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☆ iPod godfather says Apple 'jumped the shark' with its Vision Pro headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive known as the iPod godfather, just dunked on the company's new $3,499 Vision Pro headset. But he slammed the price, battery life, and other aspects. "It's has truly nothing to do with 2hr battery life," Fadell responded. "The apps & marketing pitch is awful even if it had 24 HR battery life…. "There's no dancing in the virtual world when people don't even have bodies.

Persons: Tony Fadell, Fadell, Jeff Lutz, Apple, It's, I'm Organizations: Wired, Apple, Tech

☆ Why are there no photos of Tim Cook and other Apple executives wearing the company's Vision Pro headset?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Top Apple reporter Mark Gurman noted there are no photos of Tim Cook wearing the Vision Pro headset. At the end of a busy day covering Apple's latest gadget, reporter Mark Gurman noticed something strange: There were no images of CEO Tim Cook or other Apple executives wearing the company's new Vision Pro headset. "Unless I missed something, it is very curious to me why there are no photos of Tim Cook or other Apple executives actually wearing the Vision Pro. Steve Jobs with the first iPhone APThis time, the Vision Pro device was shown on the faces of various models, who were mostly women. Various theories are being floated on why Cook and other Apple executives haven't been pictured wearing the devices.

Persons: Mark Gurman, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Cook, haven't, Zac Hall, Apple, he's, Phillip Shoemaker Organizations: Apple, Morning, VR, Apple App

☆ Today's the day: Apple is expected to reveal a 'jaw dropping' new product that faces an uphill battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Michael Liedtke | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It'll be the company's first major new product since the first Apple Watch in 2014. Apple's goggles are expected be sleekly designed and capable of toggling between totally virtual or augmented options, a blend sometimes known as "mixed reality." Magic LeapDaniel Diez, Magic Leap's chief transformation officer, said there are four major questions Apple's goggles will have to answer: "What can people do with it? The anticipation that Apple's goggles are going to sell for several thousand dollars already has dampened expectations for the product. But those forecasts were obviously made before it's known whether Apple might be releasing a product that alters the landscape.

Persons: It'll, Apple, Steve Jobs, hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Cook, it's, Sergey Brin, Daniel Diez, Magic, Dan Ives, Zuckerberg, Leap's Diez Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Wedbush Securities, CCS Insight Locations: Cupertino , California, Italy, San Francisco

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Apple's big metaverse push
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This week, Apple is preparing to do what no tech firm has managed yet: make the metaverse cool. Apple is ready to enter its metaverse era, but the rest of the world might not be. Some people think it's unwise to ramp up efforts to push into the metaverse — especially at a time when the metaverse is said to be headed to the industry's graveyard of failed ideas. However, it's also unwise to bet against Apple — a company whose epic feats in tech have earned its leaders cult-like status. It's quick, stylish, and high-tech, Insider's Tim Levin writes, but it falls short in range and cargo space.

Persons: Hallam Bullock, Tim Cook, Stephen Lam, Insider's Hasan Chowdhury, Apple, it's, Patrick O'Neill, Elizabeth Holmes, Lisa Lake, Theranos, Holmes, Read, Elon, Spriha Srivastava, Gray, Kia, Tim Levin, Kia's, Jack Sommers Organizations: Apple, Developers, Bloomberg, Apple —, Starco Brands, Forbes, Getty, Nvidia, Google, Challenger, Wireless, Amazon Prime Locations: London, Theranos, China, Shanghai

☆ Apple WWDC 2023: What to expect at Apple's big developer event
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The highly anticipated release of an AR/VR headset would be Apple’s biggest hardware product launch since the debut of the Apple Watch in 2015. Here’s a closer look at what to expect:A ‘mixed reality’ headsetFor years, Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed interest in augmented reality. Apple’s new headset is expected to pack apps for gaming, fitness and meditation, and offer access to iOS apps such as Messages, FaceTime and Safari, according to Bloomberg. New MacBooksA mixed reality headset may not be the only piece of hardware to get stage time this year. New features for iPhone, iPad and Apple WatchConsidering WWDC is traditionally a software event, Apple executives will likely spend much of the time highlighting the changes and upgrades coming to its next-generation mobile operating systems, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

Persons: Tim Cook, it’s, Siri, Justin Sullivan, Apple Organizations: CNN, Apple, Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple Watch, YouTube, Bloomberg, VR, MacBook, Wall Street, Big Tech Locations: Cupertino , California, Silicon Valley

☆ Apple Is Stepping Into the Metaverse. Will Anyone Care?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kellen Browning | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple headset is expected to cost about $3,000 and will look like ski goggles, according to current and former employees familiar with its development. Eventual hits like the iPod, iPhone and Apple Watch started in niche markets that grew into big businesses. But even Apple executives have been skeptical about the company’s prospects in virtual reality, which, they say, may still not be ready for its mainstream moment. That drop-off cuts recent metaverse start-up investment to about a quarter of its peak in the first half of 2022, PitchBook said. “The metaverse investment fad — it came and went, and now people are focused on A.I.,” said Doug Creutz, an analyst at Cowen & Company.

Persons: PitchBook, ”, Doug Creutz Organizations: Apple, Worldwide Developers, Apple Watch, PitchBook, Cowen & Company

☆ A Google exec's jab at Apple about texting issues between iPhones and Android drew cheers and applause at a conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Google exec took a thinly veiled jab at Apple at the company's Google IO conference. The exec said the company hopes every mobile operating system adopts a messaging standard called RCS. Google has campaigned for Apple to adopt RCS to make texting between iOS and Android a better experience. The moment was Google's latest attempt to pressure Apple to adopt something called the the RCS messaging standard, or Rich Communications Services. Samat said that over 800 million people currently use the RCS standard, with expectations that number will balloon to 1 billion by the end of the year.

☆ GM hires former Apple executive Abbott to lead software unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) on Tuesday named former Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executive Mike Abbott to lead a division that will bring together three software functions within the company. Abbott, whose appointment is effective from May 22, will spearhead development of vehicle and enterprise software technologies. Automakers, including GM and Ford Motor Co (F.N), have been increasingly ramping up their investment on technology and software services amid an electric-vehicle push, as they look to cash in on subscription-based services. At Apple, Abbott led a team responsible for the development of core infrastructure for all of the company's cloud-based services including iCloud, iMessage, Private Relay, Mail and account security. Bloomberg News had in March reported Abbott would step down from his role at the iPhone maker.

☆ GM Hires Former Apple Cloud Executive to Oversee Software
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Automakers and tech companies are locked in a battle over who gets control of the dashboard console. Photo illustration: George DownsGeneral Motors has hired a former Apple executive to lead a newly formed software unit, the latest in the auto maker’s efforts to reduce its reliance on Silicon Valley for in-car tech. Mike Abbott , vice president of Apple’s cloud services, will join GM later this month as executive vice president of software, in charge of developing both in-vehicle features and enterprise solutions, the automaker said Tuesday. He will report directly to GM Chief Executive Mary Barra .

☆ GM hires ex-Apple exec to lead new software unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A sign with the General Motors quality mission statement stands in the lobby at the GM Warren Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. DETROIT – General Motors has hired former Apple executive Mike Abbott to lead a newly created software unit for the Detroit automaker. Abbott, former vice president of engineering for Apple's Cloud Services division, will join GM as executive vice president of software, effective May 22. Software, specifically monetizing it, is a major focus for automakers such as GM, as they eye reoccurring revenue opportunities such as subscriptions to boost profits. GM has a target to grow profit margins and double its revenue to about $280 billion by the end of this decade.

☆ Apple analyst Kuo says headset faces 1-2 month delay, prompting uncertainty over WWDC launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple's widely anticipated mixed-reality headset may not be ready in time for the company's June WWDC event, top Apple analyst, TFI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, wrote on Twitter Thursday. The Apple Watch was announced in Sept. 2014 but didn't launch until April 2015. Apple expects to sell at most 300,000 headsets in 2023, Kuo wrote. The best hope for Apple is that headset growth matches the trajectory of the Apple Watch, evolving from a "small portion" of the company's business into a "centerpiece," Gurman wrote. Kuo is regarded as one of the most accurate Apple analysts, and has reported on Apple's shifting approach to the launch of its long-awaited headsets.

☆ 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.

☆ Startup by Ex-Apple Executives Raises $100 Million, Partners With OpenAI, Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Aaron Tilley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A startup founded by former Apple Inc. executives unveiled a new investment round of $100 million and partnerships with OpenAI , creator of ChatGPT, as well as Microsoft Corp.Humane Inc., founded by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno , plans to launch a product this spring that incorporates artificial intelligence into a consumer device.

☆ Apple's advertising business is expanding into new areas this year such as TV. Here are 14 behind-the-scenes Apple executives building its advertising empire.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Right now its roughly $5 billion-in-revenue ads business largely consists of search ads sold within the App Store. We asked more than a dozen advertising industry insiders and former Apple advertising staffers to identify the most important executives building Apple's advertising business. Teresi's ascent coincides with the explosive growth of Apple's ad business in recent years. A former Yahoo and Quantcast staffer, Crawford first joined Apple in 2011 to work on global operations for iAd. Lauren Fry - Apple TV+ ad salesApple hired Fry, a TV and video ad sales veteran, in February this year, The Information reported.

☆ Job cuts, a sole CEO, and AI bets: How Bridgewater is shaking itself up after the Ray Dalio era
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The firm's CEO, Nir Bar Dea, said in a memo that it would lay off employees and restructure. Bar Dea had been a rising star at Bridgewater, which has transitioned leadership in recent years. Former co-CEO Mark Bertolini is also stepping out of the role and returning to Bridgewater's board as an independent director, leaving Bar Dea as sole CEO. "Over time, we expect this platform to produce the next round of growth in the business," Bar Dea wrote. 'Finding a home'As far as high finance executives go, Bar Dea has an unexpected background.

☆ iPhone users will soon be able to send iMessages through their PCs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Phone Link for iOS will let iPhone users send and receive iMessages on their Windows devices. Despite not being able to share photos on Phone Link, iCloud Photos is already integrated into the Windows 11 Photos app. Messages sent from Phone Link appear as iMessages on iPhones, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's head of consumer marketing, told The Verge. "It's something we've been wanting to do for a long time," Mehdi told The Verge about bringing iOS users to Phone Link. However, Apple hasn't budged towards switching to RCS, and CEO Tim Cook has previously said he doesn't hear many Apple users request a change to texting between iPhones and Androids.

☆ From a horseback-riding model to a secret daughter: Meet the children of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Grace Kay | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Steve Jobs left the bulk of his fortune to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, when he died in 2011. Later, he had Reed Jobs, Erin Jobs, and Eve Jobs with his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Meet Jobs' four children and his widow Laurene Powell Jobs, and see how his legacy helped his loved ones succeed. Erin Siena JobsErin Siena Jobs is the most private of Steve Jobs' children. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APTwenty-four-year-old Eve Jobs, the youngest of Steve Jobs' children, is a model and an accomplished equestrian.

☆ EA founder Trip Hawkins dives into Web3 with Barcelona-based startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Eva Mathews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Former Apple executive Trip Hawkins, who founded the company behind the best-selling sports videogame franchise "FIFA", is joining a Web3 startup, looking to take on top blockchain games like Axie Infinity. The founder of Electronic Arts (EA.O) will join as co-founder and security chief of Games for a Living (GFAL), Hawkins told Reuters in an interview. Interest for Web3 gaming has risen over the past year as it is touted to attract more cryptocurrency users. Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming developer Animoca Brands, which backs popular NFT game Axie Infinity, raised more than $500 million in 2022. "Web3 is the bridge to the metaverse," Hawkins said on Thursday.

☆ Apple to defend mobile payment system at Feb. 14 EU hearing, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The hearing, which senior European Commission and national competition officials, Apple executives and complainants will attend, comes nine months after the EU competition watchdog accused the company of abusing its market power. The EU antitrust watchdog has said Apple's anti-competitive practices dated back to 2015 when Apple Pay was launched. Apple referred to its statement last year which said that Apple Pay is only one of many options available to European consumers and which has ensured equal access to its tap and go technology Near-Field Communication (NFC). The company could face fines of up to 10% of its global turnover if found guilty of antitrust violations. It is also the target of EU charges of abusing its dominance in the music streaming market in a case triggered by a complaint by Spotify (SPOT.N).

☆ Apple's lower iPhone sales drive first profit miss since 2016
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Apple sales fell 5% to $117.2 billion and were down in every part of the world in the quarter. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told Reuters that the production disruptions that plagued Apple's key quarter were now over. "I would point out that 8% is still a very severe headwind," Cook told Reuters. On top of supply chain problems for the iPhone, Wall Street analysts had expected iPhone sales to fall this year as part of a larger pattern in which the iPhone 14 family released last year sells more slowly after two straight years of strong sales of iPhone 12 and 13 models. Apple said iPhone sales were $65.8 billion, down 8% from the year before and below analyst estimates of $68.3 billion.

☆ The largest hedge fund in the world just named a 37-year-old woman as a co-CIO. Meet the top 11 execs leading Bridgewater into its new era.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alyson Velati | Michelle Abrego | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Karen Karniol-Tambour will join co-CIOs Greg Jensen and Bob Prince to oversee the hedge fund's investment strategy. Despite a breakout year for many multi-strategy and macro hedge funds, Bridgewater lagged behind its peers. Nir Bar Dea, co-CEOBar Dea. Bridgewater AssociatesAs cochief investment officer, Jensen oversees Bridgewater's investment strategies and research efforts as well as its investment talent. Since joining Bridgewater in 1986, he has been a partner in building the hedge fund's investment process and products.

☆ Apple executives including Tim Cook may have violated workers' rights, according to the national labor board
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A federal agency said it found evidence that Apple executives and company policy broke labor laws. The decision stems from cases filed by former employees who say Apple violated their rights. The NLRB will prosecute if Apple doesn't settle with former employees who have raised complaints. The federal agency confirmed to Insider that it found merit that charges concerning statements by high-level executives at Apple, as well as company policies, violated the National Labor Relations Act. According to Bloomberg, the federal agency's assessment stemmed from cases brought by two former Apple employees, Ashley Gjovik and Cher Scarlett.

☆ Steve Jobs' nepo babies: From a model to a secret daughter, here's everything we know about the Apple cofounder's kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Kay | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Steve Jobs left the bulk of his fortune to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, when he died in 2011. Later, he had Reed Jobs, Erin Jobs, and Eve Jobs with his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Apple, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Reed Jobs did not reply to requests for comment, nor did representatives for Lisa Brennan-Jobs and Eve Jobs. Since Jobs' death, Powell Jobs has been active in philanthropy and founded Emerson Collective in 2004 as a "social change organization." Erin Siena JobsErin Siena Jobs is the most private of Steve Jobs' children.

☆ Google's massive New Year billboard ad told Apple to fix 'pixelated' photos and videos in texts between iPhones and Androids
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Google ad told Apple it doesn't have to "drop the ball" on fixing "pixelated photos and videos." The ad is part of Google's #GetTheMessage campaign urging Apple to adopt the RCS standard. In the New Year's-themed ad, Google shared lines of RCS code to help Apple "get the ball rolling." In December, Google continued its campaign against Apple with a "happy birthday" post for SMS which turned 30 in 2022. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he doesn't hear many requests from Apple users to fix texting between iPhones and Android phones.

☆ Apple is searching for a head of ad sales as its streaming TV and sports ambitions grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple has a recruitment firm searching for a top TV and streaming executive to head up its ad sales. The search suggests the company may be considering an ad-supported tier for Apple TV+. Recruiters are quietly working on a search for a head of ad sales, according to a person familiar with conversations. This new executive search indicates that Apple has plans to create an ad tier for Apple TV+. An ad executive familiar with plans said Apple was negotiating a major beachfront presence this year.

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