Spotify’s chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez accused Apple of being “a ruthless bully” in a piece for The Wall Street Journal.
Apple
U.S. and China Activists Hit Out at Apple App Store During Epic Games Trial
As Apple’s court clash with Epic Games continues, campaigners in the U.S and China have reiterated their complaints against the App Store.
Experts Key to Epic vs Apple Battle
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.”
Detroit Apple Developer Academy Applications Open This Week
Two new Apple Developer Academies in Korea and Detroit, Michigan are coming, with the applications for the Detroit site opening this week.
Epic vs Apple - The Story of the Trial so Far
Apple’s court battle with Epic Games is into its second week, and the result could define the future of the App Store and iOS more widely.
Report Links Apple Suppliers With Alleged Forced Labor Programs for Uyghur Muslims in China
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.
Apple Hires Stella Low From Cisco for Corporate Communications
Apple has hired Cisco’s Stella Low to be its new Vice President of worldwide corporate communications.
Epic Games Versus Apple: A Legal Overview
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.
Apple Rejects 78 Percent App Store Operating Margin Figure From Epic Expert Witness
Apple hit back at a figure put forward by an expert witness for Epic Games who said the App Store had operating margins of nearly 78 percent.
How Apple is Navigating the Great Semiconductor Shortage
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.
Apple Highlights Apps to Improve Financial Wellness
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.
A Long Awaited Update, Searchin Safari – TMO Daily Observations 2021-04-26
Charlotte Henry joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss the actual for real this time iOS 14.5 update, better searching in Safari, and more.
Activists Decry 'Apple's Stranglehold' on iPhone Software Following Senate Hearing
Digital rights activist organization Fight for the Future has once again hit out at Apple following Wednesday’s Senate antitrust hearing.
Spotify, Match, Tile Exec to Appear as Witnesses at Apple, Google Antitrust Hearing
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.
Apple Music and Spotify's Payments to Artists – TMO Daily Observations 2021-04-19
Charlotte Henry joins guest-host Bryan Chaffin to break down how Apple Music and Spotify pay artists and labels, and what that might mean to the music industry as a whole.
Apple Releases 2021 Environmental Progress Report
Apple has published the latest version of its annual environmental progress report. There is an easy-to-navigate webpage and a longer PDF.
Apple Launches $200 Million Carbon Removal Project
On Thursday Apple announced the Restore Fund, a project that will make investments in forestry projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Apple Retail Chief Diogo Rau Leaves Company After 10 Years
Diogo Rau has recently joined medical company Lilly. He was top executive of information technology for retail and online stores at Apple.
Tim Cook and Kara Swisher – TMO Daily Observations 2021-04-05
Charlotte Henry joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss Tim Cook’s appearance on Kara Swisher’s podcast Sway, and what we learned about Tim and Apple.
Apple Partners With University of South Carolina on Products
Governor Henry McMaster has awarded US$6 million so the University of South Carolina and Benedict College can create eight Apple computer labs.
Apple is Building a Battery Farm Capable of Storing 240MW Hours of Energy
Apple shared some environmental news on Wednesday, including an energy storage project capable of storing 240 megawatt-hours of energy.
Check Out Throwboy’s Cute Apple Clothes Collection
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.
Apple Faces Case Alleging Discrimination Against South Asian Engineer
Apple is facing a discrimination lawsuit brought by an Indian female engineer. She alleges that her two managers, one of whom was from India, the other from Pakistan, discriminated against her, Bloomberg News reported. It comes at a time of increasing focus on how Silicon Valley firms treat South Asian employees.
The woman’s case in California state court is the latest to allege workplace bias in Silicon Valley that focuses on cultural prejudices of some tech workers from South Asia. Cisco Systems Inc. is fighting a suit brought by California’s civil rights agency alleging bias against a member of India’s so-called lower castes, known as Dalits. Anita Nariani Schulze is part of the Sindhi minority — she is Hindu, with ancestry in the Sindh region of what is now Pakistan. Her complaint alleges that her senior and direct managers, both male, consistently excluded her from meetings while inviting her male counterparts, criticized her, micromanaged her work, and deprived her of bonuses, despite positive performance evaluations and significant team contributions. Schulze claims the managers’ animus reflects sexism, racism, religious bias and discrimination on the basis of national origin. The Sindhi Hindu nationality is “known for its technical acumen” and its gender equality, she says, which “exacerbated the managers’ discriminatory treatment.”
Apple Launches Youth Filmmaking Challenge With Redford Center
The Redford Center announced its second annual Redford Center Stories Challenge, and this year Apple has teamed up.