Apple supplier Foxconn begins iPhone 15 production in India
bloomberg.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] iPhone 15 production begins in India as Apple aims to diversify from China: Report
An Apple supplier is beginning production of the iPhone 15 in India as the company moves forward with its effort to diversify its manufacturing from China, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
Apple has been aiming to diversify its supply chain as the dynamic between the U.S. and China continues to grow tense.
Apple typically announces its new lineup of iPhones at its annual event in September.
First iPhone 14 customers after the “Apple Event”, September 16, 2022. Source: Apple, Inc.
iPhone 15 in India
Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur plant is getting ready to deliver the new devices. Other Apple suppliers in India will assemble the iPhone 15:
Pegatron Corp (ASUS) $4938 TT
Wistron Corp (formerly ACER) $3231 TT
The factory s being acquired by the Tata Group
Apple’s major suppliers that produce components for iPhones and other devices in 2022 (source):
1. 188 companies.
2. Top #3 locations: Mainland China (151), Japan (44), Taiwan (41)
3. 11 in India.
☑️ #98 Aug 9, 2023 🟠 opinion
A Disney Sale to Apple? Don’t Count It Out This Time
hollywoodreporter.com: [Transcription] [Excerpts] Facing the staggering problems afflicting all legacy studios, is Bob Iger contemplating a once-unthinkable option? The signals he sent in Sun Valley suggest that it could happen.
A few weeks before Bob Iger sat down for that CNBC interview in which he said Disney’s linear TV networks, like ABC and FX, “may not be core” to the company’s business, a veteran Hollywood executive mused to The Hollywood Reporter on the possibility of a deal that would rock the industry: Apple buying Disney. It’s an idea that keeps being discussed, even though many top executives have scoffed at it and many still do. Apple doesn’t want to buy a studio, they say, and there’s no way the feds would allow a huge deal like that to go through.
Market Cap as a of Aug 7. Source: The Hollywood Reporter, LLC
Releasing Swift Transformers: Run On-Device LLMs in Apple Devices
hugginface.co: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Today, we are publishing this guide to go through the steps required to run a model such as Llama 2 on your Mac using Core ML. We are also releasing alpha libraries and tools to support developers in the journey. We are calling all Swift developers interested in ML – is that all Swift developers? – to contribute with PRs, bug reports, or opinions to improve this together
Apple Card’s Savings account by Goldman Sachs reaches over $10 billion in deposits
investor.apple.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Today, Apple announced that Apple Card’s high-yield Savings account offered by Goldman Sachs has reached over $10 billion in deposits from users since launching in April. Savings enables Apple Card users to grow their Daily Cash rewards with a Savings account from Goldman Sachs, which offers a high-yield APY of 4.15 percent.
investor.apple.com: Apple Card’s new high-yield Savings account is now available, offering a 4.15 percent APY
[Transcription] [Excerpts] Starting today, Apple Card users can choose to grow their Daily Cash rewards with a Savings account from Goldman Sachs, which offers a high-yield APY of 4.15 percent1 — a rate that’s more than 10 times the national average.2 With no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements, users can easily set up and manage their Savings account directly from Apple Card in Wallet.3
Apple Card users can choose to grow their Daily Cash rewards by automatically depositing their Daily Cash into a high-yield Savings account from Goldman Sachs. Source: Apple, Inc.
Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is 4.15 percent as of 4/14/2023. APY may change at any time. Maximum balance limits apply. Savings is available with iOS 16.4 and later.
Accurate as of the time of publication. The national average rate referenced is from the FDIC’s published National Rates and Rate Caps for Savings deposit products, accurate as of 3/20/2023. See the FDIC website for more information.
Savings accounts are provided by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Member FDIC. Savings is available to Apple Card Owners and Co-Owners, subject to eligibility requirements.
Transfer limits apply to Savings transfers to and from Apple Cash. See the Deposit Account Agreement for more information regarding transfer limits.
Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 15.74 percent to 26.74 percent based on creditworthiness. Rates are as of April 1, 2023. Apple Card is subject to credit approval, available only for qualifying applicants in the United States, and issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch.
☑️ #95 Jul 19, 2023 🔴 rumor
Apple Tests ‘Apple GPT,’ Develops Generative AI Tools to Catch OpenAI
bloomberg.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] Company builds large language models and internal chatbot. Executives haven’t decided how to release tools to consumers.
The iPhone maker has built its own framework to create large language models — the AI-based systems at t
he heart of new offerings like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard — according to people with knowledge of the efforts. With that foundation, known as “Ajax”, Apple also has created a chatbot service that some engineers call “Apple GPT”.
In recent months, the AI push has become a major effort for Apple, with several teams collaborating on the project, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. The work includes trying to address potential privacy concerns related to the technology.
[Transcription] [Abstract] An electronic device may have a rollable display. The display may be moved between an unrolled state in which the display is planar and a rolled state in which a rollable portion of the display is rolled up for storage. The display may have a display panel with a pixel array that produces images and a transparent protective layer that overlaps the pixel array. The transparent protective layer may contain a layer of glass. The glass layer may be locally thinned in the rollable portion to facilitate rolling of the display. The display may be configured to apply compressive stress to the outwardly facing surface of the glass layer when the display is rolled up. Compressive stress in the outwardly facing glass surface may help prevent damage to the display when the display is bent during rolling operations.
Source: FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device in which an outwardly facing surface of a display has a first area that receives compressive stress when rolled while a second area receives tensile stress in accordance with an embodiment.
[Transcription] [Excerpt] 15 years ago, on July 10, 2008, Apple launched the App Store, marking one of the most important milestones in the history of the iPhone and arguably of the smartphone era. Prior to the App Store’s arrival, the iPhone may have been groundbreaking in terms of its design and user interface, but it was nowhere near as capable as it would later become. Unleashing the creativity of third-party developers was arguably the key to unlocking the iPhone’s full potential.
The Trillion-Dollar App Economy by Felix Ritcher (Data Journalist)
nokia.com: Nokia and Apple sign long-term patent license agreement
[Transcription] [Excerpt] Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced it has signed a new patent cross-license agreement with Apple which will replace the current license that is due to expire at the end of 2023. The terms of the agreement remain confidential between the parties.
License covers Nokia’s fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies
Nokia to receive payments from Apple for a multi-year period
Did We Catch Apple Testing Its Autonomous-Vehicle Tech at Chrysler's Old Proving Ground?
caranddriver.com: [Transcription] [Excerpt] For years, Apple fans have claimed a connection between the tech giant and Route 14 Investment Partners based on thin evidence.
We visited Route 14's Arizona proving ground and spotted a car with a sensor stack with a design like one Apple has been testing.
Project Titan? Source: Google via Car and Driver (Hearst Digital Media)
We also uncovered paperwork that appears to connect at least one individual to both companies.
Source: Greg S. Fink via Car and Driver (Hearst Digital Media)
Source: Greg S. Fink via Car and Driver (Hearst Digital Media)
Gruber: First Impressions of Vision Pro and VisionOS
daringfireball.net: [Transcription] [Excerpts] I got to spend about 30 minutes Monday afternoon using a Vision Pro and VisionOS at Apple Park, in a temporary “field house” building Apple constructed specifically for this experience. This was a one-on-one guided tour with someone from the Vision product marketing team, with the ground rules that I’m allowed to talk about everything I experienced, but photos and videos were not permitted.
It was a very fast 30 minutes, and the experience was, in a word, immersive. I’d pay good money just to run through the exact same 30 minutes again.
Apple has bought an AR headset startup called Mira
theverge.com: If you’ve ridden the Mario Kart ride at Nintendo World theme parks recently, you’ve used one of Mira’s headsets. The startup also has contracts with the US military.
Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC23): Introducing Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer
apple.com: At WWDC23, Apple unveiled Apple Vision Pro, its revolutionary spatial computer; the 15-inch MacBook Air, along with the powerhouse Mac Studio and Mac Pro; the breakthrough M2 Ultra chip; and exciting new features coming to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, tvOS 17, and AirPods.
Apple announces multibillion-dollar deal with Broadcom for components made in the USA
apple.com: Today Apple announced a new multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement with Broadcom, a leading U.S. technology and advanced manufacturing company.
“We’re thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of American manufacturing,”
“All of Apple’s products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and we’ll continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in America’s future.”
Apple versus the world: The iPhone maker is bigger than almost any stock market in the world
cnbc.com (@BobPisani): [Transcription] [Excerpts] Dimensional’s Matrix Book is an annual review of global returns that highlight the power of compound investing. It’s a fascinating document: you can look up the compounded growth rate of the S&P 500 for every year going back to 1926.
Buried on page 74 is a chapter on “World Equity Market Capitalization,” listing the market capitalization of most of the world, country by country. No surprise, the U.S. is the global leader in stock market value. The $40 trillion in stock market wealth in the U.S. is almost 60% of the value of all the equities in the world.
Matrix Book. Source: Dimensional Fund Advisors LP
Here’s where it gets fun. My friend Ben Carlson pointed out that Apple’s current market capitalization of about $2.7 trillion this week exceeds the entire market capitalization of the United Kingdom, the third biggest stock market in the world.
bloomberg.com: [Transcription] Smartphone providers Apple, Samsung, Oppo and Vivo are likely to see improving demand later this year after a slump through 1H. We expect the smartphone market to drop 4% in 2023 to $480 billion, due largely to early weakness, but China’s reopening, the Apple iPhone 15 refresh cycle and the need to upgrade older devices could be leading catalysts for a rebound later this year and a stronger 2024 recovery.
China's Wingtech began Limited production of Apple's MacBook Air at their Kunming Facility
ithome.com [CN]: Today, China's IT Home is reporting that Wingtech's Kunming factory began mass production and assembly of Apple's MacBook Air notebooks at the end of 2022.
investor.apple.com: Apple Card’s new high-yield Savings account is now available, offering a 4.15 percent APY
[Transcription Starting today, Apple Card users can choose to grow their Daily Cash rewards with a Savings account from Goldman Sachs, which offers a high-yield APY of 4.15 percent1 — a rate that’s more than 10 times the national average.2 With no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements, users can easily set up and manage their Savings account directly from Apple Card in Wallet.3
Apple Card users can choose to grow their Daily Cash rewards by automatically depositing their Daily Cash into a high-yield Savings account from Goldman Sachs. Source: Apple, Inc.
Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is 4.15 percent as of 4/14/2023. APY may change at any time. Maximum balance limits apply. Savings is available with iOS 16.4 and later.
Accurate as of the time of publication. The national average rate referenced is from the FDIC’s published National Rates and Rate Caps for Savings deposit products, accurate as of 3/20/2023. See the FDIC website for more information.
Savings accounts are provided by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Member FDIC. Savings is available to Apple Card Owners and Co-Owners, subject to eligibility requirements.
Transfer limits apply to Savings transfers to and from Apple Cash. See the Deposit Account Agreement for more information regarding transfer limits.
Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 15.74 percent to 26.74 percent based on creditworthiness. Rates are as of April 1, 2023. Apple Card is subject to credit approval, available only for qualifying applicants in the United States, and issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch.
☑️ #76 Apr 10, 2023
Apple will use 100 percent recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025
apple.com: Industry-leading innovation paves new path for key recycled metals in batteries, magnets, and circuit boards
[Transcription [Excerpt] Apple has significantly expanded the use of 100 percent certified recycled cobalt over the past three years, making it possible to include in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025. In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 percent the previous year.
Cobalt is a critical material in the batteries used in most consumer electronics, including Apple devices, enabling high energy density while also meeting Apple’s robust standards for longevity and safety. Apple-designed batteries found in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company’s use of cobalt.
By 2025, all Apple-designed batteries will be made with 100 percent recycled cobalt, and magnets in Apple devices will use 100 percent recycled rare earth elements. Source: Apple, Inc.
[Transcription] The stakes for Apple couldn’t be higher. The iPhone is the cornerstone of its entire $2.6 trillion dollar empire. Just counting iPhone hardware sales, it makes up half of Apple’s nearly $400 billion in annual revenue. But much of the other half—App Store revenue, AirPods, Apple Watch, etc—directly depend on the success of the iPhone.
This is what you see when you first pick up your phone. It has not changed much since 2007:
PATENT DROP: Today, we’re checking out tech from Apple that would track your health through your AirPods. Plus: Baidu wants to bring your portraits to life; and filings provide a peek at what Snap’s NFT operability could look like.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Announces New Director of the Defense Innovation Unit
defense.gov/news: Today, the Department of Defense announced Mr. Doug Beck will serve as the next Director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
[Transcription]
[Excerpt] As DIU Director, Mr. Beck will oversee efforts to accelerate the Department's adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and also serve as a senior advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on technology innovation, competition, and strategic impact.
Vice President of Apple
[Excerpt] Mr. Beck is currently Vice President of Apple, where he has reported directly to CEO Tim Cook since joining the company in 2009. During that time, he co-led Apple's global business development and sales functions, and led the company's business across Northeast Asia and the Americas, and most recently, several of the company's purpose-driven businesses worldwide, including in health, education, and other institutions of public impact. He has over fifteen years of experience living and working across Asia, including in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia.
@appleinsider: Following regulatory approval, South Korean credit card company Hyundai has confirmed that it will be collaborating with Apple to bring Apple Pay to its customers.
@ecommerceshares: $AAPL made $337 in revenue per customer last year ($28/month) of which $69 is Services and $268 is Product purchases, based on 2bn active devices and an assumed 1.2bn installed customer base. What would it take to boost this significantly?
Apple has only missed 3 out of the almost 60 quarters i’ve followed the company
@munster_gene: $AAPL has only missed 3 out of the almost 60 quarters I've followed the company. I'm happy to report, despite the shortfall, the core business is intact. The reason; Apple's customer base remains in love with and loyal to their products.
ntia.doc.gov: NTIA calls for Changes to Boost Competition in Mobile App Markets
[Transcription] The report recommends several changes to improve the app ecosystem for users, including:
Consumers should have more control over their devices. They should be able to choose their own apps as defaults, use alternative mobile app stores, and delete or hide pre-installed apps.
App store operators should not be able to “self-preference” their apps in an anticompetitive manner. Operators should not be able to favor their own apps in how they appear in search results or discriminate against other apps that are similar to their own.
Operators should lift restrictions on alternative ways for consumers to download and install apps. While still preserving appropriate latitude for privacy and security safeguards, legislative and regulatory measures should prohibit restrictions on sideloading, alternative app stores and web apps.
Addressing limits on in-app purchasing options. This can be done by banning requirements that developers use the app store operators’ in-app payment system.
@TicTocTick: If you run a business like Tim Cook at $aapl and everything looks great for the future , will you take a 20-30% salary cut ? Wake up don’t be a sheep.
512pixels.net: Last 2001-Era Apple Store Getting Renovated by Michael Steeber
[Transcription] Updates are coming to Apple Tice’s Corner in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. The store will be temporarily closed from January 31. I’m a little bit nervous about this renovation because Apple Tice’s Corner is the last location in the world with an original 2001 storefront design, and I wish for it to remain intact perpetually.
@brianstucki: Everyone on their best behavior because we have a Pro in the data center. (I turned it around so you can actually see which one…) Much more coming in a few minutes...
scottbudman: On this day in 1984, the Apple Macintosh computer was introduced in Cupertino. Apple stock traded for (split-adjusted) 13 cents a share that day.
@macessentials: The Lost 1984 Video: young Steve Jobs introduces the Macintosh
The Original 1984 Macintosh Introduction: the magic moment, when Steve Jobs unveils the Macintosh and releases it from its bag. We've found these historical lost videos in 2004 and restored and published them to the world on January 24., 2005, when the Mac became 21 years old.
☑️ #53 Jan 23, 2023 🔴 rumors
Apple targeting to raise India production share to 25% - minister
[Transcription] Apple Inc wants India to account for up to 25% of its production from about 5%-7% now, the trade minister told a conference on Monday. "Apple, another success story," Piyush Goyal said. "They are already at about 5-7% of their manufacturing in India. If I am not mistaken, they are targeting to go up to 25% of their manufacturing. They launched the most recent models from India, manufactured in India."
🔹Related content: Reuters Reporting by Shivangi Acharya
Apple Books makes it easy to create digitally narrated audiobooks from an ebook using natural-sounding text-to-speech technology (artificial intelligence):
Apple’s preferred partners
Draft2Digital is an approved partner for indie authors. Independent authors currently selling ebooks directly on Apple Books or through Draft2Digital can work with them to produce and distribute audiobooks narrated by Apple Books.
Ingram CoreSource is an approved partner for publishers. Existing and new publishing clients can work with Ingram to produce and distribute audiobooks narrated by Apple Books.
Audiobook partners - Updated list (12-20-23):
Screenshot (*profile color edited). Source: Apple Books for Authors (Apple, Inc.)
Facades is a field guide to your favorite retail stores. Browse, discover, and bookmark a catalog of more than 500 locations.
Store Catalog: Facades includes a detailed directory of every official store opened since May 19, 2001.
Visited Stores: Track and share the stores you've visited. Visits are synced between your devices with iCloud.
Browse & Search: Quickly research and sort stores with convenient categories. Browse store design styles and store features. Search by name, location, year, or rollout number. Discover which stores have moved, closed, or been renamed. View a global store map and a database of unassigned rollout numbers.
Lists: Save your favorite stores for quick reference, and share them with a friend. Organize with Bookmarks, Favorites, and a Wish List.
Store Data:Study store trends and statistical data with detailed charts.
🔧 App available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS: Facades
Screenshot (*profile color edited) Mac App Store Preview: Facades by Michael Steeber. Source: Apple, Inc.
