Cupertino

Apple Park to host Toys for Tots open house

By

Apple Park
Apple Park is opening its doors to the neighbors.
Photo: Matthew Roberts/Maverick Imagery

Cupertino residents that live near Apple’s new campus are being invited inside Apple Park for a holiday toy drive.

Email invites to the exclusive event started going out this week to people who live near Apple Park. Apple Park has a big visitor center but rarely lets outsiders inside the spaceship campus.

Take a look at the invite:

Apple buys $290 million worth of more office space in Cupertino

By

Applecampus
The new Apple campus in Cupertino.
Photo: Google Maps

It seems like Apple just completed its move into Apple Park just recently but apparently, the iPhone-maker is growing so quickly it already needs a major office space expansion.

Local news outlets in the Bay Area recently reported that Apple just gobbled up another two giant office complexes in Cupertino, giving the company over 200,000 square-feet within throwing-distance of the new Apple HQ and the old Infinite Loop campus it still uses.

Forrest Gump’s investment in Apple would be worth $28 billion today

By

Forrest Gump finds out he owns part of Apple
Forrest Gump finds out he owns part of a “fruit company.”
Screen cap: Paramount

In the Oscar-winning movie Forrest Gump, there’s a short scene in which Tom Hanks’s character opens a letter of thanks from Apple after his former military colleague and business partner Lieutenant Dan invested some of the profits from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in “some kind of fruit company.”

It’s been 25 years since that movie debuted. If Gump was real and if he was still clinging on to his investment today, his investment in the Cupertino company would worth around $28 billion.

Cupertino shells out big bucks to stay Apple’s hometown

By

Apple Park
Being home to Apple's HQ doesn't come cheap.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple is synonymous with the city of Cupertino — and vice versa. But Cupertino still has to offer Apple the right tax deal in order to stay the hometown of choice for the city’s biggest taxpayer.

According to a new report, Cupertino has awarded Apple close to $70 million, taken from sales-tax collections in the past 20 years. Public records also show that this amount has increased dramatically in the last few years.

Cult of Mac Magazine: What to expect from next week’s big Apple event, and more!

By

cover
In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: Cupertino is calling the faithful to "Gather Round" on Sept. 12 for the unveiling of the latest, greatest iPhones and other new Apple products.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: The annual Apple event we’ve all been waiting for is right around the corner.

On September 12, Apple will host a special keynote from the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, where it will reveal all the hardware it has planned for this fall.

We’re expecting a slew of big announcements, including updates for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — all of which will be covered by Cult of Mac. You’ll find that top story and much more. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Apple won’t pay Cupertino ‘head tax’ after all

By

Apple waives developer fees for nonprofits, others in 8 additional countries
It's not like Apple has the cash to spare!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple won’t have to pay additional taxes to the city of Cupertino based on the company’s number of local employees, city officials have decided.

Some Cupertino City Council members planned to give voters the opportunity to decide whether Apple, and other large local businesses, should pay a “head tax.” Apple would have paid around $9.4 million annually to the city. However, those plans have now been scrapped.

Apple lists good deeds to avoid Cupertino ‘head tax’

By

Apple Park Close up
Apple has long been based in Cupertino, where Steve Jobs grew up.
Photo: Apple

Apple is the reason why most non-locals know the name Cupertino. Just in case free international advertising wasn’t enough, however, the company just sent a letter to the Cupertino City Council, outlining all the nice things Apple does to benefit its hometown.

Although it doesn’t mention it, the letter conveniently arrives on the eve of a discussion on whether to impose a “head tax” on Apple employees in the area.

Cupertino postpones vote on ‘head tax’ on Apple employees

By

Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
Cupertino decided to not raise additional taxes this year on employees working at Apple Park.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Cupertino’s city government decided to ask voters next year whether it should charge businesses a tax on every worker. Apple is the city’s largest employer, so most of the cost would have fallen on the iPhone maker.

The original plan, while vague, was to use the additional revenue to create more affordable housing options and improve Cupertino’s transit system.

Cupertino wants to squeeze extra taxes out of Apple

By

money
Headcount tax would charge Apple for every employee in Cupertino.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cupertino could introduce a tax that would charge Apple an additional fee based on its number of employees. The city has hired a firm to poll residents asking their thoughts on such a tax, and how it should be spent.

At present, Apple has upwards of 25,000 employees in the Bay Area, although it’s not clear how many of these are specifically based in Cupertino. Apple is Cupertino’s largest employer, and has been for many years.

Tim Cook gives Steve Mnuchin an Apple Park tour

By

FBD6AF3D-20D4-4E24-AE27-6FD7B2194CA6
Steve Mnuchin and Tim Cook at the new campus.
Photo: Steve Mnuchin

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, paid a visit to Apple’s new spaceship campus in Cupertino today.

Mnuchin got a tour of Apple Park accompanied by Tim Cook. The Ape CEO has a history of both working against and with Donald Trump’s administration, and in the duo’s photo that was tweeted this afternoon, it doesn’t look like Tim is particularily stoked.

Check out the full tweet:

iMac Pro goes on display at Final Cut Pro event

By

iMac Pro
The iMac Pro is a stunner.
Photo: Brian King/Twitter

Apple gave fans an early hands-on preview of the iMac Pro at the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit in Cupertino this weekend.

The new machine is slated to go on sale later this year. Apple demoed the iMac Pro along with Final Cut Pro X 10.4 which packs some big new features.

Apple acquires German company that may hold key to AR future

By

SensoMotoric Instruments
SensoMotoric Instruments eye-tracking glasses.
Photo: SensoMotoric Instruments

Apple may have just made a key acquisition that could help the company create a truly revolutionary augmented reality headset. According to a new report, German eye-tracking company SensoMotoric Instruments has been purchased by an Apple shell company, giving the iPhone-maker access the company’s trove of patents related to eye-tracking glasses and other systems.

Apple begins testing 5G data speeds for iPhone

By

iPhone 7 red
iPhone 8 rumors haven't had an impact yet, either.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Insanely fast mobile data speeds could be coming soon to Apple’s iPhone lineup, based on a new filing with the FCC that reveals the company has begun testing 5G network technology.

Apple recently applied for an experimental license to use new wireless technology called “millimeter wave.” The FCC approved Apple’s permit today and revealed some details about the project by making the company’s application public.

Tim Cook spotted testing glucose tracking on Apple Watch

By

Tim Cook takes home $125 million for Apple’s best year since 2009
What's Tim hiding up his sleeves?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The next major breakthrough for Apple Watch is currently being tested by none other than Apple CEO and fitness freak Tim Cook.

A new report claims that Cook has been spotted walking around Apple’s corporate headquarters wearing a special Apple Watch attachment that could be a game-changer for people with diabetes.

Apple Park originally looked like a penis and 5 other wild facts

By

Apple hQ
Steve's original vision was a bit different than this.
Photo: Apple

Apple pulled back the curtain of its new spaceship campus in a new interview that highlights all sorts of crazy facts about what went into the new campus, including how it Steve Jobs originally wanted it to look like a penis.

Obviously, Penis Park got scraped in favor of Apple’s perfect circle. But the perfect campus might not have been a disaster if Steve Jobs’ hadn’t shown some early drawings to his son, according to Wired’s deep look into the campus that also reveals how Apple went out of its way to invent an all-new pizza box that keeps crusts fresh.

Drone flyover video reveals Apple Park progress over past year

By

The Steve Jobs Theatre still isn't ready to host events.
The Steve Jobs Theatre still isn't ready to host events.
Photo: Matthew Roberts

Apple’s new spaceship campus still isn’t quite ready for employees to move into yet, but the amount of work done over the past year has been absolutely astonishing.

In the latest aerial video of Apple Park, drone videographer Matthew Roberts takes fans through a breathtaking review of all the construction that’s gone on in the past year. You can watch as Tim Cook’s beautiful pile of dirt gets slowly redistributed across the campus as solar panels, glass walls and hundreds of trees get put in their proper place.

Check out the progress Apple’s made:

Leaked Apple injuries report hints at AR glasses

By

Google Glass wasn't meant to be a big success... yet.
What will Apple's AR glasses look like?
Photo: Google

New clues about prototype products Apple is currently testing may have just been revealed by leaked documents originating from Apple’s Cupertino campus.

A report on Apple compiled by an Environment Health and Safety contractor has reportedly leaked online today. Inside the report are over 70 different incidents that occurred on the campus. Most of the incidents in the report are fairly ordinary, but a couple entries hint at Apple developing augmented reality glasses.

Apple Park landscaping triggers California tree shortage

By

Apple Park Close up
Hundreds of trees are being planted at Apple HQ.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s push to finish the landscaping on its soon-to-be opened spaceship campus is causing headaches for other landscapers and architects hoping to buy trees for other projects.

The company has been known to corner the market’s supply for certain Mac and iPhone components to shut out competitors, but a new report out of San Francisco reveals Apple is bringing its overpowering tactics into foliage market too.

Apple Park (Minecraft Edition) is officially open for business

By

Take a tour of Apple Park.
Take a tour of Apple Park.
Photo: Alex Westlund

The official Apple Park campus should open its doors to employees later this month, but if you can’t wait for Apple to take the wraps off its shiny new spaceship, the Minecraft replica is now complete.

We got our first look at the Minecraft version of Apple Park earlier this month and were blown away by the amount of detail creator Alex Westlund threw in. Now after 413 hours of work, you can fly through Apple’s new campus and gawk at the last Apple product Steve Jobs unveiled.

Check it out:

Apple shows off new renderings of flagship Chicago store

By

Apple is setting up shop right on the riverfront.
Apple is setting up shop right on the riverfront.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new digs in Chicago are shaping up to be one of its most beautiful flagship stores ever, based on new renderings released by the iPhone-maker.

The current structure Apple is renovating on North Michigan Avenue doesn’t look like much, but once it’s finished, the new Apple store will feature massive glass walls an inviting open layout.

Here’s another angle:

Flyover reveals Apple Park is still dirty ahead of April opening

By

The spaceship is almost move-in ready.
The spaceship is almost move-in ready.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple is set to move into its new spaceship campus next month, but based on the latest drone video of the construction site, there’s still a lot of work left to do.

The grounds of Apple Park are still littered with construction crews working on everything from landscaping to solar panels. Tim’s big beautiful pile of dirt has been spread throughout the site and some new trees are finally being planted.

Check it out:

Tim Cook: Pro users remain incredibly important to Apple

By

Apple HQ
This is the last shareholders meeting at Apple's old campus.
Photo: Ryan B/Flickr

Apple hosted its annual shareholders meeting today at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino where a number of new proposals were presented by investors before Tim Cook took questions from the audience.

During his Q&A session, Tim Cook discussed how Apple plans to fight for net neutrality. He also assured shareholders that Apple plans to come out with new products that appeal to professionals and creatives, but insisted that the Mac and iPad aren’t destined for a merger.

This retro photo shows how much Apple changed the face of Silicon Valley

By

The site of Apple's spaceship campus back in 1961.
The site of Apple's spaceship campus back in 1961.
Photo: Santa Clara Public Library.

When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple way back in 1976, they had no idea how much their company would literally change the landscape of Silicon Valley, let alone the tech world.

Thanks to some old photographs of Cupertino, we can now see just how big of an imprint the Steves’ company has left behind.