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Luke Dormehl - page 146

Tim Cook has made $701 million since taking over as Apple CEO

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Tim Cook takes home $125 million for Apple’s best year since 2009
Tim Cook has good reason to smile.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Want to know how much cash Tim Cook has raked in since taking over as Apple CEO in 2011, during which time he has almost quadrupled the company’s share price? It’s perhaps both more and less than you might expect.

According to a new report, combining Cook’s salary (which was a shade over $3 million last year) and his lucrative stock options and other awards, Apple’s CEO has earned approximately $701 million during his time as head honcho.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress signs on for Apple TV show

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Jane_Krakowski
Apple has recruited another name actor for its original TV efforts.
Photo: Watchwithkristin/Wikipedia CC

Actress Jane Krakowski, perhaps best known for starring in Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and NBC’s 30 Rock, has reportedly signed on to join an Apple original TV series.

Krakowski will join the cast in Apple’s Dickinson series, a comedic look at the world of 19th century poet Emily Dickinson.

Hacker sentenced for ‘Celebgate’ iCloud phishing scam

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
iCloud hack took place back in 2014.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The fourth hacker responsible for leaking nude images from hundreds of iCloud accounts, belonging to Hollywood celebrities and others, has been sentenced to prison.

Connecticut-based George Garafano was sentenced to eight months, after which he must serve three years of supervised release, as well as performing 60 hours of community service. He plead guilty back in April.

Foxconn teams with Wisconsin university for $100 million lab

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Foxconn signing
Foxconn's Terry Gou and UW–Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank sign a partnership agreement.
Photo: Bryce Richter/University of Wisconsin-Madison

Foxconn has pledged up to $100 million to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fund a new research facility for its College of Engineering.

This facility will collaborate with Foxconn’s planned manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin. Funding will be used to investigate subjects including artificial intelligence, 8K resolution, robotics, and 5G wireless technology — along with human health areas, such as genomics research and medical imaging.

Apple is driving high-end online smartphone sales

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Ex-student sentenced to 3 years in prison for massive iPhone scam
Apple customers are loyal online shoppers, it seems!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Amazon is responsible for selling an ever-increasing number of smartphones in the U.S., but Apple isn’t doing badly for itself, either.

According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, the iPhone remains the most popular smartphone in both offline and online channels. In Q2, Apple managed to sell almost as many handsets in Q2 2018 as Best Buy’s online store, despite only selling iPhones, rather than a range of brands. It is also almost single-handedly driving high-end online sales.

Former Apple video exec helps connect authors with filmmakers

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apple tv
New startup shows the crossover of tech and Hollywood.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

A former Apple executive who left to join Netflix has launched a new startup, aimed at producing a searchable library of content which can be adapted for movies or TV.

George Berry worked at Apple for almost six years, first as its Senior Manager of Video Operations and then of Global Media Services. He then jumped ship to Netflix, before teaming up with producer Uri Singer to launch TaleFlick as its COO.

Tim Cook cashes in $58 million of his Apple fortune

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Tim Cook earnings apple
Apple's CEO just got even richer.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook has been granted 560,000 restricted Apple stock options and, to celebrate the windfall, he’s cashed in $58 million.

As revealed in an SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) filing, Cook was awarded his stock options on Friday, valued at around $120 million. However, approximately half of these were withheld as the result of statutory tax withholdings on vested stock options.

Ultra-rare original iPhone prototype pops up on eBay

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321dady/eBay
This will make you the envy of Apple fans!
Photo: 321dady/eBay

Apple may have sold well over a billion iPhones, but something in much, much more limited supply are the prototype models for Apple’s original 2007 handset. These never-commercially-available models were produced for internal use at Apple, back when the company was still honing the software and hardware for its now iconic device.

If you’re eager to have a piece of history in your possession, one of these rare prototypes just showed up for sale on eBay — although you’ll have to be willing to splash some serious cash to get it.

Don’t even think about copying Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater

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steve jobs theater
The Steve Jobs Theater as it appears today.
Photo: Apple

Apple is rightly proud of its Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus, and now it’s got the design patent to stop others copying it.

The attractive circular glass building gives way to a 1,000 underground auditorium — complete with hidden walls, high tech projection system, and leather chairs which set Apple back a reported $14,000 apiece.

MacBook concept ditches physical keys for a giant Touch Bar

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MacBook sales rising
This concept takes the Touch Bar to the next level.
Photo: Apple

When Apple introduced the MacBook with Touch Bar a couple of years back, it got positive reviews — although it also seemed like a concept that Apple hadn’t pushed as far it would go.

That same criticism certainly can’t be leveled at a new concept video created by Turkish designer and Apple fan Furkan Kasap. Kasap has reimagined the MacBook keyboard as a full-on virtual keyboard built around a touch display. Check it out.

2018 iPhones could be the biggest smash hit since iPhone 6

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2018 iPhone compared to 2017 iPhone X
This is gonna be the big one, folks!
Photo: Jonas Dähnert

Apple is expecting big things for its new iPhones — and we’re not just talking about the extra spacious screen size of Apple’s largest OLED handset.

According to a new report, Apple is planning to ship 70-75 million of its new handsets by the end of this year. If accurate, this would be the biggest iPhone launch since 2014’s iPhone 6 series.

Moodo lets you control the way your home smells from your iPhone

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Moodo
Want to make your home smell nice? There's an app for that.
Photo: Moodo

Entrepreneurs are tripping over themselves to make “smart” versions of every product we already own. As such, it was only going to be so long before someone made a smart scent dispenser. That product is called Moodo. It’s a smart home fragrance box that lets you control how your home smells from your iPhone. Or your smart speaker.

But does it smell like a winner, or is this one gadget we’re turning our nose up at?

Today in Apple history: Flash controversy results in banned iPhone ad

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A photo of people looking at the first-gen iPhone inside a glass case on the original iPhone launch date.
The internet wasn't quite so seamless on the first-gen iPhone.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

August 27: Today in Apple history: Flash controversy results in banned iPhone ad August 27, 2008: The U.K. bans an iPhone ad for apparently misleading consumers.

The misleading bit? The ad overhypes the iPhone’s internet-surfing abilities. It does this by not mentioning that the device doesn’t support Adobe Flash — which is vital to internet surfing in 2008. How times change, eh?

Alleged iPad Pro case boasts a mysterious rear cutout

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iPad Pro
Could Apple be moving the Smart Connector?
Photo: Slashleaks

A mysterious cutout on an alleged leaked next-gen iPad Pro case suggests that Apple could be relocating the Smart Connector position on its new tablet — or even introducing a new connector or sensor altogether.

While the cutout isn’t explained, it does line up with previous reports suggesting that Apple would be moving the Smart Connector position closer to the Lightning port.

Police release video of yet another Apple Store robbery

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Just like most of the recent robberies, this one took place in California.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Yet another Apple Store has been targeted by thieves in the latest in an ongoing spate of snatch-and-grab robberies targeting Apple retail stores.

The robbery took place midday on Wednesday at an Apple Store in Corte Madera in Marin County, California. As with the other recent robberies, this incident involved multiple young men in hoodies entering the store and then grabbing multiple iPhones and other devices, before fleeing.

Check out a video below.

Lisa Brennan-Jobs says she didn’t trust Steve’s official biographer

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A photo of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Steve Jobs' first daughter
Lisa Brennan-Jobs has a memoir launching next month.
Photo: Lisa Brennan-Jobs/Wikipedia CC

Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the firstborn daughter of Steve Jobs, has added her name to the list of people who weren’t fans of Jobs’ hand-picked biographer Walter Isaacson.

Isaacson wrote the mega-selling biography of Jobs published in 2011. However, since then numerous Apple insiders and people who knew Steve have criticized the book. Jobs’ daughter Lisa is the latest of these — saying that she didn’t trust the biographer, although she admits she never read his book.

Tesla blames lack of cash on employee exodus to Apple

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Tesla
The Tesla Model 3 in all its glory.
Photo: Tesla

Apple has hired away numerous Tesla employees since the end of last year — and not just to work on its Apple Car efforts, either.

According to LinkedIn data, 46 former Tesla employees have joined Apple since late 2017: either leaving the company directly for Apple, or being dismissed and then joining. These include manufacturing experts, security and software engineers, supply chain authorities, and more. And Tesla has an official statement to make about it.

Nintendo legend says company should shun free-to-play games

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Apple
Miyamoto tries out a freehand sketch on the iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Were you worried that Nintendo was going to go down the free-to-play route with its games? Don’t worry: Shigeru Miyamoto has your back.

The legendary game designer behind many of Nintendo’s most iconic titles is urging his colleagues to shun the freemium business model for games.

Watch out, Apple: Amazon could be worth $2.5 trillion by 2024

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Amazon beats Apple and Google to be named 'most valuable' brand
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has a lot to be cheerful about!
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

Apple may have pipped Amazon to the post by being the first company to hit $1 trillion (despite some predictions to the contrary), but Amazon has nothing but good things in its future.

According to a new report from MKM Partners, by 2024 — roughly five years from now — Amazon could be valued at a whopping $2.5 trillion. Amazon Web Services alone could, meanwhile, be valued at a whopping $1 trillion, approximately the same valuation Apple holds today.

Apple has already created at least 3,500 jobs in India

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Foxconn moving additional iPhone production to India as coronavirus disrupts work
Will this help Apple grow its market presence in India?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has so far created 3,500 jobs at its offices in Hyderabad, India — and it plans to hire 1,500 more people, bringing the total to 5,000. That’s in excess of the 4,000 jobs Apple initially promised it would create in India.

The news was shared by Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of IT and Industries in the Telangana government, located in the southern part of the country.

Check out Apple’s spectacular new Kyoto store

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Kyoto
The multi-tiered design is sure to be a winner.
Photo: Apple

Ahead of this Sunday’s opening of Apple’s first store in Kyoto, Japan, the company has published a few images of the store — showing the interior of what looks to be a stunning addition to Apple’s high-end retail outlets.

The store is located on one of Kyoto’s main shopping streets, surrounded by some of Kyoto’s most famous shrines and temples. The Apple Store pays homage to Japanese culture and design, while still maintaining a uniquely Apple look.

Apple’s plans for flagship store in Oz suffer another setback

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The view from the proposed new store,
The view from the proposed new Apple Store.
Photo: Federation Square/Apple

Apple’s ambitions to open a new “global flagship” Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia, are at risk — thanks to the granting of a new heritage protection order that will let the government deliberate on whether to permanently protect the site.

The store, supposed to be located on Melbourne’s Federation Square, has been the subject of controversy since day one. The new heritage protection status, which runs to late 2018, could prevent Apple from opening its planned retail outlet.

Cavalier Maverick may be the most stylish smart speaker yet [Review]

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Cavalier
Feast your eyes on this beauty!
Photo: Cavalier

Boasting superior sound quality and a high-quality finish that ditches metal and plastic for distressed leather and fabrics, Cavalier Maverick is one of the best smart speakers we’ve tried.

It’s a third-party Amazon Alexa, offering the same functionality as an Echo, but in a far more premium package. And with a pretty neat mobile twist, too.