| MacUpdate Weekend Sale | :This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. Painter 12 retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. Painter Lite has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013. |
Ahead of the Apple CEO's US Senate testimony, Tim Cook has replied to questions about politics and Apple's offshore tax practices in a new Politico interview. "We don't have a large presence in Washington, as you probably know, but we care deeply about public policy and believe creative policy can be a huge catalyst for a better society and a stronger economy," he says.
Apple will be the focus of a US Senate hearing next Tuesday, Politico says it has learned. The company's CEO, Tim Cook, is expected to testify in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation regarding offshore tax practices. Other witnesses are also expected to speak, such as representatives from the Treasury Department and the IRS.
A charity auction for a coffee meetup with Apple CEO Tim Cook has come to a close. The initial goal of the auction, supporting the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, was to raise roughly $50,000. By the time bidding closed today however, the final bid was valued at $610,000.
A "coffee" with Apple CEO Tim Cook, an offer being bid on for charity fundraising, has been hit with credit card fraud. A previous high bid of $605,000 was retracted after it was discovered to have been placed using a credit card that turned out to be stolen. The site, Charitybuzz, said the issue came to their attention immediately was swiftly retracted, dropping the high bid back to $600,000. The Cook meeting is by far the highest-bid item in the auction.
For the second year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook will be the featured interviewee on the opening night of the AllThingsD D11 conference, being held in San Francisco on May 28-30. Last year's interview with Cook, at the D10 conference, was his first formal interview at a third-party event not closed to investors. The opening-night spot is highly coveted and usually reserved for an extensive conversation. In his previous one-hour talk, Cook answered pointed questions on the patent system, Apple's legal fights and his relationship with former CEO Steve Jobs.
Apple CEO Tim Cook spent both Friday and Saturday this weekend at Duke University, accounts note. The executive sat down to talk as part of a "Real Conversations with Real Leaders" session at the Fuqua School of Business. Cook is said to have shared business advice with the audience in attendance at his alma mater.
A chance to spend some one-on-one facetime with the CEO of the world's most influential and profitable technology company is worth a lot; far more than anyone expected, as it turns out. Apple head Tim Cook has offered a half-hour "coffee" at Apple headquarters to the winning bidder in a charity auction that was initially valued as being worth $50,000. As of 6:45PM ET on Friday -- with 18 days remaining in the bidding -- the bidding has reached $580,000 after 81 bids. The auction benefits the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is offering a coffee meet with himself as the prize in a Charitybuzz auction for the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. The meet has been given an estimated value of $50,000, but includes a few stipulations, such as a one-hour time limit, a security screening, and the requirement that people rendezvous with Cook at Apple's Cupertino headquarters. People must also pay for any travel and accommodation costs involved in making it to Cupertino.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has shed fresh light on Apple's reluctance to build an iPhone with a larger display, while fueling speculation that such a device may be in the works. Answering an analyst question during the company's fiscal Q2 financial conference call, the executive claimed competitors have made sacrifices to resolution, white balance, color quality, screen longevity and portability in their drive to create ever-larger smartphones.
Amidst generally positive numbers presented by Apple in its quarterly earnings conference call, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer presented some facts about the burgeoning smartphone market in China. When presented a question by an analyst questioning Apple's present and future success in China -- considering that it doesn't yet sell the iPhone on the largest carrier in the country -- Apple claimed to have its "best quarter ever" regionally.
Speaking during a conference call following the company's Q2 results, Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that the company may have no major product launches until the fall. He refused to talk about the specific timing for particular devices, but told analysts that there is "great stuff coming in the fall and across 2014." The statement may quash rumors of summer updates for the iPhone and/or the iPad and iPad mini.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has topped a "Power List" of influential Americans by Out Magazine, a lifestyle publication aimed at the gay and lesbian demographic segment. This is the third year Cook has received the honor, but has never acknowledged his sexual orientation publicly -- leaving the magazine to make a presumption based on his unmarried status and other indicators. While not a factor in running Apple, Cook has been known to be unusually circumspect about his private life -- apart from his devotion to Auburn football.
Just a day after Apple promised to "review" its warranty policies and make some minor changes in implementation for the Chinese market, early reaction to the open letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook appears to have neutralized the state-run media attacks on the company. Cook issued a lengthy letter that apologized for any "miscommunication" and lack of transparency that may have appeared "arrogant" but appears to be heavier on a more humble tone than much in the way of actual shifts in the repair policy.
Despite suffering only a tiny drop in approval -- perhaps due to votes from recently-released executives -- Tim Cook's rank on job and boss review site Glassdoor fell from the top spot last year to number 18 on the latest list. His replacement is actually three CEOs, including Facebook leader Mark Zuckerberg and SAP's co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. All three men received a 99 percent score, while Cook fell from 97 percent to 93 percent in this year's survey. The ratings are compiled from employee votes.
CEO Tim Cook has been ordered to testify in the Department of Justice's antitrust case against Apple, Reuters reports. US District Judge Denise Cote has asked Cook to provide four hours of testimony, fulfilling requests by prosecutors, who have argued that the executive likely has relevant knowledge of Apple's 2010 entry into e-books with the iBookstore. Apple opposed involving Cook, claiming that the deposition of 11 other executives made the CEO's participation "cumulative and duplicative." Cote, though, has taken the position that the passing of Steve Jobs -- in charge of Apple at the time the iBookstore was introduced -- means the DoJ is "entitled to take testimony from high-level executives."
Legendary music producer, label head and Beats Audio CEO Jimmy Iovine has allegedly met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and media services chief Eddy Cue in a "wide-ranging" discussion of the music industry and related topics, including Iovine's "Project Daisy" proposed music service that he had previously pitched to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The meeting has renewed talk of alleged Apple plans for a subscription or premium music service.
In addition to the stockholder votes conducted today during Apple's annual meeting, the opportunity arose for CEO Tim Cook to address shareholder questions on a range of topics -- including the decline of the stock price, the forthcoming "spaceship" Apple campus, the controversy over a recent lawsuit designed to force the company to return more of its cash hoard to investors, competition from Android and a few bare hints of future directions. Cook received a 99 percent approval rate from investors during the meeting.
President Obama mentioned Apple's plan to bring some Macintosh manufacturing back to the US in his State of the Union message on Tuesday evening. Speaking before a joint gathering of Congress, the Supreme Court justices and other dignitaries, the President highlighted Apple, Intel, Ford and Caterpillar as some of the companies that are "bringing jobs back" from various countries. Apple CEO Tim Cook was in the audience as a guest of First Lady Michele Obama.
As happened last year, at least one influential tech-sector figure will sit with the First Lady in the Congressional gallery to watch President Obama's State of the Union address, which will happen Tuesday evening. Apple CEO Tim Cook will sit with Michelle Obama, along with Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA's Mars Curiousity rover team, military families, immigration reform advocates and gun violence victims, among others. Other tech CEOs have been invited by various congressmen.
(Updated with official Apple stream link) Financial firm Goldman Sachs has made a last-minute change to when Apple CEO Tim Cook will speak at its technology conference tomorrow. Cook is now scheduled to present at 10:15AM Eastern, instead of a previous 4:15PM time. No reason for the change has been announced, but if it isn't just a matter of practicality it could signal that Cook intends to make more positive comments.
Tim Cook was opposed to suing Samsung in a lengthy patent battle over its products, according to a report. Cook is said to have been against the lawsuits in the first place due to Samsung's important role as a component supplier for the iPad and iPhone, with analysts estimating around $8 billion in parts were bought by Apple from Samsung.
Apple has scheduled an internal "Town Hall" meeting for today at 10AM, according to an email memo by CEO Tim Cook, sent out to workers last night. 9to5Mac notes that the event will feature a Q&A session, for which people will be able to submit questions in advance via AppleWeb. It's unmentioned whether any live questions will be allowed.
Both CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer took time in today's conference call with analysts to specifically (or by inference) debunk a number of recent rumours about the company, and to suggest to analysts that they rely too heavily on bad information -- and that even when they do get a bit of gossip that turns out to be true, they are unable to see the information in the broader context, which may change its interpretation. It was a rare direct assault on the market-manipulation and other forces that have plagued the company and its stock.
Next week, 36 more carriers supporting the iPhone and/or iPad will be getting LTE, Apple revealed during today's Q1 results call. Although the company didn't name specific carriers, it did note that they're spread across regions including Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, and the Philippines. "Several" countries in the Middle East should be getting LTE.
Apple is hoping to start a research and development center in Beijing, according to Tencent. A source for the site says that on January 8th, during his recent tour of China, Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned the plans in a meeting with acting Beijing mayor Wang Anshun. Apple has been working on expanding its R&D footprint outside of the US -- mainly in Israel, but it may also be considering Russia.
While in Beijing, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a wide-ranging interview to Sina Technology, a leading tech news site, and discussed his hopes for China to become one of Apple's top markets among other topics. While Cook apparently said little that is new, he acknowledged his meeting with China Mobile to try and iron out a final agreement that would let the world's largest cell carrier finally bring the iPhone to its 700m-strong customer base.
(Updated with cellular iPad mini launch info) As a part of his ongoing tour of China, Apple CEO Tim Cook has met with the chairman of China Mobile, Xi Guohua, Reuters reports. A Mobile spokesman will only say that the two talked about "matters of cooperation" at the carrier's headquarters earlier today, and that no further details can be given out because of a confidentiality agreement. Despite being the world's biggest phone carrier in terms of subscribers, China Mobile is the only national Chinese carrier without the iPhone.
Earlier on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at a Chinese reseller, Dragonstar, AppleInsider notes. The vendor is based inside the China World Shopping Mall in Beijing. In a photo, Cook can be seen talking with store staff; one of the other people in the image appears to be Apple's senior VP for worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met earlier today with Miao Wei, the head of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Bloomberg reports. An official ministry website post says that the two talked about developing China's IT industry, global cellular communications, and Apple's business in China. Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu has declined to say how long Cook might stay in the country, or who else he might meet.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will take in $4.17 million in pay by the end of 2012, according to filings seen by Bloomberg. That breaks down into a $1.36 million salary, and another $2.8 million in incentives. Notably, Cook's compensation is well below the $378 million he was technically awarded in 2011; $376.2 million of that, though, was from a one-time stock grant, for which he won't see the full benefit unless he stays as CEO for a decade.
On Wednesday, Time Magazine named US President Barack Obama as its "Person of the Year," but had also considered the contribution made by Apple and its CEO Tim Cook, ultimately placing him third on the list, along with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, scientist Fabioloa Gianotti, and Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai. The magazine also profiled Cook, reiterating many of the highlights and quotes Cook had given in previous interviews, including his prime-time chat with Rock Center host Brian Williams earlier this month.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is included on Time's Person of the Year shortlist, the magazine has announced. The winner of the title will be revealed tomorrow. Cook faces some stiff competition though, including US President Barack Obama, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and the scientists who detected the Higgs boson particle. Cook's predecessor, Steve Jobs, was a staple of Time lists.
As previously reported, tonight's episode of the newsmagazine show Rock Center profiled Apple CEO Tim Cook in his first major TV interview since formerly taking the title of Apple CEO in August 2011. Host Brian Williams tackled various topics from the past year of headlines about the world's leading electronics company, including asking about why more of Apple's product can't be made in the US and the recent executive shuffle that saw some prominent members of the inner circle depart the company.
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.
In a new interview, airing tonight at 10 Eastern, Apple CEO Tim Cook has strongly hinted at the prospect of an Apple-branded TV set. During the piece, NBC's Brian Williams asks Cook what's next for Apple. "When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years," Cook comments. "It's an area of intense interest. I can't say more than that."
Earlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook was seen giving a tour of the company's Grand Central Station store in New York City to NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams for what will be Cook's first major TV interview. The store, which opened almost exactly a year ago, is one of several US flagship stores and was the subject of investigations about how the deal -- which included unusual terms very favorable to Apple -- was conducted, though nothing has thus far come of them. The interview will air on the network's Rock Center program.
During a conference call following Apple's fiscal Q4 financial disclosures, CEO Tim Cook did not hold back his thoughts regarding Microsoft's Surface tablet and PCs in general. Answering a question about the potential threat from competing products, the executive labeled the Surface tablet a "compromised, confusing product" and likened it to a car that might be able to fly and float, but would not be able to "do all of those things very well."
Apple has posted a recording of today's media event in San Jose, California, where chief executive Tim Cook and marketing senior vice president Phil Schiller shared the stage to introduce the iPad mini. Other new products unveiled at the event include the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, new iMacs, a refreshed full-size iPad and an improved Mac mini.
Apple has reportedly continued to tighten its internal security strategy amid persistent product leaks. Unnamed employees speaking to Ars Technica suggest the company's policies may be severely limiting the scope of product testing as devices and software are in the late stages of development, though most of the leaks are blamed on third-party overseas manufacturers.
As it did last year, Apple is extending the Thanksgiving vacation time it gives to some of its workers for 2012, according to an email memo from CEO Tim Cook. "To recognize the efforts that made this amazing year possible, I’m happy to announce that we’re extending the Thanksgiving holiday once again this year. We will shut down with pay on November 19, 20 and 21 so our teams can spend the whole week with their loved ones," he writes.
In a rare open letter, Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued a formal apology for problems with the iOS 6 version of Maps. "At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better," Cook writes.
The labor situation in Apple Stores is still in a rough state, despite promises by the company, according to sources for ifoAppleStore. For example, contrary to statements by Apple retail head John Browett, workers were recently laid off or fired, but later just rehired -- and while interstore transfers are now going through, demotions aren't being reversed, overtime is still limited, and managers are assigning minimum hours to part-timers. Apple is thought to be trying several methods of maximizing retail profits, including changing how worker performance is rated.
The CEOs of Apple and Samsung, Tim Cook and Kwon Oh Hyun, are expected to have a phone conversation later today in an attempt to settle their ongoing trial before it goes to jury, according to a Bloomberg source. Lawyers for the two companies are then expected to report to the US District Judge overseeing the case, Lucy Koh. The call would be a fulfillment of a request by Koh late last week that the two executives talk; at the time, the judge said she was "pathologically optimistic" that a settlement could be reached.
Apple executives have admitted that persistent rumors surrounding its upcoming devices, such as the sixth-generation iPhone, have had a negative impact on sales. After several years of stellar performance and beating Wall Street forecasts, the company failed to meet analyst expectations for its latest fiscal quarter. When pressed by analysts, chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer cited the strong US dollar, economic conditions and ongoing rumors as its biggest challenges.
Tim Cook today made a surprise visit to the 29th annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, the New York Post reports. The Apple CEO was on a list of possible attendees, but whether or not he would actually show was unsure. Cook appears to have been there only briefly, attending a session on China by The New Yorker's Evan Osnos before retreating to the lodge while other corporate leaders ate lunch at the Duck Pond.
Tim Cook is exerting more control over the Apple supply chain since he took over as CEO last year, according to DigiTimes sources within the supply companies. Inspections are said to not only be more frequent but longer, and for the past half year the company has allegedly been putting in more effort to control costs and product quality, also "heavily" evaluating suppliers.
After tantalizingly suggestive remarks by Tim Cook during his D10 keynote interview, like "Facebook is a great company," "the relationship is solid," and "stay tuned" when directly asked about Facebook integration by the interviewers, TechCrunch is postulating that Apple is aiming for as tight as possible Facebook integration with the yet-unreleased iOS 6. Writer MG Seigler points out that a great many applications use Facebook APIs for signing up and authentication. Facebook is the primary, or in some cases only, method of confirming user's identity on some sites.
During his talk with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at today's "All Things D" conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook defending the company's China-heavy manufacturing of its most popular product, the iPhone. Cook said that even in its current version, the back of the iPhone could add "several parts of the US" to its "Made in China" label, pointing to ARM chip manufacturing and the Gorilla Glass used for the screen.
Apple CEO Tim Cook quietly met with several leaders of the US Congress last Tuesday, according to Fortune. Sit-down sessions are said to have been been organized with House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The one person left out of the loop was House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi, who was on her way back from Afghanistan when Cook was in Washington, DC.
Apple earlier today filed an 8-K form with the Securities and Exchange Commission, indicating that the board of directors has decided to give restricted stock holders the same $2.65-per-share dividend they expect to give public shareholders. CEO Tim Cook has requested he not be awarded the dividend, however, costing him an estimated $75 million dollars over the next decade.
