The 2012 Fortune 500 list is now available, and to no one's surprise, Apple leap up the charts from number 35 last year to number 17 this year -- and Cupertino isn't likely to rest in that position for long, judging from the kind of year they're already having. But that's not the only news for today, so without further ado, here's the latest for Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
AT&T Family Data Plans Coming Sooner Than Expected
With many of us now using family plans for our wireless phones, it only makes sense for carriers to allow sharing a pool of data among users, the same way we now do with voice minutes each month. Both AT&T and Verizon have expressed interest in just such a service, and if Ma Bell has its way, they may actually beat Big Red to the punch. According to Cnet, AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega confesses he's "very comfortable with the plan that will be offered to our customers" -- a definite about face from the company's waffling position of a few months ago. Like Verizon, AT&T is planning to launch a family data plan package by mid-year, which is just around the corner. Such a plan would "allow consumers to buy one bucket of data, which can be used by multiple devices, a move industry observers believe could spur the sale of non-traditional cellular devices like connected tablets." Hey, can't come soon enough for us!
TouchArcade Launches iPhone App
MacRumors is reporting that its sister website TouchArcade has finally released their own iOS app, dedicated to games for the platform. The TouchArcade app brings "website content, easy game discovery, user forums, as well as app tracking abilities" -- which includes adding games to a "Watch List" where users can be notified of sales, reviews and updates. The free app is compatible with all devices running iOS 4.2 or later, but isn't yet a universal build with native iPad support. MacRumors also notes that an official app for their own website is also planned for launch later this year.
Apple Moves Up to Number 17 on Fortune 500 List
Fortune magazine released its Fortune 500 list for 2012, and Apple is once again on the move, sprinting up the chart 18 places from number 35 to number 17. "The company emerged from the tragic passing of co-founder Steve Jobs saddened but in no perceptible way weakened," the magazine notes. "Under CEO Tim Cook, the company continued pumping out new products -- like a significantly upgraded version of the iPad tablet. Apple nearly doubled its earnings per share in 2011, compared to 2010. That helped nudge management to announce plans for the firm's first dividend since 1995, returning some of the $97.6 billion in cash it had accumulated. Apple fans and analysts alike also continue to await a long-rumored television set from the gadget maker." A year from now, Apple is likely to be even further up the Fortune food chain, with many predicting the company may even crack the top five.
Apple Continues Rollout of iPhone to Two More Regional Carriers
Macworld is reporting that two more regional carriers are about to roll out the iPhone on Friday, May 18. This time it's Nex-Tech Wireless based in Kansas as well as California-based Golden State Cellular, who will both be offering all three storage capacities of the iPhone 4S for $50 less than their major carrier rivals at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Both carriers use the CDMA standard and offer better voice and data plans than their larger competitors. The pair of regional carriers now make a total of 13 different companies offering the iPhone here in the U.S., and is likely to even further depress T-Mobile, the fourth-placed carrier still left without an official Apple device.
Evernote for iOS Receives Major Note Editor Upgrade
On the heels of its Penultimate acquisition, Evernote has announced a new update for its own iOS app, with a special focus on enhancements for the iPhone. Chief among them is a "completely redesigned note editor," including attachments at top, intuitive text styling and redesigned note info. The iPhone version also receives better checkboxes, but you'll need iOS 5 or higher to see both of these changes. Evernote has also improved attachments (including support for Photo Stream images) and a pair of new settings to control auto-titling and saving to Camera Roll. The update is now available in the App Store.
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