on these tax policy matters, Apple hopes the Subcommittee will see that these recommendations aim to create meaningful change and go well beyond what most US companies propose. As both a pioneer and participant in the American innovation economy, Apple looks forward to working with the Subcommittee on its efforts to encourage comprehensive reform of the US corporate tax system. Apple appreciates the opportunity to appear before the Subcommittee to contribute constructively to this important debate.

The Offshore Profit Shifting and the U.S. Tax Code – Part 2 is set to take place tomorrow at the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 9:30AM EDT in Washington, D.C.

Apple Releases Testimony Prior to U.S. Subcommittee Investigation is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

What’s New in Version 3.3.2
A couple of cool updates for iPhone and iPad:

- Fancy new post type chooser
- App attribution on posts

Click here to download Tumblr for iOS– it’s free.

Tumblr for iOS Updated with New Post Type Chooser is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

The report notes that Apple retail showed a 7% growth in visitors, hitting an all time new revenue record of $57.6 per visitor. The average revenue per Apple store per quarter reached $13 million, making it the highest for a non-holiday quarter. Similarly, the average number of visitors per store hit 250,000 per quarter, compared with 170,000 visitors per store per quarter three years ago.

“Here are some additional metrics:

Employment has steadied at about 110 per store. This is a remarkable increase from less than half this level in 2007.

Hiring remains closely correlated with visits with visitors per employee per quarter holding to slightly more than 2000.

Average visitors per store has steadied to 250,000 per store per quarter (average for trailing 12 months). This is a quantum increase from about 170,000 per store per quarter in the twelve months ending Q1 2010. The reason for this might be the increase in floor space of newer stores and the renovation of older stores. The new store throughput rate might be an upper bound due to fire regulations”.

The analysis also claims that Apple’s profit per visitor also held steady at about $12 per quarter.

Asymco: Apple Has Set A New Record For ‘Revenue Per Store Visitor’ is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

What’s New in Version 1.2
Easier to use for new users
Improved search experience
Prominent new message action
Chat states show when business or TalkTo agent is typing
Numerous bug fixes

Honestly, TalkTo is one of my favourite apps on my iPhone as it allows me to ask businesses questions without calling, saving me time and patience. No more navigating through complex telephone menus to find out the answer to a simple question.

Questions such as the following to the Apple Store at Metrotown in Burnaby, BC:

The service works great to make reservations, check if an item is in stock, or to find out business hours, with answers sent back to you via push notifications within five minutes most of the time. It’s like a free personal assistant running telephone errands for you. Don’t have a U.S. long distance plan? Use TalkTo to message American businesses for free.

How does TalkTo work exactly? The service has agents based worldwide to provide coverage 24/7 for your questions. If you ask specific questions such as “Can I get a table at 8pm”, the service will represent themselves to business as TalkTo working on your behalf. If you ask a generic question such as “When do you close tonight?” then the service will ask without identifying themselves.

Click here to download TalkTo for iPhone–it’s free. The service is also available on the web to message any business in Canada or the USA. Let me know how you use TalkTo in the comments below!

TalkTo Text-to-Business for iPhone Adds Improved Search Interface is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource