Apple has updated itsinvestorpage with the news that it will reveal its Q4 2011 financial results on October 18th. The earnings announcement will be accompanied by a conference call beginning at 2:00PM PST/5:00 PM EST. Apple reportedgangbuster earningsin Q3, surpassing industry estimates. Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders!...

In yet another case of its kind, reports are emerging that users of Apple’s App Store in Japan have had their accounts hacked and used to make fraudulent purchases. At least 50 customer complaints have been posted to discussion boards on Apple Inc.’s Japanese App Store, claiming their accounts had been hacked to make illicit in-game purchases for a Chinese-made game calledMingzhu Sanguo OL. TheMainichi Daily News, the English-language version of the country’s national Mainichi Newspaper, carried the report earlier today....

Apple looks set to replace Hewlett-Packard (HP) as the world’s number one notebook manufacturer next year if its iPad devices are included in the calculation of global notebook shipments. Chinese-language publicationDigitimes revealsthat global shipments of tablet PCs are expected to pass 60 million units in 2011, with Apple accounting for 60% of units to total 40 million shipments. In 2012, the market is expected to grow to 80 million units, with Apple’s iPads accounting for 60 million on them....

Apple is reportedly working with suppliers and manufacturers in China and Taiwan to begin trial production of its next-generation iPad from October, having already placed orders for 1.5 million units in the fourth quarter, theWall Street Journal reports, citing industry sources. With orders submitted for key components including display panels and processors, likely to be supplied by Taiwanese chip-maker TSMC, Apple is expected to launch what many refer to as the “iPad 3” in early 2012, featuring an improved HD display which is likely to feature 2048 x 1536 resolution....

Something would be up if there wasn’t a rumour of a new Apple device entering production, but today a new report suggests that the Cupertino-based company has begun to start production of its new tablet device, which is being referred to as the iPad 3. According to AllThingsD, Susquehanna Financial analyst Jeff Fidacaro believes Apple has started to increase iPad production in the fourth quarter, bumping up its builds to 12 to 14 million units from between 11 million and 13 million....