Brand: MacTech

Investors should sell Apple options because “the best technology company on the planet” may gain from more iPhone sales outside of the U.S. and selling ads on mobile devices including the iPad, Gleacher & Co. told clients — as noted by “Bloomberg” (http://macosg.me/2/sa).

Analyst Brian Marshall recommended selling Apple’s January 2012 US$230 puts, which fell 1.2 percent to $38.39 yesterday. Selling a put, which gives the right to sell, is a bet that the stock will rise, allowing the seller to keep the premium paid, notes “Bloomberg.” The shares gained 1.2 percent to $242.89.

Smartphone maker HTC which Apple has sued twice, says the patents Apple has accused it of infringing are invalid, according to the “Groklaw” web site (http://macosg.me/2/s4).

Another day, another lawsuit. A case has started in the court of the Eastern District of Texas Marshall Division accusing a number of companies — including Apple — of breaching a patent relating to object orientation, reports “TechEye” (http://macosg.me/2/s5).

Is the iPad’s popularity hurting sales of other Apple products? Yes. And no. As with many things in life, it depends on whom you ask.

According to a survey by Alphawise, Morgan Stanley’s internal research team, and investment bank Piper Jaffray, almost 44% of iPad owners would not be buying a notebook, and 24%said the notebook they wouldn’t buy would have been a Macbook, while 20% said it would have been a PC, reports the “International Business Times” (http://macosg.me/2/s3).