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☆ How the Apple iPhone became one of the best-selling products of all time
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Apple has sold over 2.3 billion units of the iPhone and has over 1.5 billion active users, according to research from Demand Sage. Apple sold 1.4 million iPhones in 2007 with 80% of the sales coming in Q4. The company hit a major milestone — more than 50 million units sold — in 2011, with the help of the iPhone 4s. By 2015, Apple was selling over 200 million iPhone units yearly. I can't imagine a scenario where Samsung can build a suite of products that is going to disrupt the Apple ecosystem."

Persons: Steve Jobs, Asset's Gene Munster, Uber, Museum's Marc Weber, Apple Organizations: Apple, Demand, Nokia, Asset's, U.S, Samsung, International Data Corp, Android, Microsoft, Google Locations: Munster

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe evolution of Apple's iPhone and how it changed the worldApple's iPhone was first announced by Steve Jobs in January 2007. Today, research by Demand Sage shows that the company has over 1.5 billion active users. The 2008 launch of the App Store was a pivotal turning moment for the company and now Apple has surpassed Samsung as the world's leader of smartphones for the first time.

Persons: Steve Jobs Organizations: Demand Sage, Apple, Samsung

☆ Inside Apple’s chip lab, home to the most ‘profound change’ at the company in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Its most advanced silicon is primarily manufactured by one vendor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. "We built what we call the unified memory architecture that is scalable across products," Srouji said. Apple's silicon team has grown to thousands of engineers working across labs all over the world, including in Israel, Germany, Austria, the U.K. and Japan. The primary type of chip Apple is developing is known as a system on a chip, or SoC. Apple's senior director of hardware validation Godfrey D'Souza shows off an M3 SoC in an Apple chip lab in Cupertino, California, on November 14, 2023.

Persons: John Ternus, Srouji, we're, Katie Tarasov, Andrew Evers, Ben Bajarin, Bajarin, Apple, Apple there's, Pro Max, Kaiann Drance, That's, who's, Ternus, Nvidia —, Tesla, Stacy Rasgon, Apple's, Godfrey D'Souza, Sydney, they've, Rasgon, Apple's Srouji, It's Organizations: AMD, MU, Apple Watch, U.S, Apple, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Microsoft, CNBC, Apple's, Amazon, Google, Tesla, Semiconductor, Creative, Pro, Triple, MacBook Air, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Bernstein Research, Sydney Boyo, Bluetooth, Broadcom, Samsung, Micron, Thursday Apple Locations: Cupertino , California, Israel, Germany, Austria, Japan, Silicon Valley, San Diego, Austin , Texas, AirPods, Taiwan, China, Arizona, Peoria , Arizona, Asia, Europe, U.S

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy Apple doubled down on the expensive custom chip business, edging out Intel and starting a trendApple has designed its own custom chips for iPhones since 2010, kicking off a trend followed by other non-chip giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Tesla. In November, CNBC became the first journalists to film inside an Apple chip lab, where it tests its latest M3 chips that replaced Intel processors in all new Macs. We also got a rare chance to talk with Apple's head of silicon, Johny Srouji, about geopolitical risks in Taiwan, slowdowns, and what's next in AI.

Persons: what's Organizations: Intel, Apple, Google, Microsoft, CNBC Locations: Taiwan

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow the U.S. lost thousands of high-skilled workers to CanadaIn July, Canada opened applications for a pilot program that would allow up to 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S. to apply for a three-year open-work permit in Canada. Since then, more than 6,000 high-skilled U.S. foreign workers have arrived in Canada. CNBC spoke with several foreign tech workers and immigration consultants to uncover the story of how the U.S.'s bureaucratic visa process pushed thousands of high-skilled workers north.

Organizations: CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada

☆ The U.S. has lost thousands of tech workers to Canada — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As of last month, the Canadian government says more than 6,000 U.S. H-1B visa holders had arrived in Canada so far this year. That's after massive layoffs left high-skilled foreign H-1B holders in limbo. The H-1B program targets highly educated and specialized foreign workers in fields such as tech and health care. The study also shows that Canada now has 1.1 million tech workers, and Toronto and Vancouver ranked among the top 10 tech cities in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about how Canada is targeting H-1B visa holders, watch the video.

Persons: Annie Beaudoin, Harnoor Singh, Frederick Anokye, Kubeir Kamal, I'm, Marc Miller wasn't Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, Micron, College of Immigration, Citizenship, Canada's Tech, Vancouver, Canadian Locations: Canada, Canadian, U.S, India, Ghana, Toronto

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy Apple, Amazon and Qualcomm base their chips on Arm, helping it become the year's biggest IPOArm beat expectations in its first post-IPO earnings report Wednesday. Its low-power chip architecture is in nearly every smartphone, replaced Intel's x86 processors in Apple's Mac computers, and is the basis for Qualcomm's PC processors, and Amazon's data center chips. CNBC went to Arm in Cambridge, England, to find out how it became the year's biggest IPO despite 20% of revenue coming from China, struggling smartphone sales, and a failed $40 billion acquisition attempt by Nvidia.

Organizations: Amazon, Qualcomm, CNBC, Nvidia Locations: Cambridge, England, China

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat it's really like to ride in Cruise and Waymo robotaxis on San Francisco streetsSelf-driving cars without safety drivers behind the wheel have flooded San Francisco streets. In August, General Motors-owned Cruise and Alphabet's Waymo were granted permission to expand operations, allowing people to hail a driverless car like they do for an Uber. But the launch has been plagued by problems. CNBC's Deirdre Bosa tested out both company's robotaxis and spoke with city officials and Cruise CEO, Kyle Vogt, to see how the launch is going for the city and what's next.

Persons: Alphabet's Waymo, CNBC's Deirdre Bosa, robotaxis, Kyle Vogt Organizations: General Motors, Cruise Locations: Cruise, San Francisco, what's

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy burying power lines for wildfire prevention is effective but so costlyBurying power lines is an expensive but sure-fire way to practically eliminate the risk of utility-caused wildfires, which have devastated towns across California. PG&E, the nation's largest utility, has been found liable for numerous wildfires in the state, and has a plan to underground 10,000 miles of distribution lines in fire-prone areas. But this plan would cost tens of billions of dollars and would be paid for by customers, causing some to advocate for cheaper, alternate options.

Locations: California

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow this startup uses AI and robots to paint buildingsWith just 20 employees and a fleet of remote-controlled robots, a startup called PaintJet has managed to cover more than 1.5 million square feet of building exteriors and ships in less than three years. The startup, based in Hendersonville, Tennessee, is the brainchild of CEO Nick Hegeman along with cofounders Steve Wasilowski and Sonia Chacko. PaintJet's early customers have included construction companies and real estate developers, and the startup aims to expand rapidly within exterior painting.

Persons: Nick Hegeman, Steve Wasilowski, Sonia Chacko Locations: Hendersonville , Tennessee

☆ Why superyacht builders are investing in solar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Early tech adopters are investing in a new toy: solar-powered electric yachts. "I believe electric yachts and electric motors will be the main propulsion of pleasure yachts and even cargo vessels in the near future." The company says it has an order book of 160 million euros ($168 million), with prices ranging from 3.2 million euros for its 60-foot yacht to 30 million euros for the fully equipped version of its 120-foot vessel. "The smallest boat is around 1.5 million euros and on the upper range there really is no limit. "We think there is a sweet spot for solar electric boats between 50 and 120 feet," said Kress.

Persons: Mike Horn, Michael Köhler, it's, Heiki, Stephan Kress, Sunreef, Rafael Nadal, Fernando Alonso, Nicola Lapp, Kress Organizations: SuperYacht Times, of Yachting, ForSea Ferries, Allied Market Research, Silent Yachts, Yachts, Formula Locations: SuperYacht Times ', North America, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Turkey, Gdansk, Poland, Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, Sunreef

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCan superyachts go electric? Solar-powered electric yachts have hit the superyacht market. Silent Yachts and Sunreef Yachts are two companies working on developing this technology. Allied Market Research predicts the solar boat industry will grow 14% by 2031 to $2.4 billion. CNBC headed to the Cannes Yachting Festival to get an inside look at the companies building solar-powered electric yachts, and to explore the challenges the technology faces in playing a wider role in the future of maritime transportation.

Organizations: Silent Yachts, Sunreef Yachts, Allied Market Research, CNBC, Cannes Yachting Festival

☆ What it is like riding inside an autonomous taxi in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Matt Rosoff | Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat it is like riding inside an autonomous taxi in San FranciscoCNBC Tech and Climate editor Matt Rosoff takes a Waymo ride in San Francisco with his teenage son.

Persons: Matt Rosoff Organizations: San Francisco CNBC Tech Locations: San, San Francisco

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Hawk-Eye replaced hundreds of line judges at the U.S. OpenSince 2022, the U.S. Open has had no line judges. Instead, the tournament uses Hawk-Eye Live, an electronic line calling system, to judge whether a ball is in or out. In 2011, Sony purchased Hawk-Eye and the company has grown since then. Hawk-Eye covers the majority of tennis tournaments on the WTA and ATP tours and has a presence in the MLS, NFL, WNBA and soon the NBA. CNBC traveled to the U.S. Open to speak with the Hawk-Eye team to understand how it works in tennis and other major sports.

Organizations: U.S, U.S ., Sony, WTA, MLS, NFL, WNBA, NBA, CNBC

☆ How Sony's Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling system transformed the U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Instead, the tournament uses Hawk-Eye Live, an electronic line-calling system, to determine whether a tennis shot is in or out. Electronic line-calling has been around tennis since the 1980s, dating back to Cyclops, a system used during Wimbledon to judge if a ball was in play or not. "During that match, the U.S. Open was trialing a Hawk-Eye system," said Clarey. After the match, Williams received an apology and the umpire was dismissed. "The NBA have chosen Sony and Hawk-Eye technology because it raises the level of their game," said Theresa Alesso, president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony.

Persons: Christopher Clarey, Roger Federer, Paul Hawkins, it's, Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Williams, Ben Figueiredo, Figueiredo, Craig O'Shannessy, Novak Djokovic, We've, Theresa Alesso Organizations: U.S ., New York Times, International Tennis Federation, Australian, U.S, Sony, WNBA, MLS, NFL, NBA, Imaging Products, Solutions Locations: Wimbledon, U.S

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Meta's $19 billion bet on WhatsApp could finally start paying offFacebook, now called Meta, acquired WhatsApp for a historic $19 billion in 2014. Today, over half of the world's internet users are on WhatsApp, but the free messaging service has never generated much revenue. WhatsApp is looking to change that by leaning into its business messaging services, in which companies pay a fee to interact with customers on the platform. But it remains to be seen whether this will take off, especially in the U.S., where WhatsApp has struggled to gain traction.

Persons: WhatsApp Organizations: Facebook, Meta Locations: U.S

☆ The evolution of the Volkswagen bus — from Type 2 to the electric ID Buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Volkswagen Type 2 bus, known for its split windows, rear engine and distinctive colors, is making a comeback. In 2024, Volkswagen will deliver its electric ID Buzz line to North America . From 1950 to 2003, four generations of the Type 2 bus were sold in the U.S., with nearly 1 million total deliveries, according to VW. "After the Eurovan, the minivan segment was sort of on the decline," said Jeffrey Lear, product manager of electric vehicles for Volkswagen of America. It is the bus segment."

Persons: Damon Ristau, Jeffrey Lear, Lear, We'll Organizations: Volkswagen, VW, America Locations: North America, U.S, America, Europe, American

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat it costs to save a town from sea-level riseThe Quinault Indian Nation, located about 150 miles west of Seattle on the Washington coast, has experienced severe flooding due to sea-level rise over the past few years. And it's only poised to get worse. So with the assistance of state and federal funding, the tribe is preparing to move a mile up the hill, where a new village is being built. But relocation is a long and expensive process, and questions remain about how tribal members will afford the move.

Locations: Quinault, Seattle, Washington

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow AWS is designing its own chips to help catch Microsoft and Google in generative A.I. raceDespite its firm footing as the world's biggest cloud provider, Amazon Web Services got a slow start to the generative AI race. AWS released its large language model, Titan, months after Microsoft's reported $13 billion investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Google's release of Bard. But AWS is also designing its own custom AI microchips, shown to CNBC in an exclusive tour of its Austin chip lab. Now analysts say AWS may gain a long term advantage in AI by offering an alternative to Nvidia GPUs.

Persons: OpenAI, Bard Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Web Services, AWS, CNBC, Nvidia Locations: ChatGPT

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Texas became the center of U.S. chipmakingTexas is now the top state for U.S. chip manufacturing. It has the highest number of semiconductor fabrication plants, and six new projects will bring an additional $61 billion and 8,000 jobs. 65 years after the integrated circuit was invented in Texas, chip giants are now attracted by low taxes and the $1.4 billion Texas CHIPS Act passed in June. CNBC got a tour of Texas Instruments' $30 billion site being built north of Dallas and Samsung's $17 billion fab under construction near Austin.

Organizations: CNBC, Texas Instruments Locations: Texas, chipmaking Texas, U.S, Dallas, Austin

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy Alstom and Siemens are ramping up passenger train productionA big boost to the rail industry has come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was passed in 2021 and designates $66 billion to improve the nation's rail system. CNBC visited two of the biggest passenger railcar manufacturers operating in the country: Siemens and Alstom to see how they are ramping up passenger train production and to learn what they see as the future of passenger rail in the U.S.

Organizations: Alstom, Siemens, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, CNBC Locations: U.S

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat happened to Skype? At its height, Skype – a telecommunications app founded by Scandinavian entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, and Estonian engineers Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn and Toivo Annus – had 560 million registered users. In 2005, just two years after its launch, the app was acquired by eBay. Microsoft then acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion. Now that Microsoft has rival Teams, the future of Skype is uncertain.

Persons: Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis, Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn, Toivo Annus –, what's Organizations: Skype, eBay, Microsoft, CNBC Locations: Toivo, Silver

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Samsung became the world's second biggest advanced chipmakerSamsung may be known for its phones, TVs and appliances, but it's also been the leader in memory chips for more than three decades. Now, as memory prices continue to fall, it's doubling down on manufacturing chips for outside customers, with a $17 billion new chip fab in Texas and new $228 billion cluster in South Korea. CNBC got a rare look inside Samsung's chip business to bring you the untold story of how it became the world's second biggest advanced chipmaker, with plans to catch TSMC.

Persons: it's Organizations: Samsung, CNBC Locations: Texas, South Korea

☆ Why bots make it so hard to buy Nikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sneaker bots can accelerate the checkout process, wait in a virtual line or even fill out billing information. Sneaker bots took off in 2012, when Nike released its Air Jordan Doernbecher 9 shoes on Twitter. According to Nike, bots can make up to 10% to 50% of entries depending on demand. "People are successfully able to still bot Nike SNKRS," said Nova. Watch the video to learn more about sneaker bots and how companies like Nike are handling them.

Persons: They're, Nova, Jesper Essendrop, Essendrop, Imperva, Paul Tonko, Richie Roxas, I'm, Travis Scott Organizations: scalpers, Cowen Research, Nike, Jordan, Twitter, YouTube, Adidas, Air Jordan, CNBC Locations: Olive

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy it is taking California so long to complete its high-speed railIn 2008, California voted yes to build the nation's first high-speed railway. The plan is to build an electric train that will connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in two hours and forty minutes. But 15 years later, there is not a single mile of track laid, and there isn't enough money to finish the project. The latest estimates show it will cost up to $128 billion to complete the entire system from LA to San Francisco. But progress has been made and construction is well underway.

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