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☆ Some of the designs for the Apple car reportedly looked like Volkswagens
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple reportedly pulled the plug on its decade-long EV project last month. Though we'll never see an Apple Car, we might have some insight into what could've been. Different designs for the car looked like a Volkswagen Microbus or a Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, Bloomberg reports. Several designs for the car alternately took inspiration from the Volkswagen Microbus of yesteryear and the futuristic Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported Sunday. VolkswagenAround 2020, the design for the car took inspiration from the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, per Bloomberg.

Persons: we'll, could've, —, Apple execs, Mark Gurman, Jony, Apple Organizations: Apple, Volkswagen, Bloomberg, Service, Tesla Locations: yesteryear, Apple's

☆ Reviewers keep mentioning how heavy the Vision Pro feels. Apple execs say there was no way to make it lighter.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Some reviewers and users say the Vision Pro's weight makes it uncomfortable to wear after a while. Apple execs told Vanity Fair that they couldn't possibly have made it any lighter. AdvertisementThe Apple Vision Pro can feel uncomfortably heavy after a while, but Apple execs say it's as light as they could have made it. In a Vanity Fair interview published Thursday, two company execs discussed the size and weight of the mixed-reality headset, which is made from magnesium, carbon fiber, and aluminum. Richard Howarth, Apple's vice president of industrial design, told Vanity Fair, "There's nothing we could have done to make it lighter or smaller."

Persons: Apple execs, —, Apple, execs, Richard Howarth Organizations: Service

☆ Tim Cook has finally been photographed wearing Apple's new face computer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple CEO Tim Cook has finally been photographed with the Vision Pro strapped to his head. It's a notable moment since Cook and other Apple execs were not previously seen wearing the headset. AdvertisementTim Cook has finally been photographed wearing Apple's new face computer, the Vision Pro, as part of a Vanity Fair cover story. 🔗: https://t.co/IOZfM6YsNx pic.twitter.com/HBzKGsV8BL — VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 1, 2024It's a notable moment given that Cook and other Apple executives were noticeably not photographed wearing the headset when it was announced in June, nor in the time since. With a price tag of $3,499, the Vision Pro arrives in stores on Friday and comes with 256GB of internal storage.

Persons: Tim Cook, It's, Cook, —, “, @NickBilton, @Tim_Cook, ince, eason Organizations: Apple, Vision, Service, @Apple Locations: ife

☆ Wearable 'Ai Pin' launched by Humane, backed by ex-Apple execs and Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Ai Pin, as the device is called, is designed to be worn on clothing and can be tapped to talk to a virtual assistant powered by technologies from ChatGPT-creator OpenAI and cloud computing power from Microsoft (MSFT.O). Founded by ex-Apple (AAPL.O) veterans who worked on the iPhone, Humane is one of many companies in Silicon Valley angling to find the next wave of consumer devices. Instead, Humane is offering a device with no traditional screen that relies almost entirely on artificial intelligence to interact with the user. "Ai Pin is the embodiment of our vision to integrate AI into the fabric of daily life, enhancing our capabilities without overshadowing our humanity," Chaudhri said in a statement. The company said the Ai Pin will be available in the United States from Nov. 16.

Persons: Imran Chaudhri, Ai, Chaudhri, Sam Altman, Stephen Nellis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Humane, Thomson Locations: Silicon, United States, San Francisco

☆ Jon Stewart's show on Apple TV+ is reportedly coming to an end amid disagreements around China and AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show "The Problem" has ended over editorial disputes, NYT reported. Sources told the Times that Apple execs were concerned over show topics regarding China and AI. AdvertisementAdvertisementJon Stewart's show on Apple TV+ is reportedly hitting the chopping block over creative differences, The New York Times first reported. Apple told Stewart he needed to be "aligned" with the company on the topics he chooses to discuss, but Stewart wanted full creative autonomy over his series, sources told The Hollywood Reporter. In turn, Stewart and Apple reportedly both agreed to go their separate ways.

Persons: Jon Stewart's, Apple execs, —, Stewart, Jon Stewart, Apple, Rich Klubeck, didn't, Stewart —, Stephen Colbert's, Tim Cook, Cook, BuzzFeed, Wang Wentao Organizations: Times, Apple, Service, New York Times, Hollywood, Research, CNBC Locations: China, Wuhan, Beijing, Chengdu .

☆ Apple execs lose bid to block testimony at Google antitrust trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three senior Apple executives have lost their bid to stop the U.S. Justice Department from calling them as witnesses in the government's upcoming trial accusing Alphabet's Google of abusing its search power. Cue oversees Apple Music, Apple TV and other services. The Justice Department declined to comment. Google and its lawyers have denied any wrongdoing in the case, one of two Justice Department antitrust lawsuits against Google. The case is United States v. Google, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No.

Persons: Alphabet's, Eduardo Cue, John Giannandrea, Adrian Perica —, Judge Amit Mehta, Perica, John Schmidtlein, Mehta, Apple Organizations: Apple Computers, Apple, U.S . Justice, Washington , D.C, U.S, Companies, Cue, Apple Music, Google, Justice Department, District of Columbia, APM Locations: Silicon Valley, Cupertino , California, Washington ,, Mehta's court, United States, U.S

☆ Humane, a startup founded by ex-Apple execs, will use Qualcomm chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 30 (Reuters) - Humane, the startup founded by ex-Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executives that raised $100 million earlier this year, said on Friday that it will use Qualcomm Inc's (QCOM.O) chips in its forthcoming wearable device. Humane has not given a release date or many other details for a gadget that it said on Friday will be called "Ai Pin." Because the Ai Pin does not have a traditional screen or keyboard, it relies heavily on artificial intelligence to interact with users in natural spoken language. Humane is partnering with OpenAI for AI technology and cloud computing services, respectively. Humane and Qualcomm did not give further details on which Qualcomm chips the Ai Pin will use, but Dev Singh, vice president of business development at Qualcomm, said the offerings would come from Qualcomm's Snapdragon family of chips, which can power devices from smartphones to mixed-reality headsets, depending on the configuration.

Persons: Imran Chaudhri, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Dev Singh, Stephen Nellis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Apple Inc, Qualcomm, Apple's Vision, Microsoft Corp, Humane, Thomson

☆ Apple's Vision Pro headset sticker price may not matter, Cramer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday considered a new angle on Apple's divisive virtual reality headset, the Vision Pro, linking the product to the ongoing battles between the most popular wireless carriers. Some were shocked just a few weeks ago when Apple execs revealed the Vision Pro's price tag: at $3,500 a pop, the Vision Pro is one of Apple's more expensive consumer products. Cramer noted that some rationalized the steep cost by figuring Apple's Vision Pro would open the doors for less expensive headsets of a similar ilk. But Cramer sees potential for major wireless carriers like Verizon , T-Mobile and AT&T to capitalize on the new product by offering discounts on plans in exchange for cheaper phones. According to Cramer, it's no skin off Apple's nose if these carriers choose to ignore the sticker price.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Apple execs, Cramer, Wall Organizations: Vision, Verizon, Mobile, Apple, & $

☆ Apple didn't let the media take photos or videos when trying the $3,499 Vision Pro headset – and journalists could only test the tech in a private room
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset was the main focus of its Monday event. The Apple Vision Pro headset was the biggest announcement at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, but there's nothing beyond official ads that show people actually using the $3,499 device. If you want to see the Vision Pro in use, you'll have to wait a bit longer to see anything that isn't curated by the people selling it. Apple execs also declined to speak on the record about the headset, Wired reported. Despite this, the Vision Pro is getting pretty good reviews, and you'd hope so given its huge price tag.

Persons: Tim Cook, Mark Gurman, Cook hadn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Zoe Kleinman, Joanna Stern, Marques Brownlee —, Apple execs Organizations: Apple, Worldwide, Bloomberg, Twitter, Vision, Wall Street Journal, Wired, Vision Pro

☆ Why AI wasn't mentioned at all during Apple's big WWDC presentation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple execs didn't mention AI once during the company's WWDC keynote. It was a deliberate choice and a stark contrast to other Big Tech companies that have embraced the term. During Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon's first quarter earnings calls in April, AI was cumulatively mentioned 168 times, for example. Most other Big Tech companies would likely tout these as "AI innovations" to appeal to the current enthusiasm around the term. The word wasn't mentioned one time during the entire keynote, even though many rivals would likely use the word to describe the Vision Pro headset.

Persons: —, Tim Cook, Apple execs, Amazon's, Cook, Apple, There's, Siri Organizations: Apple, Big Tech, Morning, Microsoft, Google Locations: Valley, Dutch

☆ Apple's nascent ad business faces more competition than ever, and it's set to launch a major charm offensive to get big advertisers to buy in
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple usually plays it so low-key at big industry events, you wouldn't even know the company had attended. It has rented a space at the top of the iconic Carlton hotel, situated on the busy Croisette promenade, according to multiple advertising industry sources. It's also planning a week of programming, with panel topics expected to include sports on Apple TV+, Apple News, apps, and the broadening Apple advertising offering, those sources said. All of which were "not necessarily a strong-point with Apple advertising in the past," Auzins said. Today, Apple's ad business largely consists of search ads sold within the App Store, which Insider Intelligence forecasts will generate $8.7 billion this year.

☆ Apple execs were reportedly skeptical on headset, with one likening it to a 'science project'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Apple's headset project suffered from CEO Tim Cook's "distant" approach and lacked the confidence of key company executives at times, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Cook isn't alone in keeping his distance, Bloomberg reported. Top executives including Apple software chief Craig Federighi and hardware executive Johny Srouji have both shown concern about the project, Bloomberg reported. Federighi seemed "wary" and kept his distance, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar, and Srouji compared the headset effort to a "science project." Apple made the decision to sell the headset product at cost as opposed to at a loss, as it originally planned to do, Bloomberg reported.

☆ Apple is reportedly planning to reveal its next big thing in 3 months — and some within the company are worried
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple is reportedly planning to reveal its mixed reality goggles in June — its next major product. The iPhone company is reportedly planning to reveal the futuristic goggles, the company's first major new product since the Apple Watch, in three months at a June event. Executives at Apple have also reportedly questioned the headset's prospects to make a big splash at its initial release, per Bloomberg. The company has reportedly been working on the headset for seven years, and has missed deadlines in 2019 and 2022 for its planned release. Apple is reportedly working on a version that costs $1,500 — half of what the initial headset costs — that will come out within two years of the first launch.

☆ Microsoft is chill with employees using ChatGPT — just don’t share ‘sensitive data’ with it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Microsoft warned employees against sharing "sensitive data" with ChatGPT. Leaked internal communications revealed that Microsoft's CTO office told employees that using ChatGPT is fine. "Companies and employees are all scrambling to find out the exact rules around using ChatGPT for work." He added: "The interesting thing here is that Microsoft is a big partner and investor of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. In theory, Microsoft stands to gain when ChatGPT collects more data and improves its technology.

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