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☆ I used a 'light hypnosis' app for a month. It helped my productivity, but I was more blown away by what it did to my downtime.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Julie Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Julie Peck is a freelancer who was having trouble focusing on tasks, so she tried the app BrainTap. Similar audio programs are available for free on YouTube and Spotify, as well as on rival meditation apps like Insight Timer, Sacred Acoustics, and EquiSync. BrainTap app screenshot. Screenshot of different modules on BrainTap app. I've listened to the focus programs first thing in the morning, during the afternoon, and at the end of the day.

☆ If you still aren't sure what ChatGPT is, this is your guide to the viral chatbot that everyone is talking about
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Open AI, the AI company behind the AI art generator DALL·E, released the viral bot Chat GPT. Other researchers seem to be taking more measured approaches with generative AI tools. He told Insider he's helping to experiment with a chat bot called "Rentervention," which is meant to support tenants. Linna said he's experimenting with Chat GPT to help "Rentervention" come up with better responses and draft more detailed letters, while gauging its limitations. "I think there's so much hype around Chat GPT, and tools like this have potential," said Linna.

☆ It might be possible to fight a traffic ticket with an AI 'robot lawyer' secretly feeding you lines to your AirPods, but it could go off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DoNotPay wants to put AI to the courtroom test, and plans to use it to advise defendants in traffic cases. Judges could alert bar associations to a rogue "robot lawyer" on the loose, legal experts said. But DoNotPay's founder Joshua Browder plans to put his app's AI "robot lawyer" to just such a test in an upcoming traffic court case in February, according to a report in the New Scientist that heralds the first AI-powered defense in court. "The traffic court judge might have questions about who's really doing the talking here." As Browder courted headlines with the bold move to take DoNotPay's "robot lawyer" to court, he also tweeted an incredible offer on Sunday.

☆ The biggest announcements from CES 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Harry Rabinowitz | Harry Rabinowitz Is A Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Every year, the biggest brands in tech make their way to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES. TelevisionRoku, one of the top streaming platforms for smart TVs, announced that it is releasing its own Roku-branded televisions. Now, Roku will be launching its own brand, with Roku Select and Roku Plus TVs, alongside a Roku TV Wireless Soundbar. TCL, a top smart TV brand, is rebranding and overhauling its TV lineup. Now, all of its smart TVs will fall into two groups: the higher-end Q-Series and the budget-friendly S-Series.

To fix one AirPod dying faster, switch ears regularly if you use one more than the other. Usually, the battery of each earbud is roughly the same in each ear all the time, but in some cases, you may find that one AirPod dies a lot faster than the other. Here's how to adjust your AirPods settings. Check the Apple support page for the latest AirPods firmware version that your earbuds need to have. If you want to remove your AirPods, tap the "i" icon and then tap "Forget This Device."

☆ Apple is coming off a terrible year and Wall Street is torn on whether it's set for more pain or about to skyrocket.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While the meeting minutes don't tell us exactly what the Fed will do next month, generally they are worth paying attention to for hints into the thinking of central bankers. Shares fell further on Tuesday and Wednesday after a Nikkei report said demand for MacBooks, AirPods, and Apple Watches is weakening. But Loup Funds' Gene Munster said Apple stock should be worth double its current value, given that it's one of the world's greatest companies. What's your outlook for Apple stock this year? This hedge fund manager has returned 163% over the last year, and he's anticipating more pain to come for stocks.

☆ Luxshare says client cooperation normal after Apple production cut report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's Luxshare Precision Industry Co Ltd (002475.SZ) said on Thursday its cooperation with current clients was normal, in response to a media report that iPhone maker Apple Inc (AAPL.O) had asked suppliers to cut production. The electronics manufacturer said it wanted to clarify a recent report from a Taiwanese media outlet which said that Luxshare had suffered the biggest impact from the Apple request. "There are no special changes or impact to the relevant business of the company mentioned in the report," Luxshare said in its statement. A separate report by the Financial Times on Thursday said Apple is set to sign an order with Luxshare to produce premium iPhone models. Apple and Luxshare did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

☆ Apple has enlisted one of Foxconn's biggest rivals to help build iPhones after worker unrest led to production delays, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple has enlisted one of Foxconn's biggest rivals, Luxshare, to help build iPhones, the FT reports. Foxconn is Apple's largest iPhone supplier, but has been hampered by worker protests at its biggest facility. Insider contacted Apple, Foxconn, and Luxshare for comment on the FT's report, but did not receive a response. According to a Bloomberg report in late November, the protests risked a six million device shortage in iPhone Pro production. Foxconn is Apple's biggest iPhone supplier, and has traditionally had the coveted responsibility of producing new iPhone Pro models.

☆ Apple gets its price target slashed by nearly 13% at Wedbush, but it says the tech giant's demand story still looks more resilient than Wall Street believes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple's price target was cut by more than 12% to $175 at Wedbush Securities on Wednesday. Demand headwinds are creeping into Apple's growth story but the overall picture is more resilient than Wall Street is seeing, the firm said. It cut its price target on Apple by 12% to $175 from $200 and held onto its outperform rating. Meanwhile, Apple's underlying demand story still has more than 200 million iPhone units that haven't been upgraded in about four years. The new $175 price target reflects a more base-case valuation in an uncertain environment with some demand headwinds starting to creep into Apple's growth story, said Ives.

☆ Apple to sign Luxshare for iPhone production in China - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Luxshare, which was founded in 2004, became an Apple supplier in 2011 and has steadily moved up the hardware giant's value chain, from making connector cables for the iPhone and Macbook to manufacturing Airpods. Analysts expected Apple to diversify its supplier base amid production disruptions in China due to employee unrest at a factory operated by Foxconn and COVID-19 induced lockdowns. Apple in November warned of lower shipments of its premium iPhone 14 models following significant production cuts. Industry research firm TrendForce said on Saturday that Apple decided to employ Luxshare as one of the assemblers for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max. TrendForce added that Luxshare's only iPhone assembly plant is located in China and it doesn't plan on setting up an iPhone production line at its Vietnam plant where it assembles Apple accessories.

☆ I used a 'light hypnosis' app for a month. It helped my productivity, but I was blown away by what it did to my downtime.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Julie Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ Apple should be worth double at $250 as it is 'one of the world's greatest companies,' says Loup's Gene Munster
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple should be a $250 stock, according to Loup's Gene Munster, nearly double from its current price. He labeled the iPhone maker as "one of the world's greatest companies" in a Wednesday interview with CNBC. On Tuesday, Apple's market cap slipped below $2 trillion after a report said demand has weakened. "This is debateably one of the world's greatest companies," Munster told CNBC on Wednesday. But now Apple, according to a Monday report from Nikkei, is seeing weaker demand, specifically for its MacBooks, AirPods, and Apple Watch.

☆ Apple's upcoming headset will reportedly include auto-adjusting lenses and a dial to switch from VR to the real world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple's anticipated mixed reality headset will have auto-adjusting lenses, The Information reported. It will also have a physical dial that the wearer can use to switch between VR and real life. The change to "xr," which stands for extended reality, signals that the headset will probably include both AR and VR capabilities. In December, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that mass shipment of the Apple headsets could be delayed to the second half of 2023 "because of software-related issues." As of early December, sales for VR headsets declined 2% from the previous year, CNBC reported.

☆ Apple falls 4% and drops below $2 trillion market valuation after report of weakening demand for its MacBooks and AirPods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tuesday's decline sent the iPhone maker below its $2 trillion market valuation. The sell-off came after a report from Nikkei about weak demand for some Apple products. Tuesday's sell-off wiped out $85 billion in market value for Apple and sent the iPhone maker below the $2 trillion valuation threshold for the first time since May. Apple first topped $2 trillion in August 2020 as the pandemic supercharged its product sales due to work-from-home trends. But now Apple, according to a Monday report from Nikkei, is seeing weaker demand, specifically for its MacBooks, AirPods, and Apple Watch.

☆ Apple's market cap falls under $2 trillion as selloff continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple first hit a $2 trillion valuation in Aug. 2020, as the pandemic boosted its sales of computers and phones for remote work or school. It briefly hit a market value over $3 trillion during trading last January. A recent report from supply chain analyst Trendforce said that it saw Apple's iPhone shipments declining 22% in the December quarter. At just over $124 per share, Apple would hit its latest 52-week low if it closes at the current price. Apple's share price fell nearly 27% in 2020.

☆ Apple is selling limited-edition AirPods Pro with a Year of the Rabbit engraving for Chinese New Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple released limited-edition AirPods Pro with a Year of the Rabbit engraving for Chinese New Year. Apple previously sold limited-edition AirPods Pro for the Year of the Ox and Year of the Tiger. The engraving is on the wireless charging case, and the limited-edition AirPods Pro are the same price as a regular pair. In 2021, the company released AirPods Pro engraved with an ox for the Year of the Ox. In 2022, limited-edition AirPods Pro were engraved with a tiger for the Year of the Tiger.

☆ 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.

☆ Tesla opens pre-orders for a wireless charging mat that's similar to Apple's failed version
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla announced pre-orders were open for a $300 wireless charging mat. In 2019, Apple canceled AirPower, its own version of a wireless charging mat. Back in 2019, Apple scrapped plans for a similar product called AirPower because Apple said it failed to meet the company's standards. Like Tesla's charging mat, AirPower was designed to charge three products at once— including wearables, which aren't usually compatible with Qi, an inductive method for wireless charging. Tesla's Wireless Charging Platform isn't compatible with the Apple Watch, for instance, the Verge reported.

☆ You got the AirPods Pro for the holidays. Here are some of the coolest features you need to know about
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sofia PittIf you were received Apple 's new second-generation AirPods Pro as a holiday gift, you made out well. Here are some AirPods Pro tips and tricks to get you started. How to find your AirPods Pro if you lose themThere's a built-in speaker in the new AirPods Pro that plays a sound so you can locate them. Tap the name of your AirPods (mine say Sofia's AirPods Pro). Ways to charge your new AirPodsThe new AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe charging case.

☆ I love my job in an Amazon warehouse. I thrive in the chaos, but I did need hand surgery for carpal-tunnel syndrome.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Taayoo Murray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An older Amazon worker shared their experience preparing for peak periods at the warehouse. At my warehouse, a week before peak period starts, all the equipment is serviced in anticipation of the busiest time of the year. With increased orders, there are more boxes to pack and most people are very stressed, but I really enjoy it. During Black Fridays and other peak periods, Amazon gives out incentivesAmazon used to give out $50 Amazon gift cards during peak periods. Are you an Amazon worker with a story to tell?

☆ The tech we couldn’t live without in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Bone conduction headphones, TV streaming devices and Bluetooth speakers are among the tech gadgets topping holiday wish lists this year. Other notable products – ahem, the new 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max – are near impossible to find. Since my move to New York, I’ve had to find all new favorite spots for good food and drinks. – Victor Blackwell, co-anchor of CNN NewsroomHBO MaxNow that I commute home at the ungodly hour of 1 a.m., I lean heavily on my HBO Max app (starts at $9.99 a month). – Samantha Kelly, CNN senior tech writerRev.comI remember being an intern over a decade ago logging half hour long interviews for producers.

☆ Apple will reportedly begin producing some MacBooks in Vietnam in 2023 as it shifts from China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple will begin producing some of its MacBook computers in Vietnam next year, according to a Nikkei Asia report Tuesday. Apple was reportedly in talks in August to move some production for its Apple Watches, MacBooks and HomePods to Vietnam. Now, the company's assembly partner Foxconn could begin producing MacBooks in the country as soon as May of 2023, according to Nikkei Asia. Nikkei Asia said the company has been planning to shift some of its MacBook production to Vietnam for the last two years. Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook has committed to buying U.S.-made chips from a new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing factory in Arizona.

☆ Listen up: Headphones are getting really weird
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Bone conduction headphones, which rely on sound being transmitted through vibrations on the user’s skull, are gaining popularity. Bone conduction headphones ‘having a moment’Bone conduction headphones, in particular, are “having a moment,” Konig said. Rather than sitting inside or on top of the ear canal, bone conduction headphones rest in front of the ear, leaving it uncovered. Beyond consumer appeal, Cozza believes bone conduction headphones could be used by frontline workers who could listen to communications and instruction and at the same time be aware of sounds around them. But some audiophiles say the sound quality on bone conduction headphones and open earbuds is less than stellar.

☆ The Best Electric Razor for a Smoother Shave
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +19 min

You can find a capable electric shaver for even less, but the learning curve (and lack of add-ons) could prove problematic. If you’d like to read how we vetted and tested these electric shavers, scroll down for all the details. Best overall electric shaverBuy Side Top Pick Braun Series 7 7027cs $137 at Amazon $ 150 Save $ 13 $139 at Walmart The best combination of performance, accessories and price of any electric shaver. Best lower-price electric shaverAndis ProFoil Lithium Titanium Foil Shaver $55 at Amazon $ 68 Save $ 13 $55 at Walmart This model is priced as low as you’ll want to go for a quality electric shaver. Make sure the electric shaver you’re buying has the accessory package that makes the most sense for your needs and your budget.

☆ These 4 global consumer tech stocks are set to win on China reopening, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Four technology stocks are set to be "winners from a potential consumer recovery" in China, according to HSBC. Consequently, shares of Luxshare, Wingtech and Sunny Optical have fallen between 37% and 57% this year. That means the two companies face downside risks if orders from Apple do not materialize or there is a drop in consumer demand for Apple products. According to recent Bank of America research, a handful of global chip tech stocks are also set to soar on strong EV car sales in China. While a rise in consumer demand was assured in the near term, Xiaolin Chen, head of international business at ETF firm KraneShares, warned that sustained Chinese GDP growth of 5% every year faced hurdles.

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