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Apple Shares Entrepreneur Camp Participants' Inspiring Stories

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple runs an Entrepreneur Camp in which participants are supported to develop and create new products. It shared the story of some of those involved in the program (pictured above).

Hopscotch founder Samantha John wanted to create an app that ignited the imaginations of young girl coders. Hopscotch is a code-learning app that enables kids to learn to think creatively and learn the fundamentals of code by building their own games, art, and stories. Kids and teens can publish their creations to Hopscotch’s fully moderated community where they can can play and learn together. John first learned the power of code through her coursework in college, but she noticed that a lot of her male friends had learned coding much earlier. “I wanted to make something for little me!” says John. “All my male coder friends had learned when they were kids, and it had not been something on my radar. I wanted to change that for the next generation.”

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Experts Key to Epic vs Apple Battle

Charlotte Henry ·

The Epic Games vs Apple case is well underway. A key part of the trial is expert witnesses, with David Evans, chairman of Global Economics Group set to be there for the Fortnite maker. Reuters has a breakdown of the significance of his, and other, appearances.

On the stand this week, Evans testified that Apple is what is known as a single-brand market, arguing that once consumers buy an iPhone, the costs of switching to an Android are so high that they rarely make the jump. Since about 2010, Evans testified, Apple’s App Store has effectively been its own market, and users rarely venture outside. After Apple kicked “Fortnite” off the App Store, Evans testified, only a small fraction of Apple users jumped to other devices like PCs or gaming consoles to play “Fortnite.”

 

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Report Links Apple Suppliers With Alleged Forced Labor Programs for Uyghur Muslims in China

Charlotte Henry ·

Seven Apple suppliers have been linked to forced labor programs that are suspected to be related to the alleged Chinese genocide of Uyghur Muslims in the country’s Xinjiang region. That’s according to a new human rights report shared with The Information, picked up on by AppleInsider.

The Apple supply chain partner produce components, coatings, and offer assembly services to the Cupertino tech giant. At least five received thousands of Uyghur and other oppressed minority workers at specific plants that did work for Apple, according to an investigation by human rights groups and The Information. According to the report, evidence suggests that Advanced-Connectek, Luxshare Precision Industry, Shenzhen Deren Electronic Co., Avary Holding, AcBel Polytech, CN Innovations, and Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co. participated in the forced labor programs. To identify those manufacturers and supply partners, the investigation used previously unreported public statements, images, and videos by Chinese government offices and state-run media organizations. That evidence found that the companies participated in what the Chinese call a poverty alleviation program.

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Epic Games Versus Apple: A Legal Overview

Charlotte Henry ·

Since it began on Monday, we have heard various bits of information coming out of the Epic Games trial against Apple. MacStories‘s John Voohres was a lawyer for many years and gave an outline of what we can expect as the case develops.

There is no legal prohibition against formulating a business strategy with the assistance of professionals to deal with a competitor. However, Epic’s actions arguably demonstrate a level of bad faith that could undermine its antitrust case, something Judge Gonzalez Rogers has essentially suggested at previous hearings. A very old legal principle that is known as the doctrine of ‘unclean hands,’ which Apple has raised and is based on the equitable notion that manufactured disputes should be discouraged, could prevent Epic from winning some or all of its claims, regardless of their merits.

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How Apple is Navigating the Great Semiconductor Shortage

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is faring better than most as the global semiconductor shortage continues. Reuters analyzed why it is in a better position than other firms, particularly automakers, and also explained why it could face some problems in the near future.

Apple, which is famous for its supply chain management and has more buying power than any other company, has avoided problems so far in meeting surging demand in part by burning through supply buffers, Chief Executive Tim Cook told investors on a conference call Wednesday. Problems procuring chips made with older-generation technologies will catch up with Apple in the current quarter, Cook said, noting that other industries also use such chips. He did not cite automakers specifically, but many of their components are based on such earlier-generation tech. Apple expects the problems to mostly affect iPads and Macs – two product lines that have sold well as work-from-home tools during the pandemic but whose sales are a fraction of Apple’s cash cow, the iPhone. Ford, by contrast, is facing production shutdowns for its most profitable product, the F-150 pickup.

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Apple Highlights Apps to Improve Financial Wellness

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple highlighted three apps that it said are helping to enable financial wellness for everybody – Ellevest, Goalsetter, and Perch. It also shared the stories of the founders behind these products.

One of the first Black-woman-owned fintech and financial education apps on the App Store, Goalsetter engages kids in a uniquely relevant way: helping them start a savings account and using quizzes, GIFs, memes, and culturally relevant partnerships with celebrities and institutions to teach them and their families about saving, spending, building personal wealth, and more. For one national campaign with a mission to get 1 million Black and Brown kids saving, Goalsetter has partnered with several organizations equally committed to changing the financial futures of Black and Brown kids and families.
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Spotify, Match, Tile Exec to Appear as Witnesses at Apple, Google Antitrust Hearing

Charlotte Henry ·

Executives from Spotify, Match, and Tile will appear as witnesses at Wednesday’s Senate antitrust hearing into Apple and Google, Bloomberg News reported. All the firms have clashed with Apple in the past.

Google Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White will be the search giant’s representative, joining Apple Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer in the spotlight. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, which is holding the hearing, also plans to call Horacio Gutierrez, Kirsten Daru, and Jared Sine, top legal executives from Spotify, Tile and Match Group, respectively. Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America, will also be called. Spotify, Tile and Match have all been embroiled in antitrust fights with Apple recently, with Spotify and Match filing complaints about Apple’s App Store rules and fees. Tile believes Apple’s Find My app will give the company’s rumored AirTags accessory for finding physical objects a leg up over third-party rivals.

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Check Out Throwboy’s Cute Apple Clothes Collection

Andrew Orr ·

Throwboy is usually known for its pillows and blankets, but Juli Clover writes it’s launching a line of Apple-themed shirts.

There’s a rainbow design that lists Apple’s most important products like the Macintosh, iMac, iPod, and iPhone, along with a “1984” design that harkens back to the classic Apple ad and a “Think Different (Again)” t-shirt. Each shirt is priced at $32.99 and can be purchased from the Throwboy website.