Friday, March 29

Tag: Apple

Apple to miss Revenue forecast as iPhone supply hit by Coronavirus
News

Apple to miss Revenue forecast as iPhone supply hit by Coronavirus

Apple is to miss its revenue forecast for the March quarter due to the coronavirus epidemic, warning that iPhone supplies worldwide would also be impacted, underlining the economic cost of the health crisis. The COVID-19 virus death toll now exceeds 1,800 in China, where it has infected more than 72,000 after emerging in the central province of Hubei in December. The virus has sparked global economic jitters, travel bans and the cancellation of high-profile sporting and cultural events. "We are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated," Apple said in a statement. "As a result, we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter." Apple had forecast revenue of $63 billion to $67 billion for the second quarter to March...
Apple acquires Xnor.ai for $200 million
ACQUISITION

Apple acquires Xnor.ai for $200 million

Apple has acquired Seattle-based AI start-up Xnor.ai, which specializes in low-power, edge-based artificial intelligence tools for $200 million. However, the acquisition deal is yet to be confirmed by Apple but it said that, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”  Xnor.ai has a software tool that uses artificial intelligence to recognize objects. This software is used directly from an iPhone rather than from the cloud. These image recognition tools can become standard features for future iPhones and webcams.  This acquisition resembles Apple’s purchase of Seattle startup Turi in 2016. Turi's software helps large and small organizations make better sense of the data they collect. In 2014, Appl...
Turkish Hacker blackmailed Apple, Gain Access of 300mn iPhones
News

Turkish Hacker blackmailed Apple, Gain Access of 300mn iPhones

San Francisco, 23rd Dec. 2019: A self-proclaimed hacker who held over 300 million iPhones to ransom after gaining access to their iCloud details and threatening to factory reset their iPhones has pleaded guilty to blackmailing the Cupertino-based tech giant. Kerem Albayrak, 22, claiming to be a member of the 'Turkish Crime Family' hacking group, tried to blackmail Apple after threatening to delete hundreds of millions of Apple accounts, Forbes reported on Sunday. Albayrak was sentenced last week to two-year suspended jail term, along with 300 hours of unpaid work and an electronic curfew for six months, at Southwark Crown Court in London. "While iPhone users have recently been warned that they need to update to iOS 13.3 or risk getting locked out of their devices, Albayrak propos...
Google Under Pressure From China Remove Apps supporting Hongkong Protesters
CHINA

Google Under Pressure From China Remove Apps supporting Hongkong Protesters

Google removed a mobile game that let people play as a Hong Kong protester, saying it violated a policy against cashing in on conflicts. The move came after Apple removed an app criticized by China for allowing protesters in Hong Kong to track police. Finding out, Beijing steps up pressure on foreign companies deemed to be providing support to the pro-democracy movement. Google said its decision to yank "The Revolution of Our Times" game from its Play Store did not result from any takedown requests by police or any other party outside the California-based company. "We have a longstanding policy prohibiting developers from capitalizing on sensitive events such as attempting to make money from serious ongoing conflicts or tragedies through a game," Google said in response. "...
Apple Produce Future Mac Pro in US, Shift base from China
USA

Apple Produce Future Mac Pro in US, Shift base from China

Apple would keep making its Mac Pro in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The California tech giant said it would keep production of the Mac Pro a computer costing some $6,000 in Austin, Texas, following reports it was considering moving the manufacturing from China. Apple said the decision came after the company obtained "a federal product exclusion" from tariffs "for certain necessary components" for the computers. The news comes despite comments from President Donald Trump in July that he would oppose waiving tariffs on components for Apple's devices, commenting in a tweet, "Make them in the USA, no Tariffs." Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a statement, "the company is proud to be building the new Mac ...
Apple Launched iPhone 11, Offers 1 year Service Free
Tech

Apple Launched iPhone 11, Offers 1 year Service Free

Apple unveiled its iPhone 11 models and a price cut for the most basic models as it bids to weather the slump in the global smartphone market. Price appeared to be a key consideration as the tech giant reduced the entry level price for the iPhone 11 to $699 and undercut rivals for its gaming and streaming television subscriptions. Apple unveiled three versions of the iPhone 11 including "Pro" models with triple camera and other advanced features starting at $999 and $1,099, unchanged from last year's prices, touting upgraded features including ultra-wide camera lenses. The surprise from Apple was the reduction in the starting price at $699, down from $749 for the iPhone XR a year ago even as many premium devices are being priced around $1,000. The new iPhones are "jam-packed w...
Apple Profit fell 13 percent due to weak iPhone sales
BUSINESS

Apple Profit fell 13 percent due to weak iPhone sales

In quarterly results, Apple mentioned its profit hits first time since 2001 due to weak iPhone sales. Apple profit fell 13 percent from the year-ago period to USD 10 billion while overall revenues increased one percent to a better-than-forecast USD 53.8 billion. However, Apple delivered stronger-than-expected results from services, its shares rose more than four percent in after-hours trade. As iPhone sales have weakened, Apple has been shifting to earnings from digital content and services sold to the legions of fans of its devices. Despite the decline in sales and profits, the CEO of Apple Tim cook said, "This was our biggest June quarter ever driven by all-time record revenue from services, accelerating growth from wearables, strong performance from iPad and Mac and signifi...
Amazon beat Apple & Google as the most valuable brand
News

Amazon beat Apple & Google as the most valuable brand

In the latest survey, Amazon beat Apple and Google to become the world's most valuable brand in the world. The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report.  Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google which slid from first to third place with Apple holding on to the second spot. The Seattle-based retail behemoth, founded by Jeff Bezos in his garage in 1994, topped the table thanks to key acquisitions, superior customer services and a disruptive business model, Kantar said in a statement. "Amazon's smart acquisitions, that have led to new revenue streams, excellent customer service provision and its ability to stay ahead of its competitors by offering a diverse ecosystem of...
Apple looking to launch Netflix style streaming service
Tech

Apple looking to launch Netflix style streaming service

San Francisco: Apple is expected to launch a slew of new products at its Cupertino headquarters in California on Monday, including a Netflix competitor, a revamped news service and a subscription-based gaming offering. The event, to be hosted at the Steve Jobs theatre on campus, will herald a new era for the iPhone maker as it enters the fast-growing global content streaming market. "Apple has been looping a video from the theatre, teasing its focus on television," reports The Verge. The livestreaming video is stylised to look like a television set, and has been switching between a handful of different angles of the Steve Jobs theatre. Apple has invested over $1 billion into making new content and the streaming service is set to compete with the giants including Amazon, N...
Apple acquires patents from Lighthouse, an AI home security camera startup
Tech

Apple acquires patents from Lighthouse, an AI home security camera startup

Apple is looking to upgrade Face ID in its upcoming phones and devices and has acquired patents of an AI security camera company, Lighthouse. Apple reportedly bought the patent portfolio of the company at the end of 2018, reported The Verge. The patents acquired by Apple largely deal with using computer vision to scan and recognise faces, which may mean that the company might upgrade Face ID in its upcoming devices. If those sound familiar, it’s because Lighthouse’s patents describe technology that’s quite similar to what Apple uses for Face ID on its iPhone XS and XR devices. It is possible that Apple is looking to use Lighthouse’s technology to advance Face ID further, maybe, in a version for a computer that would benefit from Lighthouse’s ability to tell...
Foxconn will now Assemble Top-end Apple iPhones in India
News

Foxconn will now Assemble Top-end Apple iPhones in India

Apple will begin assembling its top-end iPhones in India through the local unit of Foxconn as early as 2019, the first time the Taiwanese contract manufacturer will have made the product in the country, according to a source familiar with the matter. Importantly, Foxconn will be assembling the most expensive models, such as devices in the flagship iPhone X family, the source said, potentially taking Apple's business in India to a new level. The work will take place at Foxconn's plant in Sriperumbudur town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, said the source, who is not authorised to speak to the media and so declined to be named. Foxconn, which already makes phones for Xiaomi in India, will invest Rs 2500 crore ($356 million) to expand the plant, including investme...
Apple’s Taiwanese supplier Wistron Plans Capital Infusion
BUSINESS

Apple’s Taiwanese supplier Wistron Plans Capital Infusion

Apple’s Taiwanese supplier Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing India is planning capital infusion and has increased the authorized share capital of the company from Rs 185 crore to Rs 3,000 crore that signals a fresh round of capital infusion into its India unit. Wistron India, at its EGM recently, approved the altered capital clause wherein the authorized share capital of Rs 3,000 crore is divided in 300-crore equity shares with face value of Rs 10, showed a recent Registrar of Companies (RoC) filing.  Wistron’s wholly-owned subsidiary SMS Infocomm Singapore has been allocated 10.3 crore shares worth Rs 102.9 crore. An email sent to Wistron on the enhanced authorized share capital didn’t elicit a response. Wistron India, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and origina...