Apple

Apple is one profitable company. The firm announced recently that during the fourth quarter (its fiscal first quarter), it generated a whopping $46.33 billion in revenue and a profit of $13.06 billion. The company’s revenue figure nearly doubled the sales it posted in the same period back in 2010, and its profit was more than double the figure in the prior year. All that has helped Apple grow its cash coffers to nearly $100 billion. Apple’s success is a far cry from its sad state of affairs back in the 1990s. At that time, co-founder Steve Jobs had to step in to fix things, and there was a point when industry observers weren’t sure if Apple’s doors would be padlocked or not. But through hard work, tough choices, and some really neat ideas, Steve Jobs was able to turn things around at Apple. Now, the company is the world’s largest, and its profitability is soaring. How has Apple achieved such profitability? Here’s a look.

NEWS ANALYSIS: Apple's contract manufacturing at Foxconn is getting all of the attention, but the problem is far wider. If you want to find one source of the problem, look in the mirror.

The company s return to top spot was partly driven by continuing to offer the iPhone 3GS at rock-bottom prices.

Apple's iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch screen and a different casing from the iPhone 4, according to a new report from the blog 9to5Mac.

Apple's iPhone 4S and iPad helped drive a record quarter for the company, with $46.33 billion in revenues.

Approximately 94 percent of businesses surveyed have an increased number of personal mobile devices connecting to the corporate network.

Each year, the Consumer Electronics Show comes to Las Vegas in January. And each year, Apple is the only major consumer electronics company that doesn’t go to the show. The move is debated by people who believe the company should attend and give the show more legitimacy, while others argue that it only devalues Apple’s brand. All the while, Apple has stayed quiet on the issue, deciding instead to pretend like CES doesn’t exist. But just because Apple isn’t there, it doesn’t mean the Cupertino, Calif.-based company doesn’t have something to teach those firms that are. From how they should market their products to the value of secrecy, Apple’s business practices can be held up as a template for other companies. After all, Apple is wildly successful and generates billions of dollars in profit every quarter. Isn’t that something every other company at CES is trying to achieve? Here’s a look at how Apple could teach CES exhibitors a thing or two about doing a better job of promoting their products both at the huge event and all the rest of the year:

With talk of Apple’s iPad 3 launching towards the beginning of 2012, there is rampant speculation about the technology giant’s plans. Will it offer up an iterative update that does little to make the iPad a more compelling offering the marketplace like it did with iPhone 4s? Or will Apple try to set a new standard (again) in the tablet market by delivering a product that follows through on its desire to be the very best in each market it competes in? We are hoping Apple will choose the latter course. But if it does, Apple must offer a host of improvements in the iPad 3 that not only makes new iPad recruits want the device, but also makes iPad 2 owners want to upgrade immediately. Here’s a look at the features the iPad 3 needs in order to set itself apart as the best tablet Apple has ever launched.

Apple's next iPad will arrive in two models, while the iPad 2 will be repositioned to battle Amazon s Kindle Fire, according to a DigiTimes report.

Among the SMBs surveyed, 73 percent said they plan to purchase tablets over the next 12 months, the NPD Group found.

The tool, Spire, will download Siri itself (directly from Apple) while it installs, according to an iPhone hacker.

Apple's iPad 3 could feature Siri, a higher resolution display and other features already present in the company s device ecosystem.

Apple has reportedly purchased flash storage company Anobit for around $500 million, which could boost its mobile device-related efforts.

Google's Android operating system will rise to 40 percent market share for tablet computers through the fourth quarter, thanks largely to the low-cost Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet.

Apple will buy panels for the iPad from AU Optronics (AUO), as well as 7.85-inch panels from LG Display, according to a report from DigiTimes.

The Apple app offers features that are designed to optimize and automate on-site IT field service work.

Apple hasn’t tasted defeat in years. From the iPod’s launch, to the iPhone, to the iPad, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has reinvented the form factor for portable computing and beat out competitors with ease. Most researchers and analysts believe that its success will continue in the years ahead, and the chances are good that they are right. But to simply assume that that will be the case is a mistake. Apple faces a host of threats to its operation right now from all sides. The technology giant might not enjoy as great of a year as shareholders and analysts expect. Here’s a look at some of the threats that could take Apple down in 2012.

Apple's iPad December sales will take a hit from the release of Amazon's Kindle Fire and lowered inventory, according to a new analyst report.

The application provides "VPN on Demand" and encrypts traffic whenever users attempt to access protected internal resources.

Having taken over the company from Steve Jobs earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook has several choices he will need to make as the company moves forward. Will he want to continue on the same path Apple has been heading down, staying on course? Or will he want to take a few risks and see if he can effectively lead a company that would seem to be on cruise-control? If Cook wants to make a mark and go down as one of the best Apple CEOs ever, he’ll need to choose the latter course and, as Apple itself said in an iconic ad, "think different". Sure, it would be easy to stick with the same strategy, but Apple has become a special company by taking chances. Some products missed the mark (think the Apple Newton) and others, like the iPad and iPhone, have become smashing successes. With boatloads of cash on hand and a host of products consumers are drooling over, what better time for the company to take a chance? Here we take a look at some of the risks we think Cook should take if he wants to step out of Steve Jobs' shadow.