Apple is once again being sued, this time by former employees. Claims of California Labor Code violations, particularly breaks and timely final paychecks are the focus of this suit, recently granted class-action status.

Apple has purchased some 29 companies since the beginning of fiscal 2013 (October of 2012), and five just since the end of the of the March quarter of 2014. If you throw in Beats, which hasn't closed yet, that makes 30 companies and a clear indication that Apple is becoming more aggressive in buying outside firms.

During Apple's Fiscal Q3 2014 Earnings Report, CEO Tim Cook clarified, on several occasions, the motivation for the partnership with IBM. The goal is to create a catalyst for iPad sales in the enterprise.

iTunes billings are up 25 percent year over year and Apple says its little music, movie, and mobile app sales through the iTunes Store made up the fastest growing part of its business over the past three fiscal quarters. That includes the 75 billion App Store downloads the company previously announced earlier this month.

Apple shareholders will be getting a dividend this quarter, according to company CFO Luca Maestri, to the tune of US$0.47 per share. Mr. Maestri shared that little tidbit during the iPhone and iPad maker's third fiscal quarter earnings report Tuesday afternoon.

Apple announced results for its third fiscal quarter Tuesday, reporting record revenue of US$37.4 billion, with earnings of $7.7 billion (earning per share (EPS) of $1.28 per share). Apple said its EPS growth was 20 percent year-over-year, its highest rate of EPS growth in the last seven quarters. iPhone and Mac sales drove growth.

We have a very practical deal for you today, a universal car mount for your iPhone or Android smartphone. This unit has a swivel mount that allows you to rotate your device a full 360 degrees. It has a ball joint for angling your device just so, too. Plus, it's only $14 through our deal, less than half the retail price of $29. It's made of ABS thermoplastic.

A petition at The Petition Site is being circulated that demands Samsung improve working conditions at its Chinese factories. The petition targets Boo-Keun Yoon, CEO of the Samsung Group, and accuses the company of operating or contracting with scores of factories that have unsafe working conditions. 40,000 people have signed the petition so far.

Apple has reportedly ordered a metric butt-load of big screen iPhones -- more than it's ever sold in a single quarter. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to offer some perspective on Apple's big numbers, plus they also take a look at the differences between Apple and Samsung marketing tactics.

Samsung has a new commercial out touting its Galaxy S5 smartphone as a better choice than Apple's iPhone, but the real message behind the ad is that Samsung is afraid of a phone that's still nothing more than a rumor. When your ad says "please don't buy an iPhone," there's a problem with your marketing.

Apple's third fiscal earnings report for 2014 is scheduled to start this afternoon at 5PM eastern time after the market closes. The conference call for analysts and investors will include the company's quarterly revenue and profit numbers, as well as sales figures for the iPhone, iPad and Mac product lines. The Mac Observer will be at the ready with our usual event coverage, so be sure to check in with us for the latest on Apple's revenue and product sales numbers.