The U.S. Trade Representative approved Apple’s request to exclude the Apple Watch from U.S. tariffs on imported Chinese goods.
China
China Pulls Apps, Ebook Tips – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-23
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss China’s outsized App Store power, and getting free ebooks from a few sources.
Apple Bans Keyboard App Used to Bypass Chinese Censorship
On Thursday, Apple removed “Boom the Encryption Keyboard” from the App Store. People used it to bypass censorship in China.
TikTok Censors Posts by People it Deems Ugly or Poor
Chinese app TikTok told its moderators to censor posts from users deemed too ugly, poor, or disabled.
…according to internal documents obtained by The Intercept. These same documents show moderators were also told to censor political speech in TikTok livestreams, punishing those who harmed “national honor” or broadcast streams about “state organs such as police” with bans from the platform.
iPads, Trackpads, China, and Censorship – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-28
This week we saw rumors of Apple releasing an iPad keyboard with a trackpad, and news that Apple will be requiring paid game developers to comply with Chinese censorship laws. Charlotte Henry and Bryan Chaffin join Dave Hamilton to sift through it all for you before the weekend. Press play and enjoy!
China Says That Plague Inc. Game is Illegal, Gets Removed From App Store
Ndemic Creations, the creator of the popular game Plague Inc. received a warning from China that the game contained illegal content.
Chinese Military Charged With Equifax Data Breach
Four Chinese military hackers have been charged with breaking into Equifax’s network and stealing the data of tens of millions of Americans.
The accused hackers exploited a software vulnerability to gain access to Equifax’s computers, obtaining log-in credentials that they used to navigate databases and review records. The indictment also details efforts the hackers took to cover their tracks, including wiping log files on a daily basis and routing traffic through dozens of servers in nearly 20 countries.
Reminder that Equifax executives did insider trading based on the breach. They are criminals.
FBI Investigates Over 1,000 Cases of Chinese IP Theft
At the China Initiative Conference, government officials from the FBI and DoJ spent four hours talking about theft of U.S. intellectual property by China.
“The threat from China is real, it’s persistent, it’s well-orchestrated, it’s well-resourced, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, opened the conference.
“This one to me really stands out as the greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Apple Stops Almost All Travel to China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Apple is limiting staff travel to China and has closed one of its stores in the country as the coronavirus continues to spread.
iPhone Growth in China Defies Market - Shipments Increase by 18.7 Percent in December
Chinese iPhone shipments increased by 18.7 percent in December 2019, according to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications.
U.S - China Trade Deal Could Stop $150 iPhone Price Increase
A trade agreement between the U.S. and China is “an early Christmas present to Apple,” according to one analyst.
Credit Suisse: iPhone Shipments Down Over 35% in China
iPhone shipments in China last month were down 35.4% compared to November last year, according to a new note by Credit Suisse analysts.
This VPN App Sent User Data to China
According to a report of VPN apps for 2019, downloads of these apps has increased 54%. But people need to be careful which VPN app they use. The most popular app called VPN – Super Unlimited sent user data to China. But it’s privacy policy made no secret of this.
We regularly collect and use information that could identify an individual, in particular about your purchase or use of our products, services, mobile and software applications and websites… We use various technologies to determine [your] location, including IP addresses, GPS, and other sensors.
The VPN apps I wrote about are all safe (or at least I personally believe them to be safe).
A Smartwatch for Kids Just Exposed the Location of Over 5,000 Children
The Chinese SMA-WATCH-M2 was recently caught exposing personal data like location of over 5,000 children and their parents.
China Blocks Apple Services Like News, Arcade, More
Apple has been wooing China for years now but it sounds like it’s an increasingly one-sided relationship as China is blocking Apple services.
Apple asks for Tariff Exemptions on iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods
Apple has asked the White House for exemptions from the latest round of tariffs in the trade war between China and the United States.
Tim Cook Named Chairman of Chinese Tsinghua University SEM
Tim Cook has been named chairman of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management taking over from Jim Breyer.
Tim Cook Meets Chinese Market Regulator Following Controversy Over Hong Kong Protest App
Tim Cook met the head of China’s market regulator following controversy over the removal of an app used by protestors in Hong Kong.
Chinese Publication Says 'AirPods Pro' Coming by End of October
There’s a fun new leak coming out of China saying that Apple will release “AirPods Pro” by the end of October.
Apple vs China Over Hong Kong – TMO Daily Observations 2019-10-11
Charlotte Henry and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s recent decision to pull an app used by Hong Kong protestors.
#BoycottApple Trends on Twitter After Company's Recent Moves
The hashtag #BoycottApple is trending on Twitter after Apple removed the HKMap and Quartz apps from the App Store at the behest of China.
Just after Apple removed the apps, #BoycottApple has been trending on all the social media platforms with users voicing their discontent with Apple’s move. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Apple has been under fire for pulling something like this. Back in 2017, the company pulled The New York Times app from the App Store stating that the Chinese government had requested the app’s removal because it was “in violation of local regulations.”
Phil Schiller: “Courage.”
Did China Ask Apple to Remove This Hong Kong Protest App?
Apple recently removed a Hong Kong protest app from the App Store, saying that it encouraged users to break the law.
Confirmed: Apple Moves Mac Pro Manufacturing Back to Texas
Despite news in the past saying Apple was moving Mac Pro manufacturing to China, today a report says it will stay in Texas.
Chinese Customers Turn Against Apple in Favor of Domestic Firms
Apple has dropped in standing amongst the Chinese public, according to a new survey by Prophet, as they back firm’s from their own country.