Apple top seller of phones in U.S.

NEW YORK >> The launch of the iPhone 5 and the declining popularity of nonsmartphones have made Apple the biggest seller of phones in the U.S. for the first time, research firm Strategy Analytics said.

The firm estimates that Apple shipped 17.7 million iPhones of all kinds to U.S. buyers in the October-to-December period, meaning it accounted for 1 in 3 new phones.

Samsung Electronics of Korea was close behind, shipping 16.8 million phones, including nonsmart ones. Samsung has been the largest seller of phones to the U.S. market since 2008, Strategy Analytics said.

NPD Group, another research firm, found that Samsung phones still outsold the iPhone in the quarter, by 31 percent to 29 percent. It tracks retails sales while Strategy Analytics tracks shipments, so the numbers are not directly comparable.

Worldwide it’s clear that Samsung is still the biggest phone vendor with 23 percent of the market, according to a third research firm, IDC. Apple is No. 3, with 9.9 percent of the market. In between sits Nokia with 17.9 percent.

Samsung beats Apple globally even when only smartphones are considered. It shipped 63.7 million units worldwide versus Apple’s 47.8 million.

Kraft fights chain’s use of name

NEW YORK » Kraft Foods is suing Cracker Barrel Old Country Store because of the restaurant chain’s plans to use the "Cracker Barrel" name on packaged ham, bacon and other foods.

Kraft notes that it started using the "Cracker Barrel" name on cheese in 1954. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., which is based in Lebanon, Tenn., and operates 620 locations around the country, was established in 1969.

Kraft says it never took any formal legal action until now because the chain had kept its distance and sold only a limited number of mixes, candies and sauces through its shops and website. But Kraft says Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s recent licensing agreement to sell foods including "assorted lunch meats, glazes, jerky and summer sausage" could give the products a much broader audience at supermarket and big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and cause confusion among consumers.

Total recall

About 2.3 million Triaminic Syrups and Theraflu Warming Relief Syrups for coughs, colds and fevers are being recalled. There are 24 types of these two products included in the recall. A complete list of products, lot numbers and National Drug Codes can be found at www.novartisOTC.com. They were sold between May 2010 and December 2011. The child-resistant caps can fail to function properly and enable the cap to be removed by a child with the tamper-evident seal in place, posing a risk of unintentional ingestion and poisoning. These products contain acetaminophen and diphenhydramine, which are required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act to be sealed with child-resistant packaging. Call Novartis at 866-553-6742 or visit www.novartisOTC.com.