Horace Dediu has four questions for Apple's Tim Cook

In advance of Cook's appearance at D11 next week, a deep dive into Apple's business.

FORTUNE -- For the second year in a row, Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to be the opening night speaker at the annual D: All Things Digital conference, an invitation-only event that prides itself in assembling the people that really matter in the world of high tech.

Asymco's Horace Dediu was not invited.

More's the pity, MORE

Apple's defenders count the errors in Microsoft's anti-iPad ads

Did Microsoft stretch the truth in spots promoting a tablet that runs Windows?

FORTUNE -- You'd think Microsoft (MSFT) would get some credit for running a couple light-hearted TV ads that -- unlike those awful 2008 Jerry Seinfeld spots -- aren't cringeworthy.

But in the Windows tablet ads that debuted this week, Microsoft used Siri to badmouth the iPad, and some Apple (AAPL) aficionados were not amused.

AppleInsider's headline set the tone: Microsoft caught lying about MORE

U.S. Judge in e-book antitrust trial says Apple is likely to lose

It doesn't start until June 3, but the judge is already working on a draft of her decision.

FORTUNE -- This does not bode well for Cupertino.

Asked during a preliminary hearing Thursday to share her thoughts about the Department of Justice's case against Apple (AAPL) in the long-awaited e-book antitrust trial, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said this, according to Reuters:

"I believe that the government will be able to show at trial MORE

New Apple TV ad series: Every day, more people ...

First, take photos. Second, enjoy their music. What's next?

FORTUNE -- With the release Thursday night of the second "Every Day" spot for the iPhone, it's now clear where Apple's (AAPL) new series of TV ads is headed.

With Samsung nipping at its heels in the U.S. -- and leaving it in the dust in overseas markets -- Apple is capitalizing on studies that show that despite diminishing market share, more people use MORE

Apple, Android and a truckload of watermelons

Looking at market share vs. profit share every which way to Sunday.

FORTUNE -- "Have you heard this one?" asks John Kirk in Android's Market Share is Literally a Joke, a Tech.pinions piece posted Thursday.

It starts like this:

Two farmers bought a truckload of watermelons, paying five dollars apiece for them. Then they drove to the market and sold all their watermelons for four dollars each. After counting their money at the end MORE

Jon Stewart on Tim Cook, Apple's taxes, and the subcommittee

"Who are those people? What is the opposite of a Genius Bar?"

FORTUNE -- You knew The Daily Show wasn't going to pass up a chance to comment on a hearing as unintentionally comical as the Senate subcommittee's probe into Apple's (AAPL) taxes.

Apologies for the fuzzy YouTube clip. There's a better version on Comedy Central's Daily Show site.

Analyst: Apple caught 'flat footed' in Asian smartphone race

Says current iPhones are "poorly aligned" with the factors driving smartphone growth.

FORTUNE -- In a note to clients Thursday, Nomura's Stuart Jeffrey raised his estimates for smartphone sales in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by 13%, 16% and 14%, respectively.

But not for Apple (AAPL).

"Despite Apple commanding an 18% smartphone share," he writes, "we have not increased our Apple estimates."

The reason, he says, is that Apple's current crop of iPhones are "poorly aligned" MORE

Joe Nocera does it again

On the New York Times Op-Ed page he calls Apple CEO Tim Cook a liar.

FORTUNE -- I met Joe Nocera once, and he seemed like a nice guy. Over his long career as a business journalist -- including more than a decade at Fortune -- he's done some first-rate work on Apple (AAPL). "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs," a profile for Esquire of the entrepreneur at age 31, may MORE

Forecast of the day: iPhone and Galaxy June sales

Google Trends says Apple beats low expectations, Samsung momentum stays strong.

FORTUNE -- Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty unveiled a new crowdsourced forecasting tool Tuesday. As explained in an April whitepaper, the AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker is based on an analysis of Google Trends, using different search terms for different regions and adjusting for seasonal trends.

The results of the first month's survey of the U.S., U.K., German, French, Japanese and Chinese markets are shown in the chart above.

As MORE

Bloomberg: Apple stuck bond buyers with a '$280 million loss'

As if Apple's bonds were the only ones whose price fell as interest rates climbed.

FORTUNE -- As John R. noted in the comment stream of Mary Childs' latest story on the Bloomberg newswire, she is not an idiot: "She knows using a sensational headline containing 'Apple' will attract readers."

Thus a rise in interest rates across the board is reported on Bloomberg as Apple (AAPL) news:

Apple Bonds Stick Buyers With $280.6 MORE