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Apple Inc , the largest U.S. company by market value, will join the Dow Jones industrial average , replacing AT&T Inc , in a change that reflects the dominant position of the iPhone maker in the U.S. consumer economy. The decision to nudge aside AT&T, which has been part of the Dow for the better part of a century, is a recognition of how communications and technology have evolved. The action, by S&P Dow Jones Indices, had been widely expected since Apple split its shares seven-for-one in June of last year. The stock was added to the Dow in 1916, the year after the first-ever transcontinental telephone call.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc will delay the start of production on a larger, 12.9-inch iPad until around September because of problems involving the display panel supply, said a report by Bloomberg News citing people familiar with the company's plans as saying. Production on the bigger tablet had been scheduled to begin this quarter, Bloomberg cited one of the people as saying. (Reporting by Edwin Chan)

By Andrew Chung NEW YORK (Reuters) – Apple Inc has been ordered to pay $532.9 million after a federal jury in Texas found that its iTunes software infringed three patents owned by patent licensing firm Smartflash LLC. Though Smartflash had been asking for $852 million in damages, Tuesday night's verdict was still a blow to Apple. The jury, which deliberated for eight hours, determined Apple had not only used Smartflash's patents without permission, but did so willfully. Apple, which said it would appeal, said the outcome was another reason reform was needed in the patent system to curb litigation by companies that don't make products themselves.

A year and a half ago, Apple Inc had applied for just eight patents related to auto batteries. Recently, it has hired a bevy of engineers, just one of whom had already filed for 17 in his former career, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis. The recent spate of hires and patent filings reviewed by Reuters shows that Apple is fast building its industrial lithium-ion battery capabilities, adding to evidence the iPhone maker may be developing a car. Quiet, clean electric cars are viewed in Silicon Valley and elsewhere as a promising technology for the future, but high costs and “range anxiety”, the concern that batteries will run out of power and cannot be recharged quickly, remain obstacles.

Japan Display Inc is considering building a plant to supply smartphone screens for Apple Inc and is negotiating with the U.S. company for investment in the project, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday. The Japanese screen maker aims to be the primary supplier of high-tech screens for Apple's wildly popular iPhones, the person told Reuters. Global iPhone sales, notably in China, have surged to make Apple the most profitable company in history. Japan Display wants Apple to shoulder much of the expected 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) investment in the plant, which aims to be in operation next year, the source said on condition of anonymity as the talks remain confidential.

By Deepa Seetharaman and Edwin Chan SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Electric-car battery maker A123 Systems has sued Apple Inc for poaching top engineers to build a large-scale battery division, according to a court filing that offered further evidence that the iPhone maker may be developing a car. Apple has been poaching engineers with deep expertise in car systems, including from Tesla Inc, and talking with industry experts and automakers with the ultimate aim of learning how to make its own electric car, an auto industry source said last week. Around June 2014, Apple began aggressively poaching A123 engineers tasked with leading some of the company's most critical projects, the lawsuit said. The engineers jumped ship to pursue similar programs at Apple, in violation of their employment agreements, A123 said in a filing earlier this month in Massachusetts federal court.

By Edward Taylor and Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Technology giant Apple is learning how to make a self-driving electric car and is talking to experts at carmakers and automotive suppliers, an automotive source familiar with the talks said on Saturday.     The Cupertino, California-based maker of phones, computers and watches is exploring how to make an entire vehicle, not just designing automotive software or individual components, the source said. Apple is gathering advice on parts and production methods, the source said, adding that Apple appeared not to be interested in combustion engine technology or conventional manufacturing methods. Rival software maker Google has developed a prototype self-driving vehicle, while startup rival Tesla Motors has produced a successful electric sports car. In addition to building a car, there is money to be made from the software operating system for a self-driving vehicle, as well as the services associated with autonomous driving, such as high-definition mapping, car-sharing and electric car recharging services, the auto industry source said.

By Christina Farr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc's healthcare technology is spreading quickly among major U.S. hospitals, showing early promise as a way for doctors to monitor patients remotely and lower costs. Fourteen of 23 top hospitals contacted by Reuters said they have rolled out a pilot program of Apple's HealthKit service – which acts as a repository for patient-generated health information like blood pressure, weight or heart rate – or are in talks to do so. Apple rivals Google Inc and Samsung Electronics , which have released similar services, are only just starting to reach out to hospitals and other medical partners. Such systems hold the promise of allowing doctors to watch for early signs of trouble and intervene before a medical problem becomes acute.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are tremendous successes for Apple and have driven iPhone sales to new records — the company sold 74.5 million iPhone units during the first quarter of its 2015 fiscal year, with the bulk of them being 2014 iPhones. Tim Cook praised the devices during Tuesday’s earnings conference call, MacRumors reports, revealing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus managed to bring more users to iOS from Android than any other iPhone before. FROM EARLIER: Samsung’s iPhone 6 nightmare is unfolding before its eyes Apple’s CEO said that only a “small fraction” of the installed iPhone base has upgraded to a new iPhone, and that the majority of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are new to

By Jennifer Ablan and Liana B. Baker NEW YORK (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics recently offered to buy BlackBerry Ltd for as much as $7.5 billion, seeking its valuable patents as it battles Apple in the corporate market, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters. South Korea's Samsung proposed an initial price range of $13.35 to $15.49 per share, representing a premium of 38 percent to 60 percent over BlackBerry's current trading price, the source said on Wednesday. …