APPLE INC.

Asian stocks drifted slightly lower Wednesday and the euro clawed back lost ground as investors waited for the end of a Federal Reserve policy meeting that may act to stimulate the U.S. economy.

Wedbush Securities said iCloud should help drive other connected devices sales and strengthen Apple Inc.'s competitive barriers.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Universal Display, ARM Holdings, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Micron Technology, Sina, and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Mellanox Technologies, Logitech International, Netflix, ASML Holding, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

Technophiles are waiting with bated breath for iPhone 5, which Apple is expected to launch in October.

Shareholders are likely snapping up Apple stock in anticipation of the next generation of iPhone products – the iPhone 5, which many analysts say will receive unprecedented demand.

Apple Inc.'s iPhone 5 remains the most anticipated smartphone in the U.S. market and it has been the source of relentless rumors over the past few months, which set the smartphone for release in October.

Jefferies remains cautious regarding a recent article in DigiTimes that suggested Apple Inc. has signed a foundry partnership agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC). The brokerage said this was an unconfirmed report.

The strongest iPhone 5 rivals -- Samsung Galaxy S2 and Motorola Droid Bionic -- have came to the United States after several changes in terms of design.

The casual release of iPhone has taken a different turn as Apple failed to launch the much-awaited smartphone in June.

Might sales be disappointing, that is, somewhat less than stupendous? And in that event, could investors start to fret over Apple’s Jobs-less future?

The most anticipated smartphone in the U.S. market -- Apple's iPhone 5 -- has been the source of a relentless amount of rumors over the past few months. The smartphone from Apple is certain to come in October, according to various sources.

Tech analysts and other experts are almost universally expecting the iPhone 5 to be a blockbuster.

Apple's iPhone 5 will come out on Oct. 15, a top French executive predicted on Thursday. According to a TechCrunch report, Stéphane Richard, CEO of France Telecom, said: If we believe what we have been told, the iPhone 5 will be released on 15 October.

A China unit of major lead-acid battery maker Johnson Controls has halted production at its Shanghai factory as authorities investigate into an alleged lead pollution case, the official Shanghai Securities News said on Thursday.

Adobe Flash has finally come to Apple Inc.'s iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, not directly supported but just that the new app tools will be able to export Flash content as an HTML5-supporting format.

As tech enthusiasts and Apple fans are eagerly awaiting the iPhone 5 that is expected to come in October, a Wall Street analyst expects the next iteration of the iPhone to start selling in China as early as December.

The app remains available outside of France.

Jefferies believes Intel Developer Forum has been a positive catalyst for ON Semiconductor Corp. and the company will continue to gain market share as Sandy Bridge ramp progresses.

Samsung Galaxy S2, the smartphone touted by some as an iPhone Killer, is finally coming to the United States this week after becoming the best-selling Samsung phone ever.

Intel Corp. is putting significant weight behind ultra-slim Ultrabook in the Intel Developer Forum, which would be a threat to Apple Inc.'s iPad and MacBook Air.

As each day passes, the anxiety to get the iPhone 5 is soaring among tech enthusiasts and Apple fans.