Apple was charged by the European Commission for breaking the EU’s Digital Markets Act by stopping app developers from showing other payment options. /DMA/
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Apple manufacturers moved from China to Vietnam. Now they’re desperate for workers
restofworld.org: [Excerpt] Recruiters are wooing new workers with bonuses and gifts.
Just last year, a slump in Vietnam’s electronics manufacturing put tens of thousands of workers out of a job. The second quarter of 2024, however, saw the sharpest increase in orders for Vietnamese manufacturers in more than a decade, according to data from S&P Global.
“Now that these laborers, especially the younger generations, have had other jobs, it is not easy to get them back to work in factories with simple and rather boring tasks and long working hours,”
“They have a better idea about how to select factories. That could be a good signal for the industry to care more about decent work practices so as to attract workers.”
David Yuen-Tung Chan, a researcher at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, told Rest of World over email.
Discussions started earlier this year and have advanced in recent weeks, but a deal could still be months away, according to people familiar with the matter. It isn’t guaranteed a deal will come together, given key details, including the price, are still to be negotiated.
FDA Authorizes First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Software
fda.gov : [Excerpt] Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature, intended to be used with compatible versions of the Apple AirPods Pro headphones. Once installed and customized to the user’s hearing needs, the Hearing Aid Feature enables compatible versions of the AirPods Pro to serve as an OTC hearing aid, intended to amplify sounds for individuals 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.
apple.com: [Excerpt] The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available fall 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending FDA authorization. Both features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later and are intended for people 18 years old or older. The Hearing Aid feature will also be supported on a compatible Mac with macOS Sequoia and later. It is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
apple.com: AirPods Pro 2 > Hearing Protection > AirPods Pro 2 now provide active Hearing Protection across listening modes to help prevent exposure to loud environmental noise. [Coming soon]
apple.com: Apple introduces AirPods 4 and the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2 (9/9/24)
Source: Apple, Inc.
Coming this fall: The FDA granted marketing authorization of the Hearing Aid Feature to Apple Inc.
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☑️ #197 Sep 10, 2024
Apple told to pay Ireland €13bn in tax by EU
bbc.com: [Excerpt] Apple has been ordered to pay Ireland €13bn (£11bn; $14bn) in unpaid taxes by Europe's top court, putting an end to an eight-year row.
The European Commission accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal tax advantages in 2016, but Ireland has consistently argued against the need for the tax to be paid.
The Irish government said it would respect the ruling.
Apple said it was disappointed with the decision and accused the European Commission of "trying to retroactively change the rules".
Tax rulings: the Court of Justice sets aside the judgment of the General
Court concerning tax rulings issued by Ireland in favour of Apple (pdf)
ec.europa.eu: Remarks by Executive Vice-President Vestager following the Court of Justice rulings on the Apple tax State aid and Google Shopping antitrust cases.
gov.ie: Statement by Minister Chambers on judgement by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Apple State aid case.
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☑️ #196 Sep 9, 2024
People crave connection and excitement
@philiphofmacher: Watched the iPhone 16 event while on the treadmill.
🔹Related content:
@trading101 : The latest iPhone event/launch was everything I expected and further validation of the firm’s ability and dedication to Artificial Intelligence that is applicable and attainable for the daily user, with utility that benefits the user in various ways that are likely to grow over time and with ever-developing applications.
Apple Watch, cool and just more cool, but not incremental and yes the sleep apnea and cardio applications are and have been building, but as a bridge to nowhere other than slapping an FDA label on the box for which the existing user base has already adopted ie this does not address a new market due to form factor and any real dedication from Apple to go down the road of achieving at least Class 2 certification from FDA and CMA medical reimbursement qualifications thereafter. To-date such operational advancements do not exist. Physicians need, legally, such achievements to prescribe a medical device and health care insurance providers akin need a billing code that doesn’t exist for Apple Watch. Physicians still can’t upload diagnostics via NFT chip and on a constant contact device like a mobil cardio tracking device strapped across the patient’s chest. Hence, cool, but cool for the existing user base and doesn’t expand the total addressable market. I have said this for 7 years no btw.
Same goes for the Apple Pods but the path to such clinical classifications is much less stringent.
In total, still about AI for iPhone 16, and what is rolling out I deem more than enough to deliver a meaningful upgrade cycle.
apple.com: Apple Event > Watch on 9/9 at 10 a.m. PT. > Tune in at apple.com or on the Apple TV app.
🔹Related content:
ICYMI — Apple Event Highlights (3:49) In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the exciting announcements from this year’s September Event.
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☑️ #194 Sep 3, 2024 🔴 rumor
Graviton's competitive pricing actually is helping us to do that
@techfund: Engineer at Apple says that 30% of their AWS cloud workloads are already over Amazon's Graviton CPU as opposed to Intel or AMD. He thinks start-ups will go 100% over Graviton as AWS is heavily promoting its own CPU, telling customers that Graviton is 35-40% more cost effective than Intel CPUs.
Going forward, he sees workloads over Graviton increasing. Historically they haven't done so as they like to be able to shift workloads over different clouds e.g. if AWS goes down, start up the workload in GCP.
But with Docker/ Kubernetes-based containers, this additional software layer can abstract away from the local hardware you're using. So if you're running apps in multi-architecture containers, you can easily shift apps between clouds while still making use of the local cloud optimized ASICs such as Graviton.
So basically with multi-architecture containers, you get the best of both worlds i.e. the software flexibility to switch clouds and the benefits of cheap localized ASICs.
Basically, our Graviton consumption would still go a little up higher. It'd still go somewhere around 50% to 60% at least because of a couple of things. First of all, right now what is happening is, because of the economy and everything, we are focusing on cost optimization. We are trying to cut down our cloud cost or having an optimal cloud cost.
Graviton's competitive pricing actually is helping us to do that. We are still looking, we are still trying to find out those workloads, where we need to do some cost optimization, we might still consider using Graviton. That is, again, data pipelines, raw processing, those kind of workloads.
Where raw performance isn't only the focus, is what we are trying to move it to Graviton. We are also looking into cloud-agnostic things. If there are micro services, where we are running it on top of another containerization technologies like Docker, which basically forms an abstraction from the underlying hardware.
That's what we are also trying to see if we can move those as well, because there is already a layer of abstraction. Those kind of workloads we are seeing, so we are potentially planning to move into Graviton.
[Source]
🔹Related content:
press.aboutamazon.com (11/28/23): [Excerpts] AWS Unveils Next Generation AWS-Designed Chips. AWS Graviton4 is the most powerful and energy-efficient AWS processor to date for a broad range of cloud workloads.
AWS Trainium2 will power the highest performance compute on AWS for training foundation models faster and at a lower cost, while using less energy
Anthropic, Databricks, Datadog, Epic, Honeycomb, and SAP among customers using new AWS-designed chips.
Apple orders over 10% more iPhones than last year on AI bet
asia.nikkei.com: [Excerpt] Company preparing for Sept. 9 launch of first phones with Apple Intelligence.
TAIPEI -- Apple is betting that its first AI-equipped iPhones will be a hit, telling suppliers to prepare components and parts for some 88 million to 90 million smartphones, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.
That is more than last year's initial component orders for around 80 million new iPhones.
Apple job cuts in Books are turning the page in the wrong direction
sixcolors.com: [Excerpt] The next chapter of Apple Books’s life is looking a little bleak.
I suspect my numbers are probably skewed by the fact that my audience—that’s you all reading this, in large part—are overrepresented by users of Apple products.
That said, to my eyes, Apple has managed to achieve itself a comfortable, if distant second place in ebooks without really spending much in the way of time and effort. Which perhaps explains why they’re looking to cut costs and reduce focus—if the business works “fine” as is, then why invest more?
My disappointment stems from the fact that Apple is better positioned and equipped than anyone else in the industry to take on Amazon head-to-head in ebooks. But doing so would require the company to do something different. And I don’t mean its misguided attempts to reinvent the reading experience as it’s tried in the past—most avid readers are pretty happy with their the way they consume books.
bloomberg.com: [Excerpt] Apple Cuts Jobs in Online Services Group as Priorities Shift.
Layoffs will include some workers in Books and News apps
Company is eliminating about 100 positions in Tuesday’s move
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☑️ #191 Aug 15, 2024
Apple Card named best in customer satisfaction among co-branded credit cards with no annual fee by J.D. Power
apple.com: [Excerpt] For the fourth consecutive year, Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have been awarded a No. 1 ranking in their segment in the U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
Apple Card has again been named the Best Co-Branded Credit Card for Customer Satisfaction with No Annual Fee in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, marking the fourth consecutive year Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have been awarded a No. 1 ranking in their segment in the U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.1 The J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance across various categories, including Account Management, Customer Service, and New Account Experience.
jdpower.com (8/15/24): [Excerpts] 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study > Show Me the Money! Cashback and Value Credit Cards Grow in Popularity as Financial Health of Cardholders Declines, J.D. Power Finds.
Apple Card (Goldman Sachs) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among co-brand credit cards with no annual fee, with a score of 654. This is the fourth consecutive year in which Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have collectively earned a segment award. Hilton Honors American Express Card (644) ranks second and Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi (634) ranks third.
jdpower.com (8/17/23): [Excerpts] 2023 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study > Credit Card Issuers Must Confront Consumers’ Mounting Debt, J.D. Power Finds.
Apple Card (Goldman Sachs) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among co-brand credit cards with no annual fee, with a score of 655. This is the third consecutive year in which Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have collectively won a segment award. Hilton Honors American Express Card (638) ranks second, while Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Chase) (636) and PayPal Cashback Mastercard (Synchrony Bank) (636) each rank third in a tie.
investor.apple.com (8/28/22): [Excerpt] For the second consecutive year, Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction in the Midsize Credit Card Issuer segment in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
investor.apple.com (8/19/21): [Excerpt] Apple Card customers ranked Goldman Sachs and Apple Card No. 1 in customer satisfaction among Midsized Credit Card segment, according to J.D. Power.
Apple Card launches today for all US customers (8/20/19): [Excerpt] Apple Card, a new kind of credit card created by Apple and designed to help customers lead a healthier financial life, is available in the US starting today.
“Simplicity, transparency and privacy are at the core of our consumer product development philosophy,” said David M. Solomon, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “We’re thrilled to partner with Apple on Apple Card, which helps customers take control of their financial lives.”
“We are excited to be the global payments network for Apple Card, providing customers with fast and secure transactions around the world,” said Ajay Banga, president and CEO of Mastercard.
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☑️ #190 Aug 13, 2024
Apple Music and Rivian Introduce Immersive Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos Experience to Rivian Drivers
rivian.com: [Excerpt] Apple and Rivian today announced that the industry-defining automotive maker will be bringing Apple Music’s premium, immersive Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos® natively to Rivian customers. Beginning today, Apple Music will also be available in all of Rivian’s electric vehicles for drivers with an Apple Music subscription. Thanks to Connect+, Rivian’s vehicle streaming and connectivity subscription, it will be available anywhere the vehicle drives.
For Rivian customers seeking an even more immersive sound experience in Second Generation vehicles, they can select Rivian Premium Audio, a Rivian-designed sound system, which enables Apple Music’s Spatial Audio thanks to Dolby Atmos. The experience delivers astonishing audio that reveals more depth, clarity, and details in your favorite music.
The MimicGen NIM microservice generates synthetic motion data based on recorded teleoperated data from spatial computing devices like Apple Vision Pro. The Robocasa NIM microservice generates robot tasks and simulation-ready environments in OpenUSD, a universal framework for developing and collaborating within 3D worlds.
linuxfoundation.org (8/1/23): [Excerpt] Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA Form Alliance for OpenUSD to Drive Open Standards for 3D Content.
SAN FRANCISCO – Aug. 1, 2023 – Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA, together with the Joint Development Foundation (JDF), a part of the Linux Foundation family, today announced the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) to promote the standardization, development, evolution, and growth of Pixar’s Universal Scene Description technology.
“Universal Scene Description was invented at Pixar and is the technological foundation of our state-of-the-art animation pipeline,”
“OpenUSD is based on years of research and application in Pixar filmmaking. We open-sourced the project in 2016, and the influence of OpenUSD now expands beyond film, visual effects, and animation and into other industries that increasingly rely on 3D data for media interchange. With the announcement of AOUSD, we signal the exciting next step: the continued evolution of OpenUSD as a technology and its position as an international standard.”
Steve May, Chief Technology Officer at Pixar and Chairperson of AOUSD.
Berkshire Hathaway sold nearly half its stake in Apple
@GerberKawasaki: Warren Buffet doesn't understand technology, thats for sure. Selling Apple before the AI revolution is an error for long term investors... AAPL 0.00%↑
🔹Related content:
@GRDecter: JUST IN: WARREN BUFFETT SELLS ~50% OF APPLE STOCK. In Q2, Berkshire Hathaway held only 400 million shares down from 789 million shares in Q1 (according to the company’s 10-Q report) Cash pile hit a record $276.9 billion WOW
@davidjwaldron: As reported today in the financial media, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.B) sold ~49% of its stake in Apple ($AAPL) during Q2 2024, according to 13f filings.
AAPL had dipped to the $160’s in Q2. Then, in Q3, it shot back up over $200. I imagine investors saw a buying opportunity since, “Hey it’s Buffett’s largest holding.” What wasn’t known is his selling likely led to the price drop.
Notably, Apple is still Berkshire’s largest holding.
(Disclosure: I am long AAPL and BRK.B in our family portfolio, which kind of makes us super long Apple, for better or worse, doesn’t it.)
@krokerequityresearch : Berkshire Hathaway sold nearly half its stake in Apple! Pretty interesting move.
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☑️ #186 Aug 2, 2024
Apple Inc. Smartphone Antitrust Litigation
law.com: [Excerpt] Apple Urges Federal Court to Dismiss DOJ's iPhone-Related Antitrust Case.
“This lawsuit is based on the false premise that iPhone’s success has come not through building a superior product that consumers trust and love, but through Apple’s intentional degradation of iPhone to block purported competitive threats," the tech giant stated.
Apple insisted that it wasn't monopolizing the market.
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☑️ #185 Aug 2, 2024 🟠 opinion
LittleBITS: Should We Continue Covering Apple Financials?
tidbits.com: [Excerpt] We always cover Apple’s quarterly financial reports, but they’re pretty repetitive. Adam Engst asks if you find them sufficiently relevant or interesting for us to continue..
Hence my question: Do you find these quarterly financial roundups interesting? TidBITS seldom covers Apple business news, but I see these roundups as a sort of scorecard that gives some insight into why the company might be paying more or less attention to one product line or business segment. Register your vote in the poll in the comments, and tell us if there’s something that would make this information more relevant or interesting to read.
@LDiscerment: Bingo. When I bought $AAPL in 2017-2018 I specifically remember the narrative “iPhone is the next Nokia” because other smartphones were catching up. But many people overlooked the high margin services business they were building and the power of their buyback program
arxiv.org: [Abstract] We present foundation language models developed to power Apple Intelligence features, including a ~3 billion parameter model designed to run efficiently on devices and a large server-based language model designed for Private Cloud Compute. These models are designed to perform a wide range of tasks efficiently, accurately, and responsibly. This report describes the model architecture, the data used to train the model, the training process, how the models are optimized for inference, and the evaluation results. We highlight our focus on Responsible AI and how the principles are applied throughout the model development.
In a recent research paper published by Apple, the company's hardware and software infrastructure descriptions for its AI tools omit Nvidia chips.
Throughout the paper, Apple details that it instead used Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) to train its AI models.
The company used 2,048 TPUv5p chips for its AI models for iPhones and other devices, and 8,192 TPUv4 processors for its server AI model.
TPUs are accessible via the Google Cloud Platform and are Google's custom chips. In May 2024, Google revealed its sixth generation of its TPUs, dubbed Trillium, claiming that it has a 4.7x compute boost and is 67 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation.
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☑️ #183 Jul 25, 2024
Apple's China market share down to 14%
canalys.com: [Excerpt] Local vendors dominate top five for first time, as Mainland China smartphone market grows 10% in Q2 2024.
"It is the first quarter in history that domestic vendors dominate all the top five positions,"
"Chinese vendors' strategies for high-end products and their deep collaboration with local supply chains are starting to pay off in hardware and software features. HONOR's latest Magic V3, which leverages GenAI, has significantly enhanced the user experience of foldable devices. Conversely, Apple is facing a bottleneck in mainland China. The vendor's current channel strategy maintains a healthy inventory level and aims to stabilize retail prices and protect margins of channel partners. In the long term, the Chinese high-end market is ripe with opportunity. Local brands such as Huawei, HONOR, OPPO, and vivo are leading the way by incorporating technologies such as GenAI into products and services. Additionally, the localization of Apple’s Intelligence services in mainland China will be crucial in the next 12 months."
@EpicNewsroom: Apple has told some press channels that, though they have approved our current EGS iOS App for notarization, they are still demanding Epic change the user interface in a future version. Epic is disputing this.
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@EpicNewsroom: Update: Apple has informed us that our previously rejected Epic Games Store notarization submission has now been accepted.
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@EpicNewsroom: 1/3 Apple has rejected our Epic Games Store notarization submission twice now, claiming the design and position of Epic’s “Install” button is too similar to Apple's "Get" button and that our "In-app purchases" label is too similar to the App Store's "In-App Purchases" label.
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@EpicNewsroom: 2/3 We are using the same "Install" and "In-app purchases" naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps. We're just trying to build a store that mobile users can easily understand, and the disclosure of in-app purchases is a regulatory best practice followed by all stores nowadays.
⚡️
@EpicNewsroom: 3/3 Apple's rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA, and we've shared our concerns with the European Commission. Barring further roadblocks from Apple, we remain ready to launch in the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU in the next couple of months.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Mac app was storing conversations in plain text
theverge.com: [Excerpt] After the security flaw was spotted, OpenAI updated its desktop ChatGPT app to encrypt the locally stored records.
As demonstrated by Pedro José Pereira Vieito on Threads, the ease of access meant it was possible to have another app access those files and show you the text of your conversations right after they happened. Pereira Vieito shared the app he made with me, and I used it to make a video showing how the app can read my ChatGPT conversations with the click of a button. I was also able to find the files on my computer and see the text of conversations just by changing the file name.
So basically any other running app / process / malware can read all your ChatGPT conversations without any permission prompt.
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☑️ #180 Jul 2, 2024 🔴 rumor
Apple will get a board observer seat at OpenAI
@markgurman: NEW: Apple will get a board observer seat at OpenAI later this year as part its partnership for Apple Intelligence. The person getting the seat: Phil Schiller, the head of the App Store and former marketing chief.
OpenAI board will not have Microsoft and Apple as observers (update; 7/10/24): [Excerpt] Apple had also been expected to take an observer role on OpenAI’s board as part of a deal to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone maker’s devices, but would not do so, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Apple declined to comment.
@DeItaone: $AAPLAPPLE'S IPHONE SALES IN CHINA JUMP 39.6% IN MAY.
Apple Inc's smartphone shipments in China surged by 39.6% in May from the same month a year prior, according to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) released on Friday.
Shipment of foreign-branded smartphones jumped by 40.1% year-over-year and 44.1% on a monthly basis, reaching 5.03 million units in May, with Apple dominating the market. Meanwhile, data showed that Chinese brands shipped 25.30 million units, which is 83.4% of the total.
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@DeItaone: $AAPL: Oppenheimer Raises target price to $250 (from $200) "We believe Apple's solution to bring AI to consumers, alongside its unique ecosystem advantage, would result in faster than expected acceleration of revenue and EPS growth"
China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT): [Excerpt] Founded in 1957, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (hereinafter referred to as CAICT) is a scientific research institute directly under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China. It cherishes the cultural philosophy of "Boosting prosperity with virtues and expertise" for years while adhering to the development positioning of "a specialized think-tank for the government and an innovation and development platform for the industry". Committed to "the think-tank and enabler for innovation and development in an information society", CAICT has provided strong support for major strategy, plan, policy, test, and certification for the development of the national ICT sector and the IT application, thus proving itself an important facilitator in the leapfrog development and innovation of China's information and communications sector. It has been granted hundreds of scientific and technological awards at both national and provincial levels.
In recent years, with a view to adapting to the new eco-social backdrop and requirements, CAICT has strengthened its efforts in innovation to achieve wider and deeper research landscape. It has conducted in-depth research and foresighted planning in the fields of 4G/5G/6G, industrial Internet, smart manufacturing, mobile Internet, Internet of Things (loT), Internet of Vehicles (loV), cloud computing, big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence (Al), future networks, virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR), intelligent hardware, and cyber and information security. This enables CAICT to play an important role in strategy and policy study, technological innovation, industrial development, and international cooperation related to the ICT sector and the integration of industrialization and informatization
Source: The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT)
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☑️ #178 Jun 25, 2024
Why Apple is now in the server market
computerworld.com: [Excerpt] It's not just about security, it's also about scale and efficiency.
It must. As Apple Intelligence launches globally, Apple will find itself needing to ramp up its international server infrastructure to meet the demands for AI its billion or so customers might make.
But one data center at a time, server by server, Apple is already in the server market. Motivated by privacy, these Apple servers also meet wider industry needs around energy consumption and performance requirements.
Commission sends preliminary findings to Apple and opens additional non-compliance investigation against Apple under the Digital Markets Act
ec.europa.eu: [Excerpt] Today, the European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that its App Store rules are in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as they prevent app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content.
In addition, the Commission opened a new non-compliance procedure against Apple over concerns that its new contractual requirements for third-party app developers and app stores, including Apple's new “Core Technology Fee”, fall short of ensuring effective compliance with Apple's obligations under the DMA.
apple.com: [Excerpt] European Digital Markets Act (DMA). This page includes information relevant to the EU Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828) (the DMA).
The European Commission has designated Apple as a gatekeeper under the DMA in relation to iOS, App Store and Safari on 6 September 2023.
On 25 January 2024, Apple announced changes to iOS, Safari and the App Store to comply with the DMA. More information on these changes are on Apple's Newsroom. A summary of these changes is available here.
You can provide your views on these changes by email. Apple also offers developers mediation in the EU.
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☑️ #176 Jun 23, 2024
Apple, Meta Have Discussed an AI Partnership
wsj.com: [Excerpt] The longtime rivals have held talks about potentially integrating Meta’s generative AI model into Apple Intelligence.
Facebook’s parent has held discussions with Apple about integrating Meta Platforms’ META 0.00%↑ generative AI model into Apple Intelligence, the recently announced AI system for iPhones and other devices, according to people familiar with the matter.
9to5mac.com: [Excerpt] Apple announced the news in a statement to 9to5Mac:
Starting later this year, users across the globe will be able to access installment loans offered through credit and debit cards, as well as lenders, when checking out with Apple Pay. With the introduction of this new global installment loan offering, we will no longer offer Apple Pay Later in the U.S. Our focus continues to be on providing our users with access to easy, secure and private payment options with Apple Pay, and this solution will enable us to bring flexible payments to more users, in more places across the globe, in collaboration with Apple Pay enabled banks and lenders.
Apple Pay introduces even more flexibility and choice for users when they check out online and in-app. Users can view and redeem rewards, and access installment loan offerings from eligible credit or debit cards, when making a purchase online or in-app with iPhone and iPad. These features will be available for any Apple Pay-enabled bank or issuer to integrate in supported markets.
The ability to redeem rewards for a purchase with Apple Pay will be available beginning in the U.S. with Discover and Synchrony, and across Apple Pay issuers with Fiserv. The ability to access installments from credit and debit cards with Apple Pay will roll out starting in Australia with ANZ; in Spain with CaixaBank; in the U.K. with HSBC and Monzo; and in the U.S. with Citi, Synchrony, and issuers with Fiserv. Users in the U.S. will also be able to apply for loans directly through Affirm when they check out with Apple Pay.
So, I've been working with running the Phi-3 mini locally, and honestly, it's been a bit of a ok . Despite all the tweaks and structured prompts in model files, it was normal, especially considering the laggy response times on a typical GPU setup. I was recently checking Apple's recent on -device model, they've got a nearly 3 billion parameter AI model running on an iPhone 15 Pro!
It's a forward in what's possible with AI on mobile devices. They’ve made up some tricks to make this work, and I just wanted to have discussion to dive into these with you all:
Optimized Attention Mechanisms
Shared Vocabulary Embeddings
Quantization Techniques
Efficient Memory Management
Efficient Key-Value (KV) Cache Updates
Power and Latency Analysis ToolsModel Specialization via Adapters
Reminiscences of a Shrub Operator (aka Shrubstack): [Excerpt] The ETF has a Re-balance on June 21st and the cut-off date for establishing the new NUMBER TWO is June 14th.
Bloomberg estimates that should NDVA become the new Number Two, it would lead to $9.8bn of net buying for NVDA and $11.3bn of net selling for AAPL.
The goal with PCC is to allow Apple to run larger AI models that won't fit on a device, but in a way that guarantees that private data passed from the device to the cloud cannot leak in any way - not even to Apple engineers with SSH access who are debugging an outage.
This is an extremely challenging problem, and their proposed solution includes a wide range of new innovations in private computing.
The most impressive part is their approach to technically enforceable guarantees and verifiable transparency. How do you ensure that privacy isn't broken by a future code change? And how can you allow external experts to verify that the software running in your data center is the same software that they have independently audited?
When we launch Private Cloud Compute, we’ll take the extraordinary step of making software images of every production build of PCC publicly available for security research. This promise, too, is an enforceable guarantee: user devices will be willing to send data only to PCC nodes that can cryptographically attest to running publicly listed software.
These code releases will be included in an "append-only and cryptographically tamper-proof transparency log" - similar to certificate transparency logs.
The one publishing platform … that’s destined to fly.
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☑️ #167 Jun 10, 2024
OpenAI and Apple announce partnership to integrate ChatGPT into Apple experiences
openai.com: [Excerpt] Coming to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year.
Privacy protections are built in when accessing ChatGPT within Siri and Writing Tools—requests are not stored by OpenAI, and users’ IP addresses are obscured. Users can also choose to connect their ChatGPT account, which means their data preferences will apply under ChatGPT’s policies.
Platforms State of the Union: Discover the newest advancements on Apple platforms > 1 p.m. PT on June 10.
Sessions: Learn something new in more than 100 video sessions that will be posted throughout the week here and on the Apple Developer app and YouTube channel > @AppleDeveloper
@elonmusk: If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation.
@elonmusk: And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.
@elonmusk: It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!
Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.
@taylorcarrigan: This is my 14th WWDC since I started this job and each and every year, I am still so excited and grateful to get to wake up and do something I love with people I love each and every day. #wwdc24
🔹Related content:
@tim_cook: Can’t wait for you to join us at #WWDC24 this morning!
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☑️ #164 Jun 7, 2024
Revenue per Employee
@finchat_io: Apple generates ~$2.5 million in revenue per employee, the highest among all Big Tech companies. AAPL 0.00%↑
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☑️ #163 Jun 4, 2024
iPhone designed by General Magic in 1994
@Andercot: Most people don't know the first iPhone was designed in 1994 by a company called General Magic, which started as an Apple project in 1989 when Marc Porat convinced then-CEO John Sculley the future of compute was a multimedia phone with touch screen Jobs wasn't involved at all
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@Andercot: Everyone saying "lots of people don't ship etc etc Jobs deserves the credit" - you didn't read. The exact same engineers from General Magic went on to make the iphone within apple, and it was one of them who suggested the iPod to Jobs. This post is about those people.
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☑️ #162 May 31, 2024 🔴 rumor
Apple plans to make its own server chips to power AI tools this year
bloomberg.com: Apple Inc. will deliver some of its upcoming artificial intelligence features this year via data centers equipped with its own in-house processors, part of a sweeping effort to infuse its devices with AI capabilities.
The company is placing high-end chips — similar to ones it designed for the Mac — in cloud-computing servers designed to process the most advanced AI tasks coming to Apple devices, according to people familiar with the matter. Simpler AI-related features will be processed directly on iPhones, iPads and Macs, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is still under wraps.
waynema: Apple plans to use custom chips in data centers to protect user data even in the cloud, allowing it to maintain its privacy promises to customers. Check out my latest for @theinformation
Today, Apple unveiled the lineup for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, including Keynote and Platforms State of the Union, and shared more information about what developers will learn and experience all week. Read more
Source: Apple, Inc.
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☑️ #160 May 14, 2024
Fraudulent Ratings and Reviews
apple.com: [Excerpt] App Store stopped over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in four years.
As published in its fourth annual fraud prevention analysis released today, Apple found that in 2023, it rejected more than 1.7 million app submissions for failing to meet the App Store’s stringent standards for privacy, security, and content. In addition, Apple’s persistent efforts to stop and reduce fraud on the App Store resulted in the termination of nearly 374 million developer and customer accounts, and removal of close to 152 million ratings and reviews over fraud concerns.
OpenAI prioritizes macOS over Windows 11 for ChatGPT app
openai.com: [Excerpt] For both free and paid users, we're also launching a new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS that is designed to integrate seamlessly into anything you’re doing on your computer. With a simple keyboard shortcut (Option + Space), you can instantly ask ChatGPT a question. You can also take and discuss screenshots directly in the app.
Apple will revamp Siri to catch up to its chatbot competitors
nytimes.com: [Excerpt] Apple plans to announce that it will bring generative A.I. to iPhones after the company’s most significant reorganization in a decade.
Rather than compete directly with ChatGPT by releasing a chatbot that does things like write poetry, the three people familiar with its work said, Apple has focused on making Siri better at handling tasks that it already does, including setting timers, creating calendar appointments and adding items to a grocery list. It also would be able to summarize text messages.
“We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry"
adage.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Apple apologizes for iPad Pro ad that ‘missed the mark’. The company says its ‘Crush’ spot fell short of its goal of empowering and celebrating creatives.
Apple apologized Thursday for a new iPad Pro commercial that was met with fierce criticism from creatives for depicting an array of creative tools and objects—from a piano, to a camera, to cans of paint—being destroyed by an industrial crusher.
Plans to air the ad on television are canceled
"Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it's incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world. Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry,"
Apple's Vice President of Marketing Tor Myhren said in an exclusive statement via Ad Age.
@markgurman: NEW: Tim Cook Can’t Run Apple Forever. Who’s Next? John Ternus, head of hardware engineering, emerges as potential long-term CEO successor.
Let Loose: Apple unveils stunning new iPad Pro with the world’s most advanced display, M4 chip, and Apple Pencil Pro
apple.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] The new iPad Pro with M4 features Apple’s most powerful Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, which is 60x faster than Apple’s first Neural Engine in the A11 Bionic chip.Combined with next-generation ML accelerators in the CPU, a high-performance GPU, more memory bandwidth, and intelligent features and powerful developer frameworks in iPadOS, the Neural Engine makes the new iPad Pro an outrageously powerful device for AI. With iPad Pro with M4, users can perform AI-enabled tasks even faster, like easily isolate a subject from its background in 4K video with just a tap with Scene Removal Mask in Final Cut Pro. With this advanced level of performance, the Neural Engine in M4 is more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.
Apple introduces M4 chip: M4 enables the breakthrough design and stunning display of the new iPad Pro, while delivering a giant leap in performance
@VadimYuryev: Apple's M4 chip is now officially the fastest consumer chip in the world in terms of single-core performance. M4 chip single-core in Geekbench 6: 3,810 points Intel's i9-14900KF: under 3,300 points
Apple unveils the redesigned 11‑inch and all‑new 13‑inch iPad Air, supercharged by the M2 chip: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Powerful Device for AI. With M2, the new iPad Air is an amazing device for AI, featuring a more efficient 16-core Neural Engine that is 40 percent faster than M1. Combined with ML accelerators in the CPU and a powerful GPU to boost on-device machine learning, along with Apple silicon’s unified memory architecture, iPad Air delivers exceptional AI performance. Taking advantage of this performance, users can enjoy intelligent iPadOS features such as Visual Look Up, Subject Lift, or Live Text. iPadOS also has advanced frameworks like Core ML that make it easy for developers to tap into the Neural Engine to deliver powerful AI features right on device. With the vast ecosystem of apps that include advanced AI features, users can do things like use the Auto Enhance tool in Photomator, which improves photos with a single click using AI models, or analyze athletic performance like never before with Onform and its motion tracking capabilities. iPad Air also supports cloud-based solutions, enabling users to run advanced productivity and creative apps that tap into the power of AI, such as Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Adobe Firefly.
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☑️ #153 May 6, 2024
Apple is developing AI chips for data centers, seeking edge in arms race
wsj.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] The company is leaning on its long history of chip development in the effort, code-named Project ACDC.
Over the past decade, Apple has emerged as a leading player designing chips for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch and Mac computers. The server project, which is internally code-named Project ACDC—for Apple Chips in Data Center—will bring this talent to bear for the company’s servers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Warren Buffett explains why Berkshire reduced its big Apple stake
@CNBCtelevision: Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett presides over the 2024 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Watch the full coverage of Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting on https://www.cnbc.com/.
Everything Apple Plans to Show at May 7 ‘Let Loose’ iPad Event
bloomberg.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Company gears up to update its tablets for the first time since 2022.
It’s been more than 18 months since Apple Inc. last updated its iPad line, marking the longest gap in new models since Steve Jobs first unveiled the product in 2010. The drought finally ends on May 7.
That’s the day Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is poised to introduce major upgrades to the iPad Pro and iPad Air, as well as new versions of the tablet’s accessories. The company is delivering the news through an online event dubbed “Let Loose” that’s expected to last a little more than half an hour.
iPhone revenue was $46B down 10% versus the year-ago quarter
Services revenue reaches new all-time high (again): $23.9B
[Transcription] [Excerpt] Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.25 per share of the Company’s common stock, an increase of 4 percent. The dividend is payable on May 16, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 13, 2024. The board of directors has also authorized an additional program to repurchase up to $110 billion of the Company’s common stock.
Calendar: Will M4 chips for Macs be announced in June?
Via Bloomberg L.P.: [Transcription] [Excerpt] The company is planning to highlight the AI processing capabilities of the components and how they’ll integrate with the next version of macOS, which will be announced in June at Apple’s annual developer conference.
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) online from June 10 through 14, 2024. Developers and students will have the opportunity to celebrate in person at a special event at Apple Park on opening day.
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