12/06, 11:15am
Claims executive shakeup was about 'collaboration'
In the Business Week interview in which he talks about US manufacturing plans, Apple CEO Tim Cook also addresses several other topics, such as the firings of iOS head Scott Forstall and recently-hired retail chief John Browett, which forced a reorganization of duties. Although not referring to the other executives by name, Cook claims that the shakeup was meant to foster "collaboration," which he calls "essential for innovation" and a core value at Apple, something co-founder Steve Jobs allegedly believed in.
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11/29, 5:05am
'Father of the iPod' slams Forstall in interview
Often referred to as the ‘Father of the iPod,’ former Apple senior vice president Tony Fadell has gone on the public record stating emphatically that the recently sacked iOS chief Scott Forstall “got what he deserved.” In an interview the BBC (embedded below), Fadell is asked about his relationship with Forstall, which was reportedly rocky and was instrumental in Fadell’s departure from Apple. Although not directly addressing their relationship, Fadell alludes to reports that there was cheering on the Cupertino campus when Forstall was sacked intimating that he shared a similar sentiment.
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11/02, 1:35pm
Sources illustrate extent of conflict between executives
Apple's former head of iOS, Scott Forstall, was left out of iPhone design meetings held by lead designer Jonathan Ive, according to Bloomberg sources. Despite the importance of software to the iPhone platform, the previously-known conflict between Ive and Forstall is said to have been so deep that the two executives were rarely in the same room. The absence from Ive's design meetings allegedly reaches back to before the first-generation iPhone shipped.
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11/01, 11:20am
Mansfield allegedly tried to avoid Forstall
Bob Mansfield's return to Apple was partly enabled by the departure of Scott Forstall, a source described as close to the company tells AllThingsD. "The timing of Bob’s return is not coincidental," the person explains, elaborating that Mansfield didn't like Forstall's confrontational management. Several sources say that Mansfield generally tried to avoid Forstall; this may be backed up by a 2011 Bloomberg report, which said that Mansfield would only meet with Forstall if CEO Tim Cook was around to mediate.
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10/30, 9:55am
Workers said to have been 'caught off guard' by news
Scott Forstall's firing from Apple was greeted with "quiet jubilation" at the company, especially among engineering teams, according to GigaOm. The site quotes anonymous sources, one of whom claims that a number of workers were going out to celebrate with drinks. Forstall's exit is also described as being "fairly last minute," with many people on the iOS and OS X teams only hearing about it minutes before a press release reached the media.
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10/30, 6:09am
Former Apple head of iOS sacked over refusal to accept Maps blame
According to unnamed sources, it is possible that the reason Apple’s former head of mobile software, Scott Forstall, was forced to resign is because he refused to sign the Maps app apology, reports CNN. Instead, the rare public apology from Apple was undersigned by its Apple CEO Tim Cook. Two of Apple’s most public missteps in recent times came under Forstall’s leadership of the mobile OS division after touted iOS features including Siri and Maps both failed to live up to early expectations.
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10/29, 6:55pm
Mansfield's role defined, others expand duties
In a surprise announcement on Monday, Apple has confirmed that SVP of iOS Scott Forstall and SVP of Retail John Browett are leaving the company. Craig Federighi will take over heading up both iOS and OS X, though Forstall will stay on with the company into next year as an advisor. Apple CEO Tim Cook will run the retail side of Apple until a replacement for Browett, who started the job just nine months ago, is found. Other executives such as Sir Jonathan Ive, Eddy Cue and Bob Mansfield will take on additional responsibilities.
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08/01, 9:42am
Will follow marketing exec Phil Schiller
Apple's senior VP for iOS software, Scott Forstall, will soon testify on behalf of his company in the ongoing Apple v. Samsung patent trial, AppleInsider notes. The executive is set to testify as soon as this Friday, after worldwide product marketing head Phil Schiller, who wasn't able to complete his own testimony on Tuesday due to the end of the court session. The information was made public in a Tuesday filing, although Samsung was made aware earlier.
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07/31, 12:44pm
Photography tech reacts to object recognition
Apple has won several new patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Two of these are specifically related to digital photography; the first, Dynamic exposure metering based on face detection, describes a system through which a device can adjust automatically to best expose the faces in a scene. The other, Auto focus speed enhancement using object recognition and resolution, also revolves mainly around faces, using known face sizes to more quickly determine the right focus settings.
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05/02, 11:16am
Wipes out 95 percent of personal AAPL holdings
The senior VP of iOS software at Apple, Scott Forstall, sold 95 percent of his available company stocks last Friday, an SEC filing reveals. In total 65,151 shares were sold off, valued at $38.7 million. The remaining 2,988 shares were worth $1.8 million at the close of Friday trading.
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03/28, 12:00pm
Mansfield, Forstall hold on to investments
Three key Apple executives have made about $150 million after selling newly-vested restricted stock, SEC filings show. CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and senior worldwide marketing VP Phil Schiller were among several executives granted shares in September 2008 in order to buy their loyalty through 2012. Although the shares were valued at just $105.26 each at the time, the grants were in total worth roughly $122 million.
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11/04, 7:30pm
Apple SEC filing shows huge bonus payouts
Apple on Friday sent filings to the SEC that showed one of the larger bonus payouts to its senior vice presidents in recent memory. iOS head Scott Forstall, Hardware Engineering's Bob Mansfield, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, Worldwide Product Marketing lead Phil Schiller, general legal counsel Bruce Sewell, and operations head Jeff Williams all received share awards of 150,000 shares each. At current market values of about $400 per share, each will have made $60 million if they cashed in the same day.
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10/25, 4:05pm
Filing dates back over a year before first iPhone
The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple a patent on the "Slide to Unlock" gesture used on iOS devices. Wording in the document refers to unlocking "if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device," using certain feedback cues as necessary. Specifically, though, diagrams depict a rough version of the slidebar seen on the iOS lock screen.
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10/17, 10:45am
List only partly complete
(Updated to downplay Baez's role) A partial list of the people present at Sunday's private memorial for Steve Jobs has been published, says Fortune. Among the people there were Apple executives Tim Cook (CEO) and Scott Forstall (senior VP for iOS), and board members Bill Campbell and Al Gore. Former US President Bill Clinton was also in attendance; one of the people most closely connected to Jobs, though, may have been singer Joan Baez, who once dated him during the late 1970s and early '80s.
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10/13, 1:50pm
Exec indirectly responsible for iPhone 4 leak
Apple's senior VP for iOS, Scott Forstall, was indirectly responsible for the leak of an iPhone 4 prototype in 2010, a new Businessweek profile suggests. A former Apple manager claims that Forstall persuaded the company's CEO at the time, Steve Jobs, to allow dozens of engineers to carry prototypes so they could do better testing of network performance and reduce dropped calls. It was one of Forstall's engineers who accidentally left an iPhone 4 in a pub, which eventually resulted in a Gizmodo hands-on piece and a high-profile criminal investigation.
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06/06, 4:20pm
Mac App Store already main venue for software
During the course of today's WWDC 2011 keynote, Apple executives elaborated on a number of business milestones the company has achieved. The Mac App Store, for instance, is now claimed to be main channel for buying computer software, ahead of Best Buy, Walmart and Office Depot. The ranking does not reflect the actual popularity of Mac software versus Windows titles, the latter of which are often bought directly from publishers and developers, or through services like Steam.
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01/24, 1:30pm
Forstall seen as trumping Cook, Ive, Schiller
Financial publication Fast Company has published a new ranking of possible replacements for Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The magazine notes that even if Jobs does return from his current medical leave, the company will eventually have to find a replacement. The top potential candidate is argued to be Apple's senior VP of iPhone software, Scott Forstall. He is "young, possesses the right kind of technical knowledge and dynamism, and has become an increasingly important figure in key Apple product decisions," according to the magazine.
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07/19, 3:55pm
Jobs regularly threatening to drop AT&T?
Both Apple and AT&T are to blame for the latter's network suffering under the weight of the iPhone, a Wired investigation suggests. Apple's part is said to stem largely from demanding unlimited Internet access for users, and being unwilling to bend on the matter, even though AT&T was unable to expand its network fast enough to accommodate the strain. Even though AT&T has asked to cooperate on fixing some problems, Apple has sometimes insisted that AT&T resolve them by itself.
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07/14, 10:00am
Company still sidestepping social networking
The senior VP of iOS software at Apple, Scott Forstall, has joined social networking site Twitter. Though he has made no posts so far, the account has been verified, and he is currently following talk show host Conan O'Brien. Forstall is the first Apple executive known to have an account with a social network, at least one accessible to the public.
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04/28, 10:30am
Trio rakes in over $16.5 million
Three key Apple executives are reported to have sold large amounts of company stock over the weekend, taking advantage of record share prices. In total the group amassed over $16.5 million; the greatest profits, however, went to Scott Forstall, Apple's senior VP of iPhone software. As a result of two sell-offs on Friday, according to Form 4s filed with the SEC, the executive reaped over $12 million.
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