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☆ Apple's products are great, even if they're boring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementIn the past, I've argued that Apple products have become boring because Apple seems to have lost its way with useful product innovation. But the truth is, there's a very good reason why Apple doesn't do drastic changes to its products: slow, steady and reliable products are keeping Apple on top. To be fair, under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has had several big hit new products: Apple Watch and Air Pods, come to mind. While Air Pods will work with others, they are really designed to work best with Apple products. But ultimately, even if you find Apple products boring rather than classic, they are a great choice for those looking for long-lasting, high-quality, user-friendly, reliable technology.

Persons: I've, Tim Cook, Steve Jobs, —, Apple, Ai Pin, haven't, Sperry Docksiders, it's, Ive, Cook, Siri Organizations: Apple, Service, Vision, Apple Watch, Microsoft, Ferraris, Honda, BMW, Microsoft Kin, Rolex, Porsche, Jobs, Google, Ford Locations: Cook, Milan

☆ A New Way to Tell Deepfakes From Real Photos: Can It Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Charlotte Gartenberg | Alex Ossola | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Earlier this year, an image of the Pope in a chic white puffer coat went viral, in a striking example of how an AI-generated image can fool the internet. With a flood of this content predicted, we’ll need new ways to tell what’s real and what’s not. “Can we build an AI deepfake detector?” was the initial idea when work started four years ago on one such effort to create a standard for online images, says Dana Rao , general counsel and chief trust officer at Adobe , maker of Photoshop. Adobe is one of the companies spearheading the Content Authenticity Initiative, a global coalition of 2,000 members from tech, policy and media (including The Wall Street Journal).

Persons: Pope, Dana Rao Organizations: Adobe

☆ Apple's iPhone 15 is boring. Google and Samsung Android phones are far more innovative.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apple iPhone users don't know all the features and benefits they are missing. And early predictions are that the iPhone 15 will sell well , as users' existing iPhones age or break. There were some lines for the iPhone 15 at stores in Hangzhou, China and Mumbai, but those are locations where iPhone demand routinely outstrips supply and ownership is still somewhat of a status symbol. My iPhone 13 doesn't really look much different than a brand new iPhone 15. Google Pixel Tablet docking station and other Google tech hardware GoogleThe Google Pixel Fold balances the ability to use it as a great smartphone when closed while turning it into an iPad-mini-sized tablet when opened.

Persons: I've, —, Steve Jobs, Let's Organizations: Apple, Service, Google, Samsung, European Union, TV Networks, Pepsi Locations: Hangzhou, China, Mumbai

☆ How Apple Lost the K-12 Education Market to Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apple used to dominate the K-12 education market. By missing out on schools, Apple is losing the unique relationship it once had with students. Long before music was part of Apple's DNA and computers were something to be strapped to one's face, Apple was the de facto standard for K-12 education. Apple's share of the K-12 education market has been under siege since at least 2017 , when low-cost Windows computers and Google's affordable Chromebooks with its suite of cloud apps, began to own the market. But maybe more importantly, Google now owns the K-12 market because Apple appears to be uninterested in it.

Persons: Apple, Michael Gartenberg, Long, Mavis Beacon, Chromebooks, Apple hasn't, They're Organizations: Apple, Morning, Los, Google, Schools, Mac Locations: Los Angeles, Cupertino

☆ Apple is reportedly developing 'Apple GPT.' It's likely ChatGPT's next big competitor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple is reportedly working on new artificial-intelligence tools, Bloomberg first reported. Some people at the company are dubbing the new chatbot "Apple GPT," Bloomberg said. Apple has finished working on a foundation for its large language models — the systems that power conversational AI tech — that it calls "Ajax," Bloomberg reported. It will affect every product and every service that we have," Apple CEO Cook said during a February earnings call. So far, Apple has integrated AI into features like "fall detection" found on some Apple Watch Models, and "crash detection" on specific Apple Devices — tools Cook has said are keeping people safe.

Persons: Bloomberg, OpenAI's, Google's Bard, Tim Cook, Cook, people's, Michael Gartenberg, Apple, Siri, laggard, Gartenberg Organizations: Apple, Bloomberg, Morning, Ajax, Google, Microsoft, Investors

☆ Apple's new Vision Pro is amazing, but there's no good reason to buy it, and lots of reasons not to
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apple has chosen AR/VR as the next big area to pursue with its new Vision Pro glasses. The product, which was shown off during an extensive demo by Apple on Monday, is called Apple Vision Pro (AVP). It represents years of research and the first major Apple product launched without the guiding hand and showmanship of the late Steve Jobs (if one doesn't count the Apple AirPods or Watch as major new products, and I do not.) And the Vision Pro isn't likely to have one either. Apple's Vision Pro can be used for FaceTime conversations AppleWith just their eyes, consumers already have large-screen viewing and playing experiences with 4K monitors on their walls connected to excellent video game consoles.

Persons: Apple, Michael Gartenberg, Steve Jobs, Apple —, it'd Organizations: Apple, Apple Vision Pro, Meta, Microsoft, iTunes Ping, AVP, Mac, Consumers Locations: Patagonia

☆ 4K screens are typically the size of TVs. Apple may have squeezed two of them into its upcoming headset.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A supply-chain analyst said Apple's anticipated mixed-reality headset has 4K displays for each eye. The latest rumbling about Apple's mixed-reality headset is that there will be two 4K resolution displays, one for each eye, according to a tweet from Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Apple is expected to debut its first mixed-reality headset at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5. The company has been working on a mixed-reality headset for seven years, Bloomberg previously reported. If Young's prediction on the displays within Apple's headset prove correct, Apple could be gearing up to wow people with a headset unlike any other currently on the market.

Persons: Apple's, Ross Young, Young, it's, Michael Gartenberg Organizations: Apple, Consultants, Worldwide, Apple Watch, Bloomberg, New York Times, Microsoft, Glass Locations: WWDC

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Apple's upcoming 'Reality' headset, BookTok drives book sales, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI startup cloud deals by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are ringing "accounting alarm bells" across Silicon Valley over revenue "round-tripping." As Big Tech firms invest in AI startups in exchange for commitments to use their cloud services, some investors question whether those arrangements are artificially inflating cloud revenue growth. A former Apple marketing executive predicts the company's upcoming "Reality" headset risks being "one of the greatest tech flops of all time." How the BookTok phenomenon helped send book sales to an all-time high and reignite a love for reading. Read on to find out more about what you can use the AI app for.

☆ Ex-Apple marketing executive says the company's upcoming 'Reality' headset risks being 'one of the great tech flops of all time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Michael Gartenberg told Insider if rumors and leaks are correct, it "would be a very un-Apple product." Michael Gartenberg, a former marketing exec at Apple, told Bloomberg the headset may be "one of the great tech flops of all time." "I suspect there's a lot of internal pressure for the next big thing," Gartenberg told the news publication. Gartenberg told Insider that if the rumors and leaks around the headset "are correct," it "would be a very un-Apple product." Gartenberg previously wrote about his thoughts on Apple's new headset, saying he doesn't believe it's Apple's "next big thing."

☆ Bosses listen up: Having a side hustle actually makes workers feel more empowered at their day jobs, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Side hustles may actually make employees better at their full time jobs, a 2021 study found. "They can have these positive, enriching experiences that carry forward into their full-time work," he said. "They can have these positive, enriching experiences that carry forward into their full-time work," Sessions told podcast producer Charlotte Gartenberg of side hustlers. The perception of side gigs and those who have them has shifted in recent decades, Sessions told As We Work. "So when I say it can help your job, it will help your job to the extent that you can feel empowered by it," Sessions told the Journal.

☆ Apple's AI strategies, especially for Siri, aren't very smart
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But when it comes to artificial intelligence, particularly Siri, Apple has gone from leader to laggard. Siri was introduced to the world in 2011 – 12 years ago – and was lauded at the time as a breakthrough in AI technology. Open-source technology allows developers to collaborate and contribute to a project, leading to faster and more efficient development cycles. Still, Google, which has a long history of open-source involvement, publishes hundreds of AI research papers yearly. While that's helpful (especially for selling Macs to AI developers), it's not the kind of kumbaya sharing that the open-source community relies on.

☆ I was a die-hard Apple iPad fan for over a decade. But I've grown frustrated and have mostly discarded it — I'm not the only one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Former Apple exec Michael Gartenberg has an iPad Pro and has owned various iPads over the past decade. His iPad used to be his constant travel companion, more used than his laptop — but not anymore. He says the iPad is at an intersection between failure and ongoing success, and Apple must pay attention. So iPad users, like myself, are paying a premium for hardware that is far more advanced than the software we are able to run on it. If Apple wants to continue to succeed with the iPad, it will need to address these challenges head-on.

☆ Apple needs another hit product. But the rumored new AR/VR glasses will not be it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apple is widely rumored to be releasing augmented-reality/virtual-reality glasses in 2023. It has long been rumored that Apple will create a car to take on the likes of Tesla. What does seem likely is that Apple will release augmented-reality/virtual-reality glasses, rumored to be coming in 2023 with an OS called xrOS. While I'm always excited to see what innovations companies like Apple have in store, I have some serious concerns about betting on AR/VR glasses as a growth market. Beyond the practical concerns of battery life, comfort, and price, there's the fundamental issue of the lack of a compelling use case for AR or VR glasses.

☆ Finance influencers who hyped up FTX and BlockFi are facing angry fans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In the case of finance influencers who hyped up FTX and BlockFi to their subscribers, the result is a lot of unhappy, skeptical former fans. As prominent crypto platforms topple, financial influencers face anger and skepticism. On YouTube, financial influencers have built loyal followings by sharing financial advice and actively promoting companies like FTX and BlockFi. As the companies crumble, those influencers are facing skepticism and backlash from fans. Apple's App store has become an imitation of its former self.Apple used to carefully curate its App store, helping developers gain visibility and customers find what they needed, writes Michael Gartenberg.

☆ Apple's App store has become an ad-infested imitation of its former self, which is not good for iPhone users or developers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Apple used to carefully curate its App store, helping developers gain visibility and customers find what they needed. These days, it seems to be more about maximizing Apple's revenue than serving customers or helping developers flourish. Thus, the App store was born to give iPhone's beautiful hardware and elegant operating system thousands of apps, created by programmers running their own app businesses. Now, after 15 years of iPhones, I find the App store to be an imitation of its former self. The developer had gone to great lengths to try to show how copycat apps slipped through Apple's app review system.

☆ Microsoft raised the bar for Windows PCs with its Surface computers, despite low share after a decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

In 2012, the Surface with Windows RT, later named Surface RT, was more than just a touchscreen slab like Apple's iPad. The inaugural Surface, the Surface RT running Windows RT, boasted clever physical attributes. Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro Source: Microsoft.comIn 2013 Microsoft brought out the Surface RT's more expensive and more powerful sibling, the Surface Pro. He bought a Surface Pro 3 and then a Surface Pro 7. If someone buys the Surface Pro 7 for a good price, he'll upgrade to the Surface Pro 9, which has a larger display.

☆ Everybody thinks Apple's Tim Cook's boring (but he's kicking everybody's ass)
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's market cap is worth more than Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet combined. Other tech companies have faced more pushback for seemingly investing too much in headcounts and moonshot projects. Apple isn't immune to criticism, but CEO Tim Cook largely avoids controversy, which may insulate the company. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even publicly accused the company of undercutting other businesses to grow its own. But Apple's stock is down only 23%.

☆ The iPhone will be irrelevant one day. We already know how it will happen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The iPhone has become a "nonsubstitutable infrastructure," columnist Michael Gartenberg says. The iPhone — with iOS and the App Store — has maintained such a dominant position in the mobile industry for so long, it has achieved the status of what's known as "nonsubstitutable infrastructure." Nonsubstitutable infrastructure is something that so strongly holds users, a competitor can't get them to replace it. The New Jersey Turnpike is nonsubstitutable infrastructure. Despite this, it's inevitable that the iPhone and the Apple ecosystem will be replaced by something else.

☆ Tim Cook's attitude towards iPhone users wanting a fix for texting is condescending: It's time for Apple to talk to Android
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The company's refusal to fix this is a burden on iOS users, not Android users. But the company's refusal to fix this is a burden on iOS users, not Android users. If iMessage is truly a major reason that iPhone users stick around, then Apple is on a slippery slope. The more these interoperability issues plague Apple users, the more users will find ways around iMessage. The undistorted reality is, despite Tim Cook's comments, Apple users do want interoperability.

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