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With powerful custom chips, Apple sets its sights on $183 billion video game market
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 2:55 pm
The new M3 family of chips continues Apple silicon’s tremendous pace of innovation. M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the first chips for a personal computer built using the industry-leading 3-nanometer technology. With a faster, more efficient next-generation GPU, these chips deliver the biggest leap forward in graphics architecture ever for Apple silicon. Featuring a breakthrough technology called Dynamic Caching, the GPU allocates the use of local memory in hardware in real time so only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task. This dramatically increases GPU utilization and performance for the most demanding pro apps and games.
The GPU also brings new rendering features to Apple silicon, including hardware-accelerated mesh shading for greater capability and efficiency with geometry processing, enabling more visually complex scenes. And hardware-accelerated ray tracing comes to the Mac for the first time, enabling games to render more accurate shadows and reflections to create more realistic environments.
Daniel Howley for Yahoo Finance:
Apple has been a force in the gaming industry for years. But it has largely kept the effort centered around its iPhone and iPad. But now the company is making a play for a larger slice of the $183 billion video game market with the launch of its latest MacBook Pro and iMac laptops and desktop.
Part of Apple’s marketing campaign for the MacBook Pro and iMac, which hit the market Tuesday, focuses on their ability to handle games like “Baldur’s Gate 3” and “Lies of P” thanks to their new, more powerful M3 chips. And it’s further burnishing its gaming bonafides via ongoing relationships with Capcom, the company behind the “Resident Evil” series, as well as legendary game developer Hideo Kojima, the person behind the “Metal Gear” franchise and “Death Stranding.”
[I]f Apple continues to push gaming on the Mac and reaches out to more developers in the coming years, it could eventually serve as a viable alternative to Windows PCs.
MacDailyNews Take: After so many starts and stops, Apple is “the Boy Who Cried Wolf” when it comes to Mac gaming. Hopefully, this time they’re dedicated to the long haul because consistency over a period of years is what it will take to convince developers and gams alike that Mac gaming is finally a real thing.
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/08/with-powerful-custom-chips-apple-sets-sights-on-183-billion-video-game-market/
Coinbase strengthens global advisory board with national security experts
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) announced the addition of four national security experts, including former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper, to its Global Advisory Board. They will help examine the consequences of regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. cryptocurrency industry, including economic and national security impacts. This comes as Coinbase faces regulatory challenges in the U.S., including a dispute with the SEC. Additionally, Coinbase was blocked in Kazakhstan for violating cryptocurrency laws that came into effect this year, as confirmed by the country’s government to local media outlet Kursiv. The Digital Assets Law prohibits the issuance and circulation of “unsecured digital assets,” along with digital asset exchanges offering these assets outside the Astana International Financial Center. The government claims that Coinbase violated this specific law.
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/coinbase-global-COIN/stock-news/92488944/crypto-this-tuesday-ordi-skyrockets-72-post-bina
Apple releases iOS 17.1.1, Apple releases watchOS 10.1.1, Apple releases macOS Sonoma 14.1.1
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 4:28 pm
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 17.1.1 which provides bug fixes for your iPhone including:
• In rare circumstances, Apple Pay and other NFC features may become unavailable on iPhone 15 models after wireless charging in certain cars
• Weather Lock Screen widget may not correctly display snow
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, yes, it’s snappy.
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/07/apple-releases-ios-17-1-1/
Apple releases watchOS 10.1.1
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 4:32 pm
Apple on Tuesday releases watchOS 10.1.1 which provides important bug fixes and addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly for some users.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, no more Apple Watch battery drain!
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/07/apple-releases-watchos-10-1-1/
Apple releases macOS Sonoma 14.1.1
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 4:45 pm
Apple on Tuesday released macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 which provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
MacDailyNews Take: This likely fixes the upgrade error some users of the new M3 MacBook Pro were experiencing (and it’s snappy as hell on M3 and higher Macs)!
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/07/apple-releases-macos-sonoma-14-1-1/
your right: Today's VOLUME 80,098,780
AVERAGE VOL (30D)
1,334,327
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/ITOX/quote#trade-data
Political winds loom large over Apple’s business in China whether its CEO wants to acknowledge it or not
Monday, November 6, 2023 10:16 am
Political winds loom large over Apple’s business in the country controlled by the Chinese Communist Party whether its CEO Tim Cook wants to acknowledge it or not.
Dave Lee for Bloomberg Opinion:
the iPhone — the main driver of Apple’s revenue — was doing just fine. “In the September quarter, we set an iPhone revenue record in China, and we’re very proud of that,” Cook said. “Over the long term, I view China as an incredibly important market, and I’m very optimistic about it.”
The positive spin did the trick, but it’s clear the company is heading into an uncertain period in regard to China, which accounts for around 19% of its overall revenue. Sentiment around the Cupertino giant and its products is becoming much harder to predict in the face of political volatility between the US and China, where tensions center squarely on the availability and manufacturing of cutting-edge technology.
This year and next might present a bigger challenge than previous ones based on what happens on a geopolitical level. We’re still in the early days of US efforts to get tough on China’s access to new technology. As I’ve written before, there is worry that political change might happen more quickly than the supply chain can handle. Efforts to diversify production away from China are happening, but only slowly…
It’s hard to get a read on what Apple is seeing in the current quarter. It warned, without going into geographical specifics, that year-on-year revenue growth would be flat in the October-December period, its fiscal first quarter.
MacDailyNews Take: We covered this over a year ago here: Tim Cook firmly latched Apple onto China’s CCP teat. What’s his plan for weaning it off? – November 2, 2022
And, btw:
Similar (“flat”) revenue in a 13-week quarter (2023) vs. a 14-week quarter (2022) equals growth.
Related
U.S. House Select Committee to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss China
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
In "News"
Apple CEO Cook meets with China’s commerce minister in Beijing
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
In "News"
China Vice Premier Ding meets with Apple CEO Cook
Friday, October 20, 2023
In "News"
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/06/political-winds-loom-large-over-apples-business-in-china-whether-its-ceo-wants-to-acknowledge-it-or-not/#google_vignette
Apple employee fired over antisemitic Instagram message
Friday, November 3, 2023 6:06 pm
Natasha Dach, an Apple employee, Apple employee who took to Instagram to condemn “Zionists” for being “murderers and thieves,” has been fired by the company.
Natasha Dach, an Apple employee, proudly states her German heritage and know how of Jews:
- sneaking in countries
- stealing peoples lives
- torturing others...
Ariel Zilber for The New York Post:
The Post has sought comment from Dach, who has deleted her LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.
StopAntisemitism posted an image of Dach on its official X social media feed.
Several websites with photos that bear a resemblance to Dach indicate that she is a creative writer and information technology specialist based in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Post has sought comment from Apple
Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, told The Post that the group learned of Dach’s termination from a confidential source within the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech behemoth.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple CEO Tim Cook has been largely silent on the Israel-Hamas war.
Lydia Moynihan for The New York Post:
Apple and its CEO Tim Cook have been remarkably quiet when it comes to the Hamas attacks on Israel – and sources speculate it has something to do with China.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg condemned the Oct. 7 attacks as “pure evil.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted he was “heartbroken by the horrific terrorist attacks.” Google CEO Sundar Pichai proclaimed his “stand against antisemitism.” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on X called the attacks on Israel “shocking and painful.”
Meanwhile, Cook – who pulled Apple products out of Russia following the Ukraine invasion, posted an open letter on Apple’s website “speaking up on racism” and has told climate skeptics he doesn’t want them to hold Apple shares – has posted nothing on social media about Israel and Hamas since the attacks.
Indeed, the only public statement from Cook readily accessible online appears to be one he gave The Jerusalem Post earlier this week – and some tech insiders viewed it as relatively wishy-washy.
“I am deeply saddened by the devastating attacks in Israel and the tragic reports emerging from the region,” Cook told the newspaper in a statement published on Monday. “My heart goes out to the victims, the families who have lost their loved ones, and all those who suffer as a result of this violence.”
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/03/apple-employee-fired-over-antisemitic-instagram-message/
MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s Q423 conference call
Thursday, November 2, 2023 4:46 pm
MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s Q423 Conference Call with analysts starting at 2pm PDT / 5pm EDT today, November 2, 2023
This stream is best experienced on an iPhone 7 or later, iPad (5th generation or later), or iPod touch (7th generation) using Safari on iOS 12 or later; or a Mac using Safari on macOS Mojave 10.14 or later. Streaming to your TV requires an AirPlay 2–capable device, or via AirPlay to an Apple TV (2nd generation or later) with the latest Apple TV software or tvOS. Other platforms may also be able to access the stream using recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge (MSE, H.264, and AAC required).
Apple’s live conference call webcast will begin at 2pm PDT / 5pm EDT here.
Apple today posted quarterly revenue of $89.498 billion (vs. $90.146 billion YoY), down 1 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.46 (vs. $1.29 YoY), up 13 percent YoY.
For the quarter, analysts’ consensus estimates (per LSEG) called for Apple to report EPS of $1.39 EPS on revenue of $89.28 billion.
Live notes:
• AAPL After hours: $171.97, -$5.60 (-3.15%) @ 06:00PM EDT
• End of call.
• Luca: Over time, we add new services which attracts more and more people
• Luca: we look at the installed base; we want to keep new customers; we look at daily engagement
• Q: How does Apple grow customer lifetime value
• Luca: Some of the R&D investments are also the drivers for gross margin expansion
• Cook: It’s a number of things; some things I can’t talk about, but it’s also Vision Pro, Apple Silicon, AI, ML, other silicon
• Q: R&D increase drivers?
• Luca: Extra week is 7 points of revenue, but we still expect iPhone revenue growth on normalized basis
• Q: Extra week in Q123 vs. Q124
• Cook: We are continually optimizing the supply chain; it is a global supply chain
• Cook: Our supply chain is truly global; we are investing all over the world, including in the U.S.
• Q: Supply chain diversification?
• Apple has a lot of headroom in India; ASPs are likely lower than worldwide, but that doesn’t bother Apple at all; “each country has its own journey.” Apple sees a lot of people moving into the middle class in India and distribution improving
• Cook: All-time revenue record in India, grew strong double-digits; an incredibly exciting market for Appl
• Q: How does Apple look at India growth opportunity and ASPs?
• Installment plans, trade-ins – this make products more affordable and drives margin expansion
• Our color for Q124 reflects that; product mix affects margins, too
• Luca: With new product launches, the cost structures increase and come down over time
• Q: Is there more room for margin expansion?
• Cook: We see them as important and make decisions in the best interest of our users
• Q: Default search partner deals?
• Cook: We set an all-time record in mainland China in the September quarter; very optimistic for the future there
• Q: Opportunity for continued [iPhone] share gains in China?
• Cook: Apple Silicon has enabled us to build products we could not have with outside vendors; I do not see going back to off the shelf chips; I see the benefit every day of Apple Silicon in our products
• Q: Custom Apple Silicon economically profitable or it is more strategic?
• Cook: In terms of generative AI, we have work going on; we are investing; we are going to do it responsibly; we do not talk about pre-release products/services.
• Cook: We view AI and ML as fundamental tech and are integral in very product we ship
• Q: Generative AI
• AAPL After hours: $171.29, -$6.28 (-3.54%) @ 5:41PM EDT
• Apple is purposely bringing Vision Pro out in retail stores only to educate and fit consumers properly
• Cook: There is some real “blow away” apps coming for Vision Pro
• Cook: We are every excited with Vision Pro; we have been sharing it with developers
• Q: Apple Vision Pro launch requirements?
• Services engagement continues to grow and so does the installed base; this feels Services revenue
• Apple Music set a September Quarter record
• Luca: We had a really strong quarter across the board; both geographically and from a category standpoint
• Q: Services huge growth rate; what is driving this?
• Luca: December is the quarter where products is very heavy towards gross margins
• Cook: With iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max still constrained with supply, it’s too early to tell
• Q: U.S. iPhone sales? Gross margins increase due to mix toward Services?
• Luca: We are planning to make necessary investments to continue to innovate
• Q: Capital expenditures?
• Luca: We are constrained on supply for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max; we expect supply/demand balence by the end of the quarter and our guidance reflects that
• Q: iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supply constraints in Q124?
• Growth in Services is favorable. Foreign exchange has been a drag for several quarters give the strength of the dollar; we feel very good about the coming year
• Luca: results and guidance show Apple experiencing strong gross margins
• Q: Inflationary environment on component pricing?
• iPhone set a revenue recored in mainland China (Mac and iPad suffered from the difficult compare)
• Cook: In greater China, we came in minus two, but we grew in constant currency
• Q: Demand environment in China?
• Cook: We are thrilled to announce the new M3 MacBook and iMac lineups; we expct a significant acceleration in Q124 (factory disruption last year made the September quarter a record for Mac)
• Q: Mac?
• Cook: iPhone 15 Pro Mac starts at 256GB, so that is a shift; outside of that, no significant changes
• Q: Mix shift towards higher iPhone storage? iCloud+ storage?
• Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.24 per share of the Company’s common stock.
• The dividend is payable on November 16, 2023 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 13, 2023.
• Apple expects 45-46% gross margin
• Expect iPad and Wearables to decelerate YoY due to different launch compares
• Expect Mac YoY performance to significant accelerate
• iPhone revenue to grow YoY on a normalized basis
• Revenue will be similar to last year
• Luca: Apple expects a negative YoY of about 1 percentage point in currency headwinds
• Apple is very excited in momentum in emerging markets
• Apple is particularly pleased with performance in emerging markets (India, Vietnam, Chile, etc.)
• Apple began a $5 billion accelerated buyback program in August
• Over $162 billion in cash on hand at end of quarter, $111 billion total debt
• Starbucks is a big Apple customer; Luca highlights its use of Apple products
• Enterprise: Businesses expanded their use of Apple products
• Both transacting and paid account hit new all-time high; double-digit growth YoY
• Installed base of over 2 billion devices
• Services had a great quarter; growth from all categories and evry geographic
• Apple Watch: Nearly 2/3rds of buyers are new to Apple Watch
• iPad also faces a difficult YoY compare; Over 50% of iPad buyer are new to iPad
• Mac install base at an all-time high; Ovr50% of Mac buyers are new to Mac
• Apple has great confidence in its Mac lineup
• Mac revenue was down due to challenging conditions and a difficult compare YoY; also launch timing differences
• iPhone set a new record for switchers
• iPhone revenue saw strong performance in India, Canada, Latin America, and Southeast Asia
• 70.9% Services margin
• Apple set new records in every Services
• Services performance was broad based
• All-time high installed based in all products in all geos
• September quarter record on iPhone
• Luca: On a constant currency bais, Apple revenue grwe YoY
• Cook: Apple is working towards a “greener, more equitable future.”
• Cook touts “carbon neutral” products
• Apple Retail Stores: First ever retail in India; new stores in UK, China, and more
• Subscriptions to MLS Season Pass have exceeded Apple’s expectations
• Apple Tv+: Nearly 1600 award nominations and nearly 400 wins
• Cook promotes Apple TV+ content and Apple Original Films’ movies
• Services revenue set an all-time quarterly record
• Cook touts Apple ecosystem
• Cook: Double tap on Apple Watch “feels like magic”
• Cook touts Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch has become essential in our lives
• Cook: Apple’s competitors are unable to compete with the iPad experience
• Nearly 2 out of 3 college students chose Mac
• Apple is excited to offer M3 Macs
• Mac faced challenging market conditions and a difficult YoY compare
• iPhone 15 debuted this fall. Cook touts new lineup
• iPhone revenue came in ahead of company’s expectations, set quarterly revenue record, and iPhone set quarterly revenue record in mainland China
• Apple set records in several countries
• Tim Cook: Good afternoon. Apple posted quarterly revenue of $89.5 billion
• AAPL After hours: $176.23, -$1.34 (-0.75%) @ 05:01PM EDT
• CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will speak today.
• Conference call begins.
• Apple now has $162.1 billion in cash on hand. For some perspective, Intel is currently valued at $158.9 billion.
• AAPL After hours: $175.87, -$1.70 (-0.96%) @ 04:51PM EDT
• AAPL After hours: $175.91, -$1.66 (-0.93%) @ 04:45PM EDT
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/02/macdailynews-presents-live-notes-from-apples-q423-conference-call/
US traders can now trade regulated leveraged crypto futures through Coinbase Financial Markets By Andrew Sears November 1, 2023
5 mins read time
https://www.coinbase.com/blog/us-traders-can-now-trade-regulated-leveraged-crypto-futures-through-coinbase
Jasmy x Japan Travel will give a lecture on new initiatives through collaboration between the two companies at Tourism EXPO Japan 2023
~About a new travel business growth strategy using AI and personal data~
Jasmy Co., Ltd.
November 1, 2023 15:00
1
Jasmy Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Kazumasa Sato, hereinafter referred to as Jasmy), which provides platforms and solutions for IoT, and Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Etsu Koyano) Hikari (hereinafter referred to as Nihon Travel) is pleased to announce that the two companies jointly held a stage event titled "Growth Strategy for Web Media Tripa, Opened by AI and Blockchain" at the Japan Travel booth at Tourism EXPO Japan 2023. Masu.
Starting in December 2021, Jasmy and Nihon Travel will utilize "Jasmy Personal Data Locker" (hereinafter referred to as "PDL"), a personal information utilization service using Jasmy's blockchain technology, to utilize the travel information media operated by Nihon Travel. At Tripa, we have undertaken a variety of initiatives aimed at digital transformation (hereinafter referred to as DX).
At this Tourism EXPO Japan 2023, we will introduce the "Long Tail 3.0" strategy, including "AI Travel Diary (tentative name)" from the AI ??recommendation function currently being prepared at Tripa, and discuss new initiatives and future growth strategies by both companies. We provided an explanation.
What is Tripa?
Tripa official website
https://www.nta.co.jp/media/tripa/
Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tripa.official/
Extra information for your trip! Tripa is a travel media site operated by Nippon Travel. Based on the concept of ``information that is useful for travel provided by a travel professional,'' he is constantly disseminating all kinds of travel-related information such as sightseeing, gourmet food, and experiences. We will help you have a wonderful trip by providing you with extra information that will enrich your trip even more if you know a little bit before or during your trip.
¦ Tripa's "immediately ahead" AI recommendation function - Add even more to your journey with AI -
By providing a wealth of travel destination information, Tripa is mainly used by users to collect information on potential travelers, but with the AI ??recommendation function currently in preparation, gathering information on potential travelers will become more efficient. Not only will it be a great experience, but it will also be an experience full of surprises and discoveries.
Based on the user's browsing information, AI not only provides information that matches the user's hobbies and preferences from genres of high interest, but also potentially matches the user's hobbies and preferences. It is possible to effectively provide information even from information that you have never seen before. Gathering information for travelers will change from simply researching to a place where you can encounter unexpected travel destinations, and your expectations for your next trip will greatly increase.
¦ Tripa's "a little ahead" AI travel diary (tentative name) ~Travel Mae-Travel Naka-Travel At And add +a to your daily life~
By using the newly developed application "AI Travel Diary (tentative name)", we will provide a new style of linking and using information from each of Travel Mae, Travel Naka, and Travel At.
Based on the various information saved and collected by TabiMae, you can receive unexpected suggestions related to memories while on the trip, and activities during the trip are automatically generated by AI as a record of the trip. with one application. Rather than completing the journey, during the trip, and during the trip in separate scenes, by seamlessly cycling, you can discover new charms of travel and become interested in the next trip. It is expected.
¦ Tripa's "Future" Long Tail 3.0 - Everyday life with travel, travel in everyday life -
Furthermore, with the Long Tail 3.0 strategy, by extracting and using context information from personal information about these trips, it is possible to collect and provide a wide range of long tail information such as hidden destinations and ways to enjoy the trip. It will be. Tourism promotion in line with Long Tail 3.0 can be realized even in areas where there have been no notable tourist spots until now, and tourism will be carried out more widely in rural areas, instead of the overtree-ism state in which people concentrated only on famous tourist spots. We will "promote sustainable tourism" and "create a flow of people to rural areas."
The two companies will implement these initiatives as new steps at an early stage, and by working together on medium- to long-term strategies, they will "leverage the strengths of the travel industry while working to solve local social issues." We aim to build a new solution business in the travel industry.
¦ Background and purpose of Long Tail 3.0 strategy
In Japan, inbound travel demand is starting to recover, but while overtourism is becoming a new social problem in various regions, there is also a major problem of disparity, with many regions experiencing sluggish growth in tourism demand. I am. The government has positioned themes such as ``promoting sustainable tourism'' and ``creating the flow of people to rural areas'' as social issues, and is promoting initiatives to spotlight local regions (long tails).
Long Tail 3.0 is a long tail strategy that has been used mainly around things and events, but by building it around context, it is possible to share context information that was previously limited to personal tastes and preferences. , it will be used to stimulate demand for travel to regions that have not received much attention in the past.
Through Long Tail 3.0, Jasmy and Nippon Travel will leverage Nippon Travel's strengths in the travel industry to jointly realize business development that solves local social issues as a medium- to long-term initiative.
About Jasmy Co., Ltd. https://www.jasmy.co.jp/
Jasmy Co., Ltd. is a company that develops and provides IoT platforms. When all things are connected to the internet, the "clothing, food, shelter, and movement" that are closely connected to people's lives will change dramatically. Jasmy's mission is to create and provide a platform that allows anyone to use things easily, safely, and with peace of mind. Nowadays, important data generated from our daily lives tends to be monopolized by a limited number of companies. One of the objectives of the Jasmy Platform is to restore data sovereignty to the original owner and allow individual data to be used safely and securely. For this reason, Jasmy will combine IoT with blockchain technology and create a platform that can be widely used across industries and industries based on unprecedented ideas.
Jasmy's team is comprised of members with diverse and rich experience in electronics, mechanics, communications, devices, system integrators, designers, etc., and we provide the optimal IoT platform for each customer around the world.
About Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. https://houjin.nta.co.jp/
Nippon Travel is Japan's oldest travel agency, founded in 1905. Over the years, we have deepened the ties we have built with local communities throughout the country through our travel business, and now we are working to address the issues faced by local communities, providing solutions that go beyond the boundaries of tourism, and working alongside local communities to support local communities. We are working on solving problems.
We are creating new value by leveraging DX (digital transformation) along with a company culture that is close to the feelings of people, which we have cultivated over the past 100 years by delivering attractive trips and warm hospitality to our customers. We will evolve into a "customer and local solutions company" and contribute to society as a corporate group that realizes the value our customers seek.
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000058.000025296.html
Here’s what Wall St. expects from Apple’s earnings report on Thursday
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 2:52 pm
Apple is scheduled to report its fourth fiscal quarter (Q423) results and business updates on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Here’s what Wall Street is expecting, per LSEG estimates:
• Revenue: $89.28 billion
• EPS: $1.39
Here are the revenue expectations for each of the company’s product lines, per Street Account estimates:
• iPhone: $44 billion
• Services: $21.42 billion
• Wearables, Home, and Accessories: $9.4 billion
• Mac revenue: $8.5 billion
• iPad revenue: $6.14 billion
MacDailyNews Note: As always, we’ll have Apple’s results for you on Thursday right around 1:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT (just check our home page). Following the earnings release, we’ll cover Apple’s fiscal Q423 conference call with live notes starting at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT.
https://macdailynews.com/2023/11/01/heres-what-wall-st-expects-from-apples-earnings-report-on-thursday/
India opposition leader Gandhi accuses government of trying to hack lawmakers’ iPhones
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 10:20 am
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of trying to hack into senior opposition politicians’ iPhones, after they reported receiving warning messages from Apple.
Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?@PMOIndia @INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/5zyuoFmaIa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2023
Reuters:
Some of the lawmakers shared screenshots on social media of a notification quoting the iPhone manufacturer as saying: “Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID”.
“Hack us all you want,” Gandhi told a news conference in New Delhi, in reference to Modi. “But we (opposition) will not stop questioning you.”
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed concern at the lawmakers’ statements and said the government had asked Apple to join its investigation into the matter.
The company said it did not attribute the threat notifications to “any specific state-sponsored attacker”.
In 2021, India was rocked by reports that the government had used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to snoop on scores of journalists, activists and politicians, including Gandhi.
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like a Jack Ryan plot-line, but that doesn’t make it true or false. It’ll be interesting to see if more information comes out about this. Find out more about Apple threat notifications and protecting against state-sponsored attacks via Apple Support here.
Related
Why Tim Cook needs to convince Indian Prime Minister that Apple iPhones are ‘state of the art’
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
In "News"
Indian Prime Minister Modi meets with Apple CEO Cook ahead of President Trump today
Monday, June 26, 2017
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Apple’s Tim Cook samples Bollywood, cricket, in bid to woo India
Saturday, May 21, 2016
In "News"
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/31/india-opposition-leader-gandhi-accuses-government-of-trying-to-hack-lawmakers-iphones/#google_vignette
Alphabet CEO defends paying Apple to make Google Safari’s default search engine
Monday, October 30, 2023 3:33 pm
Testifying in the biggest U.S. antitrust case in a quarter century, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai defended his company’s practice of paying Apple and other tech companies to make Google the default search engine on their devices, saying the intent was to make the user experience “seamless and easy.”
Paul Wiseman for Associated Press:
The Department of Justice contends that Google — a company whose very name is synonymous with scouring the internet — pays off tech companies to lock out rival search engines to smother competition and innovation. The payments came to more than $26 billion in 2021, according to court documents the government entered into the record last week.
Google counters that it dominates the market because its search engine is better than the competition…
Google makes money when users click on advertisements that pop up in its searches and shares the revenue with Apple and other companies that make Google their default search engine.
The antitrust case, the biggest since the Justice Department went after Microsoft and its dominance of internet browsers 25 years ago, was filed in 2020 during the Trump administration. The trial began Sept. 12 in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C.
MacDailyNews Take: Again, Google monopolized both the search and online advertising markets years ago when they bought politicians via myriad campaign contributions (monetary and services provided) who then pushed through approval of Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007 that never should have been rubber stamped.
Unless Apple is somehow forced to divorce itself from Alphabets no-work-required billion of dollars to make Google the default search engine across Apple devices, Apple isn’t going to do it.
While we wish Apple wouldn’t take Google’s money because the monopolized online Search Engine + Digital Ad Network that exists today (and has for years) is bad for everyone not named Alphabet Inc., Apple certainly has the right to monetize Safari’s default search engine – until they don’t. With both companies so large, it may be — in fact, is very likely — that the deal stifles competition in the search engine field. Antitrust remedies are called for in such cases. – MacDailyNews, September 11, 2023
Again, Google is a massive problem that simply must be addressed. There is one “Big Tech” company that is really stifling competition and for which antitrust remedies are in order: Alphabet (Google). — MacDailyNews, October 20, 2020
When one search engine has 86% share of the worldwide market (and Google basically isn’t even used in China), there is far, far, far too much power concentrated in one company. The whole concept of the World Wide Web is destroyed when a sole gatekeeper basically controls what gets seen, read, and heard. It’s not open, it’s completely closed and controlled.
Publishers who want to be read, for example, spend an inordinate amount of time making sure they follow Google’s dictates, nebulously sussed from Google’s secret algorithm, formatting their sites, even writing their articles a certain way, including certain words they might not choose if allowed to write freely, simply to please Google’s algorithm…
Hopefully, lawmakers can come together to figure out a way to do something to remedy the horribly uncompetitive situation in internet search. Google is, and has been for years, a perfect example of why antitrust laws exist. — MacDailyNews, July 29, 2020
With this unprecedented power, platforms have the ability to redirect into their pockets the advertising dollars that once went to newspapers and magazines. No one company should have the power to pick and choose which content reaches consumers and which doesn’t. — MacDailyNews, November 9, 2017
Imagine if your livelihood depended on one company that had not only monopolized web search (and, thereby, basically controlled how new customers find you), but also controlled the bulk of online advertising dollars which funded your business and which they could pull, simply threaten to pull, or reduce rates at any time? Now also imagine if you believe this monopolist basically stole the product of another company that is the very subject of your business? How much would you criticize the monopolist thief’s business practices?
You might guess that it would be a tough road to walk. (We’re only imagining, of course!)
That would be a good example of why monopolies are bad for everyone.
The U.S. government has utterly failed to police Google. Because the people with the power to do so currently are corrupt. Follow the money. Hopefully, the European Union will help to correct the situation.
In the meantime, stop using Google search and Google products wherever possible. Monopolies are bad for everyone. — MacDailyNews, July 14, 2016
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/30/alphabet-ceo-defends-paying-apple-to-make-google-safaris-default-search-engine/
Crypto This Monday: CME Closes in on Binance in Futures, VanEck Revamps ETF Seeding, and More
October 30 2023 - 04:21PM
IH Market News
VanEck modifies Bitcoin ETF strategy for SEC
VanEck, the asset manager, made modifications to its Bitcoin ETF request to the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 27, adopting a unique seeding method. Seeding is the initial funding required to launch an ETF. This fund helps to create units that underpin the ETF, allowing the trading of shares on the open market. Financial expert Scott Johnson noted that VanEck’s seeding method will be distinctive compared to its competitor, BlackRock (NYSE:BLK). This technique implies an anonymous investor recently acquired Seed Creation Baskets from the fund. Despite the differences, the language in the request is similar to BlackRock’s, reflecting similar legal consultations.
Bankman-Fried defense intensifies in court
On Monday, Sam Bankman-Fried held firm in his defense against allegations of fraud in managing FTX and Alameda Research. He confirmed certain details provided by company witnesses but also presented alternative explanations, refuting some of the allegations. Referring to Alameda’s rapid financial decline in 2022, he described the events as a “bank run”. Bankman-Fried maintained he was poorly informed about his company’s precarious financial situation until the main assets sharply depreciated. He reiterated that FTX’s decline was due to mistakes, including those by key figures, such as former Alameda CEO, Caroline Ellison.
CME rises to second place in Bitcoin futures contracts
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) reached second place in Bitcoin futures exchanges in terms of open notional contracts, trailing only Binance. On October 30, CME recorded contracts worth $3.58 billion, surpassing Bybit and OKX, and closing in on Binance’s $3.9 billion. This growth reflects the increasing interest from traders, mainly institutional, in CME’s Bitcoin futures, especially after the recent Bitcoin price spike.
Kraken complies with court order and will share user data with the IRS
US-based exchange Kraken announced it will send the IRS data of 42,000 users, as ordered by the court. Although initially challenging the scope of the subpoena, the company ended up narrowing the range of information. The court specified that included clients would be those with transactions above $20,000 between 2016 and 2020. In a similar situation, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) warned 13,000 users about the handover of their data to the IRS for the years 2013 to 2015.
Movement of UNI tokens by Uniswap Foundation causes fanfare
The Uniswap Foundation (COIN:UNIUSD) transferred about 10 million UNI tokens, valued at over $40 million, to various cryptocurrency exchanges last week. Data reveals significant transfers to OKX, Kraken, and FalconX. Although such movements often signal potential sales, raising community concerns, these transactions are believed to be for operational purposes. Concurrently, Uniswap’s new swap fee generated over $600,000 in two weeks, thanks to its revised fee structure.
Celestia’s TIA token gears up for mainnet launch
The TIA token (COIN:TIAUSD) of the Celestia blockchain is gearing up for its mainnet launch. Binance, Kucoin, and Bybit plan to list the token on October 31. With a total estimated supply of 1 billion, TIA’s diluted value is approximately $3.1 billion. Last year, Celestia raised $55 million in investments led by Bain Capital Crypto and Polychain Capital.
PancakeSwap launches portfolio management with Bril Finance partnership
PancakeSwap, a decentralized exchange, announced on October 30 the inclusion of a portfolio management tool in collaboration with Bril Finance. This feature allows users to deposit tokens into vaults and use a liquidity provision algorithm. It is expected that this system will offer more attractive returns. The protocol supports cryptocurrencies such as USDT (COIN:USDTUSD), BTC (COIN:BTCUSD), and ETH (COIN:ETHUSD) and displayed an internal rate of return exceeding 24% in tests. During the launch month, additional rewards will be provided. Mochi, PancakeSwap’s CEO, views the integration as a step towards becoming an essential core for DeFi: “Our goal is to become a hub for all DeFi, and integrations like this allow us to be a one-stop-shop for portfolio management. Bril’s automated technology and its integration with PancakeSwap will enable PancakeSwap users to leverage the main features and functionalities they are already familiar with and easily earn from their assets in a practical way.”
OPNX platform abandons legal action against investor Mike Dudas
OPNX, tied to the founders of Three Arrows Capital, dropped the defamation lawsuit against cryptocurrency investor Mike Dudas. In June, Dudas was sued after tweeting that OPNX supporters were “scammers”. OPNX has ties to leaders of crypto companies that have already gone bust, such as Mark Lamb of CoinFLEX and Su Zhu and Kyle Davies of Three Arrows Capital, a fund that collapsed affecting the crypto market.
Attack on LastPass results in the theft of US$4.4 million in cryptocurrencies
Hackers stole $4.4 million in cryptocurrencies from 25 LastPass users on October 25. Blockchain analyst ZachXBT unveiled the theft, and Taylor Monahan of MetaMask identified 80 compromised wallets. The funds came from various blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. ZachXBT warned users who stored keys in LastPass to transfer their assets. This situation exposes the vulnerabilities of using password managers for holding critical cryptographic keys.
Tether dominating the Brazilian crypto market
In 2023, the use of the stablecoin Tether (COIN:USDTUSD) in Brazil grew significantly, representing 80% of all crypto transactions. According to data from the Brazilian tax agency, by October, USDT transactions amounted to about $55 billion, greatly surpassing Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) with $30 billion. The preference for USDT had already surpassed Bitcoin in 2022. The new Brazilian legislation now taxes crypto assets held abroad, and the rate can vary from 15% to 22.5%, depending on the amount transacted.
Zodia Custody expands services to Hong Kong
Zodia Custody, backed by Standard Chartered (LSE:STAN), is extending its digital asset custody services to Hong Kong. This decision follows the company’s recent expansions in the UK and the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and Singapore. CEO Julian Sawyer highlighted the growing institutional interest in Hong Kong, making the city an attractive market. Hong Kong’s recent retail cryptocurrency trading licensing initiative reinforces its role as a crypto hub in Asia.
Singapore joins forces with Japan, Switzerland and UK in digital assets
The central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has partnered with financial institutions from Japan, Switzerland, and the UK to develop digital asset pilots. This collaboration will mainly focus on fixed income products, foreign exchange, and asset management. Part of this initiative stems from Singapore’s Guardian Project, aimed at tokenizing assets. The goal is to explore common standards, identify risks and legal gaps, and advance the understanding of the opportunities and challenges of digital assets.
K-Bank acquires majority of cryptocurrency exchange Satang
Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank, or K-Bank, has purchased 97% of the cryptocurrency exchange Satang, active since 2017. The deal, valued at $102.8 million, was brokered by the new subsidiary Unita Capital. With the acquisition’s completion, Satang will be renamed Orbix, which will have three subsidiaries focused on digital assets. This move comes after K-Bank launched a $100 million fund for web3 and fintech. Experts predict a more competitive Thai crypto market with the entry of major players.
UK tightens stablecoin regulation
The UK has released updated plans for the regulation of fiat-backed stablecoins. Her Majesty’s Treasury plans to introduce legislation in 2024, placing the regulation of these assets under the purview of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This measure aims to ensure that foreign stablecoins meet local standards. Stablecoins not backed by fiat will remain unregulated. Furthermore, stablecoin issuers will be required to maintain reserve funds in a legal trust, with terms set by the FCA.
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/coinbase-global-COIN/stock-news/92404011/crypto-this-monday-cme-closes-in-on-binance-in-fu
Apple to unveil new, ‘scary fast’ M3-powered MacBook Pro and iMac models Monday
Monday, October 30, 2023 8:47 am
Apple on Monday will hold an online-only special event at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT — dubbed “Scary Fast” — where the world’s most valuable company is poised to announce a new iMac and MacBook Pro models powered by the next generation of its system-on-a-chip (SoC), the M3 family.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Apple swapped out the Intel chips in its computers with in-house designs over the past three years. And Monday’s event will give it another chance to show that its homegrown chips are better than rival offerings.
While the iMac and the MacBook Pro are two of Apple’s lower-volume models, they’re prized by the company’s most ardent and vocal fans. And they’ll spotlight the power of Apple’s new M3 line, which is slated to be faster than the M2 and better at handling graphics.
After it launches the first two M3 Macs, Apple will look to keep the momentum going next year. The company is preparing new versions of the MacBook Air and low-end MacBook Pro with M3 processors for 2024. Those models are Apple’s two most popular Macs. The company is also working on updates to the Mac mini and Mac Studio.
MacDailyNews Take: Later today, we’ll have live coverage of Apple’s “Scary Fast” special event with Apple’s livestream available to watch in that article. Check our home page later today!
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/30/apple-to-unveil-new-scary-fast-m3-powered-macbook-pro-and-imac-models-monday/
Tata Group to become India’s first homegrown Apple iPhone assembler
Friday, October 27, 2023 9:20 am
After Wistron agreed to sell a plant in the southern part of the country to the conglomerate, Tata Group is set to become India’s first homegrown Apple iPhone assembler.
Sankalp Phartiyal for Bloomberg News:
Wistron’s board approved the sale of Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (India) Private Ltd. to Tata for $125 million, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer said Friday in a statement. The unit operates an iPhone assembly plant near Bengaluru, a person familiar with the matter said.
Tata, an airline-to-software conglomerate, has been in talks for more than a year to take over the plant, as it seeks to forge closer ties with Apple Inc. The deal advances India’s efforts to create local contenders to challenge China’s dominance in electronics, which has been jeopardized by political tensions with the US.
Apple’s iPhones are mainly assembled by Taiwanese manufacturing giants like Pegatron Corp. and Foxconn Technology Group.
MacDailyNews Take: Congrats, Tata. Assemble millions upon millions of iPhones!
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/27/tata-group-to-become-indias-first-homegrown-apple-iphone-assembler/
Apple risks getting dragged into U.S.-China relations over highly volatile Taiwan issue
Tuesday, October 24, 2023 12:10 pm
For decades now, Apple has facd an ever-escalating series of challenges in China, from fake stores and factory protests to tightening censorship and mass app bans by the Chinese Communist Party. Now, the company risks getting dragged into the most volatile issue in U.S.-China relations: the future of Taiwan.
Liza Lin, Joyu Wang, and Yang Jie for The Wall Street Journal.:
On Sunday, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology — one of Apple’s largest suppliers — said it is cooperating with Chinese authorities after state media reported China had opened tax and land-use probes into the company. The investigations come as Foxconn’s billionaire founder Terry Gou pursues a bid for the Taiwan presidency.
The probes, announced days after Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was in China, open the possibility of a new category of geopolitical risk for Apple in the country… Cook met with China’s senior party and state leaders last week as part of his second visit this year…
In a meeting with Cook, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang promised that China would offer more opportunities and a better environment for foreign companies to develop in the country.
On the heels of that reassuring message, China’s investigation into Foxconn is a jarring reminder for Apple of the broadening range of risks it must deal with in the world’s second-largest economy. The probes also amid intensifying competition between Beijing and Washington, with Taiwan’s future at the center of rising tensions…
Apple is so invested in China, both from a consumer and manufacturing standpoint, that it would be challenging to reduce risk in the short term, said Randal Phillips, a strategic consultant on China issues. “Apple is going to have to bet on a gamble that they are ‘too big to fail’ in China,” said Phillips…
MacDailyNews Take: We covered the issue of Apple’s increasingly risky dependence on China last November: Tim Cook firmly latched Apple onto China’s CCP teat. What’s his plan for weaning it off?
Apple’s biggest risk is one of its own making, made specifically by Tim Cook, Chief Operating Officer turned Chief Executive Officer: The company’s potentially crippling over-dependence on CCP-controlled China. – MacDailyNews, February 16, 2023
See also: Tim Cook’s Apple is built in China; now it has to answer to the Chinese Communist Party – May 17, 2021
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/24/apple-risks-getting-dragged-into-u-s-china-relations-over-highly-volatile-taiwan-issue/
Tuesday’s Wall Street Highlights: Coinbase, Intel, Redfin, Barclays, General Dynamics, GE, and more
October 24 2023 - 07:22AM
IH Market News
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) – Coinbase saw an 8.1% increase in pre-market trading, driven by the rise in Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) prices over the last 24 hours, which now surpass $34,300.
US index futures are rising in pre-market trading this Tuesday, reflecting the relief in US interest rates that occurred yesterday, as well as economic activity data in the Eurozone and Japan. Investors are eager for information on corporate results and developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
At 06:56 AM, Dow Jones futures (DOWI: DJI) rose by 131 points, or 0.40%. S&P 500 futures rose by 0.48%, and Nasdaq-100 futures rose by 0.57%. The yield on 10-year Treasury bonds was at 4.869%, a day after the relief triggered by Bill Ackman of Pershing Square, who revealed he had closed his short position in bonds.
In the commodities market, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for December rose by 0.41% to $85.84 per barrel. Brent crude oil for December rose by 0.46% to nearly $90.25 per barrel. Iron ore with a 62% concentration traded on the Dalian exchange rose by 3.78%, priced at $118.15 per ton.
In the US economic calendar for Tuesday, investors await the release of S&P Global’s composite, industrial, and service PMIs at 09:45 AM, with forecasts below 50 points for all indicators. At 10:00 AM, the Richmond Fed releases the manufacturing index for October, while at 1:00 PM, the government conducts a two-year Treasury auction. At 4:30 PM, the API releases last week’s petroleum inventory changes.
In the Middle East, unconfirmed reports suggest that Israel has launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, a significant development in the conflict with Hamas. On the other side, Hamas has released two hostages but demands access to fuel for further releases.
In Asia, markets had mixed performances due to US interest rates and contraction in Japan’s economic data.
In Europe, stock markets operated without a clear direction due to weak activity data in Germany, the UK, and the Eurozone. Other data includes a 4.2% unemployment rate in the UK in August and a negative 28.1 consumer confidence index in Germany for November. At 8:30 AM, a speech by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is scheduled, two days before the announcement of the monetary policy decision.
Stock markets had a mixed closing on Monday’s session. The Dow Jones fell 190.87 points, representing a 0.58% drop, closing at 32,936.41 points. The S&P 500 also experienced a decline of 7.12 points, or 0.17%, closing at 4,217.04 points. On the other hand, the Nasdaq Composite performed positively, rising 34.52 points, or 0.27%, to 13,018.33 points.
These fluctuations occurred amid changes in future interest rates, with the 10-year bond yield starting the day above 5% and then retreating to around 4.8%. Additionally, geopolitical factors had some impact on market sentiment, as the release of hostages by Hamas reduced the perception that the conflict could prolong for an extended period. The price of oil also experienced a drop of over 2% throughout the day. Furthermore, there is optimism regarding the financial results of major U.S. technology companies, the so-called ‘Big Techs,’ according to market analyses.
On the corporate earnings front for Tuesday, investors will be attentive to the reports from Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Verizon (NYSE:VZ), General Electric (NYSE:GE), RTX (NYSE:RTX), 3M (NYSE:MMM), Spotify (NYSE:SPOT), General Motors (NYSE:GM), NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), before the market opens. After the closing bell, results from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP), Visa (NYSE:V), Teladoc Health (NYSE:TDOC), Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN), among others, are expected.
Wall Street Corporate Highlights for Today
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) – AI chip leader Nvidia plans to develop Windows-compatible CPUs using Arm technology, following in the footsteps from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). AMD also intends to enter the market, challenging Intel. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is looking for alternatives to not depend on a single supplier, promoting AI in new chips. The transition to new architectures presents compatibility challenges for Intel’s x86 architecture, but competition promises to shake up the PC industry.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft plans to invest $3.2 billion in expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing capabilities in Australia over the next two years. This will include increasing its computing capacity by 250% to meet growing demand for cloud computing and training 300,000 Australians in digital skills. Additionally, Microsoft will expand cyber threat intelligence sharing with the Australian Signals Directorate. The company did not detail how the funds would be spent. The initiative is seen as an influence effort in a country that is considering AI regulation.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Google, responding to a request from the Israel Defense Forces, has disabled real-time traffic updates in its Maps and Waze apps in Israel and the Gaza Strip due to security concerns. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) would also have followed this measure.
Big Tech – US tech giants including Microsoft, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), are expected to report strong quarterly revenue growth driven by enterprise software and robust digital advertising. While demand for legacy products has stabilized, growth in cloud computing may continue, especially for Microsoft. However, investment in AI could impact results in the short term, with relevant revenue likely not arriving until 2025.
Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) – Analysts are becoming more bullish on Pinterest as the company prepares to release its quarterly results. The company has faced challenges in advertising, but recent developments and optimistic outlook are boosting analyst confidence. The number of analysts rating the stock a “Buy” increased from 39% to 59% on Monday. Shares rose 1.2% in premarket trading Tuesday.
Foxconn (USOTC:FXCOF) – Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te criticized China for investigating Apple (AAPL, AAPL34) supplier Foxconn during the election. He emphasized that China should value Taiwanese companies and not pressure them. The investigation comes as Foxconn founder Terry Gou runs for president of Taiwan. Taiwan accuses China of election interference and economic pressure.
PDD Holdings (NASDAQ:PDD) – PDD Holdings founder Colin Huang saw his fortune grow by $13.8 billion in one year, driven by growing demand for discount e-commerce platforms like PDD. He rose to third place on the Hurun Rich List, reflecting the changing e-commerce landscape, both in China and abroad. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, fell to 10th place on the list. Nongfu Spring founder Zhong Shanshan retained the top spot with a fortune of US$62 billion, while Tencent founder Pony Ma came in second place with US$38.6 billion.
Redfin (NASDAQ:RDFN) – Share price increased 9.41% in Tuesday’s premarket. Redfin disclosed that funds managed by Apollo Capital and its affiliates have agreed to make up to $250 million in financing available to the real estate brokerage through a loan, as recorded in a document submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This agreement extends Redfin’s debt maturity until 2028.
Barclays (NYSE:BCS) – Barclays proposed significant cost cuts due to competition for deposits, even as quarterly profit slightly exceeded expectations. Seeking to improve returns, the British bank is considering cost-saving measures in the fourth quarter, sending its shares down -3.3% in Tuesday’s pre-market, and those of rivals Lloyds (NYSE:LYG) and NatWest (NYSE:NWG). The efficiency strategy covers several areas of the bank, but details have not yet been disclosed. The institution has already started to reduce costs, including job cuts and exploring options for its payments unit.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – The $290 million settlement between JPMorgan Chase and Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers faces objections from 16 U.S. attorneys general and Washington, DC. They dispute language in the settlement that limits sex trafficking victims’ pursuit of compensation. Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) reached a similar deal without this language.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) – Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced the successful close of its global infrastructure fund, West Street Infrastructure Partners IV, raising $4 billion, earmarked for infrastructure investments including energy transition, transportation and logistics around the world. The fund has already committed US$2.3 billion to eight companies in various sectors, including renewable energy. Goldman Sachs also warned that rising long-term Treasury yields pose a challenge to a potential recovery in European stocks. This is despite the yield curve between US two-year and 10-year bonds having flattened this year. European stocks are facing declines, and valuations are not attractive.
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) – BlackRock Investment Institute strategists warn that inflation volatility could disappoint investors hoping for U.S. corporate earnings growth to revive the S&P 500. They see stagnant profits, inflationary risks and elevated valuations, although they remain bullish on large-cap technology, healthcare and Japanese stocks.
Bain Capital (NYSE:BCSF) – Bain Capital and DNE Group, a Chinese industrial real estate company, have formed a joint venture with a capital commitment of US$250 million to invest in industrial park assets in China, initially focusing on area of ??the Yangtze River Delta. Beijing seeks to modernize its industrial sector, boosting investments in areas such as chip production and robotics.
Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM) – Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., a Canadian asset management company, is considering raising dedicated funds for investments in the Middle East, seeking to strengthen its presence in the region. Options include private equity investments and real estate transactions, with a focus on sectors such as business services, financial infrastructure, healthcare and real estate.
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) – Coinbase saw an 8.1% increase in pre-market trading, driven by the rise in Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) prices over the last 24 hours, which now surpass $34,300.
Vanguard (NASDAQ:VGSH) – Vanguard remains optimistic about long-term Treasuries, predicting the economy will slow in 2024, ending the Fed’s rate hike cycle. Vanguard believes long-term bonds are attractive and companies with high Credit ratings have solid foundations.
Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) – Campbell Soup said its $2.33 billion acquisition of Sovos Brands has been delayed until next year due to requests for additional information by the FTC. The transaction is now expected to close in mid-2024 as both companies continue to collaborate on the regulatory review.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) – Despite concerns about consumer spending, McDonald’s and Chipotle are outperforming the overall dining industry, according to foot traffic data from Placer.ai. Both chains have focused on innovation and menu improvements in recent years, which positions them well to face industry challenges.
Oatly (NASDAQ:OTLY) – Swedish non-dairy products company Oatly is leading a campaign for climate labeling on food. They print the carbon impact of their products on packaging and advocate for a standardized system to help consumers make sustainable choices.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR), Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) – Major U.S. companies, including Microsoft, Palantir Technologies, and Abercrombie & Fitch, are offering menopause benefits due to the increase in women in the workforce. work, representing 20% ??of the female workforce. Around 4% of employers offering sick leave are providing additional support for menopause. Lost productivity and medical expenses related to menopause cost the U.S. economy $26.6 billion per year. Companies are stepping in to support female employees and retain experienced leaders.
General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) – The United Auto Workers (UAW) union and General Dynamics have agreed to a tentative contract covering 1,100 workers, avoiding a strike. The four-year deal offers a 14% pay raise, inflation protection and rejects health concessions proposed by the company.
Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) – Stellantis faces a strike at its Sterling Heights, Michigan, factory, hampering production of Dodge RAM 1500 pickup trucks. Despite the strike, Stellantis shares rose 0.3% in premarket trading on Tuesday, reflecting its relative resilience compared to Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM).
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), Boeing (NYSE:BA) – Lockheed Martin Corp has withdrawn from the competition to build refueling tankers for the United States Air Force, giving Boeing an edge in winning the contract. Airbus, which joined Lockheed, will continue in the competition. Victory would secure Airbus (EU:AIR) its first aircraft contract with the U.S. Air Force. Lockheed’s withdrawal surprised many industry observers.
Boeing (NYSE:BA), RTX (NYSE:RTX), Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR) – Investors are concerned about Boeing, RTX and Spirit AeroSystems, which are facing production problems and defects. All are expected to record losses in the 3rd quarter, raising uncertainty about annual targets. Concerns include component replacement, drilling issues and Boeing’s cash flow generation for 2023.
Fisker (NYSE:FSR) – Fisker has reduced the price of the Ocean Extreme SUV by 11% in the US, while increasing the prices of the cheapest variants. The company responds to competition and price wars in the electric vehicle market.
Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) – Petrobras plans to change its bylaws, opening the possibility for politicians to occupy leadership positions, reversing 2016 rules that restricted political appointments in state-owned companies. The change depends on shareholder approval and aims to comply with an injunction from the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil.
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)- After major acquisitions by Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX), ConocoPhillips could be next to pursue a major purchase in the oil industry, according to analysts at KeyBanc. The company is considering options including incremental acquisitions in the Permian Basin and evaluating private companies such as Endeavor Energy Resources (NYSE:EDR).
Earnings
General Electric (NYSE:GE) – General Electric raised its profit and free cash flow forecast for 2023 as demand for air travel recovers, boosting growth in its aerospace business. The company expects adjusted earnings between $2.55 and $2.65 per share, surpassing analyst estimates. GE expects free cash flow to increase to as much as $5.1 billion. Its aviation operations are experiencing rapid growth. GE plans to spin off GE Vernova, its power generation and renewable energy units, in the second quarter of 2024, leaving GE Aerospace as a standalone business.
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) – Novartis revised its profit forecast for 2023 due to cost reductions and higher prices for the multiple sclerosis drug Kesimpta, which beat estimates with sales of $657 million. The company’s restructuring is advanced, resulting in efficiency and increased group sales in the third quarter, reaching US$11.78 billion, excluding contributions from Sandoz, exceeding analysts’ expectations of US$11.25 billion.
Logitech International (NASDAQ:LOGI) – Logitech International raised its full-year forecast after reporting an increase in profits and a slowdown in falling sales in the second quarter. The company now expects full-year sales of $4 billion to $4.15 billion, up from its previous forecast of $3.8 billion to $4 billion, and forecasts non-GAAP operating profit higher than previous estimates.
Crane Company (NYSE:CR) – Crane reported third-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and announced acquisition plans. The company reported a profit of $55 million for the quarter, compared with a loss of $59 million a year earlier, on sales of $530 million, an increase of 10%. Crane also raised its EPS outlook for 2023 and announced the purchase of German company Baum GmbH for $91 million, with plans to pursue other potential acquisitions.
Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS) – The company specializing in electronic systems design fell approximately 3.2% in Tuesday’s premarket after releasing a below-expected earnings per share outlook for the current quarter. The company said it expects earnings per share, excluding items, in the range of $1.30 to $1.36 for the quarter, while analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $1.37 per share.
Teck Resources (NYSE:TECK) – The Canadian mining company reported third-quarter results below expectations due to lower prices for steel coal and zinc, as well as reduced sales of steel coal and copper from Highland Valley. Teck Resources reported adjusted earnings of C$0.76 per share in the third quarter, below analysts’ average estimate of C$1.09 per share, excluding items. The company also raised capital cost guidance for its QB2 copper project in Chile and revised downward its copper and steelmaking coal production outlook for 2023.
Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF) – Cleveland-Cliffs reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of 54 cents per share, beating analyst forecasts. The company’s CEO, Lourenço Gonçalves, highlighted that cost cuts resulted in a reduction in the unit cost per ton of steel in the quarter.
TrueBlue (NYSE:TBI) – The workforce solutions provider released a third-quarter performance report below expectations. TrueBlue failed to meet earnings and revenue forecasts established by the consensus of analysts surveyed by FactSet. Furthermore, the revenue projection for the fourth quarter was dismal, with the company estimating a value between US$450 million and US$475 million, while analysts predicted US$501 million.
Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) – The industrial company missed FactSet consensus forecasts for the third quarter in terms of both earnings and revenue. Despite this, the company maintained its full-year guidance, reaffirming that it expects adjusted earnings in the range of $1.80 to $1.94 per share, while Wall Street analysts had forecast $1.94 per share.
Agilysys (NASDAQ:AGYS) – The technology provider for the hospitality industry reported a profit of 25 cents per share, excluding items, in the fiscal second quarter, which represents an increase from the 24 cents per share recorded in the same period a year ago. Additionally, the company has revised upward its full-year revenue guidance, now anticipating revenue in the range of $235 million to $238 million, compared to its previous forecast of revenue in the range of $230 million to $235 million.
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF) – The real estate investment trust exceeded expectations in the third quarter in terms of distributable earnings per share. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust announced distributable profit of 25 cents per share, while analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 4 cents per share.
General Motors (NYSE:GM) – General Motors is expected by analysts to report third-quarter results with earnings of $1.87 per share and sales of $42.5 billion. Compared to the previous year, when it recorded a profit of US$2.25 per share on sales of US$41.9 billion. Investors will pay attention to information about labor, costs and interest rates.
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/coinbase-global-COIN/stock-news/92348991/tuesday-s-wall-street-highlights-coinbase-intel
Apple assembler Foxconn hit with politically motivated China tax probe
Monday, October 23, 2023 12:56 pm
Major Apple assembler Foxconn is facing a tax probe in China, two sources close to Foxconn confirmed on Monday, saying they believed it was disclosed by a Chinese Communist Party-controlled paper for political reasons tied to Taiwan’s upcoming elections.
Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard for Reuters:
On Sunday, China’s state-backed Global Times tabloid said some of Foxconn’s key subsidiaries in China were the subject of tax audits and that China’s natural resources department had conducted on-site investigations on land use by Foxconn enterprises in Henan and Hubei provinces and elsewhere.
The two sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said several companies which they did not name had been audited by Chinese authorities in recent months, but they believed only Foxconn’s probe was made public for political reasons.
The sources highlighted the audits come less than three months ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election and amid Foxconn’s drive to expand production outside China.
Foxconn’s founder Terry Gou, who stepped down as company chief in 2019, is standing as an independent for president.
MacDailyNews Take: Ah, the machinations of the morally bankrupt.
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/23/apple-assembler-foxconn-hit-with-politically-motivated-china-tax-probe/
Apple's job listings suggest it plans to infuse AI in multiple products
Ivan Mehta
Mon, October 23, 2023 at 8:35 AM EDT
Apple seems to be finally getting serious about infusing generative AI into its products after announcing a solitary "Transformer" model-based autocorrect feature on iOS 17 earlier this year.
The company has shared several job opportunities listing specific needs for generative AI in the last few weeks. For instance, a role on the App Store platform says that the company is "working on a generative AI-based developer experience platform for internal use and assist our app development team."
Another job in the Apple Retail department mentions working on a "conversational AI platform (voice and chat)" to engage with customers. Apple's job listing also notes tasks such as building text-generation tech such as "long-form text generation, summarization, question-answering."
Some other job listings in AI/ML point toward working on fundamental models and list a "human-like conversational agent" as an example of applications that could be developed through it. The company has also posted requirements in departments like Siri Information Intelligence, a unit that handles features such as Siri and Spotlight search. Additionally, Apple is actively looking to work with people working on making models work locally on devices.
While Apple has posted listings looking for people working on generative AI before, this time around, the company has been more specific about its requirements.
Over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is set to invest over $1 billion per year in an effort to push generative AI-based products and features. The report quoted a person familiar with Apple's developments saying that the company considered not shipping generative AI-based products "a pretty big miss internally."
The company aims to tap into large language models (LLMs) to power features for Siri and the Messages app — including things like sentence completion — for the next version of iOS, per Bloomberg. The report noted that Apple is exploring generative AI-aided features in apps and services like Xcode to help developers (the job listing above could be indicative of that), AI-generated playlists for Apple Music and AI-assisted writing for Pages and Keynote.
There have been reports about Apple developing its own "Apple GPT," but the company hasn't really deployed anything for consumers yet. On the other hand, the Cupertino-based company's rivals, including Microsoft, Google and Meta, are deploying AI-powered features across hardware and software products.
This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/23/apples-job-listings-suggest-it-plans-to-infuse-ai-in-multiple-products/
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apples-job-listings-suggest-plans-123535202.html
Coinbase anticipates SEC approval for US Bitcoin spot ETF
Investing.com
EditorMalvika GurungStock Markets
Published Oct 23, 2023 14:40
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN)'s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal has expressed optimism about the approval of their US Bitcoin spot Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During a conversation with CNBC, Grewal forecasted a positive outcome, bolstered by recent developments in the cryptocurrency sector.
Grewal's optimism is reflected by Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart, who have recently increased their approval chances estimate to 90%. This anticipation is fueled by the SEC's current legal strategy, as evidenced in its recent encounter with Grayscale. Notably, the SEC did not contest a court ruling that supported Grayscale's plan to transform its Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a physically-backed ETF, thereby enhancing Grayscale's prospects.
Moreover, Grewal highlighted the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that dismissed the SEC's unjust denial of ETF applications similar to Grayscale's GBTC Bitcoin fund conversion proposal. He emphasized this court failure and the missed appeal deadline by the SEC as potential catalysts for approvals of Bitcoin-related ETFs.
According to InvestingPro data, Coinbase has a market cap of $17.71 billion and has experienced a significant price uptick over the last six months, with a 6-month price total return of 26.46%.
Industry giants such as BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), Fidelity, and Invesco are also in the race for Bitcoin ETF approvals. Grewal suggested that the stature and credibility of these firms could play a decisive role in the approval process. He further predicted operational ETFs in the near future, driven by developments reigniting investor and consumer interest in cryptocurrency.
Coinbase's stock price movements have been quite volatile, as noted by InvestingPro Tips. This is reflected in the company's 3-month price total return of -25.95%, despite a year-to-date price total return of 110.96%.
https://au.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/coinbase-anticipates-sec-approval-for-us-bitcoin-spot-etf-93CH-3008308
Crypto This Friday: Tether’s Real-Time Attestation Plan, EGLD’s Surge with Google Cloud, Base’s Open Source Move, and More
October 20 2023 - 01:04PM
IH Market News
Bitcoin on the verge of $30,000 as observers await weekly close
On October 20th, the price of Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) briefly reached $30,000 at the Wall Street opening, continuing its recent upward trend. However, analysts are focused on the weekly close to assess the sustainability of this move. While some see the breakout above the 100-week moving average as a bullish signal, others emphasize the need to overcome resistance levels at $30,500, $31,500, and $33,000. Hopes of “mass adoption” and the approval of a US Bitcoin ETF drive long-term optimistic outlooks. Other cryptocurrencies also surged, with Ether (COIN:ETHUSD) surpassing $1,600 and XRP (COIN:XRPUSD) rising due to a court ruling in favor of Ripple. Solana (COIN:SOLUSD) also rose 7.8%, boosting its weekly gains to over 26%. Bitcoin SV (COIN:BSVUSD) rose 24.5% following the listing of BSV perpetual futures on Binance with 50x leverage.
XRP sees biggest daily gain in three months after SEC charges dropped
XRP (COIN:XRPUSD), the world’s fifth-largest cryptocurrency, rose 6.5% on Thursday in its best daily gain in three months after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dropped charges against the leaders of the Ripple. The SEC has agreed to dismiss charges against Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen in a court filing. The move comes after months of legal dispute over the sale of XRP.
Partnership with Google Cloud boosts MultiversX’s EGLD token by 10%
MultiversX’s (COIN:EGLDUSD) metaverse token EGLD experienced a nearly 10% surge following the announcement of its partnership with Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google cloud division. The price rose to over $26 from less than $24 on Friday, before stabilizing at $24.43, reflecting a 4.27% gain in 24 hours. The collaboration was revealed during MultiversX’s xDay conference in Bucharest, Romania, and aims to simplify large-scale blockchain projects by making data such as addresses, transacted amounts and smart contract interactions more accessible to developers.
Tether plans to increase USDT reserve transparency with real-time attestation
Tether (COIN:USDTUSD) CEO Paolo Ardoino announced plans to launch real-time attestation of USDT reserves starting next year. This comes after pressure for more transparency due to Tether’s crucial role in the cryptocurrency market. The company has already faced regulatory scrutiny and fines, and critics consider quarterly reserve updates insufficient. The quest for transparency increased following the collapse of Terra’s UST and the USDC crisis. Reports suggest that Alameda Research issued USDT significantly, raising questions about the origin of the funds. Tether claims to be fully supported, but the community seeks deeper understanding and scrutinizes auditors’ relationships with the company.
Base makes its source open to foster transparency and collaboration
Base, a layer-2 network backed by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), announced that it will make its smart contract code and GitHub repositories openly available. The decision seeks to increase transparency, accountability and partnerships with the developer community. This will allow the community to review the network’s implementation and progress, as well as encourage public input and audits. Base also launched a bounty program of up to US$1 million for detecting security vulnerabilities.
Controversy emerges over allegations of Reddit moderators dumping Moon tokens
Recent allegations involve Reddit moderators allegedly dumping Moon (COIN:MOONRUSD) tokens moments before the announcement of the closure of the blockchain-based community points program. Data indicates that at least three moderators may have caused a -22% drop in the token. This revelation raises questions about the moderators’ ethics, despite their initial claims of ignorance. The situation raises broader questions about transparency and ethics in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Despite a more than 7% increase in the last 24 hours, the token has plummeted by -81.65% for the week and is trading at $0.041100.
Former ConsenSys employees sue CEO Joseph Lubin for violating non-dilution promise
Former ConsenSys employees have filed a lawsuit against the company’s founding CEO, Joseph Lubin, claiming he violated a non-dilution promise made in 2015. They claim Lubin diluted their shares, hurting them. Lubin and ConsenSys called the allegations frivolous and suggested the plaintiffs are seeking a payout involving unrelated parties. The case will be judged to determine compensation.
Bitfinex releases documentary on Bitcoin adoption in El Salvador
Bitfinex is releasing the documentary “Don’t Trust…Verify” on October 22, highlighting the adoption of Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) in El Salvador and its implications. The 45-minute documentary explores Bitfinex CTO and future Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino’s journey to El Salvador, where he actively promoted the use of Bitcoin. The documentary highlights the early cypherpunk movement and Salvadorans’ efforts to transform the country into a financial hub with technologies like Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. The documentary will be shown on several occasions, including the “Adopting Bitcoin 2023” conference.
Bitdeer plans to buy back shares worth up to $2 million
Bitcoin mining company Bitdeer Technologies (NASDAQ:BTDR) plans to repurchase up to $2 million of its Nasdaq-listed shares by April 17, 2024. The repurchase will be funded from its existing cash balance and seeks to minimize the impact in share prices, generating long-term returns for shareholders. In September, the company mined 482 bitcoins, driven by stable operations at its 100 MW mining data center in Bhutan.
Chamber of Digital Commerce joins multiple stakeholders to challenge SEC in case against Binance
The Chamber of Digital Commerce, along with digital asset companies and legal experts, filed an amicus brief to challenge the SEC in its case against Binance. They argue that the SEC is trying to regulate the cryptocurrency market without congressional authorization and stifling innovation with its enforcement actions. The Chamber requests the dismissal of the case and claims that the SEC exceeded its jurisdiction. Binance.US also requested a dismissal of the lawsuit, while the SEC accused the company of operating an unregistered exchange and offering unregistered securities.
Additionally, Binance has launched new fiat partnerships to offer services in euros (EUR) after ending its collaboration with banking partner Paysafe. The services include euro deposits and withdrawals, buying/selling cryptocurrencies with bank cards, and euro trading pairs. The initiative aims to facilitate the global adoption of digital assets by providing an easy way to convert fiat currency into cryptocurrencies and vice versa.
Futhermore, the largest cryptocurrency exchange has faced net outflows of over $1 billion in the last 24 hours, as reported by the DeFillama CEX platform. The outflows primarily included $878 million in Tether’s USDT stablecoin and $167 million in Bitcoin, as well as other assets. These outflows come after the recent departure of another high-level executive from the company, marking yet another top-level exit from the company in recent months.
EU regulators propose shareholder vote for cryptocurrency firms
European Union (EU) regulators are proposing rules that will require shareholders with more than a 10% stake in cryptocurrency companies to be checked for previous convictions or sanctions, similar to banking rules. The new laws, known as the Markets for Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA), will come into force in December 2024. MiCA requires crypto license holders to demonstrate good standing as owners and executives. Lack of compliance may result in license revocation. The regulation will also limit bonuses for staff at companies that issue stablecoins.
Central Bank of Argentina accelerates digital currency project
The Central Bank of Argentina is accelerating plans to implement its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The bank’s director, Juan Agustín D’Attellis Noguera, announced that they are working on the legislative framework and intend to present it to the country’s legislative body as soon as possible. CBDC is seen as a solution to expand the tax base and face the country’s economic challenges, such as inflation. Meanwhile, the pro-Bitcoin opposition criticizes the government and the central bank for the country’s financial problems.
FinSoul gaming project exit scam: Team allegedly embezzles $1.6 million from investors
The development team of gaming project FinSoul is accused of carrying out an exit scam, siphoning off $1.6 million from investors through market manipulation. The team reportedly hired actors to pose as its executives and raised funds to develop a gaming platform that was never created. After the funds were diverted, the team relaunched the project with a new token contract.
DTCC acquires Securrency to expand digital asset capabilities
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) of the US plans to buy Securrency, a blockchain infrastructure company, and rename it DTCC Digital Assets. This acquisition aims to unite Securrency’s blockchain-based regulatory technology with DTCC’s capabilities to handle digital and traditional assets. Tokenization of real-world assets is becoming a trend, with the market for tokenized assets predicted to grow significantly. The purchase price was not disclosed, but estimates suggest around US$50 million.
Upland secures $7M in Series A funding
Upland, known as the web3 “super app” of the metaverse, has successfully raised over $7 million in its Series A funding round. The funding, which includes EOS Network Ventures as a new investor, brings the total raised by company for US$25 million. Upland aims to expand its global presence and develop new capabilities, including introducing its utility token, Spark, for trading on external exchanges. The platform offers immersive metaverse experiences, including virtual property trading and competitive car racing.
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/coinbase-global-COIN/stock-news/92329252/crypto-this-friday-tether-s-real-time-attestatio
Will Apple raise its interest rate on high-yield Savings account to better compete?
Friday, October 20, 2023 3:23 pm
Apple has not raised its interest rate on its high-yield Savings account offering in six months, while the top rate for high-yield savings accounts has continued to climb during that time. It’s unknown if the Federal Reserve will be raising rates again, but it’s certainly possible. And if they do, the best high-yield savings account rate will continue to climb higher.
Sabrina Karl for Investopedia:
Apple launched its own savings account product back in April, offering Apple Card holders the chance to easily sock away cash savings and earn a respectable interest rate. Apple Card Savings charges no monthly fees and has no minimum required balance, and it pays an interest rate of 4.15% APY…
[W]e track the best high-yield savings accounts every business day, and our daily ranking currently includes more than a dozen options that pay 5.15% APY or more. That’s at least one percentage point higher than Apple’s rate. And you can outperform Apple Card Savings even more by choosing the highest nationwide rate of 5.40% APY.
But of course math is only one consideration. Since our lives are busy, convenience is also valuable. If you already hold an Apple credit card and find Apple Card Savings to be immensely easy and seamless, then perhaps it’s worth the loss of a percentage point or more in interest every month. It also depends on how much you hold in savings. Someone with just a $1,000 balance may only be missing out on $10 a year in lost interest by sticking with Apple. But if you have $25,000 in savings, the amount you’re leaving on the table is $250 or more.
MacDailyNews Take: Since Goldman Sachs seems unhappy with the relationship, that could be putting a damper on Apple Savings keeping up with rates: “We should have never done this f–king thing,” an unnamed Goldman partner told colleagues, per The Wall Street Journal.
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/20/will-apple-raise-its-interest-rate-on-high-yield-savings-account-to-better-compete/
Advocacy groups push back against Sen. Warren linking crypto with terrorism
TURNER WRIGHT
2 HOURS AGO
The Blockchain Association and Crypto Council for Innovation said the terrorist group Hamas had reportedly curtailed using Bitcoin as authorities could more easily track funds.
United States-based crypto advocacy organizations are calling out Senator Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers for some of the claims made regarding connections between the terrorist group Hamas and financing through cryptocurrency.
On Oct. 17, Sen. Warren and more than 100 lawmakers signed a letter calling for action to “meaningfully curtail illicit crypto activity” used for funding Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the wake of an attack on Israelis. The Massachusetts Senator, a prominent crypto opponent in the U.S. Congress, also penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed with Sen. Roger Marshall on Oct. 18 with claims that “crypto-financed terrorism” endangered U.S. citizens by funding such groups as well as the production of illicit drugs.
Yaya Fanusie, director of anti-money laundering at the Crypto Council for Innovation, said Warren’s proposed solution to some of these issues would not address the problem occurring outside U.S. jurisdictions. Sen. Warren said her bill, the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, was aimed at ensuring "that the same rules to protect traditional payment systems from abuse are extended to crypto”.
“They are proposing KYC [Know Your Customer] rules akin to suggesting that copy machine manufacturers would need to KYC anyone using their copiers,” said Fanusie. “[Warren and Marshall] unfortunately fail to understand that the underlying blockchain technology actually makes transactions public, providing investigators a digital paper trail to identify terrorist operatives and their financial contributors.”
The Blockchain Association (BA) responded with similar claims in an Oct. 18 X (formerly Twitter) thread, pointing to reports from April that groups within Hamas stopped using Bitcoin
for supporting terrorist activities, as authorities could more easily track funds. According to the advocacy group, “only a small fraction of Hamas’s funding has come from crypto” and it was unclear how terrorists benefitted from those funds in the recent attacks on Israel.
“These proposals [Crypto-Asset National Security Enhancement and Enforcement and Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act] will only punish law-abiding U.S.-based users and push all industry actors to other jurisdictions outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement,” said the BA.
Sen. Warren’s op-ed as well as sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control followed an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that resulted in the deaths of many Israelis. Israel has since declared war on the terrorist organization and began bombarding Gaza, creating a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of people caught in the crosshairs.
Certain U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Warren, have sometimes pointed fingers at crypto amid an international crisis, such as digital assets being used to evade sanctions on Russia in the wake of the country’s attack on Ukraine. Prior to Hamas’s attack on Israel, Warren was particularly outspoken in cracking down on crypto’s alleged role in production of the drug fentanyl and other illicit purposes.
“Rather than politicizing this issue, [Sens. Warren and Marshall] should look to better support the talented and deeply knowledgeable people across multiple agencies who could use extra resources to help track down bad actors,” said Fanusie. “The U.S. should take proactive steps to make sure that law enforcement and national security officials have the best access to tools, training and expertise, and information that can be used to combat illicit activity, including around crypto.”
At the time of publication, it was unclear if any of Sen. Warren’s suggested bills would be able to move through Congress amid Republican members of the House of Representatives being unable to unite behind voting in a new Speaker. Since Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s position was declared vacant on Oct. 4, pro-crypto lawmaker and House Financial Services Committee chair Patrick McHenry has been acting as interim Speaker.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-advocacy-groups-rebuttal-links-terrorism
DEMS 'OWN THIS': Rep. Rashida Tlaib is 'going to get people killed,' panelist warns
Apple said to be prepping foldable iPad for release as soon as next year
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 12:05 pm
7 Comments
Supply chain sources have told DigiTimes that Apple is working with suppliers to develop a foldable iPad with “small-scale production” that could begin “as early as the end of 2024.”
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
Apple has apparently been working on foldable products for four years and continuously made design changes in this time, planning to release a foldable ?iPad? before working on a foldable iPhone. Apple chose to focus on the ?iPad? because it makes up a comparatively small proportion of the company’s sales, meaning that potential issues are easier to manage and less impactful.
The company has reportedly not yet finalized the design of the foldable ?iPad?. Initially, Apple’s product design team led the project but this role is now said to have shifted to the procurement department to bring down costs. Apple’s main objective at this stage is to achieve a more cost-effective design, motivating contentious changes to the device…
Apple is seemingly able to obtain sufficient supply of the device’s hinge, but is still seeking a design that is more cost-effective and easy to mass produce, which could require further simplification and reduction in the number of parts.
MacDailyNews Take: You know what would make for a good hinge? Liquidmetal.
Foldable displays make far more sense for tablets than for smartphones. – MacDailyNews, January 30, 2023
“Too thick when folded” is why it makes perfect sense for Apple to do a foldable display first with iPad, a device that is not carried in pockets and where thickness when folded is therefore not an issue. – MacDailyNews, February 17, 2020
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/18/apple-said-to-be-prepping-foldable-ipad-for-release-as-soon-as-next-year/
U.S. IRS demands $28.9 billion in back taxes from Microsoft
Thursday, October 12, 2023 3:50 pm
Microsoft has been hit with a demand for $28.9 billion in back taxes from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which the upside-down and backwards MacOS knockoff-peddler intends to contest.
Zacks Equity Research:
Per a recent 8-K filing by the company, along with back taxes, this demand encompassed penalties and interest for late payment. The core of this dispute centers on Microsoft’s use of transfer pricing, a practice that has been criticized for allowing companies, particularly in the tech sector, to shift profits to low-tax countries, thereby reducing their tax obligations.
Microsoft disclosed over a decade ago that it conducted its software production and distribution through regional centers in countries like Singapore, Dublin and Puerto Rico. By doing so, it was able to manage its profits in a manner that reduced its overall tax burden. This approach of allocating profits to different locations, based on where a portion of the costs and assets are situated, is commonly employed by multinational tech corporations.
Microsoft has expressed its disagreement with IRS’s latest tax demand. It has indicated its intention to contest the claims vigorously through IRS’s administrative appeals office, a process that could span several years. If necessary, MSFT is willing to take the matter to court. Additionally, the company stated that it would not set aside any additional reserves to cover the tax claim.
MacDailyNews Take: $28.9 billion is not a small number, even for the likes of lying, thieving, perpetually slimy Microsoft. In two weeks, the outfit built on copying Apple’s indomitable Mac and leveraging that to monopolize office suite software, the utterly failed smartphone maker, the also-ran search engine / personal data scraper, and the subsidized tablet-maker to the NFL will to announce its financial results for fiscal 2024’s first quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s Q124 revenue is $54.42 billion.
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/12/u-s-irs-demands-28-9-billion-in-back-taxes-from-microsoft/
Emirates deploys 20,000 Apple iPhones and iPads to cabin crew
Thursday, October 12, 2023 10:23 am
Emirates has launched a new strategy called ‘One Device’ leveraging Apple products, whereby all 20,000 Emirates Cabin Crew receive iPhone 13 or iPad Air configured with custom Emirates apps to improve and streamline passenger service onboard, as well as enhancing the overall crew experience.
Emirates has already invested more than AED 32 million into the initiative and began giving out Apple devices one year ago. Today, more than 7,000 Emirates crew members use iPhone across 450 daily flights in the global network. In the coming months, an additional 5,000 cabin crew will receive iPhone and iPad featuring new apps and features that build on the successful deployment.
Emirates in-house Service Delivery and IT teams conducted an extensive user research campaign with cabin crew before designing and building a range of native, custom-built apps to revamp the user experience for cabin crew and to ensure passengers receive the world class service experience expected from Emirates. Feedback to date shows that Apple products are empowering cabin crew to feel better prepared at work and enabling them to offer highly personalised service to passengers.
Custom-built applications include an app to improve the inflight meal order-taking process in Business Class, ensuring swift and precise service and allowing cabin crew to see each passenger’s profile and Skywards status. Another app ensures cabin crew can access up-to-the-minute roster and flight information, view seat changes and upgrades, and an overview of which cabin crew are onboard. By providing a 360-degree view of passengers, Emirates cabin crew can access critical real-time information and are equipped with the tools they need to perform at their best, personalising each customer’s experience to an unprecedented degree, even providing information such as dining and drinks preferences and onboard loungewear sizes – if used on prior flights.
The One Device initiative also enhances cabin crew performance and safety standards by ensuring they can access 24/7 support globally, including a team of specially trained experts at Emirates Dubai hub, as well as via Apple Support. Enhancing safety onboard, cabin crew can check official processes at any time, via remotely updated operational manuals and use One Device as a platform for continuous education through micro-learning. Emirates Cabin Crew are permitted to use the iPhone for personal use and their private data is protected.
Apple products support the demanding operating environment of Emirates cabin crew with many functionalities including fast charging, an extended battery life, lightweight design, and premium build quality. Additionally, Apple’s industry leading security protects customer and cabin crew information, protecting both the guest and employee’s privacy by leveraging the security built into the device, authenticating user identity with secure Face ID, and removing the flight information once the journey is completed.
The rollout of One Device has been supported by an in-person experience zone at Emirates Headquarters in Dubai, a 24/7 one-stop-shop for cabin crew to query hardware and operating software issues, access Emirates application support, fulfill their device accessory needs and more.
MacDailyNews Note: Congratulations, Emirates cabin crew members!
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/12/emirates-deploys-20000-apple-iphones-and-ipads-to-cabin-crew/
Lifted by American demand, Taiwan exports rise for first time in 13 months
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 11:38 am
Taiwan’s exports emerged from a year-long decline in September, rising for the first time in 13 months on increased American demand ahead of the Christmas shopping season.
Exports to the U.S. rose 17.7%, a significant increase over August’s 8.8% growth.
Reuters:
September exports rose 3.4% in value from a year earlier to $38.81 billion, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, beating analysts’ forecasts in a Reuters poll for a 3.0% contraction.
Shipments also improved on a 7.3% fall in August, which was the smallest decline and the first single-digit percentage fall since October of last year.
The ministry had forecast exports would return to growth as early as September or as late as November… For October, the ministry predicted exports would be between flat and down 3%.
Taiwanese firms such as TSMC,, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, are major suppliers to Apple Inc , Nvidia and other global tech giants, while providing chips for auto companies and lower-end consumer goods.
MacDailyNews Take: More good news, tangentially, for Apple
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/11/lifted-by-american-demand-taiwan-exports-rise-for-first-time-in-13-months/
87% of American teens own an iPhone; 88% expect an iPhone to be their next mobile device
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 1:33 pm
Investment bank Piper Sandler has released the findings of its 46th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey in partnership with DECA. Piper Sandler equity research has more than 60 million data points around teen preferences and spending in the 22 plus years of researching teens. Apple’s iPhone continues to reign supreme as 87% of American teens own one and 88% expect the iPhone to be their next mobile device.
Apple Pay ranked No. 1 for payment apps used within the last month at 42%; followed by Cash App at 27%.
The fall 2023 survey was conducted from September 4th to September 27th.
Piper Sandler Taking Stock With Teens survey is a semi-annual research project that gathers input from 9,193 teens with an average age of 15.7 years. Discretionary spending patterns, fashion trends, technology, and brand and media preferences are assessed through surveying a geographically diverse subset of high schools across the U.S. Since the project began in 2001, Piper Sandler has surveyed more than 248,283 teens and collected over 60.7 million data points on teen spending.
MacDailyNews Take: Some kinds of wisdom obviously don’t require age. 🙂
https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/10/87-of-american-teens-own-an-iphone-88-expect-an-iphone-to-be-their-next-mobile-device/
Cheap Android TV streaming devices may have dangerous backdoors to China
Monday, October 9, 2023 3:27 pm
Human Security researchers found seven Android TV boxes and one tablet with the backdoors installed, and they’ve seen signs of 200 different models of Android devices that may be part of this toxic hellstew, according to a report shared exclusively with WIRED. The devices are in homes, businesses, and schools across America and they are laced with malware and/or start communicating with servers in China when powered up.
Matt Burgess for Wired:
In January, security researcher Daniel Milisic discovered that a cheap Android TV streaming box called the T95 was infected with malware right out of the box, with multiple other researchers confirming the findings. But it was just the tip of the iceberg. Today, cybersecurity firm Human Security is revealing new details about the scope of the infected devices and the hidden, interconnected web of fraud schemes linked to the streaming boxes.
Human Security researchers found seven Android TV boxes and one tablet with the backdoors installed, and they’ve seen signs of 200 different models of Android devices that may be impacted, according to a report shared exclusively with WIRED. The devices are in homes, businesses, and schools across the US. Meanwhile, Human Security says it has also taken down advertising fraud linked to the scheme, which likely helped pay for the operation.
The TV devices are built in China… “Unbeknownst to the user, when you plug this thing in, it goes to a command and control (C2) in China and downloads an instruction set and starts doing a bunch of bad stuff,” Reid says.
Human Security tracked multiple types of fraud linked to the compromised devices. This includes advertising fraud; residential proxy services, where the group behind the scheme sell access to your home network; the creation of fake Gmail and WhatsApp accounts using the connections; and remote code installation. Those behind the scheme were selling access to residential networks commercially, the company’s report says, claiming to have access to more than 10 million home IP addresses and 7 million mobile IP addresses.
MacDailyNews Take: Yet another reason to get real Apple TV units, not cheap malware-infested knockoffs. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/09/cheap-android-tv-streaming-devices-may-have-dangerous-backdoors-to-china/
Apple looks to acquire College Football Playoff rights
Thursday, October 5, 2023 12:01 pm
Apple and Amazon have held preliminary discussions with College Football Playoff (CFP) representatives about acquiring streaming rights to the 12-team postseason knockout invitational tournament, sources told Front Office Sports.
Amanda Christovich and Michael McCarthy for Front Office Sports:
The CFP has begun looking for media partners for its next contract for the expanded playoff starting in 2026, and held its first formal meeting last week.
Amazon and Apple have already become major players in pro sports, including the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” MLB, and MLS — though both companies have yet to obtain college sports media rights.
Amazon was rumored as an early bidder for the Pac-12’s next deal, FOS previously reported. Apple was just hours away from inking an exclusive partnership with the conference before the Pac-12 imploded on the morning of Aug. 4. The deal offered a base of between $20-30 million per school, with incentives for increased subscriptions.
Now, the streamers could bid for at least some of the games.
It’s unlikely that they’ll receive the semifinals or championship game. But the CFP’s new first round, which will include four games played on college campuses, could provide an opportunity for experimentation with streamers.
MacDailyNews Take: At least one exclusive Apple TV+ only first round College Football Playoff game would focus significant attention on Apple’s exceptionally high-quality, yet very inexpensive streaming service.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/05/apple-looks-to-acquire-college-football-playoff-rights/
2023-10-05 AVITA Technologies, a company in collaboration with Jasmy, has announced that it will introduce the computer ``AVITA Blockchain PC'' equipped with ``Jasmy Secure PC'' to the Indonesian market.
Click here for the AVITA Technologies press release ?
2023-09-29 Sagan Tosu Fan Token Appreciation Project “Wintos Junior’s E Janai Dance de Cheering Contest” held
~Put your feelings of support into dance~
Click here for the Jasmy Co., Ltd. public relations statement ?
2023-09-28Survey on security awareness in companies
62.7% of people in information systems departments are concerned about security risks for front-line employees
~ 1 in 3 people have viewed or commented on confidential information outside the company when taking their devices with them I answered ~
2023-09-21 An interview article about our company was published on META BANK.
2023-08-29 Two videos shown at Metaverse Stadium on August 6th have been published on the special website for the "Sagan Tosu Metaverse Battle Summit".
Who is singing "Wintos Junior's E Danai Dance"? The progress of everyone's predictions for the event is also now available.
See more>>
https://www.jasmy.co.jp/
US Treasury sanctions crypto wallets as authorities crack down on fentanyl
TURNER WRIGHT
OCT 03, 2023
According to Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, the sanctioned wallets “received millions of USD funds over hundreds of deposits” used for illicit drugs.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned crypto wallets allegedly connected to individuals and companies involved in producing fentanyl.
In an Oct. 3 notice, the U.S. Justice Department announced indictments against several China-based chemical manufacturers, as well as many of their employees who allegedly used crypto transactions as part of an illegal fentanyl precursor distribution scheme. According to the U.S. authorities, the companies “tend to use cryptocurrency transactions to conceal their identities and the location and movement of their funds,” identifying at least three individuals who held crypto wallets for payments.
OFAC added wallets for Bitcoin BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT, TRX connected to Chinese nationals and Valerian Labs to its list of Specially Designated Nationals along with companies, including Hanhong Pharmaceutical Technology and Hebei Crovell Biotech. According to Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, the enforcement action was aimed at disrupting an illicit drug network.
‘[W]e have identified and blocked over a dozen virtual currency wallets associated with these actors,” said Adeyemo. “The blocked wallets, which received millions of USD funds over hundreds of deposits, illustrate the scope and scale of the operation targeted today.”
Many lawmakers have urged action on cracking down on the distribution of fentanyl in the U.S., where the drug was estimated to be responsible for more than 67,000 deaths in 2021. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren — an outspoken critic of digital assets — called out potential links between crypto payments and drug trafficking in a May hearing.
The first week in October also marked the 10th year in prison for Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online marketplace Silk Road. Many criticized the platform for facilitating the drug trade by allowing payments with digital assets, but Ulbricht still has his supporters in the crypto space.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-treasury-sanctions-crypto-wallets-fentanyl
IF the Biden Administration really cared about stopping deaths to U.S. Citizens by fentanyl, wouldn't they close our southern border?!
Coinbase Gets Major Payment Institution License in Singapore
October 02 2023 - 05:52AM
Dow Jones News
By Ronnie Harui
SINGAPORE--Coinbase Global has obtained a major payment institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which would enable the crypto exchange to expand its digital-payment token services to individuals and institutions in the city state.
This comes after an initial in-principle approval and strengthens its commitment to the Singapore market, Coinbase said in a blog post. The crypto exchange received initial in-principle approval from MAS in October 2022.
Write to Ronnie Harui at ronnie.harui@wsj.com
https://ih.advfn.com/stock-market/NASDAQ/coinbase-global-COIN/stock-news/92169072/coinbase-gets-major-payment-institution-license-in
Do you have a link to back up what you are stating? I don't post most of my research on this one, as I am still accumulating...I clicked on your username and see that you mostly invest or comment on micro-penny stocks!
Apple considered, rejected default search switch to DuckDuckGo from Google
Thursday, October 5, 2023 9:12 am
Apple held talks with DuckDuckGo to replace Alphabet subsidiary Google’s search engine as the default for the private mode on Apple’s Safari browser, but ultimately rejected the idea, the U.S. government’s antitrust trial revealed Wednesday via transcripts.
Leah Nylen for Bloomberg News:
US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Wednesday that he would unseal the testimony of DuckDuckGo Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Weinberg and Apple executive John Giannandrea, both of whom testified in the Washington trial in closed sessions.
Weinberg testified that DuckDuckGo had about 20 meetings and phone calls with Apple executives, including the head of Safari, in 2018 and 2019 about becoming the default search engine for private browsing mode. In private mode, Safari doesn’t track websites that a user visits or keep a history of what a person has accessed.
But Giannandrea, who joined Apple as the head of search in 2018, said that to his knowledge Apple hadn’t considered switching to DuckDuckGo. In a February 2019 email to other Apple executives, Giannandrea said it was “probably a bad idea” to switch to DuckDuckGo for private browsing in Safari.
“The motivating factor for setting DuckDuckGo as the default for private browsing was an assumption” that it would be more private, Giannandrea testified. Because DuckDuckGo relies on Bing for its search information, it also likely provides Microsoft some user information, he said, which led him to believe that DuckDuckGo’s “marketing about privacy is somewhat incongruent with the details.”
If Apple seriously wanted to switch to DuckDuckGo, “I would probably insist on doing a lot more due diligence with DuckDuckGo,” he said.
MacDailyNews Take: In the time it took you to read this, Apple likely considered and rejected 20+ proposals worldwide. So what?
If you haven’t already, give DuckDuckGo a try today!
Apple allows users to easily switch to the privacy-respecting DuckDuckGo search engine on Safari:
macOS:
1. Click Safari in the top menu bar.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Click on Search.
4. Select DuckDuckGo.
iOS:
1. Open Settings.
2. Navigate to and tap on Safari.
3. Tap on Search Engine.
4. Select DuckDuckGo.
Related
DuckDuckGo has grown 600% since Apple made it a search option – and Snowden’s revelations
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/05/apple-considered-rejected-default-search-switch-to-duckduckgo-from-google/
Netflix plans to raise prices again after end of actors strike
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 4:26 pm
In the latest in a series of recent price increases by America’s largest streaming platforms, Netflix plans to raise the price of its ad-free service a few months after the end of the Hollywood actors strike.
Netflix’s latest price increase came in January of 2022.
Jessica Toonkel and Sarah Krouse for The Wall Street Journal:
The streaming service is discussing raising prices in several markets globally, but will likely begin with the U.S. and Canada, according to people familiar with the matter. It couldn’t be learned how much Netflix will raise prices by or when exactly the new prices will take effect.
On Tuesday, Warner Bros. Discovery said the monthly price of the ad-free version of its Discovery+ streaming service was rising to $8.99 from $6.99, while the cost of its ad-supported platform remains unchanged at $4.99 a month.
Next week, the prices of the ad-free versions of Disney’s streaming platforms—Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+—are officially going up, an increase the company announced during the summer. It marks the second time since last fall that Disney raised prices…
MacDailyNews Take: The more competitors raise prices, the better the price looks Apple’s high-quality, awards-magnet Apple TV+ at a low $6.99/month (and even lower as part of an Apple One plan).
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/03/netflix-plans-to-raise-prices-again-after-end-of-actors-strike/
FEMA will send a test emergency alert to your iPhone in the U.S. on October 4th
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 1:50 pm
FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) on Oct. 4, 2023.
FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this Wednesday.
The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on October 4th.
The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.
The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.
The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.
The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.
This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:
• Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.
• For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
• Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
• WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.
Important information about the EAS test:
• The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers.
• The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours EDT. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.
MacDailyNews Note: Unlike other Government Alerts (AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, etc.), this test is not able to be turned off in iOS Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts, so the only way to not receive the test message on your iPhone is to turn it off completely on October 4th between 2:20pm – 2:50pm EDT: Settings > General > Shut Down and drag the on-screen slider to the right.
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/03/fema-will-send-a-test-emergency-alert-to-your-iphone-in-the-u-s-on-october-4th/
Apple eyeing Formula One broadcasts rights worth some $2 billion per year
Monday, October 2, 2023 12:00 pm
According to BusinessF1 magazine, Apple is reportedly bidding for the global broadcasting rights to Formula One which would be worth as much as $2 billion per year, a figure that would be double what the Formula 1 Group is currently receiving from different networks across the world.
Colin Salao for TheStreet:
?
The Walt Disney Co. owns the U.S. rights to F1 until 2025. Their deal is worth an estimated $75 to $90 million per year after it was extended last year amid reported bids from Netflix, Amazon, and NBCUniversal.
But F1 Group has deals with some broadcasters that stretch all the way until 2029, such as Sky Sports in the U.K. The differences in the rights deal expirations means that Apple will slowly gain exclusivity of the rights, starting at 25% in the first year of the deal and moving to 100% by the fifth year, according to the same report.
MacDailyNews Take: Hit series and blockbuster movies come and go, but live sports is the eternal differentiator.
Perhaps Cook should consider bidding for and winning NFL Sunday Ticket away from Direct TV, buying rights to Premiere League and La Liga games, etc. and making them Apple TV exclusives. Go directly to the sports leagues with boatlods of cash. Maybe that’ll grease the wheels [with reticent content providers]. It’ll certainly move a bunch of Apple TV boxes around the world in short order. – MacDailyNews, May 6, 2014
See also:
• Brad Pitt films scenes for upcoming Apple TV+ Formula One film at British Grand Prix – July 11, 2023
• Apple TV+ announces new feature documentary about Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton – March 10, 2022
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/02/apple-eyeing-formula-1-broadcasts-rights-worth-some-2-billion-per-year/
A full-blown Apple search engine may be closer than you think
Monday, October 2, 2023 10:59 am
A full-blown Apple search engine to compete with Alphabet subsidiary Google may be closer than you think, Mark Gurman writes for Bloomberg News.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
?
Apple has the wherewithal to launch its own search engine, a replacement for Google… For years, Apple Inc. pondered building a search engine that could replace Google as the preferred option on its devices…
Right now, Apple gets a cut of Google’s search ad revenue, a commission that has brought in roughly $8 billion annually in recent years. But imagine if Apple could keep more of that money… Apple knows this. That’s one reason why it’s been tinkering with search technology for years… Google may be dominant in search, but the company still needs Apple and its billions of users.
If the US determines that Google has violated antitrust law, the company’s deal with Apple could be broken up…
Apple already designs its own chips, operates an App Store, sells music online, offers video and gaming services, and has an in-house maps app that competes with Google.
The only thing missing is a full-blown Apple search engine. And while one won’t be launched anytime soon, it may be closer than you think.
?
MacDailyNews Take: Not until Apple’s hand is forced. Tons of easy money from Alphabet looks to be too hard for Apple to pass up voluntarily.
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https://macdailynews.com/2023/10/02/a-full-blown-apple-search-engine-may-be-closer-than-you-think/
French authorities approve Apple’s iPhone 12 software update
Friday, September 29, 2023 1:07 pm
French authorities said on Friday they had approved Apple’s software update of its iPhone 12 after a row over radiation levels of the device, which led France to suspend sales of the phones earlier this month.
Reuters:
Apple pledged to update the software to defuse a row over radiation levels from iPhone 12 handsets, after France suspended sales of the phones earlier this month following tests it said found breaches of radiation exposure limits.
Apple had earlier contested the French findings, saying the iPhone 12 was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global standards, but said on Sept. 15 it would issue a software update to accommodate the testing methods used in France.
The radiation warning in France was based on results of tests that differ from those carried out in other countries.
Industry experts said there were no safety risks as regulatory limits, based on the risk of burns or heatstroke from the phone’s radiation, were set well below levels where scientists have found evidence of harm.
Apple launched the iPhone 15 earlier this month and the iPhone 12 is not available to buy from Apple directly. It can, however, be bought from third parties that have inventory, or trade old phones.
MacDailyNews Take: When your iPhone 12 doesn’t connect to cell towers in France and whatever other EU vassal states join this misguided farce, blame French government doofuses, not Apple.
? ?
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 12, including in France [although some third parties still do sell used units], which was released nearly four years ago on October 23, 2020 and discontinued on September 12, 2023.
? ?
Ah, the wondrous expediency of government bureaucrats. – MacDailyNews, September 13, 2023
https://macdailynews.com/2023/09/29/french-authorities-approve-apples-iphone-12-software-update/