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☆ Google and Apple's rumored partnership could upend the AI industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at what a potential partnership between Google and Apple over AI features would mean for both companies and the wider industry. The big storyGoogle, Apple, AIRebecca Zisser/BITwo of the world's biggest tech companies are reportedly discussing a partnership that would upend the AI industry. Apple is considering integrating Google's AI model, Gemini, into the iPhone . The company has been noticeably quiet around its AI plans compared to peers like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon. So even if Apple and Google come to an agreement, they could still face some serious regulatory pushback.

Persons: —, hasn't, Rebecca Zisser, Mark Gurman, Sundar Pichai, Apple, it's, Tim Cook, Google's Gemini, Insider's Hasan Chowdhury, BI's Phil Rosen, Mike Coppola, Jerod Harris, Grzegorz Wajda, Chelsea Jia Feng, It's, OpenAI, Stephanie Cohen, Goldman Sach's, Goldman Sachs, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Goldman, Josh Edelson, Chip Somodevilla, TikTok, Jensen Huang, Blackwell, Alyssa Powell, elbowed, Manoj Bhargava, Steve Huffman, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Service, Google, Apple, Business, Gemini, Microsoft, Meta, Google's, Getty, Vox Media, Getty Images, Department of, Big Tech, Wall, Cloudflare, Bank of Japan, SXSW, Nvidia, Sports Illustrated, Arena Group Locations: AFP, Woodstock, Arizona , Florida , Illinois , Kansas, Ohio, New York, London

☆ Google's Gemini may just be about to make Elon Musk and Sam Altman really jealous
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Apple and Google are reportedly in talks to integrate Google's Gemini into the iPhone. The deal, if finalized, would be a blow to Google's competitors like Elon Musk's xAI and Sam Altman's OpenAI. AdvertisementApple and Google are in talks to integrate Google's AI model Gemini into the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on Monday. The new Gemini-powered features could be introduced to iPhones this year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the negotiations. Representatives for Apple and Google declined to comment on the talks when contacted by Bloomberg.

Persons: Elon Musk's xAI, Sam Altman's OpenAI, —, Mark Gurman Organizations: Apple, Google, Bloomberg, Service

☆ 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

☆ Apple's car prototype was internally called the 'Bread Loaf' because of its shape: Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple employees called the design of their first electric vehicle the "Bread Loaf," per Bloomberg. CEO Tim Cook appeared impressed, but the "Bread Loaf" wasn't always viewed in a positive light, per Bloomberg. AdvertisementApple employees working on the tech giant's first electric car built a prototype in 2020 that they called the "Bread Loaf," a name that was at times used disparagingly. The car team used the "Bread Loaf" name "not always affectionally," according to Bloomberg reporters Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett. Apple's killing of the car project comes as the electric vehicle market slows from its initial burst of hype and sales.

Persons: Tim Cook, wasn't, —, Mark Gurman, Drake Bennett, Cook, Apple honchos, Tesla Organizations: Apple, Bloomberg, Service, Business

☆ Apple's car at one point replaced the steering wheel with an Xbox-like controller for when its self-driving couldn't cut it: Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Apple's most advanced backup control for a car prototype looked like an Xbox controller, per Bloomberg. CEO Tim Cook tested this prototype in 2020, and he and other execs were impressed, per the outlet. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementApple's now-failed self-driving car at one point featured a backup control system that resembled a video game controller instead of a steering wheel, per Bloomberg. This prototype was called the "Bread Loaf" by employees for its minivan shape, and the controller was its most fully developed backup control system, the outlet reported.

Persons: Tim Cook, —, Apple's, Mark Gurman, David Bennett Organizations: Bloomberg, Apple, Service, Business

☆ The smart ring era is here and tech companies are fighting for your finger. Will you wear one?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The smart ring era is here. Honor, the mobile business spun out of Huawei, also announced this week that it's working on a smart ring. Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst at Techsponential, told Business Insider at MWC that Samsung's Galaxy Ring "validates the smart ring category." Rumors of an Apple smart ring have been simmering for over a decade — mostly due to a string of patents the company has filed for. There's another good reason tech companies are eyeing smart rings right now, according to IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo: subscriptions.

Persons: —, Prince Harry, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Jennifer Anniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Smart, they've, Oura, Avi Greengart, Apple, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Jeremy Liew, Liew Apple, Greengart, Francisco Jeronimo, Jeronimo Organizations: Samsung, Service, Mobile, Congress, MWC, Huawei, IDC, Apple, Venture, Business Locations: Barcelona, Cupertino

☆ It sounds like the Vision Pro 4 will be worth waiting for
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Vision Pro may be a few generations away from reaching its full potential, some developers say. AdvertisementApple has blown people away with its new Vision Pro headset — but some feel that there's much more to do. Gurman, in his review, wrote that "today's Vision Pro is more of a preview of the future than the future itself," pointing out its unwieldy weight and short battery life. "While many on the Street are dismissing Vision Pro as noise, we strongly disagree," the firm said. Business Insider's Jordan Hart also called the Vision Pro a "promising" technology, though she noted the relatively meager offerings on the device's App Store.

Persons: —, Marc Gurman, That's, Sam Altman, Altman, Business Insider's Jordan Hart Organizations: Service, Apple, Apple's Vision Products, Apple Watch, OpenAI, Twitter, Wedbush Securities, Vision, Business

☆ Tim Cook is finally talking about AI on his own terms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Everyone has been waiting for Tim Cook to talk about Apple's foray into AI. The comments come as Apple's Big Tech rivals benefit from their early moves in the technology. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementIt's been a long time coming, but Tim Cook is finally talking about artificial intelligence on his own terms. CEO Satya Nadella described the period as one in which the company "moved from talking about AI to applying AI at scale."

Persons: Tim Cook, —, It's, Mark Zuckerberg, Josh Edelson, Satya Nadella, Mark Gurman, John Giannandrea, Craig Federighi, Cook, Christoph Dernbach, Goldman, Mike Ng, We've Organizations: Big Tech, Service, Apple, Apple's Big Tech, —, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Getty, Vision, Apple Vision Pro, Huawei Locations: AFP, China

☆ The Vision Pro needs apps. Now is not a good time for Apple to be at odds with developers.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWhen Apple launches the Vision Pro on Friday, it could really do with developers lapping it up. Given the price tag, Apple watchers aren't expecting the Vision Pro to fly off the shelves immediately. AdvertisementTo spur future consumer sales then, Apple really needs developers onside to help make the Vision Pro a success. In theory, it means developers aren't strictly limited to releasing their apps to Apple users through its own App Store. More broadly, it puts Apple and developers at odds with each other at a moment when Apple really needs apps for Vision Pro.

Persons: —, It's, aren't, Apple Apple, Daniel Ek, Ek, Tim Sweeney, Sweeney, Apple, Apps, Mark Gurman Organizations: Service, Apple, Business, Vision, European Union, bloc's, Epic, Microsoft, Valve, Vision Pro

☆ Apple, Zuck, Elon, and the lesson of Microsoft Windows
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

However, this person has been investing for more than 2 decades and sold a startup to a big tech company in the first dot-com boom. "The lesson of Microsoft Windows"Then this hedge funder schooled me on the "lesson of Microsoft Windows." He also pointed out that if you don't own a big platform, your life kinda sucks. AdvertisementThe biggest betsThis is why big tech companies are investing 100s of billions of dollars to find the next big platforms. Big Tech is all about winning our attention and being the first "funnel" that sends us out into the world.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, —, Apple, Tesla, it's, Mark Gurman, I've, Matthew Ball, Zuckerberg, Ball, OpenAI, Nora Naughton, Elon Musk Organizations: Apple, Service, Apple's, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Android, Amazon, Google, Big Tech, Tesla, Software, GM, Ford, Meta Locations: American

☆ Apple just gave new demos for the Vision Pro. The technology is 'fun,' but some testers still don't see the point.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewAhead of the February 2 launch of Apple's Vision Pro, reporters were again given access to the virtual reality headset. "Talking to someone today while they were wearing Vision Pro the render of their eyes was deeply real," Josh Rubin at Cool Hunting said on Threads. It is still just a VR headset 'searching for a purpose'One overarching critique of the Vision Pro has been: What's the point? AdvertisementIn this most recent round of opinions, it seems testers can't see past the limited use cases for the Vision Pro. "I'm just still trying to see where it fits in the real world," Song wrote.

Persons: —, Rich DeMuro, Josh Rubin, Cool, Song, Rubin, Dana Wollman, Low, Mark Gurman, Joanna Stern, Stern, Gurman, Nilay Patel, I'm, it's, Wollman Organizations: Service, Apple's, Pro, Business, Apple, Engadget, Bloomberg, Vision

☆ Apple plans to drop blood oxygen feature on smartwatches to get around import ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewApple has found a new workaround for the import ban on its latest Apple Watch models. The company will remove blood oxygen functionality from its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 if its appeal of the import ban is unsuccessful, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported. Related storiesMedical device maker Masimo has claimed certain Apple Watch models infringe on its blood oxygen monitoring technology patents. Apple told Business Insider the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are still available with the blood oxygen tool. The import ban on Apple's latest smartwatches initially took effect on December 26.

Persons: —, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Masimo Organizations: Service, Apple Watch, Business, Apple, Customs, US International Trade, Bloomberg, US Customs, Appeals, Federal Circuit

☆ Trump Can Be Sued for Jan. 6 Incitement, Judges Rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Sadie Gurman | Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump is facing four separate indictments at both state and federal levels. WSJ breaks down each of the indictments and what they mean for his 2024 presidential campaign. Photo Illustration: Annie ZhaoWASHINGTON—Civil lawsuits seeking to hold Donald Trump accountable for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol can move forward, a federal appeals-court panel ruled Friday, expressing skepticism toward the former president’s claims of “absolute immunity” from allegations that he incited violence that day. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said while presidents can carry out their official duties without exposure to lawsuits, plaintiffs including Capitol Police officers had adequately established that Trump wasn’t acting in that capacity while campaigning for re-election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Annie Zhao Organizations: U.S ., Appeals, Circuit, Capitol Police, Trump Locations: Annie Zhao WASHINGTON

Former President Donald Trump is facing four separate indictments at both state and federal levels. WSJ breaks down each of the indictments and what they mean for his 2024 presidential campaign. Photo Illustration: Annie ZhaoWASHINGTON—Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to claim absolute immunity to ward off criminal and civil legal actions against him were rebuffed twice Friday in separate legal decisions. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan , presiding over Trump’s election-interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, rejected the former president’s bid to have that case tossed out on the grounds that he enjoys “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution. In court papers, the former president’s lawyers argued that his efforts to challenge his November 2020 election loss had been “within the ‘outer perimeter’ of his official responsibility” as president.

Persons: Donald Trump, Annie Zhao WASHINGTON —, Donald Trump’s, Tanya Chutkan, Jack Smith Organizations: U.S

☆ Watchdog to Probe FBI Headquarters Selection Process
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray has cited a potential conflict of interest in the site-selection process. Photo: elizabeth frantz/ReutersWASHINGTON—A government watchdog is launching an investigation into how the Biden administration chose a suburban Maryland site for the FBI’s new headquarters after Director Christopher Wray and Virginia lawmakers accused a political appointee of inappropriately interfering with the siting decision. Robert Erickson, acting inspector general for the General Services Administration, told lawmakers Thursday his office would immediately probe the decision to relocate the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s main campus to Greenbelt, Md., after a decadelong drama that engulfed the site-selection process.

Persons: Christopher Wray, elizabeth frantz, Biden, Robert Erickson Organizations: Reuters WASHINGTON, General Services Administration, Federal Bureau Locations: Maryland, Virginia, Investigation’s, Greenbelt, Md

☆ Ex-Officer Derek Chauvin Expected to Survive Prison Assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Sadie Gurman | Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is concurrently serving a state sentence for second-degree murder and a federal sentence for violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Photo: Court TV/ReutersDerek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, is expected to survive after he was assaulted at a federal prison in Arizona, according to law-enforcement officials. He was attacked with a knife, but his injuries weren’t life-threatening, one of the officials said.

Persons: Derek Chauvin, George, Reuters Derek Chauvin, George Floyd Organizations: Minneapolis, Reuters Locations: Minneapolis, Arizona

Two people died inside a vehicle that crashed and exploded at the Rainbow Bridge U.S.-Canada border crossing, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Photo: Saleman Alwishah/ReutersTwo people died inside a vehicle traveling toward Canada that exploded Wednesday at a U.S.-Canada border crossing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, adding that a preliminary investigation found no indication the incident was a terrorist attack. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, which forced authorities to shut down the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Saleman Organizations: Rainbow Bridge, New York Gov, Federal Bureau of Investigation Locations: Canada, U.S, Niagara Falls, N.Y, Niagara Falls , Ontario

☆ Trump’s Gag Order Comes Under Appeals Court’s Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump recently criticized the limited gag order as unprecedented censoring of a political candidate. Photo: Eric Gay/Associated PressWASHINGTON—A federal appeals-court panel sharply questioned prosecutors and Donald Trump’s defense lawyers alike on Monday as it weighs whether to affirm restrictions on what the former president can say about his election-interference case. The hearing before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was the latest clash between Trump’s lawyers and special counsel Jack Smith ’s team over a gag order issued last month by Trump’s trial judge, Tanya Chutkan .

Persons: Donald Trump, Eric Gay, Donald Trump’s, Jack Smith ’, Trump’s, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: Associated Press WASHINGTON, U.S ., Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit

☆ Trump’s Gag Order Should Stand, Appeals Panel Signals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump is facing four separate indictments at both state and federal levels. WSJ breaks down each of the indictments and what they mean for his 2024 presidential campaign. Photo Illustration: Annie ZhaoWASHINGTON—A federal appeals court signaled Monday that it would affirm but potentially narrow a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump in the criminal case alleging he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss. During a more than two-hour hearing in Washington, a three-judge panel expressed skepticism toward the argument from Trump’s lawyer that the gag order infringed on the former president’s First Amendment rights and “core political speech.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Annie Zhao WASHINGTON —, ” Locations: Washington

☆ Biden Expected to Face Harsh Criticism in Classified-Document Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Aruna Viswanatha | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Justice Department is investigating how classified documents got to the home of former President Trump and the home and personal office of President Biden. Here’s how documents are supposed to be handled during a transition. Illustration: Adele MorganThe prosecutor investigating why classified documents ended up at President Biden’s home and former office is preparing a report that is expected to be sharply critical of how he and his longtime aides handled the material, but the probe isn’t likely to result in a criminal case, according to people familiar with the matter. Since his appointment in January, Special Counsel Robert Hur has interviewed roughly 100 of Biden’s aides, colleagues and family members, including his son, Hunter, culminating in a two-day interview with the president last month.

Persons: Trump, Biden, Here’s, Adele Morgan, Biden’s, Robert Hur, Hunter

☆ Maryland Wins Bid for New FBI Headquarters Over Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The J. Edgar Hoover Building has been home to the FBI for nearly 50 years. Photo: Ting Shen for The Wall Street JournalThe Federal Bureau of Investigation will move from its crumbling home in downtown Washington to the Maryland suburbs, opening a new chapter in the tortured saga of the future of the bureau’s headquarters. The agency’s new main offices are set to be built in Greenbelt, Md., about 15 miles from the hulking, brutalist J. Edgar Hoover Building that has been its iconic home for nearly 50 years.

Persons: Edgar Hoover, Ting Shen, brutalist J Organizations: FBI, Wall Street, Federal Bureau, Investigation Locations: Washington, Maryland, Greenbelt, Md

☆ FBI Accuses Biden Appointee of Bias in Selection of Headquarters Site
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘We have concerns about fairness and transparency in the process and GSA’s failure to adhere to its own site selection plan,’ FBI Director Christopher Wray wrote to staff. Photo: Chris Machian/Associated PressA final pick this week for a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters in the Maryland suburbs was supposed to end a decadelong drama that had engulfed the site-selection process. Instead, it looks like it’s only heating up. In a sharply worded note to employees Thursday, the usually taciturn FBI Director Christopher Wray blasted the General Services Administration’s decision-making process and said a Biden appointee might have inappropriately interfered with the outcome.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Chris Machian Organizations: Federal Bureau of Investigation, General Services, Biden Locations: Maryland

Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and private life have provided political fodder for Republicans seeking to pin wrongdoing on his father. Here’s what you need to know about the legal challenges facing the president’s son. Photo Illustration: Ryan TrefesThe yearslong criminal investigation into Hunter Biden has aired a lot of dirty laundry about the president’s son’s attempts at foreign business and his descent into drug addiction. A parallel congressional probe is now airing a lot of dirty laundry about the government officials investigating him. The younger Biden was indicted in September on three felony gun charges and pleaded not guilty last month in Delaware federal court.

Persons: Hunter, Ryan Trefes, Hunter Biden, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Internal Revenue Locations: Delaware

☆ Trump’s Bad Week: Ex-Advisers Line Up Against Him
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sadie Gurman | Alex Leary | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who advised Donald Trump during his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, pleaded guilty in the Georgia election interference case on Tuesday. Photo: John Bazemore/AFP/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Donald Trump has had a tough few days on the legal front, his defense effort buffeted by one blow after another from once-loyal aides. The former president was fined a second time on Wednesday for violating a gag order in a civil-fraud trial where his scorned ex-confidant Michael Cohen said Trump commanded him to “reverse engineer” estimates of his financial wealth. A day earlier it emerged that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , once one of Trump’s closest advisers, had been talking to federal prosecutors about the effort to overturn the 2020 election. And the same day a third Trump legal adviser, Jenna Ellis , pleaded guilty in Fulton County, Ga., where Trump is the prime defendant in a racketeering case on similar allegations.

Persons: Jenna Ellis, Donald Trump, John Bazemore, WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, Trump, Mark Meadows Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON, White House, Trump Locations: Georgia, AFP, Fulton County ,

☆ Trump Files New Arguments for Dismissal of Election-Interference Charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ breaks down four separate indictments that former President Donald Trump is facing—and what they mean for his 2024 campaign. Photo Illustration: Annie ZhaoWASHINGTON—Donald Trump’s lawyers stepped up their challenges to federal charges that the former president conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss, arguing in court filings that the indictment violates his free-speech rights and targets him because he is President Biden’s chief rival for the White House in 2024. The long-shot legal motions represent Trump’s latest effort to have dismissed his federal election-interference prosecution and add to a mounting pile of requests under consideration by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan , who has indicated she has a low tolerance for politics in her courtroom.

Persons: Donald Trump, Annie Zhao WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s, Biden’s, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: White House, U.S

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