Tim Cook: ‘Apple could unlock iPhones, but won’t’
To celebrate both Tim Cook’s fifth year at the helm of Apple and the production of the billionth iPhone, the chief has sat down with the Washington Post. It’s very much a goodwill piece, although there are a few insights into both Cook and Apple that the CEO lets slip along the way. For instance, on the subject of the San Bernardino iPhone, the company did spend a long time working out if they could unlock it. After deciding that it was possible, but that it’d be extremely difficult to stop the exploit being shared, Cook refused to do it. As he explains, “the risk of what happens if it got out, we felt, could be incredibly terrible for public safety.”
Cook also reiterated that the $3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics was really to get at the company’s streaming platform. In his eyes, Apple doesn’t “acquire for revenue,” but for “talent and/or intellectual property,” although the profit that Beats generates is a handy bonus. Buying Beats enabled Apple to get its own music service “out probably a little sooner than we would have otherwise.” Cook also claimed that Apple may make more original video and audio shows like Planet of the Apps and Beats 1, but only if it will act as a “catalyst” for pushing apps as the future of TV.
Tim Cook does seem determined to gloss over Apple’s tax status in Europe, claiming that the company didn’t get special treatment in Ireland. The European Union feels differently and has opened a lengthy investigation to examine the terms of a so-called sweetheart deal when Apple Ireland was established in 1991. The fact that, in 2014, Apple booked two-thirds of its global profits to an Irish-registered tax haven implies something may not be right. Cook also believes that where you “create value is the place where you are taxed,” his justification for saying that only US tax is worth paying.
As for the future, Cook refutes the suggestion that Apple is lagging behind companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon on Artificial Intelligence. Reiterating the fact that Siri is “with you all the time,” and that Siri’s next word prediction has gotten “a lot smarter.” Another big growth area is augmented reality, and Cook concedes that Apple is “doing a lot of things” behind the scenes on developing the technology. Not to mention all of those secret purchases of firms — 63 since late 2013 — including a few AI firms like Turi and an AR company called Metaio.
Source: Washington Post
Tim Cook Discusses His Job, Apple’s Long-Term Future, AI, Virtual Reality, and More
The Washington Post today posted a lengthy new interview with Tim Cook, in which he discussed his first five years as Apple CEO and hinted at the company’s work on augmented reality products.
When asked how he handled the scrutiny that came with the role, Cook admitted that it was something he’d had to adapt to since taking over from Steve Jobs, and that there was very little Apple could do without it being reported somewhere.
You’re both praised and criticized, and the extremes are wide — very wide. And that can happen all in a day. You build up — my skin got materially thicker after August 2011. And I don’t mean in a bad way. I don’t mean that I’m callous and don’t care. I think I’m a bit better today about compartmentalizing things and not taking everything so personally.
Asked what has changed about Apple since his tenure in the role, Cook explained that while the company’s aim of making “insanely great products” remained the same, its interests had broadened in line with its tremendous growth.
The obvious things are we have more employees. The company is four times larger [by revenue since 2010]. We’ve broadened the iPhone lineup. That was a really key decision and I think a very good one. We’ve gone into the Apple Watch business, which has gotten us into wellness and in health. We keep pulling that string to see where that takes us. Lots of core technology work has been done.
Cook also explained that the company had stepped up its social responsibility and been more transparent about issues such as its environmental work, which had been “going on at Apple for decades, but we didn’t talk about it.” When asked how Apple could move forward when so much of its business is tied up in the iPhone and an industry that’s cooling off, Cook said:
Look at the core technologies that make up the smartphone today and look at the ones that will be dominant in smartphones of the future — like AI. AI will make this product even more essential to you. It will become even a better assistant than it is today. So where you probably aren’t leaving home without it today — you’re really going to be connected to it in the future. That level of performance is going to skyrocket.
When asked about some analysts’ claims that Apple’s best days are behind it, Cook said the suggestion “doesn’t bother him” because “he’s heard it all before” and he doesn’t subscribe to it “because it’s traditional thinking in a lot of ways: You can’t get large because you are large”.
Asked about Apple’s future and statements he made in the last earnings call about artificial intelligence, Cook argued that the company wasn’t falling behind AI efforts by other companies and called the breadth of Siri “unbelievable”:
Increasingly, Siri understands things without having to memorize certain ways to say things. The prediction of Siri is going way up. What we’ve done with AI is focus on things that will help the customer. And we announced in June that we’re opening Siri to third parties, so third-party developers can now use Siri. So a simple example with that, whatever kind of ride-sharing app you might use, Uber or Lyft in the United States, you could just — using your voice — order the car. So third-party developers are writing tons of those that will be available to the public in the fall. And that’s how we’re broadening Siri in a huge way.
Apple has had a team working on virtual and augmented reality technologies since at least early 2015, when rumors suggested there were a small number of employees investigating how Apple could incorporate the technologies into its products. Apple’s interest in virtual reality dates back much further, however, and Apple has filed multiple patents over the years, for products like video goggles, motion-sensing 3D virtual interfaces for iOS devices, and 3D “hyper reality” displays. When asked if Apple had designs on the augmented or virtual reality space, Cook said:
I think AR [augmented reality] is extremely interesting and sort of a core technology. So, yes, it’s something we’re doing a lot of things on behind that curtain that we talked about. [Laughs.]
In the full interview, Cook reflects on the death of Steve Jobs, Apple’s tax policies, his non-traditional view of the role of a CEO, his succession planning, and some of the mistakes he’s made along the way. You can read the full Washington Post interview here.
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Apple Watch supplies run low ahead of September event
You’ll find a lot of Watch variants marked as “Sold Out” if you browse Apple’s online store, 9to5mac has discovered. And, yes, the list includes ones with brightly colored bands Cupertino launched just a few months ago. While there could be a different explanation, it sure seems to support rumors that the company is revealing its next-gen Watch very soon, possibly during its September event. Apple usually slashes a product’s supplies when it’s about to launch a refresh, but it’s not always this conspicuous.
Rumors of a second-gen Watch have been going around for a while, along with reports of possible features, such as built-in GPS and cellular connection. If the new wearable is indeed making an appearance on September 7th, it could be launched alongside the new iPhone. 9to5mac has a pretty comprehensive list of Watch variants marked as Sold Out. But you can head over to Apple’s website and click around on your own to find that even those marked as “New” aren’t available anymore. You’ll also see that each category — Sports, Stainless Steel, Hermes and Edition — has several Sold Out listings. If you’ve been thinking of finally getting an Apple Watch, it’ll definitely be wise to wait until the event is over. That way, you can be sure that you don’t miss out on getting a second-gen wearable or a discount on the first.
Source: 9to5mac
Six designs that bust e-waste
By Cat DiStasio
Many modern gadgets seem like they were designed to be disposable, forcing consumers to buy a new model instead of repairing their old one. This leads to an enormous amount of waste, and it’s difficult to find places that recycle the tech we no longer need. Fortunately, a new wave of product design is surging: devices that are made from sustainable materials and can be easily repaired, often by the end user. These new designs range from smartphones with swappable modules to circuit boards that dissolve in hot water and automated kiosks that dispense cash in exchange for electronics. With the new trend on the rise, we can look forward to a world where fewer gadgets are destined for landfills.
Circuit board dissolves in water, freeing reusable components
It’s no secret that electronic components aren’t biodegradable, although some engineers have attempted to develop more eco-friendly versions over the years. A team of researchers at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory took on the challenge and wound up creating a circuit board that dissolves in hot water. The device melts away after being submerged, leaving 90 percent of its resistors and capacitors available for reuse. Compared to traditional circuit board recycling, which salvages only two percent of the electronic components, this is a major breakthrough in reducing e-waste.
Google’s LEGO-like Project Ara smartphone
Leave it to one of the world’s largest tech companies to bring a modular smartphone to market. Google’s Project Ara is a smartphone composed of individual modules that can be swapped and replaced, so you can repair or upgrade the phone instead of having to throw it out and buy a brand new one. The futuristic handset is expected to go on sale next year, and Google has designed six different modules that snap together like LEGO bricks, each with its own special function. Reportedly, a developer model will be released later this year, with a consumer version slated to arrive in 2017.
Apple’s iPhone rapid recycling robot
Apple, the tech giant with nearly a billion devices in use around the world, has developed a robot named Liam that disassembles old iPhones so the components can be reused. Liam works quickly to tear down the unwanted handsets, and the robot is sort of the mascot of the new Apple Renew program, which invites consumers to send in their Apple gadgets using a prepaid label provided by the company. Making it easier to dispose of broken or outmoded electronics, and having a fast-moving robot to take them apart, is one way Apple is working to minimize the environmental impact of our high-tech world.
Fairphone 2 is an ethically sourced, low-waste smartphone
The second edition of the Fairphone, originally launched in 2013, is a handset that cuts down on electronic waste while also ensuring that its components are ethically sourced. The Fairphone 2 features a modular design that can be easily repaired by the end user. That feature allows consumers to upgrade their unit or replace malfunctioning parts without replacing the entire device. Additionally, the phone’s makers source conflict-free tin and tantalum from The Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is something not all smartphone makers can say.
ecoATM trades cash for unwanted gadgets
In a world of disposable electronic devices, just about everyone you know has had an old phone or dysfunctional MP3 player lying around at some point, as it can be a challenge to figure out what to do with them once they’re no longer needed. A finalist for the 2013 Index Design Award, the ecoATM offers one clever solution. The unmanned machine accepts unwanted small electronics in exchange for cold, hard cash. Sort of. Essentially, the ecoATM helps you sell your old phone, tablet or MP3 player, for an average price of around $25. With its headquarters in California, the company already has 350 stations in 24 states so it’s pretty easy to turn your unwanted gadget into a little extra pocket change.
3D printer built from reclaimed components
Finding new uses for electronic waste is one smart way to deal with the growing problem. In perhaps the ultimate display of eco-friendly electronics design, this $100 3D printer was built entirely from e-waste. Kodjo Afate Gnikou, a resourceful inventor from Togo in West Africa, collected unwanted parts from broken scanners, printers and computers to create a working 3D printer that rivals commercial models with thousand-dollar price tags. The ingenious scavenger harvested parts from a nearby landfill, but it’s easy to imagine how electronic components could be collected separately and diverted to factories, where new devices are built from the discarded guts of old gadgets.
MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Lightning MicroSD Card Reader and 64GB MicroSD Card from Lexar
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with well-known storage and memory company Lexar to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a bundle that includes Lexar’s Lightning-based MicroSD Card Reader and a high-performance 64GB MicroSD card.
Lexar’s MicroSD Lightning Reader is a tiny coin-sized dongle that makes it easy to transfer content from a microSD card to an iPhone or iPad, so it’s an ideal companion to products like drones and GoPro-style action cameras. Many Android phones also feature microSD slots, so it’s also a good way to transfer files between Android and iOS device, and it’s also useful for transferring files directly between two iOS devices.
The Lightning MicroSD Reader is small enough that it can go anywhere, from a pocket to a small camera bag, but it looks like a high quality accessory that matches well with Apple’s design aesthetic. It’s so compact that it’s potentially easy to lose, but it comes with a little strap so it can be attached to a set of keys or a loop on a backpack. The Lightning connector of the MicroSD Reader fits well into the Lightning port of an iPhone even with a case on, including Apple’s own line of cases.
With a USB microSD reader (included with the 64GB card in the giveaway) you can also offload files from a computer and transfer them directly to the iPhone through the microSD reader, or use the reader to offload files from an iPhone to the microSD card for extra storage space.
The MicroSD Lightning Reader has to be used with the Lexar app, which is decent. If you put content like videos and photos on the microSD card, you can view them directly within the app and save them to the camera roll. You can also use the app to back up your iPhone’s photos and contacts and transfer files to Dropbox.
The Lexar MicroSD Lightning Reader can be purchased from Amazon for $19.99, but four MacRumors readers will win a Lightning Reader and a 64GB Lexar microSD card through our giveaway. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize.
You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (August 12) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 19. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 19 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
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The Engadget Podcast returns!
In 2014 we said the Engadget Podcast was going on hiatus to “retool.” Well, we haven’t been sitting on our laurels. Over the last two years we’ve rethought our editorial mission, completely redesigned the website and, now, we’re launching a new and improved podcast.
If you’re looking for the Engadget podcast – we’re currently taking a break to re-tool it and make it more awesome for you. Stay tuned!
— Engadget (@engadget) June 27, 2014
This isn’t simply the old Engadget Podcast with a shiny new logo, no. We’re approaching it in a whole new way, and it will continue to evolve as we hear from you, our loyal listeners, readers and viewers. At its heart this is still a show about tech news, but one that is fast paced, informative and, most importantly, fun. You’ll hear editors debate the news of the week, get a peek inside the machine that is Engadget and enjoy deep dives on the stories that have changed our world (for better or worse).
We’re also making sure that you can enjoy the show in as many ways as possible. We’ve got a beautiful landing page where you’ll find every episode in audio or video format, plus a text transcription for the hearing impaired. You can watch us on YouTube, Facebook Live, listen on SoundCloud or subscribe through your podcast service of choice. You’ll currently find the show on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher and Pocket Casts.
In Episode One: Your Racist Friend, editors Cherlynn Low, Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham join host Terrence O’Brien to debate iPhone rumors, explore the perks of renting gadgets, and express their utter exasperation at Snapchat’s racist filters.
Relevant links:
- Bloomberg: iPhone 7 gets new home button, drops headphone port
- HP Chromebook 13 review: a great laptop that doesn’t come cheap
- Why the Olympics need GIFs
- Yes, ‘No Man’s Sky’ has a few issues
- Snapchat’s racist yellowface filter lands it in hot water
- Snapchat’s 420 Bob Marley filter is just digital blackface
You can check out every episode on The Engadget Podcast page in audio, video and text form for the hearing impaired.
Watch on YouTube
Subscribe on Google Play Music
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher
Subscribe on Pocket Casts
Apple Re-Hires Flipboard Co-Founder Evan Doll for Continued Push Into Health Initiatives
Apple has re-hired software engineer Evan Doll to help the company “develop more health-related software,” according to information spotted by Bloomberg on Doll’s LinkedIn account. Specifically, Doll is now a director of health software engineering at Apple, a position which he began sometime in July, but his profile information doesn’t provide any further details into his role at the company.
The software engineer worked at Apple from 2003 to 2009, helping create and develop the software operating system for the iPhone. In 2009, he left Apple and co-founded magazine app Flipboard with Mike McCue. Similar to Apple News, Flipboard curates content and stories tailored to each user’s personal tastes and preferences, and has even been endorsed by Apple in the past.
The launch of Apple News was reported as a steep competitive challenge for the small company, resulting in a majority of its executives leaving the company — including Doll himself — in September 2015. Despite his background in the news curation space, Doll’s new placement at Apple has him focused on potential new health initiatives, an area that the company has slowly been building upon lately.
Apple has been beefing up its engineering team for health-care applications, hiring Sage Bionetworks founder and Merck & Co. veteran Stephen Friend and former Nest Labs technology chief Yoky Matsuoka earlier this year. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is increasingly positioning the Apple Watch as a wellness accessory as he tries to win a slice of the $4.6 trillion U.S. health and fitness industry.
A report from earlier in the week suggested that Apple is working on a new health-tracking piece of hardware to launch alongside the 10th anniversary iPhone in 2017. Although details are still lacking for a product launch over a year away, the product is said to collect heart rate, pulse, and blood sugar changes, which could be describing a next-generation Apple Watch if it’s not an entirely new addition to the company’s hardware lineup.
Earlier in the year, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke with Jim Cramer on “Mad Money,” discussing Apple’s initiatives in the health landscape. Cook described services like ResearchKit and the Health app as “significantly underestimated” sections of the technology market. Ultimately, when asked what the “next frontiers” in product development, Cook described health, and all the inroads taken by Apple to provide detailed analysis of a user’s well-being, as “the biggest one of all.”
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Apple Patent Describes ECG-Based Heart Health Wearable
Apple has invented a new health wearable device that measures electrocardiographic signals via a series of built-in electrodes (via PatentlyApple).
The device was revealed in a new patent application published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and appears to show designs on another wearable apart from the Apple Watch that can be worn on different locations on the body.
Electrocardiographic measurements rely on multiple electrode readings that can vary depending on where the recording is taken on the body. For example, accidental misplacement of limb lead electrodes is a common cause of ECG reading abnormalities. To solve this, Apple’s patent details how the device can intelligently adapt its measurements for accuracy by taking and comparing readings in different body locations.
In one example, the device can be run through an ‘enrollment’ process, whereby the measurements are taken at different locations on the body. Once the process is finished, electrocardiographic results obtained from the arm can be compared against the stored measurements and determine an accurate reading of heart functioning.
The patent describes how a user wearing the device on their arm can take manual measurements, by placing their finger on an electrode that is not already in contact with the body, whereby the device compares the inverted readings relative to one another to calculate an accurate measurement.
Earlier this week it was reported that Apple is developing at least one new health-tracking product that could debut alongside the tenth-anniversary iPhone in 2017. The product is said to have an array of health-related apps that collect data such as heart rate, pulse, and blood sugar changes.
It’s extremely unlikely that today’s patent relates to the upcoming device, but it does serve as another example of the research Apple is ploughing into this area, and indicates that the company is not averse to developing wearable technology that isn’t necessarily linked to the Apple Watch.
In a recent interview, when asked what he believes the “next frontiers” will be when it comes to product development, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted health as “the biggest one of all.”
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Apple’s iPhone 7 will reportedly debut on September 7
Apple will reportedly unveil its next iPhone — which we’re referring to as the iPhone 7 for now — on September 7th, Bloomberg reports. That lines up with Apple’s previous iPhone timing, as the 6S debuted on September 9th last year. According to previous rumors, the iPhone 7 will drop the beloved headphone jack, include a new home button with haptic feedback and, unfortunately, it’ll likely look lot like the 6S. You’ll have to wait until next year for a completely redesigned iPhone. Once again, the larger “Plus” model might also have better photo-taking capabilities, as current reports point to a dual-camera setup.
We’ll likely get an official confirmation about Apple’s next iPhone event within the next few weeks. If it actually happens on September 7th, it’ll have to compete with Sony’s PlayStation event on the same day, where we’re expected to hear more about the souped up PS4 Neo.
Manhunt Underway After Apple Building in Cupertino Burglarized
Santa Clara County police are currently searching in the San Jose neighborhood of Cambrian Park for three suspects who were reportedly caught burglarizing an Apple building this morning in Cupertino, California, where the company’s headquarters are located, according to local affiliates ABC7 News and KPIX 5.
Source: Matt Keller/ABC7 News
It is unclear if the suspects were able to break into the building, located at Bubb Road and Results Way, but the trio reportedly fled by vehicle to San Jose once discovered. A command post has been set up on Camden Avenue, and officers and deputies are going door to door throughout the area in search of the suspects.
One suspect was reportedly arrested near a Starbucks after he was chased down. A manhunt remains for the other two suspects.
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