Innovation is the most important objective at Apple, and we will not lose sight of that.

FORBES: As Anniversary of Dividend, Buyback Nears, Investors Want Apple To Show Them the Money

This new objective is increased innovation to improve service and reduce costs.

ECONOMIST: Private space

Having monitored the number of utility patents (an inexact but objective measure for innovation) granted by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office to countries during this period, it was fascinating to observe that the number of patents of foreign origin over taking those from the U.S. in 2007 for the first time in history.

FORBES: The locus of innovation has shifted away from the U.S.