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Buy the Steve Jobs monument that was too gay for Russia for $95,000
The iPhone-esque Steve Jobs tribute statue that was unceremoniously dismantled in the wake of Tim Cook's public acknowledgement of his sexual orientation is now up for sale in Russia. The statue, which was originally erected in 2011, was designed to honor the accomplishments of Steve Jobs and is aesthetically similar to the iPhone. The monument is being sold by the Russian Holdings Company and has a price tag of 5 million rubles, which comes out to roughly US$95,000. That's a heck of an asking price for what is essentially a large LCD display, but proceeds from the sale will reportedly go to aspiring Russian IT developers. There have been a few conflicting theories as to why the statue was in fact taken down in the first place, though several reports out of the country have claimed it was due to Tim Cook's BusinessWeek piece announcing he is "proud to be gay." Russia's homophobic history speaks for itself, and the sale of the statue seems to further support this theory, as some stipulations on the monument's sale include that it must be taken out of the country immediately and never again erected on Russian soil. [via Vocativ]
Alabama lawmaker naming new anti-discrimination bill for Apple CEO Tim Cook
Tim Cook has been making waves with his recent increased focus on civil rights issues, specifically with regards to the LGBTQ community. In October, the CEO spoke out about his home state of Alabama's slow progress with regards to LGBTQ rights. Now the only openly gay lawmaker in the state is naming a new discrimination bill after him. Rep. Patricia Todd, a Democrat from Birmingham, has announced the "Tim Cook Economic Development Act" banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Todd tried to get a similar bill passed in 2011 but it never made it out of committee discussions. In an interview with the Anniston Star, Todd explained that despite claims from Alabama's governor Robert Bentley that LGBTQ citizens are protected under the federal Civil Rights Act, many Alabamans live in fear. "I hear from teachers all the time who are terrified that they'll be fired because someone will find out that they're gay," she said. Todd said she hasn't spoken to Cook about her decision to name a bill after him. She said she plans to call her bill an "economic development act" because anti-gay attitudes and policies in the state are driving high-tech companies away from Alabama. "Most big fortune 500 companies have already put anti-discrimination policies in place," she said. "It's a question of recruiting. Workers want to know they're coming to a place where they're protected." Cook has yet to comment on Todd naming the bill after him.
Full video of Tim Cook's recent 34 minute WSJD Live interview posted online
Nearly two weeks ago, Tim Cook sat down for a wide ranging interview at the WSJD Live conference with WSJ managing editor Gerry Baker. There, Cook divulged a number of interesting tidbits, including the reason behind the demise of the iPod Classic and the fact that over 1 million credit cards have already been activated via Apple Pay. On Monday evening, the Wall Street Journal posted the full video of Cook's 34-minute interview. Cook, during the interview, also confirmed what many had already assumed about battery life on the upcoming Apple Watch, namely that it will require nightly charging. If you have some time to kill, the video is well worth a look.
Tim Cook comes out: "I'm proud to be gay"
In a Bloomberg BusinessWeek essay published this morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook affirmed that he is gay, something that had long been spoken of within the tech community (and sometimes accidentally in the mainstream media). In his own words: While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me. Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It's made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It's been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you're the CEO of Apple. Cook's decision to publicly discuss his sexuality was made despite his desire to maintain a modicum of privacy and keep the focus on Apple's products. In the final analysis, this was overcome by the realization that his story might serve to help others: I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy. You can read Cook's entire piece on the Bloomberg BusinessWeek website, where you can also see a video clip of his address in Alabama confronting his ancestral state's record on gay rights. Update: Comments will be closed and deleted if participants cannot find a way to stay on topic and be civil.
Tim Cook on axing the iPod Classic: "We couldn't get the parts anymore"
Last month, Apple swiftly and quietly put an end to the venerable iPod Classic. No announcements were made, no funeral was held. Instead, all references to the Classic were casually removed from the iPod section on Apple's website, dashing the dreams of users who prefer -- nay, demand! -- 160GB of portable music storage. During yesterday's WSJD Live conference, Tim Cook fielded a question about the demise of the iPod Classic, noting that it was end-of-lifed because Apple simply couldn't source the parts anymore. And because the iPod Classic was, well, a classic that didn't move the needle sales-wise, Cook added that it wasn't worth the effort for Apple to devote engineering resources towards redesigning the device. "We would have to make a whole new product," Cook said, "the engineering work to do that would be massive."
Tim Cook speaks out about Alabama's slow progress on LGBT rights
Over the last year Apple CEO Tim Cook has been ramping up his personal activism for LGBT causes, both in private and with the company. The trend continued today in a speech in Alabama, at the state capital during the Alabama Academy of Honor event. Cook called for his home state to learn from the civil rights movement when thinking of LGBT issues. I could never understand why some within our state and nation resisted basic principles of human dignity that were so opposite to the values I had learned growing up in Robertsdale, Alabama in a family that was rich in love and respect. Cook pointed out Alabama's slow acceptance of civil rights for African-American citizens, and begged them not to follow the same path with regards to civil rights for the LGBT community. We were too slow on equality on African-Americans. We were too slow on interracial marriage. And we are still too slow on equality for the LBGT community. Cook then pointed out that beyond Alabama's stance on marriage equality, the state is one of the few left in the nation where someone can be fired simply for their sexual orientation. Currently there are only 18 states without marriage equality for citizens. The speech went onto address the importance of access to education for all children, regardless of economic background, referencing education as a fundamental human right. In the past year Apple has pledged to donate US$750 million worth of iPads, computers, and other technology to President Obama's ConnectedED education program. The initiative aims to bring high-speed broadband to 99% of the schools across the United States. You can read about where Apple's money is going here, including which 114 schools across 29 states will benefit from the funds. Here's the video of Cook's remarks:
Tim Cook meets with Chinese authorities over iCloud attacks
What do you do when you're the CEO of Apple and hackers are targeting Chinese users of your iCloud service? You set up a meeting with the vice premier of the country, Ma Kai, to discuss what can be done to protect the data of users and how to strengthen communication between your company and the Chinese government. Reuters (via AppleInsider) reported today that Tim Cook met with the vice premier in Zhongnanhai (the government complex in Beijing) to discuss the attacks that began last weekend. Those attacks were initially reported by activist group GreatFire.org, which has been accusing the Chinese government of being involved in the man-in-the middle hack. iCloud user data is being gathered by spoofing the iCloud.com site, forcing Apple to take some measures to help out users. Those measures included publishing a guide on how users can verify how they're on the official iCloud.com site while using Safari, Chrome and Firefox web browsers, and GreatFire.org reports that Apple appears to be rerouting user data to fend off future attacks. It's good to see Cook getting hands-on with regard to issues that could jeopardize the company's standing with users in what may soon become the company's biggest market.
Tim Cook says Apple Watch can control the Apple TV and hints at other uses in full-length Bloomberg interview
BloombergBusinessweek over the weekend published their full-length interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook. The full interview contains a number of interesting tidbits that, for whatever reason, didn't make it into the print version of the story. Of particular interest are Cook's comments regarding the Apple Watch and what it may be used for in the future, namely controlling connected devices within a household. Cook: I love operating my Apple TV from the watch. I don't have to worry anymore about the remote falling through the cushions of the sofa. BW: I don't recall seeing an Apple TV app for the watch. Cook: There's-I don't think we showed this. I've got a little advance copy. And so it will operate your Apple TV, and you can imagine that it can control other things as well. ... And because you're not searching for yet another object in your home to get to, this is an object that's attached to you. There's loads of things that you can do with it. The list that we've come up with is really long. But frankly speaking, as we open it up for developers, it's going to get a lot longer, because they're going to come up with things that we haven't even begun to think about. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is Apple's HomeKit, a framework originally introduced during this year's WWDC event. Apple hasn't yet made a huge leap into the world of connected devices, but with the introduction of HomeKit and the eventual rollout of the Apple Watch, one can only imagine that their interest in particular space will become more apparent in the coming months. Cook also spoke of a more mature Apple, noting that the recent Apple-IBM deal wouldn't have happened in years past on account of Apple's inherent desire to go it alone. No, we wouldn't have done it at all, because we would have said, we need to do it on our own or we don't need to do it. What I think we've now done is we've introduced another alternative, a partner alternative. And I think we've learned from-particularly in the last several years, working with so many carriers-we've learned that we can partner. Tim Cook doesn't often sit down for full-length and in-depth interviews so this one is well worth reading in its entirety. Cook talks at length about a number of varied topics, from how he'll know if the Apple Watch is a hit to how the Apple of today is run differently than it was even just a few years ago.
Apple publishes privacy and security page; Cook pens open letter to customers
Ahead of the iPhone 6 launch, and in the wake of the iCloud celebrity hacking saga, Apple on Wednesday evening put up a new privacy page on its website which aims to assure customers that their private information is safeguarded by rigorous security measures. "The moment you begin using an Apple product or service," the page reads, "strong privacy measures are already at work protecting your information. We build extensive safeguards into our apps and the operating systems they run on." The new website is also accompanied by a letter from CEO Tim Cook who, amongst other things, makes a point of stressing that Apple has never worked with any government agency and never will. ... I want to be absolutely clear that we have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will. The letter further adds: Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don't build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don't "monetize" the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don't read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple. As for the contents of Apple's new privacy page, there are three overarching sections. The first focuses on Apple's built-in privacy measures and it itself is broken up into separate subsections for varying apps and services. Within each subsection, Apple explains the steps the company has taken to erect safeguards and protect user data. With iMessage and FaceTime, for example, Apple touts that all communications are protected by end-to-end encryption. With Mail, Apple takes a not-so-subtle shot at Google in noting that it does not mine the content of user email to serve targeted ads. Apple further adds that "...any email application and our iCloud mail servers is encrypted." Some other subsections cover privacy safeguards Apple has implemented with Siri, HomeKit, iCloud, and a whole lot more. As an illustrative example, here's Apple's privacy section regarding Maps: The second overarching section is about user-managed privacy and it provides users with steps they themselves can take to ensure their iOS devices and Macs are as safe as can be. Here, for example, Apple touts the benefits of Touch ID and two-step verification while also guiding users how to browse the web privately, manage location data, configure iCloud settings and much more. Lastly, the third privacy section Apple put up underscores the company's commitment to privacy even in the face of government information requests.
Tim Cook gives a brief history of Apple Watch's development
Business Week's new interview with Tim Cook offers a great deal of insight into the CEO's role at Apple and the development of the iPhone 6. What may be most interesting to Apple devotees however is the brief history of the Apple Watch's development that also lays within the article. Covering both the functionality and aesthetics of the design, Cook explains what sets their device apart from the competition. It's wasn't a matter of being first in his eyes, it was about being best. "We want to make the best product in the world," he says. "One of our competitors is on their fourth or fifth attempt, but nobody is wearing them." Cook also preaches patience. "We could have done the watch much earlier, honestly, but not at the fit and finish and quality and integration of these products," he says. "And so we are willing to wait." Calling the Apple Watch "one of the most difficult projects I have ever worked on," Cook describes a development process that took a team of watch historians along with Apple's tech and design departments to get right. The team looked at what made watches work, and used those classic design elements to influence development. In the end classic watch design became important to both the control and look of the device. In particular, the classic adjustment/winding knob on a standard watch the gave Apple Watch a new level of control: Ive's team first tried using the same pinch-to-zoom touchscreen they'd invented for the iPhone, but the screen was too small and their fingers obscured the display. A year into the project, the group started toying with what became the Apple Watch's defining physical feature: "the digital crown," a variation on the knob that's used to wind and set the time on a traditional wristwatch. By pressing or rotating the crown, Apple Watch users can return to the home screen, zoom in or out, and scroll through apps. There's far more to read in the Business Week article, including information about the three watch models, Apple's falling stock prices last summer, and Cook's longterm vision for the company. Head over to Business Week to read the complete story.
Tim Cook says Steve Jobs' office is still Steve Jobs' office
Although he passed away in 2011, the memory of Steve Jobs still touches everything that Apple does. His presence isn't just felt in the products of the company, but in his old office as well. In a new interview with Business Week about the iPhone 6, Tim Cook confirms that Steve Jobs' office is still Steve Jobs' office. Steve Jobs's office remains Steve Jobs's office. After his death in 2011, Tim Cook, his friend and successor as Apple (AAPL) chief executive officer, decided to leave the sparsely decorated room on the fourth floor of 1 Infinite Loop untouched. It's not a shrine or place of mourning, but just a space that Cook sensed no one could or should ever fill. "It felt right to leave it as it is," he says. "That's Steve's office." It's a lovingly simple tribute to the Apple founder that was in line with his design philosophy; nothing extravagant or flashy, just what was needed to get the point across. The statement "that's Steve's office" is all the memorial the space needs. You can read the rest of Business Week's article here for Cook's thoughts on the iPhone 6 and his time as CEO of Apple.
Tim Cook and Charlie Rose talk Apple and Privacy in second interview
The full video from the second part of Charlie Rose's interview with Tim Cook has not been posted online yet, but a clip has been made available of the Apple CEO discussing the privacy of Apple users. In the clip, Cook criticizes rival Google for selling user information to companies, emphasizing that Apple wants to sell phones, not your personal information. The interview also addresses the new Apple Pay system, and how it ties into the company's long term goals for selling more hardware. You can view the clip below.
First hour of Tim Cook's interview with Charlie Rose is live
If you haven't seen enough of Apple's Tim Cook over the past few days, you're in luck. The soft-spoken CEO sat down for a two-hour interview with PBS anchor (and MacBook Air gravity defender) Charlie Rose. The first part of that conversation is streaming via the Hulu service; the second part of the interview will air on Monday. It's worth a look, either as embedded below or directly on Hulu's site. Non-US users may or may not be able to get to that video; unfortunately that's outside our control. It also appears that the CharlieRose.com website is now offline... wonder what caused that? Quite a bit of the interview focuses on the transition from Steve Jobs's tenure as CEO to Cook's leadership. Apparently, Cook was surprised when he originally got the call from Jobs in 2011 asking him to take over as Apple's #1. Cook also cites the dynamism of Apple's current executive and creative team, including new retail lead Angela Ahrendts. He refers to Google as Apple's primary competitor and lays it on the line on the craptastic v1 of iOS Maps: "We screwed up." Of course, no Apple exec interview is complete without some hints and teasing. When Rose nudges Cook on the question of an Apple television product, he responds "TV is one of those areas we continue to have great interest in; I choose my words carefully there." As Cook walks through the app launcher on his Watch, he notes "I may have some things on here that you shouldn't see just yet." Oh, Tim, you cad. [hat tip The Verge & Engadget]
Tim Cook: Work on the Apple Watch began after Steve Jobs died
In a short video interview ABC News anchor David Muir conducted with Tim Cook following today's Apple Watch announcement, the Apple CEO talked a bit about the impact Steve Jobs had on him and Apple at large. Echoing a statement he's made on a number of previous occasions, Cook explained that Apple -- the company itself -- is one of Jobs' "greatest gifts to mankind." Of particular interest is Cook quickly noting that work on the Apple Watch began after Steve Jobs died, making it the first new product category from Apple conjured and developed exclusively during the Tim Cook era. You know we started working on it after his passing, but his DNA runs through all of us. And so the foundation that he left, you can see it in all the things we're doing today, and the way we look at things. And so to me, it's not a big deal if he saw something or he didn't, it's that his thinking and his taste and his incredible perfectionist kind of view, and his view that you should always innovate, all of those things are alive and well in the company. And I think they always will be. I think his DNA will always be the foundation of Apple. The full clip can be seen below. Watch more news videos | Latest world news
If Apple announces a wearable that's not available until next year...
It'll be genius*. In no small part because, as of right now, no one has reported seeing a single millimeter of the device. If Apple shows off what it has been cooking but delays manufacture until later this year, it will also be one of the bigger tactical shifts for Apple during Tim Cook's tenure. Cook is a supply chain wizard, going back to why he was recruited from Compaq, having previously spent years at IBM. The fact that Apple may even be locking up the shipping channels, giving them a physical advantage in actually getting product into stores at the expense of competitors (hi, Samsung!), clearly shows Cook's savvy as a business leader. The supply chain in China is typically the weakest part of Apple's secret process. Even bringing manufacturing to America can't hide things like a sapphire glass plant, dug up by Mark Gurman some time ago. Yet he, nor MacRumors, AppleInsider -- none of the rumor sites have managed to capture a wire or screen or strap of the rumored wearable. Why? It likely hasn't gone into mass production yet. You can't leak what you aren't making. Jobs perhaps wouldn't have done this, but that is academic. He certainly had a flair for the dramatic and was able to keep things quiet, for the most part. The reality is what it is, however, and the best way to keep secrets these days is to keep your cards very close. Look at how Swift was kept under wraps for years. No one in the media reported Swift in advance, not even so much as a hint. Until Apple can build a campus somewhere high in the mountains (or perhaps a helicarrier like S.H.I.E.L.D.), the leaky supply chain will continue to tip its hand. Personally, I'm looking forward to being pleasantly surprised tomorrow. *Perhaps the only thing that would be more amazing would be hearing the product is ready to ship. It's not unprecedented to have a new product stay secret, as we had almost no supply chain leaks for the original iPhone or iPad. The iPhone was also announced first, then shipped some time later. Once people know what to look for it seems to be harder to keep things secret.
Tim Cook calls slumping iPad sales a "speed bump"
Though Apple's earnings results last quarter were exceptional, tech observers couldn't help but notice that iPad sales only came in at 13.3 million units, a 9.2% decrease from the same quarter a year ago. What's more, iPad sales during the March quarter were also down year over year, by about 19% to be exact. Of course, pundits quickly slipped into panic mode, with some claiming that the tablet era was over, nothing more than a fad, while still others proclaimed that Apple's iPad pricing strategy was to blame. Tim Cook, though, remains thoroughly optimistic about the iPad and its future prospects. A big iPad user himself, Cook earlier this year said that he does 80% of his work on an iPad. He also mentioned during Apple's most recent earnings conference call that there are many innovative features Apple can bake into its lineup of tablets going forward. Most recently, Walt Mossberg of Re/Code relayed a short snippet of an interview he recently had with Cook over slumping iPad sales and the state of the tablet market. In a brief interview about tablets I had this week with Apple CEO Tim Cook, he said, "We couldn't be happier with how we've done with the first four years of the iPad," and added that, "I'd call what's going on recently a speed bump, and I've seen that in every category." While one wouldn't expect Cook to concede defeat, I believe his assessment is accurate. To a certain extent, the iPad is a victim of its own success. As opposed to smartphones where the upgrade cycle is about every two years, consumers are finding the iPad to be extremely robust, usable, and enjoyable even a few years out. In other words, the incentive to upgrade is much less. Also keep in mind that the most recent iPad -- the iPad Air -- didn't bring a tremendous amount of innovation (in a commercial sense) to the table aside from being extraordinarily thin and light. I believe that once Apple adds Touch ID functionality to its iPad lineup, sales will pick back up again. On top of that, a recently published rumor from Bloomberg -- which should of course be taken with the requisite grain of salt -- claims that Apple plans to introduce a new 12.9-inch iPad model in 2015.
Dr. Dre takes the Ice Bucket Challenge plunge [video]
The chain of Ice Bucket Challenge videos for Apple executives remains unbroken. First up was Apple Marketing VP Phil Schiller, who sent the challenge on to CEO Tim Cook. Cook took the plunge in front of a huge crowd at an Apple beer bash last week, extending the challenge to Beats executive and new Apple employee Dr. Dre. Well, sure enough, Dre took on the challenge with a very "Bill Gates-ish" contraption and a full film crew on hand. Other Apple execs are probably breathing a sigh of relief -- Dre sent his challenge out to Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar. Remember, you don't need to have friends or co-workers douse you with ice water to take part -- simply make a donation to the ALS Association.
Tim Cook takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, challenges Dr. Dre
Yesterday we talked about Apple marketing VP Phil Schiller challenging CEO Tim Cook to take the ALS Association Ice Bucket Challenge. Well, at an Apple beer bash yesterday, Cook took his icy shower. Cook then challenged Disney CEO and Apple board member Bob Iger, recording artist Michael Franti (who was at the bash and immediately accepted), and Dr. Dre to either take a splash with icy water, donate $100 to the ALS Association, or both. I can't wait to see the Dr. Dre footage... Hats off to Apple executive team for supporting the ALS Association.
Apple releases diversity data; 70% of employees are male and 55% are white
Following in the footsteps of other high-tech companies, Apple today released a report detailing employee diversity across the company. Some of the more noteworthy data includes the following information compiled from Apple's 98,000-strong employee base. Overall, 55% of Apple employees are White, 15% are Asian, 11% are Hispanic, and 7% are Black. Within tech oriented positions, the numbers shift a tad, with White employees holding 54% of positions and Asians holding 23% of positions. With respect to leadership positions within the company, 64% of employees are White, 21% are Asian, 6% are Hispanic, and 3% are Black. With respect to gender, the divide is 70% male and 30% female. The numbers skew a bit more when looking solely at tech positions where males account for 80% of positions. The report was accompanied by a note from Tim Cook, which reads in part: Apple is committed to transparency, which is why we are publishing statistics about the race and gender makeup of our company. Let me say up front: As CEO, I'm not satisfied with the numbers on this page. They're not new to us, and we've been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we're committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products. Inclusion and diversity have been a focus for me throughout my time at Apple, and they're among my top priorities as CEO. I'm proud to work alongside the many senior executives we've hired and promoted in the past few years, including Eddy Cue and Angela Ahrendts, Lisa Jackson and Denise Young-Smith. The talented leaders on my staff come from around the world, and they each bring a unique point of view based on their experience and heritage. And our board of directors is stronger than ever with the addition of Sue Wagner, who was elected in July. Also worth mentioning is that Cook explains that diversity at Apple extends far beyond race, gender, and ethnicity. At Apple, Cook adds, diversity includes "personal qualities that usually go unmeasured, like sexual orientation, veteran status, and disabilities." With Tim Cook committed to improving company-wide diversity going forward, Julia Love of the San Jose Mercury News relays that Jesse Jackson applauded Cook's candid remarks. Just talked to Jesse Jackson, who pointed out #Apple's diversity stats are better than those of other tech co's who've gone public so far. - Julia Love (@byJuliaLove) August 12, 2014 For those interested, Google's report on diversity can be found here while Facebook's can be viewed here.
One of Robin Williams' final productions: Apple "Your Verse" ad
The world was shocked last night at the news of the passing of actor/comedian Robin Williams. Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter to express his sadness: Heartbroken by the news of Robin Williams' passing. He was an incomparable talent and a great human being. Rest in peace. - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 12, 2014 For many Apple fans, the news was especially poignant considering that one of his last projects was to provide the voiceover for Apple's "Your Verse" ad for the iPad Air. In the ad, Williams read his monologue from the 1989 film "Dead Poets Society": The TUAW staff wishes to extend its condolences to the family and close friends of Mr. Williams on their loss.
