| Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly snaps up Israeli facial-recognition company

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iPhone 8 facial recognition
How facial recognition could work on a future iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has reportedly acquired RealFace, an Israeli startup that developed facial-recognition technology for user authentication.

The news comes shortly after a separate report claiming that Apple is planning to incorporate new biometric security systems into future iPhones starting in 2018.

Intel And Apple Are In A Race To Hire Former TI Engineers In Israel

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apple_intel

Apple is racing to hire former Texas Instruments employees in Israel in an effort to staff a planned R&D center. Not wanting to be outdone, Intel has decided to ramp up their efforts to hire the same former Texas Instruments employees before Apple can grab them first.

A new report claims that Intel is offering the employees “healthy compensation packages” above the standard salary rates in an effort to keep the employees from slipping into Apple’s hands.

It’s Official: Apple to Buy Flash Memory Firm Anobit For $500M

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Photo by Luisus Rasilvi - http://flic.kr/p/7DDGny
Photo by Luisus Rasilvi - http://flic.kr/p/7DDGny

The rumor is now official: Apple, the world’s largest consumer of flash memory, has paid $500 million for consumer-grade flash memory maker Anobit. The move solidifies Apple’s supply of solid-state memory used by the iPhone, iPad, iPod and MacBook Air. The half-billion dollar price tag tops the inflation-adjusted $472 million acquisition of NeXT back in 1997.

Why Buying Anobit Might Be One Of The Most Important Acquisitions Apple Will Ever Make

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FlashMemoryController_Main

Yesterday we reported that Apple was in the process of using its cash hoard to buy Anobit, an Israeli flash memory maker. But what’s so special about Anobit anyway, and why would Apple buy another maker of flash memory when they’ve already got deals in place with some of the world’s best flash manufacturers?

The answer: Anobit is making truly magical technology, and Apple wants that magic for itself.

Apple Is Moving To Take Over Flash Memory Industry From Samsung

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Photo by COG LOG LAB. - http://flic.kr/p/aaaTfe
Photo by COG LOG LAB. - http://flic.kr/p/aaaTfe

For only the second time in recent memory, Apple has used its pile of cash to buy a hardware company and threaten survival of another tech industry. Reports say Apple is ready to spend up to $500 million to acquire Anobit, an Israel-based flash memory maker already used in the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air. It probably didn’t hurt that the purchase could free Apple’s reliance on its courtroom buddy Samsung.