Wal-Mart

Where to buy an iPad 2 on Day 1

A guide for shoppers who can't wait for the lines to subside

As you may have heard, Apple's (AAPL) new and improved iPad 2 goes on sale in the U.S. Friday at 5 p.m. local time.

Unlike the first model, which was initially available only through Apple's retail stores and selected Best Buy outlets, buyers this year have choices -- more than 10,000 of them, each with their pros and cons. They MORE

Apple still owns movie downloads

Despite fierce competition, iTunes commanded a 64% share of the (legal) market in 2010

The online movie market may be Apple's (AAPL) to lose, but it hasn't lost it yet.

According to an IHS Screen Digest report issued Monday by iSuppli, the iTunes Store's share of the U.S. market for downloaded movies (see below re streaming) fell nearly 10 points last year, from 74.4% in 2009 to 64.5% in 2010.

But as IHS MORE

How 2010 tech changed retail forever

A long time coming, the combined efforts of major players and successful startups have irrevocably changed the way consumers shop.

In the tech world, 2010 will be remembered for a few newsworthy events. The iPad launched last spring and took tablets mainstream. In August, sales of Android devices trumped iPhone sales for the first time. And just several weeks ago, the industry eagerly witnessed Google's (GOOG) jaw-dropping (and rejected) bid for Groupon.

Behind MORE

How Black Friday ads get leaked

Major retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot are battling the web sites that post their ads early, but they may have to shoulder some of that blame.

By Daniel Roberts, reporter

Next week brings more than one American tradition: Thanksgiving turkey followed by a rush of frenzied bargain-hunters at the malls on Black Friday.

Unfortunately for some retailers, the Internet has added a new layer to the tradition: their ads posted and MORE

iPhones aplenty for the holidays

The company finally has enough iPhone 4s in stock -- just in time for the Christmas rush

From the day it launched the iPhone 4 in June, Apple (AAPL) has ramping up production, trying to get supplies to the point where they could meet demand.

The company reached that point of retail equilibrium last week, when shipping delays in its online store, which had been listed at 3 weeks from June through MORE

Wal-Mart's VUDU brings high-def streaming to Boxee

The high-quality streaming service comes to the cross-platform home theater app.

In another coup for VUDU, the startup Wal-Mart (WMT) acquired back in February for over $100 million, Boxee announced today that the high-quality video-on-demand service will appear on Boxee Box, a dedicated $199 set-top box launching next month, as well as the Boxee app.

"It rounds out our movie offering," says Andrew Kippen, Vice President of Marketing for Boxee. "We have MORE

Apple overtakes Microsoft, is now No. 2

Measured by market capitalization, it is second only to Exxon Mobil among U.S. companies

At the close of market Wednesday, Apple's (AAPL) share price stood at $244.11, down $1.11 (0.45%) for the day. Microsoft (MSFT), on the other hand, closed at $25.01, down $1.06 (4.07%).

Why is this significant? Because Apple's market capitalization ($221.36 billion) just overtook Microsoft's ($219.35) for the first time in 20 years, making it the second most MORE

Apple takes top spot among cell phone buyers

Consumer Reports ranks its stores above the rest despite high prices and limited selection

You might think that the best place to buy a cell phone is from the store that has the biggest selection or the lowest price or a connection to the carrier you'll be using.

But you would be wrong, according to the June issue of Consumer Reports. Based on a survey of 11,000 online subscribers, the magazine gave MORE

Welcome to your new "social" work life.

There is a race going on right now among software companies to become the Facebook for the workplace. Jockeying for position are behemoths like IBM (IBM), giants in-waiting like Saleforce.com (CRM), and a slew of smaller companies including Greenplum, Jive, LinkedIn, and Socialcast among others.

With its recently announced acquisition of CubeTree, you can now add SuccessFactors (SFSF) to the list of contenders, and one likely to move to the front MORE

Apple is No. 3, closing in on Microsoft

With its market cap at $213.9 billion, only two U.S. companies are bigger than Apple

Here's one way to measure Apple's (AAPL) progress in March, a month in which its stock price set 11 all-time highs.

On March 9, a few days after the company announced the iPad's ship date, Apple's market capitalization (share price times shares outstanding) was $198.5 billion, making it one of the five most valuable U.S. companies, right MORE