Mark Zuckerberg

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Mark Zuckerberg says Apple Vision Pro is too expensive and antisocial

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Two people having a conversation, one wearing the Vision Pro headset with EyeSight.
A totally normal conversation between two humans.
Photo: Apple

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro headset does not pack any significant technological breakthroughs. He claims his company explored all options used by Apple — but ultimately decided against them.

Zuckerberg expressed his thoughts on Vision Pro in a companywide meeting with Meta employees.

Meta squeezes in VR headset tease ahead of WWDC23

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Meta Quest 3 is
Meta Quest 3 is "coming this fall."
Photo: Meta
WWDC23

That’s some interesting timing on Meta’s press release Thursday for a VR headset not expected to come out until at least late September. Mark Zuckerberg and company wedged in a tease for Meta Quest 3 just four days ahead of WWDC23, when Apple is expected to unveil its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

The Meta press materials even appropriated “we can’t wait,” one of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trademark phrases.

What to expect from Apple’s September event [The CultCast]

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The CultCast: Tim Cook can't wait to tell you how excited he is about the new Apple gear at the Apple event on September 7!
Tim Cook can't wait to tell you how excited he is about the new Apple gear!
Image: Cult of Mac/Apple

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Looks like we have a date for the next big Apple event: Mark your calendars for September 7! We’re expecting iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 — which both sound awfully familiar — and hoping for something surprising.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Kim Kardashian’s “neutral colors” for Beats Fit Pro actually look pretty enticing. Who woulda guessed?
  • An Apple stock update from Erfon might leave you jealous if you sold in a panic.
  • Let’s drag Mark Zuckerberg for his pathetic metaverse avatar. Everyone else is!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

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Zuckerberg says Apple and Meta are battling over the internet’s future

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Apple versus Meta
The CEO of Meta says his company and Apple are in a "competition of philosophies and ideas."
Photo: Cult of Mac

Both Apple and Meta (formerly Facebook) are both building AR/VR headsets, but they’re going about it in dramatically different ways. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly told Meta employees the two companies are in “a competition of philosophies and ideas.”

It’s possible the metaverse is the future of the internet. And Zuckerberg describes Meta as being a leader in creating an open metaverse with multiple companies working together, while he says Apple is creating its own closed version.

But Zuckerberg’s comments ignore another major philosophical difference between the twin companies. Apple believes in protecting user privacy, but Meta makes its money by collecting and selling information about users.

WhatsApp’s promise of end-to-end encryption may be a complete lie

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WhatsApp encryption message
WhatsApp says no one — not even WhatsApp — can read your messages.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp promises to protect every one of its 2 billion users with end-to-end encryption that ensures their messages cannot be seen by anyone outside of the original conversation. But does it live up to that promise?

A new report alleges that the Facebook-owned messaging platform uses artificial intelligence and more than 1,000 contract workers to examine “millions of pieces of users’ content” using “special Facebook software.”

That’s despite Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling the U.S. Senate in 2018 that “we don’t see any of the content in WhatsApp.”

Tim Cook’s privacy prescription for Facebook: Delete tons of user data

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By running anti-Apple ads in major newspapers, Facebook's taking its battle with Apple to the next level.
Cook is no big fan of Facebook.
Photo: Thought Catalog/Unsplash CC

Tim Cook reportedly shocked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg when, during a July 2019 meeting, he told the social media magnate that he should delete all user data Facebook had gathered outside of its core apps.

According to The New York Times, the meeting between the two had been called to try and restore peace between the Silicon Valley tech giants. Zuck had asked cook how he should respond to the then-current Cambridge Analytica scandal, during which many users had had data gathered about them without express permission.

Mark Zuckerberg isn’t interested in AR glasses that are like ‘an Apple Watch on your face’

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Apple Glass
Zuck's comments sound like a shot at Apple's plans.
Image: Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a low-key shot at Apple’s AR plans in a new interview with The Verge, saying that he’s not enthusiastic about “putting an Apple Watch on [his] face.”

While Zuck was talking more broadly about augmented reality glasses, the fact that he called out Apple Watch (and the fact that Apple is the highest profile company reportedly working on AR glasses) makes it pretty clear which direction he’s throwing his shade.

Zuckerberg has big ‘questions’ about Apple’s tight control of App Store

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook CEO has issues with App Store.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks Apple’s control of the App Store should be scrutinized. In an interview for Axios on HBO, the Facebook overlord said that Apple has “unilateral control of what gets on phones, in terms of apps.”

Zuck went on to say that this power meant that there are questions that should be asked about whether this is “enabling as robust of a competitive dynamic.”

Tim Cook agrees to testify before Congress in antitrust probe

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Tim Cook goes to Washington
Apple chief Tim Cook will testify before Congress, and he’ll be joined by the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook and Google.
Screenshot: Apple

The CEOs of four of biggest tech firms will testify in the House of Representatives’s probe into antitrust activities. That includes Apple’s Tim Cook, along with the heads of Amazon, Facebook and Google.

This is part of an ongoing investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into whether the largest tech companies play fair with smaller competitors.

Facebook Messenger for iOS goes light and fast

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Facebook Messenger video chat includes augmented reality.
Not all of the silly features were stripped out of Facebook Messenger.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook shrunk the size of its Messenger app, and stripped out some features, intending to make it faster to load and simpler to navigate.

Some of the missing features will be back, though.

Instagram DMs are coming to the web

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instagram
Facebook is focused on owning messaging.
Photo: Instagram

Chatting with your friends on Instagram is coming soon to a desktop computer near you.

Instagram revealed today that it is testing a new feature that allows users to access their Instagram DMs through the company’s website. For now, the feature is only being tested with a small percentage of users, but it might be available to everyone later this year.

Facebook eyes 2023 launch for smart glasses project

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Facebook messaging apps
Zuckerberg has reportedly asked that the project be made a priority.
Photo: Facebook

Apple’s long-rumored AR glasses project could get some competition from the world’s biggest social network company.

Facebook is reportedly developing its own augmented reality glasses. The social network recently struck a partnership with Ray-Ban parent company Luxottica to speed the product along, according to a new report.

Steve Jobs sculpture will make you think twice about tech

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Steve Jobs Sebastian Errazuriz
Steve Jobs, The Prophet.
Photo: Sebastian Errazuriz

Few modern-day figures inspire art like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. His face has been painted on canvas, tattooed on forearms, vilified on the silver screen and deified in sculpture.

Now, Jobs is the first figure in an exhibit in New York next month featuring busts and full-body statues of Silicon Valley titans by Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz.

Zuckerberg explains benefits of WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger merger

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facebook-logo-file
It won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed plans to merge WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger — but says it probably won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest.

In a fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Zuckerberg also explained the reasons behind the plan, such as increased security with end-to-end encryption. Many questions still remain unanswered, however.

Facebook could merge WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger by 2020

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Facebook messaging apps
Mark Zuckerberg was to integrate Facebook-owned, Instagram, WhatsApp and messenger.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook will merge its messaging apps, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, by 2020 under a new plan ordered by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Under the plan, the three apps will remain separate but integration would allow an Instagram user to directly chat with someone on Messenger.

Apple puts big Facebook critic in charge of privacy practices

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Apple
Apple is serious about keeping your personal data safe.
Photo: Apple

One of Facebook’s biggest critics is teaming up with Apple, which as it turns out, has also been one of Facebook’s biggest critics lately.

Former Facebook employee Sandy Parakilas has reportedly been hired by Apple. Instead of levying criticism at Facebook though, Parakilas has reportedly been hired to help Apple examine its own privacy policies.

How to check if your Facebook account was hacked

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FAcebook
Some of the alerts you might see in the Facebook app.
Photo: Facebook

30 million accounts on Facebook were recently hacked with attackers gaining access to highly sensitive personal information.

The FBI is investigating the hacking an has asked the company not to reveal who was behind it. Facebook originally disclosed the hack to the public two weeks ago saying 50 million accounts were compromised. That number has now been reduced to just 30 million, but the amount of data stolen makes it the worst attack in Facebook’s history.

Zuck is prepared to drag Apple into Facebook’s congressional hearing

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Facebook employees
Apple has had its share of data scandals too, Facebook's CEO notes.
Photo: Facebook

Steve Jobs once promised a “thermonuclear war” against Google. Here in 2018, it seems more like Apple is in more of a Cold War with fellow tech giant Facebook — based on recent comments made by both companies.

While we’ve argued before that the congressional investigation of Facebook only helps Apple, it seems that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is doing his best to hurt Apple, too. Here’s how.

Here’s what Facebook CEO will say in congressional testimony

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quotes on Apple
Mark Zuckerberg will testify this week.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before a House of Representatives committee this week, concerning the fallout of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Ahead of time, Facebook has released a prepared testimony, featuring the comments that Zuckerberg will make during his testimony. “Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company,” he will say. However, he will also acknowledge that, “it’s clear now that we didn’t do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well.”

Steve Wozniak is quitting Facebook over data concerns

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Steve Wozniak wax sculpture fake eyes
Steve Wozniak is no fan of Facebook.
Photo: Madame Tussauds

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says that he is leaving Facebook over the continuing concern about its abuse of user data.

“Users provide every detail of their life to Facebook and … Facebook makes a lot of advertising money off this,” Woz told USA Today. “The profits are all based on the user’s info, but the users get none of the profits back.”

Zuckerberg fires back at Cook over Facebook privacy diss

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Facebook employees
It'll take a Facebook a few years to dig out of this hole.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken exception to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s comments that Facebook doesn’t care about its customers because it sells their data to advertisers.

Zuck went on the defensive in one of his first interviews since news broke that Cambridge Analytica leaked the personal data of 50 million users. The interview touched a number of topics, but when asked specifically about Cook’s comments Zuckerberg unleashed a tangent on why Tim Cook is wrong.

How Facebook data scandal could boost Apple

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Facebook employees
Facebook is one of many tech giants that builds is business on user data.
Photo: Facebook

Thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a backlash is brewing against the way tech giants like Facebook monetize data. This could result in government regulation, which has the potential to upend the business models of some of the world’s biggest companies.

Luckily, Apple is practically immune. Here’s why 2018’s biggest tech scandal could actually help the world’s biggest tech company.

Tim Cook disses Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook privacy

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WWDC 2019
Tim Cook just roasted Facebook's CEO.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook threw some major shade at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an interview this morning discussing Apple’s stances on education and user privacy.

Facebook has come under fire over the last few days after it was discovered that data for millions of users was leaked to Cambridge Analytica. In his interview this morning, Tim Cook said that Facebook should have regulated its self, but its too late for that now.

Mark Zuckerberg should have listened to Steve Jobs’ privacy advice

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walt-mossberg-steve-jobs
Steve Jobs dropped some knowledge on Zuck.
Photo: Joi Ito/Flickr CC

Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg are wrapped up in controversy over the social network’s link to data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica.

The alleged data abuse has caused an outcry among both the public and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, including one of the co-founders of WhatsApp and Space X and Tesla founder Elon Musk. But it may not have come to this had Zuckerberg followed a piece of advice laid out by Steve Jobs back in 2010.

Tim Cook meets with president of China

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tim cook
Tim Cook during one of his last visits to Asia.
Photo: Tim Cook/Weibo

Apple CEO Tim Cook along with Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg met with Chinese President Xi Jinping today as Apple prepares to launch the iPhone X in the country this week.

The two tech CEOs were on hand at the annual gathering of advisers to Beijing’s Tsinghua University business school, where Xi spoke to business leaders and other officials.