A Colorado woman travelling from Paris, France to Minneapolis, USA got fined $500 by customs for carrying a sealed apple which she received in Delta airline's flight only as a free snack.

As per the regulations of US Customs and Border Protection demands declaration of items at the port of entry which includes fresh fruits as well.

The CBP agent at the airport found the apple during a random search of Cyrstal Tadlock.

With fine her, global entry status has also been revoked.&nbsp;

Global entry status is a US&nbsp;Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States through automatic kiosks at selected airports.

The US daily reported, Tadlock saying that the agent asked her whether her France trip was expensive to which she wondered why he was asking this but after she said yes, the agent fined her with $500 saying "it's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500."

Though Tadlock offered to either throw it or eat it&nbsp;but agent refused and handed her the required fine.

She also protested to the fine by showing a Delta logo on the wrapper to the officer in order to prove that the fruit came from the airline itself.

However, in a statement released by the Airline's spokesperson Michael Thomas that it encourages its customers to adhere to Customs and Border Protection policies and requirements.

Tadlock&nbsp;has now told the authorities that she will fight to revoke the fine by going to court.

US Customs and Border Patrol has also refused to comment on a particular inspection matter but the media has quoted it saying that "all agricultural items must be declared".

The apple had been part of an onboard meal

A Colorado woman travelling from Paris, France to Minneapolis, USA got fined $500 by customs for carrying a sealed apple which she received in Delta airline's flight only as a free snack. As per the regulations of US Customs and Border Protection demands declaration of items at the port of entry which includes fresh fruits as well. The CBP agent at the airport found the apple during a random search of Cyrstal Tadlock. With fine her, global entry status has also been revoked. Global entry status is a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States through automatic kiosks at selected airports. The US daily reported, Tadlock saying that the agent asked her whether her France trip was expensive to which she wondered why he was asking this but after she said yes, the agent fined her with $500 saying "it's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500." Though Tadlock offered to either throw it or eat it but agent refused and handed her the required fine. She also protested to the fine by showing a Delta logo on the wrapper to the officer in order to prove that the fruit came from the airline itself. However, in a statement released by the Airline's spokesperson Michael Thomas that it encourages its customers to adhere to Customs and Border Protection policies and requirements. Tadlock has now told the authorities that she will fight to revoke the fine by going to court. US Customs and Border Patrol has also refused to comment on a particular inspection matter but the media has quoted it saying that "all agricultural items must be declared".

US woman flyer brings in apple, customs fines her $500

Among the tech leader who are&nbsp;giving up on Facebook following the data breach scandal, Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple has also left the social media platform.

The decision of leaving facebook came after the growing concerns of data security and how the social media platforms treat such personal user information for their advertising gains.

Wozniak said to the USA today in a mail that he'd rather pay Facebook than his personal information being exploited for advertising. He further praised Apple for respecting user's privacy.&nbsp;

"Apple makes its money off of good products, not off of you," Wozniak said. "As they say, with Facebook, you are the product", he said.

Facebook came under fire for mishandling user's information as the UK based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica obtained the data through illegal measures. The company has assisted Donald Trump in his 2016 presidential election.

Mark Zuckerberg had also announced that as many as 87 million Facebook user's data was compromised in the whole scandal.

Wozniak has not completely deleted his account rather he just has deactivated so the no one can take the screen name of his.

Before deactivating his account, Wozniak went through his setting was shocked to see the extent to which that data has been collected.

"I was surprised to see how many categories for ads and how many advertisers I had to get rid of, one at a time. I did not feel that this is what people want done to them," he wrote. "Ads and spam are bad things these days and there are no controls over them. Or transparency," he wrote in a mail.

In March,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/musk-deletes-facebook-pages-of-tesla-spacex-after-challenged-on-twitter-36893"> Elon Musk also deleted his Facebook </a>which had millions of followers after the billionaire promised on Twitter to take down the page.&nbsp;

A Twitter user had challenged Musk to delete his Facebook when hashtag #Deletefacebook was trending.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/facebook-to-alert-indian-users-if-their-data-was-shared-with-cambridge-analytica-129432">Facebook to start telling Indian users if their data was shared with Cambridge Analytica</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bz_tgPIVyms" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

I'd rather pay Facebook than my personal information being exploited for advertising said Steve Wozniak

Among the tech leader who are giving up on Facebook following the data breach scandal, Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple has also left the social media platform. The decision of leaving facebook came after the growing concerns of data security and how the social media platforms treat such personal user information for their advertising gains. Wozniak said to the USA today in a mail that he'd rather pay Facebook than his personal information being exploited for advertising. He further praised Apple for respecting user's privacy. "Apple makes its money off of good products, not off of you," Wozniak said. "As they say, with Facebook, you are the product", he said. Facebook came under fire for mishandling user's information as the UK based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica obtained the data through illegal measures. The company has assisted Donald Trump in his 2016 presidential election. Mark Zuckerberg had also announced that as many as 87 million Facebook user's data was compromised in the whole scandal. Wozniak has not completely deleted his account rather he just has deactivated so the no one can take the screen name of his. Before deactivating his account, Wozniak went through his setting was shocked to see the extent to which that data has been collected. "I was surprised to see how many categories for ads and how many advertisers I had to get rid of, one at a time. I did not feel that this is what people want done to them," he wrote. "Ads and spam are bad things these days and there are no controls over them. Or transparency," he wrote in a mail. In March, Elon Musk also deleted his Facebook which had millions of followers after the billionaire promised on Twitter to take down the page. A Twitter user had challenged Musk to delete his Facebook when hashtag #Deletefacebook was trending. Also read: Facebook to start telling Indian users if their data was shared with Cambridge Analytica ×

Data breach row: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak deactivates his Facebook account

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently reacted to Tim Cook's criticism saying that Cook's comments on Facebook were unfounded.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dk4iXmSZk5s" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Zuckerberg, in an interview on Monday, defended his company's business model and called Cook's comments "extremely glib", not "aligned with the truth".

Tim Cook's comments came in the wake of the ongoing Facebook data breach row. When asked how would he have handled the situation, Cook replied saying that he would not have been in such a situation in the first place.&nbsp;

Tim Cook further noted that a company can make a lot of money by monetising its customers, but "we have elected not to do that".

Zuckerberg took a defensive stance stating that not everyone one can afford to pay for a service that helps connect everyone in the world.&nbsp;

"Having an advertising-supported model is the only rational model that can support building this service," he told a leading American media house.&nbsp;

Cook, in a recent interview,&nbsp;pressed for more stringent regulations on social media. He questioned the practice of monetising user data by selling ads that let advertisers identify their target group of users.

Facebook, on the other hand, is an entity that thrives on selling such advertisements.

The Mark-Zuckerberg-led company has come under the scanner over user data breach of close to 50 million users.

Zuckerberg recently admitted to having "made mistakes" over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. He apologised for the "breach of trust" that had occurred between Facebook and its users.

Zuckerberg took a defensive stance stating that not everyone one can afford to pay for a service that helps connect everyone in the world

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently reacted to Tim Cook's criticism saying that Cook's comments on Facebook were unfounded. × Zuckerberg, in an interview on Monday, defended his company's business model and called Cook's comments "extremely glib", not "aligned with the truth". Tim Cook's comments came in the wake of the ongoing Facebook data breach row. When asked how would he have handled the situation, Cook replied saying that he would not have been in such a situation in the first place. Tim Cook further noted that a company can make a lot of money by monetising its customers, but "we have elected not to do that". Zuckerberg took a defensive stance stating that not everyone one can afford to pay for a service that helps connect everyone in the world. "Having an advertising-supported model is the only rational model that can support building this service," he told a leading American media house. Cook, in a recent interview, pressed for more stringent regulations on social media. He questioned the practice of monetising user data by selling ads that let advertisers identify their target group of users. Facebook, on the other hand, is an entity that thrives on selling such advertisements. The Mark-Zuckerberg-led company has come under the scanner over user data breach of close to 50 million users. Zuckerberg recently admitted to having "made mistakes" over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. He apologised for the "breach of trust" that had occurred between Facebook and its users.

We do not monetise our customers: Tim Cook criticises Facebook

Tech giant Apple has been sued by over 60,000 iPhone users&nbspin South Korea&nbspfor damages on Friday.

The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188.

The lawsuit has been lodged by a local firm Hannuri in a Seoul Central district court against the local unit of iPhone manufacturer, Appl and Apple Korea.

According to reports, four lakh users were seeking legal action against the company initially but the number fell during the course of verification of documents and other legal procedures.

The company is accused of slowing down phones through software tweak after they release new model is released to make buyers purchase the latest one.

In December last year, the company confirmed the reports of slowing certain models deliberately in order to prevent phone from aging batteries.

The company further assured users that it does to 'protect your phone' as the lithium-ion batteries age through time and after that,&nbspit can't process at the same capacity which could cause a phone to shut down unexpectdely.

 
&nbsp

The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188

Tech giant Apple has been sued by over 60,000 iPhone users&nbspin South Korea&nbspfor damages on Friday. The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188. The lawsuit has been lodged by a local firm Hannuri in a Seoul Central district court against the local unit of iPhone manufacturer, Appl and Apple Korea. According to reports, four lakh users were seeking legal action against the company initially but the number fell during the course of verification of documents and other legal procedures. The company is accused of slowing down phones through software tweak after they release new model is released to make buyers purchase the latest one. In December last year, the company confirmed the reports of slowing certain models deliberately in order to prevent phone from aging batteries. The company further assured users that it does to 'protect your phone' as the lithium-ion batteries age through time and after that,&nbspit can't process at the same capacity which could cause a phone to shut down unexpectdely.

Over 60,000 iPhone users sue Apple in South Korea

Apple Inc on Tuesday rolled out a new iPad that works with its Apple Pencil and is aimed at grabbing more of the US education market, but did not cut the price of the tablet despite fierce competition from cheaper laptops.

The device will have a more powerful computing chip and extensive new software features aimed at teachers and students but keep the existing starting price of $299 for students and $329 for the general public.

Apple is looking to reassert its dominance in US schools, where inexpensive devices and laptops that are geared towards classroom use are seen as a way to hook young consumers.

Laptops running operating systems by Alphabet Inc's Google or Microsoft Corp can be had for less than $200.

Some analysts had believed Apple might cut prices, but the company stuck with its more traditional approach of packing more features into a device and maintaining its minimum price point.

Apple hit hard on the education theme at the Chicago event, with school bells and announcements over a public address system directing press and more than 300 teachers into an auditorium at Lane Tech College Prep High School. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook opened the keynote with a nod to politics, saying "we are deeply inspired by the courage of the students who walked out" and marched on Washington, advocating for stricter gun control laws following a school shooting in Florida.

The line elicited cheers from students seated at the rear of the auditorium.

The Chicago event comes during a spring buying season when many schools are making purchasing decisions for the upcoming school year.

"We`ve been at this for 40 years and we care deeply about education," Cook said.

Apple executives said the company will release a iPad model that works with its pencil accessory and features an upgraded A10 Fusion chip, the same CPU that powers the iPhone 7.

The company also released a new version of its word processing apps for the iPad designed to work with the pencil and allow students to take handwritten notes more easily.

Apple made up just 17 per cent of the K-12 US educational market in the third quarter, according to data from Futuresource Consulting.

Meanwhile 60 per cent of mobile computing shipments to schools ran Google's Chrome operating system, and 22 per cent had Windows.

Chromebooks sold by Dell Technologies Inc cost as little as $189.

Microsoft last year introduced an education-focused laptop from partner Lenovo Group Ltd running Window 10 S.

Apple in recent years made changes to its operating system so that more than one student can log into an iPad, and to its software to let teachers better manage groups of students.

But it faces a tough battle in the educational market given the popularity of Google and Microsoft`s cloud-based productivity suites, said Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies.

Google's G Suite fueled Chromebook sales because it was seen as easy to use to manage assignments.

"Most teachers don`t look past G Suite for education," she said. Apple has iWork, which added features in recent years but remains less familiar to teachers than Google`s productivity suite or Microsoft's Office. Sales of iPads made up just 8.3 per cent of Apple's $229.2 billion total revenue last year, compared with the nearly 62 per cent of sales generated by iPhones.

Some analysts had believed Apple might cut prices, but the company stuck with its more traditional approach of packing more features into a device and maintaining its minimum price point.

Apple Inc on Tuesday rolled out a new iPad that works with its Apple Pencil and is aimed at grabbing more of the US education market, but did not cut the price of the tablet despite fierce competition from cheaper laptops. The device will have a more powerful computing chip and extensive new software features aimed at teachers and students but keep the existing starting price of $299 for students and $329 for the general public. Apple is looking to reassert its dominance in US schools, where inexpensive devices and laptops that are geared towards classroom use are seen as a way to hook young consumers. Laptops running operating systems by Alphabet Inc's Google or Microsoft Corp can be had for less than $200. Some analysts had believed Apple might cut prices, but the company stuck with its more traditional approach of packing more features into a device and maintaining its minimum price point. Apple hit hard on the education theme at the Chicago event, with school bells and announcements over a public address system directing press and more than 300 teachers into an auditorium at Lane Tech College Prep High School. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook opened the keynote with a nod to politics, saying "we are deeply inspired by the courage of the students who walked out" and marched on Washington, advocating for stricter gun control laws following a school shooting in Florida. The line elicited cheers from students seated at the rear of the auditorium. The Chicago event comes during a spring buying season when many schools are making purchasing decisions for the upcoming school year. "We`ve been at this for 40 years and we care deeply about education," Cook said. Apple executives said the company will release a iPad model that works with its pencil accessory and features an upgraded A10 Fusion chip, the same CPU that powers the iPhone 7. The company also released a new version of its word processing apps for the iPad designed to work with the pencil and allow students to take handwritten notes more easily. Apple made up just 17 per cent of the K-12 US educational market in the third quarter, according to data from Futuresource Consulting. Meanwhile 60 per cent of mobile computing shipments to schools ran Google's Chrome operating system, and 22 per cent had Windows. Chromebooks sold by Dell Technologies Inc cost as little as $189. Microsoft last year introduced an education-focused laptop from partner Lenovo Group Ltd running Window 10 S. Apple in recent years made changes to its operating system so that more than one student can log into an iPad, and to its software to let teachers better manage groups of students. But it faces a tough battle in the educational market given the popularity of Google and Microsoft`s cloud-based productivity suites, said Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies. Google's G Suite fueled Chromebook sales because it was seen as easy to use to manage assignments. "Most teachers don`t look past G Suite for education," she said. Apple has iWork, which added features in recent years but remains less familiar to teachers than Google`s productivity suite or Microsoft's Office. Sales of iPads made up just 8.3 per cent of Apple's $229.2 billion total revenue last year, compared with the nearly 62 per cent of sales generated by iPhones.

Apple unveils new iPad for students

According to reports, Apple has proposed a new set emojis that would represent people with disabilities. In its submission to Unicode Consortium, the tech giant requested "the addition of emoji to better represent individuals with disabilities".&nbsp;

"Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities. Diversifying the options available helps fill a significant gap and provides a more inclusive experience for all," the request noted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
? ? New: Apple has submitted a proposal to Unicode for accessibility emojis including people in wheelchairs, service dogs, and prosthetic limbs. If approved, they'll be on phones next year <a href="https://t.co/ic87QRkDpj">https://t.co/ic87QRkDpj</a> <a href="https://t.co/d7NISQR0me">pic.twitter.com/d7NISQR0me</a>
— Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Emojipedia/status/977228909916884999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">23 March 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Apple's submission is available in the public domain on Unicode's official website. The submission iterated Apple's belief that "technology should be accessible to all".

"One in seven people around the world has some form of disability, whether that be a physical disability involving vision, hearing, or loss of physical motor skills, or a more hidden, invisible disability. The current selection of emoji provides a wide array of representations of people, activities, and objects meaningful to the general public, but very few speak to the life experiences of those with disabilities," the submission read.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
According to Apple's proposal 18 of 31 global sign languages use this gesture to represent the deaf sign. If approved, it would join the existing ASL "I love you" gesture in the Unicode Standard: ? <a href="https://t.co/d9dHr6OwVE">pic.twitter.com/d9dHr6OwVE</a>
— Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Emojipedia/status/977233963998687232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">23 March 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The proposed set of nearly 13 emojis includes a person with a wheelchair, a hearing aid emoji among others.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
A service dog emoji is proposed to represent "hidden disabilities" such as Autism, seizures, anxiety, or PTSD. Per the proposal: "service dogs not only perform tasks to help their partners live independent lives, but may represent a lifeline in moments of crisis" <a href="https://t.co/S3DpmVFe4j">pic.twitter.com/S3DpmVFe4j</a>
— Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Emojipedia/status/977492001640853505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 March 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

If approved, the emojis are likely to go live for public use in 2019.&nbsp;

If approved, the emojis are likely to go live for public use in 2019

According to reports, Apple has proposed a new set emojis that would represent people with disabilities. In its submission to Unicode Consortium, the tech giant requested "the addition of emoji to better represent individuals with disabilities". "Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities. Diversifying the options available helps fill a significant gap and provides a more inclusive experience for all," the request noted. ? ? New: Apple has submitted a proposal to Unicode for accessibility emojis including people in wheelchairs, service dogs, and prosthetic limbs. If approved, they'll be on phones next year https://t.co/ic87QRkDpj pic.twitter.com/d7NISQR0me — Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) 23 March 2018 × Apple's submission is available in the public domain on Unicode's official website. The submission iterated Apple's belief that "technology should be accessible to all". "One in seven people around the world has some form of disability, whether that be a physical disability involving vision, hearing, or loss of physical motor skills, or a more hidden, invisible disability. The current selection of emoji provides a wide array of representations of people, activities, and objects meaningful to the general public, but very few speak to the life experiences of those with disabilities," the submission read. According to Apple's proposal 18 of 31 global sign languages use this gesture to represent the deaf sign. If approved, it would join the existing ASL "I love you" gesture in the Unicode Standard: ? pic.twitter.com/d9dHr6OwVE — Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) 23 March 2018 × The proposed set of nearly 13 emojis includes a person with a wheelchair, a hearing aid emoji among others. A service dog emoji is proposed to represent "hidden disabilities" such as Autism, seizures, anxiety, or PTSD. Per the proposal: "service dogs not only perform tasks to help their partners live independent lives, but may represent a lifeline in moments of crisis" pic.twitter.com/S3DpmVFe4j — Emojipedia ? (@Emojipedia) 24 March 2018 × If approved, the emojis are likely to go live for public use in 2019.

Apple proposes new emojis to represent people with disabilities

Apple Inc&#39;s Chief Executive Tim Cook on Saturday called for &quot;calm heads&quot; and more open trade, amid rising fears of a trade war between the United States and China.

Trade tension between China and the United States flared this week when President Donald Trump unveiled plans on Thursday to slap tariffs on potentially up to $60 billion in Chinese goods.

China&#39;s Commerce Ministry on Friday urged the United States to &quot;pull back from the brink&quot;, saying it was not afraid to engage in a trade war.

&quot;I&#39;m cognizant that in both the U.S. and China, there have been cases where everyone hasn&#39;t benefited, where the benefit hasn&#39;t been balanced,&quot; Cook said.

Speaking at the annual China Development Forum in Beijing, Cook said he hoped &quot;calm heads&quot; would prevail.

The sparring has cast a spotlight on hardware makers such as Apple, which assemble the majority of their products in China for export to other countries. Electrical goods and tech are the largest U.S. import item from China.

In the past year, Apple and other foreign tech firms have grappled with a string of new regulatory requirements in China, including a controversial law requiring firms to house user data in data centers overseen by Chinese firms.

Last month, Apple officially moved to store keys for its iCloud data in China, provoking intense criticism from rights groups who say the decision makes it easier for Chinese officials to tap and collect private data.

Despite challenges, the company has sought to expand its services in China, its third-largest market, where roughly 1.8 million developers use its platform.

&quot;My belief is that businesses should be engaged with governments in countries where they are doing business, whether they agree or disagree,&quot; Cook said.

Cook has come to China several times in the past year, and was among executives who met Chinese President Xi Jinping last October.

&quot;My belief is that one plus one equals three. The pie gets larger, working together,&quot; Cook said.

Others attending the three-day forum include the chief executives of IBM Group , Google Inc and Qualcomm Inc.

Cook, who this year co-chaired the event, also attended last year when he called for China to increase trade and continue opening itself up to the world.

Cook was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual China Development Forum in Beijing.

Apple Inc's Chief Executive Tim Cook on Saturday called for "calm heads" and more open trade, amid rising fears of a trade war between the United States and China. Trade tension between China and the United States flared this week when President Donald Trump unveiled plans on Thursday to slap tariffs on potentially up to $60 billion in Chinese goods. China's Commerce Ministry on Friday urged the United States to "pull back from the brink", saying it was not afraid to engage in a trade war. "I'm cognizant that in both the U.S. and China, there have been cases where everyone hasn't benefited, where the benefit hasn't been balanced," Cook said. Speaking at the annual China Development Forum in Beijing, Cook said he hoped "calm heads" would prevail. The sparring has cast a spotlight on hardware makers such as Apple, which assemble the majority of their products in China for export to other countries. Electrical goods and tech are the largest U.S. import item from China. In the past year, Apple and other foreign tech firms have grappled with a string of new regulatory requirements in China, including a controversial law requiring firms to house user data in data centers overseen by Chinese firms. Last month, Apple officially moved to store keys for its iCloud data in China, provoking intense criticism from rights groups who say the decision makes it easier for Chinese officials to tap and collect private data. Despite challenges, the company has sought to expand its services in China, its third-largest market, where roughly 1.8 million developers use its platform. "My belief is that businesses should be engaged with governments in countries where they are doing business, whether they agree or disagree," Cook said. Cook has come to China several times in the past year, and was among executives who met Chinese President Xi Jinping last October. "My belief is that one plus one equals three. The pie gets larger, working together," Cook said. Others attending the three-day forum include the chief executives of IBM Group , Google Inc and Qualcomm Inc. Cook, who this year co-chaired the event, also attended last year when he called for China to increase trade and continue opening itself up to the world.

Apple CEO calls for 'calm heads' and open trade, amid fears of US, China trade war

Word on the internet is that Apple may be launching a new range of iPads soon. Some say that it may happen during a special education-focused event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago on March 27.&nbsp;

Other rumours that have been around the web are that Apple is also planning to unveil a cheaper MacBook Air and a new iPhone SE which could also happen during the event.

A new variant of the MacBook Air is expected to arrive &lsquo;with a lower price tag&rsquo;, a move that will help the company to push MacBook shipments up by 10-15 per cent this year. The MacBook Air has not seen an upgrade for sometime, unlike the MacBook Pro, though in 2017, Apple improved the Graphics and processor clock speed.

New entries in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, discovered by French blog Consomac and noticed by 9to5Mac, indicate Apple is preparing launch two new iPad models.

French blog Consomac unearthed filings for two new iPad models with the Eurasian Economic Commission database. Unfortunately, the official entry doesn&rsquo;t reveal any details about the hardware itself.

However, it does contain two model identifiers - A1893 and A1954.

Apple, on Friday, shared&nbsp;media invites for the event in Chicago, and, was rather vague about it. It features the Apple logo drawn in an artful way, with &#39;Let&#39;s take a field trip&#39; written below it.

Some say that the tech giant is launching the iPads which are in line with the company&#39;s push into the education sector and would be aimed at challenging Google&#39;s lead in classrooms with its Chromebook.&nbsp;

Apple has been pushing the concept of getting more schools to use iPads and some are speculating that the event will be used to reveal a budget version of the popular device aimed at students.

New iPad Pros are also long overdue &mdash; speculations are that this year&#39;s models might have slimmer bezels and Face ID &mdash; but Apple will most likely give out more information during its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 18) in June.

Some say that it may happen during a special education-focused event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago on March 27

Word on the internet is that Apple may be launching a new range of iPads soon. Some say that it may happen during a special education-focused event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago on March 27. Other rumours that have been around the web are that Apple is also planning to unveil a cheaper MacBook Air and a new iPhone SE which could also happen during the event. A new variant of the MacBook Air is expected to arrive ‘with a lower price tag’, a move that will help the company to push MacBook shipments up by 10-15 per cent this year. The MacBook Air has not seen an upgrade for sometime, unlike the MacBook Pro, though in 2017, Apple improved the Graphics and processor clock speed. New entries in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, discovered by French blog Consomac and noticed by 9to5Mac, indicate Apple is preparing launch two new iPad models. French blog Consomac unearthed filings for two new iPad models with the Eurasian Economic Commission database. Unfortunately, the official entry doesn’t reveal any details about the hardware itself. However, it does contain two model identifiers - A1893 and A1954. Apple, on Friday, shared media invites for the event in Chicago, and, was rather vague about it. It features the Apple logo drawn in an artful way, with 'Let's take a field trip' written below it. Some say that the tech giant is launching the iPads which are in line with the company's push into the education sector and would be aimed at challenging Google's lead in classrooms with its Chromebook. Apple has been pushing the concept of getting more schools to use iPads and some are speculating that the event will be used to reveal a budget version of the popular device aimed at students. New iPad Pros are also long overdue — speculations are that this year's models might have slimmer bezels and Face ID — but Apple will most likely give out more information during its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 18) in June.

Apple sends out media invites amid new Macbook Air rumour

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon.

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying &#39;the App Store is unavailable in the country region you&#39;re in&#39;&nbsp;on their screen.

The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN).

A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report&nbsp;saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN.

Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access.

Apple already does not&nbsp;sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions.

People import their iPhone&nbsp;from other countries.

Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past.

In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store.

Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store!
&mdash; Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sina_Dreamer/status/973853292777193473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
So <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> officially did it finally ;( <a href="https://t.co/NboTdPoFpC">pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC</a>
&mdash; Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) <a href="https://twitter.com/R00tkitSMM/status/974320282436501504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I really feel sorry for <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a>&#39;s decision to completely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ban?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iranian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iranian</a> users from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Appstore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Appstore</a>. We are humans and demand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EqualRights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EqualRights</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleSupport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppleSupport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Apple?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Apple</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheBan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheBan</a> <a href="https://t.co/VWwPfo9TxF">pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF</a>
&mdash; Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) <a href="https://twitter.com/fatehi1997/status/974376036354977792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done &quot;bad&quot; to you?<a href="https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi">https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi</a>
&mdash; Ric Fink (@ricfink) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricfink/status/974389228971835392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Outrageous move from <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@apple</a> to totally block <a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a>. Steve Job believed that &quot;Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.&quot; For <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a> this excludes Iranians. <a href="https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl">https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl</a>
&mdash; Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) <a href="https://twitter.com/yarbatman/status/974548525710110720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon. What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying 'the App Store is unavailable in the country region you're in' on their screen. The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN). A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN. Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access. Apple already does not sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions. People import their iPhone from other countries. Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past. In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store. Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access. @AppStore why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store! — Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) March 14, 2018 × So @Apple officially did it finally ;( pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC — Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) March 15, 2018 × I really feel sorry for @Apple's decision to completely #ban #Iranian users from the #Appstore. We are humans and demand #EqualRights. @AppleSupport #Iran #Apple #StopTheBan pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF — Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) March 15, 2018 × .@Apple what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done "bad" to you?https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi — Ric Fink (@ricfink) March 15, 2018 × Outrageous move from @apple to totally block @AppStore in #Iran. Steve Job believed that "Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them." For @tim_cook this excludes Iranians. https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) March 16, 2018 ×

Iranian iPhone users blocked from App Store: Reports

France will take legal action against Google and Apple for &quot;abusive business practices&quot;, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Wednesday.

&quot;I believe in an economy based on justice and I will take Google and Apple before the Paris Commercial Court for abusive business practices&quot; against French start-ups, Le Maire said on RTL radio. He added the action could result in penalties reaching several million euros.

France to take legal action against Google and Apple for 'abusive' practices

France will take legal action against Google and Apple for "abusive business practices", Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Wednesday. "I believe in an economy based on justice and I will take Google and Apple before the Paris Commercial Court for abusive business practices" against French start-ups, Le Maire said on RTL radio. He added the action could result in penalties reaching several million euros.

 France to take legal action against Google and Apple for 'abusive' practices

Apple Inc&nbsp;, the world`s most valuable publicly listed company, is in danger of being beaten by Amazon.com Inc&nbsp;to the $1 trillion mark.

Wall Street`s optimism about last year`s 10th anniversary iPhone had propelled Apple`s stock 24 percent higher over the past 12 months, giving it a market capitalization of $893 billion.&nbsp;

That is $141 billion more than the $752 billion market value of Amazon, the world`s third most valuable publicly listed company, but Amazon has been quickly closing the gap. Amazon`s stock has surged 83 percent over the past year, bolstered by scorchingly fast revenue growth as more shopping moves online and businesses shift their computing operations to the cloud, where Amazon Web Services leads the market.&nbsp;

In January, Amazon announced that it, Berkshire Hathaway Inc&nbsp;and JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co&nbsp;would form a company to cut health care costs for their employees, which was widely seen as a threat to the existing U.S. healthcare system and underscored Amazon`s ability to disrupt markets.

Amazon dislodged Microsoft Corp&nbsp;as the No. 3 U.S. company by market capitalization in February.

At $783 billion, Alphabet Inc&nbsp;has the second largest market capitalization. The Google parent company`s stock has grown about 33 percent over the past year, faster than Apple but far slower than Amazon. 
Meanwhile, optimism about Apple`s iPhone X has given way to concerns that demand for the $1,000 device may be weaker than expected.

To be sure, past stock gains are not a reliable predictor of future performance, and the surge in Amazon shares in recent years has been exceptional by most standards.

But if Amazon`s stock were to keep growing on the trajectory seen over the past year, the company`s market capitalization would hit $1 trillion in late August. Apple would reach $1 trillion around a week later if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.

Alphabet would not reach $1 trillion until 2019 if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.Most Wall Street analysts are not quite that enthusiastic about the growth of Apple and Amazon. Analysts on average expect Apple`s stock price to rise 11 percent and reach $195 within the next 12 months, which would put its market capitalization at $989 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data.&nbsp;

Analysts covering Amazon on average expect its stock to rise 10 percent within the next year to reach $1,700, which would give it a market value of $823 billion.&nbsp;

Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90.&nbsp;

Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90

Apple Inc , the world`s most valuable publicly listed company, is in danger of being beaten by Amazon.com Inc to the $1 trillion mark. Wall Street`s optimism about last year`s 10th anniversary iPhone had propelled Apple`s stock 24 percent higher over the past 12 months, giving it a market capitalization of $893 billion. That is $141 billion more than the $752 billion market value of Amazon, the world`s third most valuable publicly listed company, but Amazon has been quickly closing the gap. Amazon`s stock has surged 83 percent over the past year, bolstered by scorchingly fast revenue growth as more shopping moves online and businesses shift their computing operations to the cloud, where Amazon Web Services leads the market. In January, Amazon announced that it, Berkshire Hathaway Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co would form a company to cut health care costs for their employees, which was widely seen as a threat to the existing U.S. healthcare system and underscored Amazon`s ability to disrupt markets. Amazon dislodged Microsoft Corp as the No. 3 U.S. company by market capitalization in February. At $783 billion, Alphabet Inc has the second largest market capitalization. The Google parent company`s stock has grown about 33 percent over the past year, faster than Apple but far slower than Amazon. Meanwhile, optimism about Apple`s iPhone X has given way to concerns that demand for the $1,000 device may be weaker than expected. To be sure, past stock gains are not a reliable predictor of future performance, and the surge in Amazon shares in recent years has been exceptional by most standards. But if Amazon`s stock were to keep growing on the trajectory seen over the past year, the company`s market capitalization would hit $1 trillion in late August. Apple would reach $1 trillion around a week later if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year. Alphabet would not reach $1 trillion until 2019 if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.Most Wall Street analysts are not quite that enthusiastic about the growth of Apple and Amazon. Analysts on average expect Apple`s stock price to rise 11 percent and reach $195 within the next 12 months, which would put its market capitalization at $989 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data. Analysts covering Amazon on average expect its stock to rise 10 percent within the next year to reach $1,700, which would give it a market value of $823 billion. Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90.

Hold the iPhone! Amazon primed to be larger than Apple

Babies, dogs and artificial intelligence.

Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google is betting this combination proves irresistible with the Tuesday launch of Google Clips, a pocket-sized digital camera that decides on its own whether an image is interesting enough to shoot.

The $249 device, which is designed to clip onto furniture or other fixed objects, automatically captures subjects that wander into its viewfinder. But unlike some trail or security cameras that are triggered by motion or programmed on timers, Clips is more discerning. Google has trained its electronic brain to recognise smiles, human faces, dogs, cats and rapid sequences of movement.

The company sees big potential with parents and pet owners looking to grab candid shots of kids and animals. The Clip shoots seven-second videos, without audio, that can be edited into GIFs or high-definition photos. These images can then be downloaded and shared via smartphone.

But Google&#39;s bigger ambition is the mastery - and commercialization - of artificial intelligence, an area where it is investing big. Google executives say success requires tight integration between hardware and software, which is why the search-engine giant keeps plugging away at consumer electronics.

The company has yet to dominate with its devices, though its Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast TV dongles and Pixel smartphones have all won high marks from consumers.

Each new gadget wires customers more deeply into its suite of services, which will be essential as Google competes with Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Facebook Inc to be a primary hub for entertainment and shopping.

Google is sharpening its focus with each effort. With its Clips smart camera, the company is trying to hook shutterbugs with a soft introduction to artificial intelligence.

&quot;Being able to have cameras identify what&rsquo;s happening in the home, without having to filter through recordings, this is where the market for video in the home is moving,&quot; said Blake Kozak, principal analyst at IHS Markit.

Some analysts are dubious that Clips will be a blockbuster in a marketplace crowded with digital cameras. Its price could prove too high to justify its narrow uses. Alternatives such as pet camera Petcube, for example, provide more functionality, including remote monitoring. Lack of audio, limited battery life and privacy concerns could further limit Clips&#39; appeal.

But the device is nonetheless an important demonstration of Google&rsquo;s advances in computer vision, a form of artificial intelligence focused on identifying objects, according to Cyril Ebersweiler, founder of the hardware business incubator HAX.

&ldquo;The next thing after sound will be computer vision, and they can&#39;t allow (themselves) not to be doing something,&quot; Ebersweiler said.

THE NEW CANDID CAMERA

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/google-camera-clips-20180228071231.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Google Clips, a pocket-sized digital camera is pictured in San Francisco, California, on February 26, 2018. (Reuters)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Google says Clips, which was announced in October, is the outgrowth of years of research into what people like about their favourite images. Consumers overwhelmingly preferred candid shots as opposed to ubiquitous selfies and other posed photos. But casual photographers often cannot whip out their phones in time to catch the action. And many subjects become self-conscious when they know a camera is pointed their way.

&quot;There is gold in between the photos you take&quot; with smartphones, Juston Payne, product lead for Google Clips, told reporters this month. &quot;This camera gets at those moments.&quot;

Payne said his team had no mandate to develop a stand-alone camera. They could have packed more software into smartphone cameras, for instance.

But he said a dedicated device that could fade into the background proved to be the best solution for naturalistic photography. Measuring 2 inches by 2 inches and weighing two ounces, Clips can be hung from a drawer handle or a tree branch at the playground. Payne said the gadget is not meant to be worn.

The camera captures the best shots when subjects are about three feet away and in its frame. It operates three hours on a charge.

Clips is being sold at Best Buy and Verizon retail outlets as well as Google&#39;s online store.

Google says it attempted to address privacy concerns by placing white lights on Clips to alert subjects when the camera is filming. It also intentionally avoided giving the camera a direct connection to the cloud.

The device&#39;s lack of sound may disappoint consumers, but Payne said audio would have encouraged people to film themselves while skydiving or skiing, pursuits the gadget&#39;s auto-capture technology is not yet capable of handling.

Michael Kim, a product design consultant at Kim Advisory Capital, said Clips could be convenient as an &quot;ambient photographer.&quot; But he questioned whether such a pricey &quot;novelty toy&quot; could win a large following.

The company has yet to dominate with its devices, though its Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast TV dongles and Pixel smartphones have all won high marks from consumers.

Babies, dogs and artificial intelligence. Alphabet Inc's Google is betting this combination proves irresistible with the Tuesday launch of Google Clips, a pocket-sized digital camera that decides on its own whether an image is interesting enough to shoot. The $249 device, which is designed to clip onto furniture or other fixed objects, automatically captures subjects that wander into its viewfinder. But unlike some trail or security cameras that are triggered by motion or programmed on timers, Clips is more discerning. Google has trained its electronic brain to recognise smiles, human faces, dogs, cats and rapid sequences of movement. The company sees big potential with parents and pet owners looking to grab candid shots of kids and animals. The Clip shoots seven-second videos, without audio, that can be edited into GIFs or high-definition photos. These images can then be downloaded and shared via smartphone. But Google's bigger ambition is the mastery - and commercialization - of artificial intelligence, an area where it is investing big. Google executives say success requires tight integration between hardware and software, which is why the search-engine giant keeps plugging away at consumer electronics. The company has yet to dominate with its devices, though its Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast TV dongles and Pixel smartphones have all won high marks from consumers. Each new gadget wires customers more deeply into its suite of services, which will be essential as Google competes with Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Facebook Inc to be a primary hub for entertainment and shopping. Google is sharpening its focus with each effort. With its Clips smart camera, the company is trying to hook shutterbugs with a soft introduction to artificial intelligence. "Being able to have cameras identify what’s happening in the home, without having to filter through recordings, this is where the market for video in the home is moving," said Blake Kozak, principal analyst at IHS Markit. Some analysts are dubious that Clips will be a blockbuster in a marketplace crowded with digital cameras. Its price could prove too high to justify its narrow uses. Alternatives such as pet camera Petcube, for example, provide more functionality, including remote monitoring. Lack of audio, limited battery life and privacy concerns could further limit Clips' appeal. But the device is nonetheless an important demonstration of Google’s advances in computer vision, a form of artificial intelligence focused on identifying objects, according to Cyril Ebersweiler, founder of the hardware business incubator HAX. “The next thing after sound will be computer vision, and they can't allow (themselves) not to be doing something," Ebersweiler said. THE NEW CANDID CAMERA Google Clips, a pocket-sized digital camera is pictured in San Francisco, California, on February 26, 2018. (Reuters) × Google says Clips, which was announced in October, is the outgrowth of years of research into what people like about their favourite images. Consumers overwhelmingly preferred candid shots as opposed to ubiquitous selfies and other posed photos. But casual photographers often cannot whip out their phones in time to catch the action. And many subjects become self-conscious when they know a camera is pointed their way. "There is gold in between the photos you take" with smartphones, Juston Payne, product lead for Google Clips, told reporters this month. "This camera gets at those moments." Payne said his team had no mandate to develop a stand-alone camera. They could have packed more software into smartphone cameras, for instance. But he said a dedicated device that could fade into the background proved to be the best solution for naturalistic photography. Measuring 2 inches by 2 inches and weighing two ounces, Clips can be hung from a drawer handle or a tree branch at the playground. Payne said the gadget is not meant to be worn. The camera captures the best shots when subjects are about three feet away and in its frame. It operates three hours on a charge. Clips is being sold at Best Buy and Verizon retail outlets as well as Google's online store. Google says it attempted to address privacy concerns by placing white lights on Clips to alert subjects when the camera is filming. It also intentionally avoided giving the camera a direct connection to the cloud. The device's lack of sound may disappoint consumers, but Payne said audio would have encouraged people to film themselves while skydiving or skiing, pursuits the gadget's auto-capture technology is not yet capable of handling. Michael Kim, a product design consultant at Kim Advisory Capital, said Clips could be convenient as an "ambient photographer." But he questioned whether such a pricey "novelty toy" could win a large following.

Google's Clips camera is latest effort to bring AI into home gadgets

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever, a device that may have a bigger display than arch-rival Samsung&#39;s flagship phone, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the products.

The trio also includes an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the X&#39;s key features.

The new phones could revive the screen size wars of years past at a time when smartphone makers are straining to come up with new features to lure buyers in a saturated market. Global smartphone sales were down 0.1 per cent last year, according to research firm IDC, with Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd expanding shipments only 1.9 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.

The iPhone maker is already running production tests with suppliers and is expected to announce the new phones this fall. However, the plans could still change, the report said.&nbsp;

Apple declined to comment. Its shares were up almost 2 per cent at $178.95 in midday trade. Earlier in the day, billionaire Warren Buffett talked up his company&#39;s stake in the iPhone maker, which also helped boost shares.

Bloomberg reported the largest iPhone could have a screen of close to 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), larger than the 6.2-inch (15.75 cm) Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus announced on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, and larger than the current Samsung Note 8&#39;s 6.3-inch screen. Samsung traditionally announces new Note series devices in the fall, so it is possible it might launch a larger screen around the same time Apple&#39;s new models hit the market.

But Bob O&#39;Donnell, head of Technalysis Research, said the reported trio of new iPhones was &quot;a very logical extension of the product line&quot; for Apple: &quot;One bigger, one cheaper, and one upgrade to the existing iPhone X.&quot;

The Cupertino-based company earlier this month forecast disappointing revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion for its fiscal second quarter ending in March, with a number of media reports pointing to slack demand for iPhone X after unit sales failed to meet expectations in the run-up to Christmas.

With global smartphone sales roughly flat, vendors are focusing on features designed to encourage consumers to ditch their old phones earlier than they would have previously.

&quot;The whole nature of smartphone purchase decisions have changed,&quot; O&#39;Donnell said. &quot;It&#39;s not about what is the newest, greatest model. It&#39;s about when is my phone so old I need to upgrade, and what&#39;s available when I need a new one.&quot;

Samsung on Sunday unveiled its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone with an emphasis on visual applications for social media, improved cameras, and an artificial intelligence-powered voice tool.

Bloomberg said the body of the larger phone will be about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but the screen will be about an inch larger than 8 Plus&#39;s, thanks to edge-to-edge design. Apple also plans a gold-colored device to help boost sales in Asia, Bloomberg reported.

Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X, Bloomberg said, adding that the phones are expected to use next-generation A12 processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges and will be Apple&#39;s high-end smartphone offerings.

What remains unclear is whether Apple will also cut any current iPhone models from its lineup. The company has kept older models like the iPhone SE - essentially an updated iPhone 5 - on shelves to an unprecedented degree, providing lower-priced offerings for developing markets like India.

Apple has also embraced the used iPhone market as a way to expand its share of smartphone users. When customers sell their old iPhone for a new one, the old iPhone &ldquo;winds up with another customer somewhere else that is perfectly fine with having a previously owned iPhone,&quot; CEO Tim Cook told investors on an earnings call earlier this month.

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever, a device that may have a bigger display than arch-rival Samsung's flagship phone, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the products. The trio also includes an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the X's key features. The new phones could revive the screen size wars of years past at a time when smartphone makers are straining to come up with new features to lure buyers in a saturated market. Global smartphone sales were down 0.1 per cent last year, according to research firm IDC, with Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd expanding shipments only 1.9 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. The iPhone maker is already running production tests with suppliers and is expected to announce the new phones this fall. However, the plans could still change, the report said. Apple declined to comment. Its shares were up almost 2 per cent at $178.95 in midday trade. Earlier in the day, billionaire Warren Buffett talked up his company's stake in the iPhone maker, which also helped boost shares. Bloomberg reported the largest iPhone could have a screen of close to 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), larger than the 6.2-inch (15.75 cm) Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus announced on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, and larger than the current Samsung Note 8's 6.3-inch screen. Samsung traditionally announces new Note series devices in the fall, so it is possible it might launch a larger screen around the same time Apple's new models hit the market. But Bob O'Donnell, head of Technalysis Research, said the reported trio of new iPhones was "a very logical extension of the product line" for Apple: "One bigger, one cheaper, and one upgrade to the existing iPhone X." The Cupertino-based company earlier this month forecast disappointing revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion for its fiscal second quarter ending in March, with a number of media reports pointing to slack demand for iPhone X after unit sales failed to meet expectations in the run-up to Christmas. With global smartphone sales roughly flat, vendors are focusing on features designed to encourage consumers to ditch their old phones earlier than they would have previously. "The whole nature of smartphone purchase decisions have changed," O'Donnell said. "It's not about what is the newest, greatest model. It's about when is my phone so old I need to upgrade, and what's available when I need a new one." Samsung on Sunday unveiled its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone with an emphasis on visual applications for social media, improved cameras, and an artificial intelligence-powered voice tool. Bloomberg said the body of the larger phone will be about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but the screen will be about an inch larger than 8 Plus's, thanks to edge-to-edge design. Apple also plans a gold-colored device to help boost sales in Asia, Bloomberg reported. Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X, Bloomberg said, adding that the phones are expected to use next-generation A12 processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges and will be Apple's high-end smartphone offerings. What remains unclear is whether Apple will also cut any current iPhone models from its lineup. The company has kept older models like the iPhone SE - essentially an updated iPhone 5 - on shelves to an unprecedented degree, providing lower-priced offerings for developing markets like India. Apple has also embraced the used iPhone market as a way to expand its share of smartphone users. When customers sell their old iPhone for a new one, the old iPhone “winds up with another customer somewhere else that is perfectly fine with having a previously owned iPhone," CEO Tim Cook told investors on an earnings call earlier this month.

Apple plans biggest iPhone yet for 2018: Report

The Finnish company affiliated with Nokia, HMD global unveiled&nbsp;new Nokia phones on Sunday during the ongoing Mobile World Congress.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5pO3k1TQWSo" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Phones that were launched are Nokia 1, Nokia 7 plus (new version of Nokia 6) and Nokia 8 Sirocco,&nbsp;Nokia 8110 4g.

Nokia 1 and&nbsp;Nokia 8110 4g were the key highlights&nbsp;of the launch.

A mid-range phone Nokia 1 is basic feature phone but what is interesting about this is that it is a first Android Go phone.

Android go was launched by Google in 2017 for phones with RAM up to 1 GB targeting&nbsp;markets with expensive data plans like India.

Android go gives full access to Google play store and comes with preloaded reworked google apps like YouTube go and Gmail go.

It also comes with 8 GB internal storage which is expandable up to 128 GB.

It also has 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and front 2-megapixel front camera.

The users buying Nokia 1 will have two colour variants to choose from, warm red and dark blue.

Nokia is priced at $85 and&nbsp;will available from early&nbsp;April.

The phone&#39;s expected price in India would be around 5,000 rupees.

Priced at $921, Nokia 8 Sirocco was also launched and is part of the Nokia premium range smartphones.

According to reports Nokia 8 Sirocco is targetted to compete with Apple and Samsung phones.

Nokia 8 Sirocco with 5.5-inch screen has&nbsp;features like wireless charging, dual camera.

Upgraded version of Nokia 6, Nokia 7 plus is priced at $491 and runs on Android operating system.

Nokia 8110 4g is an upgraded version of Nokia 8110 which was launched in 1996.

Similarly, in Mobile World Congress of 2017, the company launched the remake of its another iconic phone Nokia 3310.

Phones that were launched are Nokia 1, Nokia 7 plus (new version of Nokia 6) and Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8110 4g

The Finnish company affiliated with Nokia, HMD global unveiled new Nokia phones on Sunday during the ongoing Mobile World Congress. × Phones that were launched are Nokia 1, Nokia 7 plus (new version of Nokia 6) and Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8110 4g. Nokia 1 and Nokia 8110 4g were the key highlights of the launch. A mid-range phone Nokia 1 is basic feature phone but what is interesting about this is that it is a first Android Go phone. Android go was launched by Google in 2017 for phones with RAM up to 1 GB targeting markets with expensive data plans like India. Android go gives full access to Google play store and comes with preloaded reworked google apps like YouTube go and Gmail go. It also comes with 8 GB internal storage which is expandable up to 128 GB. It also has 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and front 2-megapixel front camera. The users buying Nokia 1 will have two colour variants to choose from, warm red and dark blue. Nokia is priced at $85 and will available from early April. The phone's expected price in India would be around 5,000 rupees. Priced at $921, Nokia 8 Sirocco was also launched and is part of the Nokia premium range smartphones. According to reports Nokia 8 Sirocco is targetted to compete with Apple and Samsung phones. Nokia 8 Sirocco with 5.5-inch screen has features like wireless charging, dual camera. Upgraded version of Nokia 6, Nokia 7 plus is priced at $491 and runs on Android operating system. Nokia 8110 4g is an upgraded version of Nokia 8110 which was launched in 1996. Similarly, in Mobile World Congress of 2017, the company launched the remake of its another iconic phone Nokia 3310.

New Nokia smartphones launched in Mobile World Congress

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple&#39;s iPhone X.&nbsp;

Although Samsung has similar appearances, it comes with several new exclusive features and upgrades including the latest Exynos 9810 SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC in some regions), improved cameras, and new AR emojis. Apart from that, the Galaxy S9 series bears full-screen displays with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Also read: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/samsung-galaxy-s9-galaxy-s9-will-be-available-in-india-in-march-34073">Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ will be available in India in March</a>

Samsung&#39;s biggest focus has been on visual applications with its introduction of AR Emoji which rivals Apple&#39;s iPhone X feature called Animoji&nbsp;which allows a user to take a selfie and turn it into their own custom emoji. The camera can track a person&#39;s face and mimic their facial expression on the digital version of themselves too. Samsung is introducing a similar feature with the S9, but rather than using existing emojis&nbsp;it will let you create an avatar of yourself and animate that instead. These can be shared as videos of animated GIFs via email or text message.

Samsung has included the S9 Plus with two cameras - a wide-angle, and a telephoto, similar to the iPhone X and both capture at a resolution of 12 megapixels which is als. Samsung even mounts the two lenses of the S9 Plus vertically something Apple also does with its flagship.&nbsp;

The difference is in the low-light performance. While taking a picture with S9 and S9+, one can capture 12 images at the same time and then compares all exposures to build a single picture that includes all the right specifications required but with little grain and noise as possible. The iPhone X, on the other hand, processes high-dynamic range photos, taking three images at different levels of light exposure to combine them to produce a richer, more balanced image.

Another significant difference between the two phones is the price. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 starts at a price of $720 and the Galaxy S9+ starts at a price of $840, which is $250 less than the arch-rival iPhone X which costs $999.&nbsp;

Also, Apple comes with built-in storage of upto 256GB but does not offer any expansion with a removable SD memory. But Samsung does with the S9. It&rsquo;ll have 64GB built in, but it supports Micro SD cards with up to 400GB of additional capacity.

&nbsp;

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple's iPhone X.

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple's iPhone X. Although Samsung has similar appearances, it comes with several new exclusive features and upgrades including the latest Exynos 9810 SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC in some regions), improved cameras, and new AR emojis. Apart from that, the Galaxy S9 series bears full-screen displays with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Also read: Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ will be available in India in March Samsung's biggest focus has been on visual applications with its introduction of AR Emoji which rivals Apple's iPhone X feature called Animoji which allows a user to take a selfie and turn it into their own custom emoji. The camera can track a person's face and mimic their facial expression on the digital version of themselves too. Samsung is introducing a similar feature with the S9, but rather than using existing emojis it will let you create an avatar of yourself and animate that instead. These can be shared as videos of animated GIFs via email or text message. Samsung has included the S9 Plus with two cameras - a wide-angle, and a telephoto, similar to the iPhone X and both capture at a resolution of 12 megapixels which is als. Samsung even mounts the two lenses of the S9 Plus vertically something Apple also does with its flagship. The difference is in the low-light performance. While taking a picture with S9 and S9+, one can capture 12 images at the same time and then compares all exposures to build a single picture that includes all the right specifications required but with little grain and noise as possible. The iPhone X, on the other hand, processes high-dynamic range photos, taking three images at different levels of light exposure to combine them to produce a richer, more balanced image. Another significant difference between the two phones is the price. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 starts at a price of $720 and the Galaxy S9+ starts at a price of $840, which is $250 less than the arch-rival iPhone X which costs $999. Also, Apple comes with built-in storage of upto 256GB but does not offer any expansion with a removable SD memory. But Samsung does with the S9. It’ll have 64GB built in, but it supports Micro SD cards with up to 400GB of additional capacity.

Is Samsung Galaxy S9 better than iPhone X?

A job application filled out by Steve Jobs more than four decades ago that reflects the Apple founder&#39;s aspirations to work in technology and design will go up for auction next month.

With an estimated value of about $50,000, the one-page application from 1973, complete with spelling and punctuation errors, lists his name as &quot;Steven jobs&quot; and address as &quot;reed college,&quot; the Oregon college he attended briefly, Boston auction house RR Auction said on Thursday.

Under a section titled &quot;Special Abilities,&quot; Jobs wrote &quot;tech or design engineer. digital.--from Bay near Hewitt-Packard,&quot; a reference to pioneering California technology company Hewlett-Packard.

The document but does not state what position Jobs was applying for. Jobs and friend Steve Wozniak founded Apple about three years later. Jobs died of cancer in 2011 at the age of 56.

Though Jobs responded on the form that he had a driver&#39;s license, he said his access to transportation was &quot;possible, but not probable.&quot; Next to &quot;Phone:&quot; he wrote &quot;none.&quot;

The document will be part of a pop culture sale by RR Auction that will take place between March 8 and 15.

Two other Jobs items will appear in the same auction - a Mac OS X technical manual signed by Jobs in 2001, valued at $25,000, and a signed 2008 newspaper clipping, valued at $15,000, with a photo of Jobs and a headline that reads &quot;New, faster iPhone will sell for $199.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
The auction will also feature an original fingerprint card from Jimi Hendrix&#39;s 1969 arrest in Toronto on drug charges, signed by the late rock musician, which is valued at $15,000.

It will include a love letter from the late British singer Amy Winehouse to her husband Blake Fielder-Civil. In addition to the text, the one-page Winehouse letter features a sketch of a baby crocodile surrounded by hearts.

&quot;Do nothing &#39;til you hear from me handsome, I need your arms around me so I can inhale, open my eyes, breathe my heart&#39;s breathe out,&quot; the letter reads, in part. It is valued at about $4,000.

Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in London in 2011 at age of 27.&nbsp;

The document will be part of a pop culture sale by RR Auction that will take place between March 8 and 15

A job application filled out by Steve Jobs more than four decades ago that reflects the Apple founder's aspirations to work in technology and design will go up for auction next month. With an estimated value of about $50,000, the one-page application from 1973, complete with spelling and punctuation errors, lists his name as "Steven jobs" and address as "reed college," the Oregon college he attended briefly, Boston auction house RR Auction said on Thursday. Under a section titled "Special Abilities," Jobs wrote "tech or design engineer. digital.--from Bay near Hewitt-Packard," a reference to pioneering California technology company Hewlett-Packard. The document but does not state what position Jobs was applying for. Jobs and friend Steve Wozniak founded Apple about three years later. Jobs died of cancer in 2011 at the age of 56. Though Jobs responded on the form that he had a driver's license, he said his access to transportation was "possible, but not probable." Next to "Phone:" he wrote "none." The document will be part of a pop culture sale by RR Auction that will take place between March 8 and 15. Two other Jobs items will appear in the same auction - a Mac OS X technical manual signed by Jobs in 2001, valued at $25,000, and a signed 2008 newspaper clipping, valued at $15,000, with a photo of Jobs and a headline that reads "New, faster iPhone will sell for $199." The auction will also feature an original fingerprint card from Jimi Hendrix's 1969 arrest in Toronto on drug charges, signed by the late rock musician, which is valued at $15,000. It will include a love letter from the late British singer Amy Winehouse to her husband Blake Fielder-Civil. In addition to the text, the one-page Winehouse letter features a sketch of a baby crocodile surrounded by hearts. "Do nothing 'til you hear from me handsome, I need your arms around me so I can inhale, open my eyes, breathe my heart's breathe out," the letter reads, in part. It is valued at about $4,000. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in London in 2011 at age of 27.

Steve Jobs' pre-Apple job application could fetch $50,000 at auction

Apple Inc said on Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apples-revenue-outlook-not-as-bad-as-some-feared-analysts-31600">a bug in some versions of its operating </a>systems is causing its devices to crash when a single character in Telugu is sent to the device or typed in text editor.

The company was working on a fix for the iOS 11, the macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4 and tvOS 11 versions that the bug affects, an Apple spokesperson said.

The company said older versions were not affected by the bug and added that Apple had already fixed the issue in the current beta versions of the operating systems.

Devices running on iOS 11 are affected and crash when any application receives the character, tech news website The Verge reported.&nbsp;

Apps become unresponsive, including Apple&#39;s iMessage and third-party applications like WhatsApp, Gmail and Facebook messenger, the news report said.

However, some apps like Telegram and Skype seem to be unaffected, the report said, adding that an Italian blog Mobile World spotted the bug.

The company was working on a fix for the iOS 11, the macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4 and tvOS 11 versions that the bug affects

Apple Inc said on Thursday a bug in some versions of its operating systems is causing its devices to crash when a single character in Telugu is sent to the device or typed in text editor. The company was working on a fix for the iOS 11, the macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4 and tvOS 11 versions that the bug affects, an Apple spokesperson said. The company said older versions were not affected by the bug and added that Apple had already fixed the issue in the current beta versions of the operating systems. Devices running on iOS 11 are affected and crash when any application receives the character, tech news website The Verge reported. Apps become unresponsive, including Apple's iMessage and third-party applications like WhatsApp, Gmail and Facebook messenger, the news report said. However, some apps like Telegram and Skype seem to be unaffected, the report said, adding that an Italian blog Mobile World spotted the bug.

Working to fix Telugu script bug causing device crash: Apple

Apple may discontinue its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/the-big-apple-event-457#photo-25171">first-generation </a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/the-big-apple-event-457#photo-25171">iPhone</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/the-big-apple-event-457#photo-25171"> X</a> later this year.

The second generation Apple device is slated for a release this year.&nbsp;

Although <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-releases-list-of-top-searches-in-2017-hurricane-irma-iphone-x-feature-on-top-26657">iPhone X was one of the most searched items on Google the past year</a> -- according to trends data released by Google -- the device did not manage to garner the expected response from the consumers.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DBQkgb3SxeI" width="560"></iframe>

Experts believe that selling iPhone X at a lower price is not an option that the company is willing to explore as it will end up hurting its other products in the same segment.

The device may go off-shelves from mid-2018 owing to a weakened demand.&nbsp;

The device may go off-shelves from mid-2018 owing to a weakened demand

Apple may discontinue its first-generation iPhone X later this year. The second generation Apple device is slated for a release this year. Although iPhone X was one of the most searched items on Google the past year -- according to trends data released by Google -- the device did not manage to garner the expected response from the consumers. Experts believe that selling iPhone X at a lower price is not an option that the company is willing to explore as it will end up hurting its other products in the same segment. The device may go off-shelves from mid-2018 owing to a weakened demand.

Apple may discontinue iPhone X owing to weakened demand

You may soon see stores without the iPhone X. This is because of the low sales of the highly-anticipated Apple phone.&nbsp;

Apple and KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kua has revealed that the sales were seriously dropping and are expected to reach just around 18 million units in the first quarter of 2018.&nbsp;

Several analysts had earlier predicted at least 20-30 million iPhone X sales in that time.&nbsp;

Kua further expects Apple to make sales of about 13 million in the second quarter of 2018.&nbsp;

As per analysts, one of the primary reasons for the low performance of the model is due to China&#39;s longer replacement periods as consumers choose to hold on to their phones.&nbsp;

Another major reason for the drop in sales is because of iPhone X&#39;s design of the phone, which is not yet compatible with majority of the Chinese apps, leading many customers to see it as offering less usable screen space than 5.5-inch iPhone Plus models

China&#39;s endless love for affordable Android devices is cited as yet another possible reason for iPhone X&#39;s failure to dominate the market.

The analysts&#39; expectation comes in stark contrast with the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel which showed that the iPhone X was the best-selling device in China.&nbsp;

These low sales figures may result in iPhone X actually being dropped from the market - as final sales are predicted at 62 million, rather than the 80 million earlier forecasted.&nbsp;

KGI further said that later in 2018 customers could see renewed interest in iPhones as three new models with lower price tags are going to be introduced. &quot;We believe the addition of 6.5-inch OLED and 6.1-inch LCD iPhone models will boost Apple&#39;s market share in China, and that the US$650-750 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will make it easier for users worldwide to own a 3D sensing and full-screen design iPhone which offers an innovative user experience,&quot; officials from KGI said.&nbsp;

Apple and KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kua has revealed that the sales were seriously dropping with selling just around 18 million units in the first quarter of 2018.

You may soon see stores without the iPhone X. This is because of the low sales of the highly-anticipated Apple phone. Apple and KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kua has revealed that the sales were seriously dropping and are expected to reach just around 18 million units in the first quarter of 2018. Several analysts had earlier predicted at least 20-30 million iPhone X sales in that time. Kua further expects Apple to make sales of about 13 million in the second quarter of 2018. As per analysts, one of the primary reasons for the low performance of the model is due to China's longer replacement periods as consumers choose to hold on to their phones. Another major reason for the drop in sales is because of iPhone X's design of the phone, which is not yet compatible with majority of the Chinese apps, leading many customers to see it as offering less usable screen space than 5.5-inch iPhone Plus models China's endless love for affordable Android devices is cited as yet another possible reason for iPhone X's failure to dominate the market. The analysts' expectation comes in stark contrast with the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel which showed that the iPhone X was the best-selling device in China. These low sales figures may result in iPhone X actually being dropped from the market - as final sales are predicted at 62 million, rather than the 80 million earlier forecasted. KGI further said that later in 2018 customers could see renewed interest in iPhones as three new models with lower price tags are going to be introduced. "We believe the addition of 6.5-inch OLED and 6.1-inch LCD iPhone models will boost Apple's market share in China, and that the US$650-750 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will make it easier for users worldwide to own a 3D sensing and full-screen design iPhone which offers an innovative user experience," officials from KGI said.

Hold on, iPhone X may soon be discontinued?

According to media reports, Google is the first tech-giant to have spent a huge sum of money for corporate lobbying efforts in the United States in two decades.&nbsp;

While Jeff Bezos-led Amazon spent over&nbsp;$12.8 million over lobbying US politicians the past year, rival Google invested a whopping $18 million.&nbsp;

The two companies were followed by Mark Zuckerberg&#39;s Facebook ($11.5), Bill Gates&#39; Microsoft ($8.5 million) and Tim Cook-led Apple ($7 million).

Reportedly, the companies used the money to press the US lawmakers on issues like advertising regulations, free trade, cybersecurity and immigration.&nbsp;

Facebook is reported to have upped its spending on lobbying activities by around $3 million.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Facebook is reported to have upped its spending on lobbying activities by around $3 million

According to media reports, Google is the first tech-giant to have spent a huge sum of money for corporate lobbying efforts in the United States in two decades. While Jeff Bezos-led Amazon spent over $12.8 million over lobbying US politicians the past year, rival Google invested a whopping $18 million. The two companies were followed by Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook ($11.5), Bill Gates' Microsoft ($8.5 million) and Tim Cook-led Apple ($7 million). Reportedly, the companies used the money to press the US lawmakers on issues like advertising regulations, free trade, cybersecurity and immigration. Facebook is reported to have upped its spending on lobbying activities by around $3 million.

US: Google becomes the biggest tech spender on lobbying politicians

Apple&nbsp;Inc&#39;s&nbsp;move on Wednesday to give iPhone owners information about the health of their batteries reverses the company&#39;s longstanding refusal to make such information available directly on iPhones and iPads, even though battery health has long been easy to check on&nbsp;Apple&#39;s Mac computers.

Apple&nbsp;said an update to its iOS operating system will show the phone&#39;s battery health and recommend whether the battery needs to be replaced. It will also let users turn off a controversial piece of software that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-admits-slowing-down-older-iphones-27401" target="_blank">slows the phone&#39;s performance</a> in some situations when the battery is flagging.

Apple&nbsp;acknowledged in December that its software sometimes deliberately slows phones with weak batteries.&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/apple-apologises-for-slowing-iphones-offers-discounted-batteries-28006" target="_blank">apologised and lowered the price of battery replacements</a> in its stores from $79 to $29 for affected phones.

Critics say&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;has obfuscated the fact that a worn-out battery not only fails to hold a charge, it also degrades the phone&#39;s performance. The company&#39;s lack of transparency on the issue has pushed people to buy a new phone rather than a new battery, these people say.

&quot;The battery wears out,&quot; said Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, which publishes repair guides for iPhones and sells replacement parts. &quot;They have been pretending like the battery doesn&#39;t wear out. They&#39;ve made billions of dollars on that pretence.&quot;

Apple&nbsp;has always banned battery-health apps from the App Store for security reasons. While a few developers had found ways around the restrictions, their apps stopped showing a key piece of information - the &quot;charge cycle count,&quot; or how many times the battery has been drained and recharged - after a 2016 software update.

Rogerio Hirooka of Lirum Labs said his company&#39;s app lost charge cycle counts in 2016 but can still provide information on charge capacity, which can be used to determine whether the battery is at the end of its life. He said a routine bug-fix for the app was rejected by&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;in December, just before&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;acknowledged the battery-slowing issue.

Apple&nbsp;rejected his app because it provides &quot;potentially inaccurate diagnostic functionality&quot; that could &quot;mislead or confuse your users,&quot; according to documents from the app review process seen by Reuters.&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;explains that &quot;there is no publicly available infrastructure to support iOS diagnostic analysis,&quot; according to the documents.

Apple&nbsp;declined to comment on why battery diagnosis is available on the Mac but not on the iPhone, or why it rejected the update to Hirooka&#39;s app.

&quot;That fact that they tell you (battery health) on the Mac but it&#39;s a forbidden secret on the iPhone is crazy,&quot; Wiens said.

All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. Until the software update announced Wednesday becomes available - and&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;has not given a specific date - the only way to check an iPhone battery is to take the device to an&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Store or hook the phone up to a Mac computer running special third-party software.

Repair advocates have long criticized&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;and other technology companies for making batteries hard for users to access and replace.&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;has been lobbying against &quot;right to repair&quot; laws in several U.S. states that would require it to sell parts to independent repair shops.

Apple said an update to its iOS operating system will show the phone's battery health and recommend whether the battery needs to be replaced

Apple Inc's move on Wednesday to give iPhone owners information about the health of their batteries reverses the company's longstanding refusal to make such information available directly on iPhones and iPads, even though battery health has long been easy to check on Apple's Mac computers. Apple said an update to its iOS operating system will show the phone's battery health and recommend whether the battery needs to be replaced. It will also let users turn off a controversial piece of software that slows the phone's performance in some situations when the battery is flagging. Apple acknowledged in December that its software sometimes deliberately slows phones with weak batteries. Apple apologised and lowered the price of battery replacements in its stores from $79 to $29 for affected phones. Critics say Apple has obfuscated the fact that a worn-out battery not only fails to hold a charge, it also degrades the phone's performance. The company's lack of transparency on the issue has pushed people to buy a new phone rather than a new battery, these people say. "The battery wears out," said Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, which publishes repair guides for iPhones and sells replacement parts. "They have been pretending like the battery doesn't wear out. They've made billions of dollars on that pretence." Apple has always banned battery-health apps from the App Store for security reasons. While a few developers had found ways around the restrictions, their apps stopped showing a key piece of information - the "charge cycle count," or how many times the battery has been drained and recharged - after a 2016 software update. Rogerio Hirooka of Lirum Labs said his company's app lost charge cycle counts in 2016 but can still provide information on charge capacity, which can be used to determine whether the battery is at the end of its life. He said a routine bug-fix for the app was rejected by Apple in December, just before Apple acknowledged the battery-slowing issue. Apple rejected his app because it provides "potentially inaccurate diagnostic functionality" that could "mislead or confuse your users," according to documents from the app review process seen by Reuters. Apple explains that "there is no publicly available infrastructure to support iOS diagnostic analysis," according to the documents. Apple declined to comment on why battery diagnosis is available on the Mac but not on the iPhone, or why it rejected the update to Hirooka's app. "That fact that they tell you (battery health) on the Mac but it's a forbidden secret on the iPhone is crazy," Wiens said. All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. Until the software update announced Wednesday becomes available - and Apple has not given a specific date - the only way to check an iPhone battery is to take the device to an Apple Store or hook the phone up to a Mac computer running special third-party software. Repair advocates have long criticized Apple and other technology companies for making batteries hard for users to access and replace. Apple has been lobbying against "right to repair" laws in several U.S. states that would require it to sell parts to independent repair shops.

Apple to let users turn off software that slows batteries

Multinational tech giant Apple is all set to join hands with the Malala Fund in a bid to empower girl education in India.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LjZ7ilmgnMQ" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Malala Fund, led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai aims to fight for girls&#39;&nbsp;right to free, quality education.&nbsp;

Apple&#39;s support is expected to extend secondary education opportunities to over 100,000 girls.

&quot;With Apple&rsquo;s support, Malala Fund expects to double the number of grants awarded by its Gulmakai Network and extend funding programs to India and Latin America with the initial goal of extending secondary education opportunities to more than 100,000 girls,&quot; noted the official release.&nbsp;

Malala&#39;s Fund &#39;Gulmakai Network&#39; undertakes programmes in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Turkey and Nigeria.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Impressive news today: Apple supports Malala Fund! 
 
&quot;Apple and Malala Fund today announced that Apple will... <a href="https://t.co/z1tlkh8zqS">https://t.co/z1tlkh8zqS</a>
&mdash; Nobel Peace Summit (@nobelforpeace) <a href="https://twitter.com/nobelforpeace/status/955360982238486528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&ldquo;Through both their innovations and philanthropy, Apple has helped educate and empower people around the world. I am grateful that Apple knows the value of investing in girls and is joining Malala Fund in the fight to ensure all girls can learn and lead without fear,&rdquo; Malala was quoted in Apple&#39;s release.

Tim Cook-led Apple will be the first partner of the fund which aims to provide 12 years of free education to girls.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will also be on the Fund leadership council.&nbsp;

The company will also assist Malala Fund with technological solutions, curriculum and policy research.&nbsp;

Malala Fund started in the year 2013 and has been working in collaboration with organisations, private bodies and governments all across the globe.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Apple CEO Tim Cook will also be on the Fund leadership council.

Multinational tech giant Apple is all set to join hands with the Malala Fund in a bid to empower girl education in India. × The Malala Fund, led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai aims to fight for girls' right to free, quality education. Apple's support is expected to extend secondary education opportunities to over 100,000 girls. "With Apple’s support, Malala Fund expects to double the number of grants awarded by its Gulmakai Network and extend funding programs to India and Latin America with the initial goal of extending secondary education opportunities to more than 100,000 girls," noted the official release. Malala's Fund 'Gulmakai Network' undertakes programmes in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Turkey and Nigeria. Impressive news today: Apple supports Malala Fund! "Apple and Malala Fund today announced that Apple will... https://t.co/z1tlkh8zqS — Nobel Peace Summit (@nobelforpeace) January 22, 2018 × “Through both their innovations and philanthropy, Apple has helped educate and empower people around the world. I am grateful that Apple knows the value of investing in girls and is joining Malala Fund in the fight to ensure all girls can learn and lead without fear,” Malala was quoted in Apple's release. Tim Cook-led Apple will be the first partner of the fund which aims to provide 12 years of free education to girls. Apple CEO Tim Cook will also be on the Fund leadership council. The company will also assist Malala Fund with technological solutions, curriculum and policy research. Malala Fund started in the year 2013 and has been working in collaboration with organisations, private bodies and governments all across the globe.

Apple to support Malala Fund to empower Indian girls

Stronger<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-says-it-sold-fewer-iphones-but-made-record-profit-31535"> iPhone prices and hints by Apple Inc</a> on Thursday that it could return more than half of its $285 billion in cash to shareholders eased concerns among investors, even as the world`s biggest technology company gave a disappointing revenue outlook for the current quarter.

 
Apple also reported it sold fewer iPhones over the holiday quarter than Wall Street had expected.&nbsp;

 
But the revenue outlook for the first three months of 2018 &quot;was not as bad as some feared,&quot; said Jun Zhang of Rosenblatt Securities Inc. Apple&#39;s comments about plans for its $163 billion in net cash helped boost shares 3.3 percent to $173.48 in after-the-bell trading.

 
&ldquo;Over time, we are trying to target a capital structure that is approximately net neutral. We will have approximately the same level of cash and debt on the balance sheet,&rdquo; Apple`s chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told Reuters in an interview.

 
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to take that balance down from $163 billion to zero,&quot; Maestri said, referring to Apple`s current level of cash net of debt.

 
He did not say whether the reduction in net cash would come in the form of returning capital to shareholders, capital expenditures or acquisitions.

 
The cash plans are a &quot;pleasant surprise,&quot; Brian Colello, an analyst at Morningstar Inc, said. &quot;This goes a bit against Apple&rsquo;s historically conservative capital structure.&quot;

 
Trip Miller, managing partner at Gullane Capital Partners and an Apple investor, said the move to a level balance sheet was good news. &quot;Let`s face it, this cash has been doing nothing for us over the last six years,&quot; he said.

 
Apple forecast revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion and gross margins of between 38 percent and 38.5 percent for its fiscal second quarter ending in March. Analysts were expecting $65.7 billion in sales and a gross margin of 38.9 percent for the March quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, though some had forecast sales as low as $60 billion.

 
Thrivent Financial analyst Peter Karazeris said the low revenue forecast had been expected by many analysts and investors following a string of &ldquo;credible reports&rdquo; that Apple had cut parts orders.

 
&quot;I&rsquo;m happy we&rsquo;ve gotten the bad news that I was expecting guided into the stock. It was probably a little overbaked,&quot; he said. &quot;Now we`re focusing on metrics that really matter like free-cash generation and shareholder returns.&quot; Thrivent holds Apple shares.

 
Bright spots in the fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 30 included average selling prices for the iPhone that topped Wall Street predictions, at $796 versus expectations of $756. The strong prices offset unit sales of iPhones that missed Wall Street expectations, coming in at 77.3 million units versus estimates of 80 million.

 
&ldquo;It was really driven by the success of the iPhone X and also the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus,&rdquo; Maestri told Reuters of the pricing strength. &ldquo;The new lineup has done incredibly well.&quot;

 
The company posted revenue of $88.3 billion and profit of $3.89 per share, from $78.4 billion and $3.36 per share a year earlier. The results beat analyst expectations of revenue of $87.3 billion and profits of $3.86 per share.

 
Apple`s services business, which includes Apple Music, the App Store and iCloud, grew 18 per cent to $8.4 billion, missing analyst expectations of $8.6 billion. Maestri said the lower services revenue was because the holiday quarter was only 13 weeks rather than 14 weeks.

 
The services revenue was down slightly from $8.5 billion the quarter before.

 
&quot;That`s something to watch as we roll further into 2018,&quot; said Miller of Gullane Capital. &quot;Does that continue to stagnate, or was that a one-time bump in the road?&quot; 
Maestri also said Apple`s installed base of active devices reached 1.3 billion, 30 per cent higher than two years ago and representing an expansion of potential customers for the services business.

 
Apple said it expected its tax rate for the March quarter to be 15 per cent following changes in US&nbsp;tax law. The company said last month it plans to make a one-time tax payment of $38 billion on its overseas cash and has a five-year, $30 billion US&nbsp;capital expenditure plan.&nbsp;

 
The company did not say how much of its overseas cash it would bring back to the United States in the short term and gave no new information about its capital return program, which it typically updates each April.

Apple reported it sold fewer iPhones over the holiday quarter than Wall Street had expected.

Stronger iPhone prices and hints by Apple Inc on Thursday that it could return more than half of its $285 billion in cash to shareholders eased concerns among investors, even as the world`s biggest technology company gave a disappointing revenue outlook for the current quarter. Apple also reported it sold fewer iPhones over the holiday quarter than Wall Street had expected. But the revenue outlook for the first three months of 2018 "was not as bad as some feared," said Jun Zhang of Rosenblatt Securities Inc. Apple's comments about plans for its $163 billion in net cash helped boost shares 3.3 percent to $173.48 in after-the-bell trading. “Over time, we are trying to target a capital structure that is approximately net neutral. We will have approximately the same level of cash and debt on the balance sheet,” Apple`s chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told Reuters in an interview. “We’re going to take that balance down from $163 billion to zero," Maestri said, referring to Apple`s current level of cash net of debt. He did not say whether the reduction in net cash would come in the form of returning capital to shareholders, capital expenditures or acquisitions. The cash plans are a "pleasant surprise," Brian Colello, an analyst at Morningstar Inc, said. "This goes a bit against Apple’s historically conservative capital structure." Trip Miller, managing partner at Gullane Capital Partners and an Apple investor, said the move to a level balance sheet was good news. "Let`s face it, this cash has been doing nothing for us over the last six years," he said. Apple forecast revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion and gross margins of between 38 percent and 38.5 percent for its fiscal second quarter ending in March. Analysts were expecting $65.7 billion in sales and a gross margin of 38.9 percent for the March quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, though some had forecast sales as low as $60 billion. Thrivent Financial analyst Peter Karazeris said the low revenue forecast had been expected by many analysts and investors following a string of “credible reports” that Apple had cut parts orders. "I’m happy we’ve gotten the bad news that I was expecting guided into the stock. It was probably a little overbaked," he said. "Now we`re focusing on metrics that really matter like free-cash generation and shareholder returns." Thrivent holds Apple shares. Bright spots in the fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 30 included average selling prices for the iPhone that topped Wall Street predictions, at $796 versus expectations of $756. The strong prices offset unit sales of iPhones that missed Wall Street expectations, coming in at 77.3 million units versus estimates of 80 million. “It was really driven by the success of the iPhone X and also the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus,” Maestri told Reuters of the pricing strength. “The new lineup has done incredibly well." The company posted revenue of $88.3 billion and profit of $3.89 per share, from $78.4 billion and $3.36 per share a year earlier. The results beat analyst expectations of revenue of $87.3 billion and profits of $3.86 per share. Apple`s services business, which includes Apple Music, the App Store and iCloud, grew 18 per cent to $8.4 billion, missing analyst expectations of $8.6 billion. Maestri said the lower services revenue was because the holiday quarter was only 13 weeks rather than 14 weeks. The services revenue was down slightly from $8.5 billion the quarter before. "That`s something to watch as we roll further into 2018," said Miller of Gullane Capital. "Does that continue to stagnate, or was that a one-time bump in the road?" Maestri also said Apple`s installed base of active devices reached 1.3 billion, 30 per cent higher than two years ago and representing an expansion of potential customers for the services business. Apple said it expected its tax rate for the March quarter to be 15 per cent following changes in US tax law. The company said last month it plans to make a one-time tax payment of $38 billion on its overseas cash and has a five-year, $30 billion US capital expenditure plan. The company did not say how much of its overseas cash it would bring back to the United States in the short term and gave no new information about its capital return program, which it typically updates each April.

Apple's revenue outlook not as bad as some feared: Analysts

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-firing-one-trump-on-collision-course-with-new-fbi-director-31533" target="_blank">After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director</a>

FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him.

Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director.

CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fidel-castros-eldest-son-commits-suicide-cuban-media-31534" target="_blank">Fidel Castro&#39;s eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media</a>

The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported.

&quot;Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning,&quot; Cubadebate website said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-says-it-sold-fewer-iphones-but-made-record-profit-31535" target="_blank">Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit</a>

Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations.

The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period.

&quot;We&#39;re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple&#39;s history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup,&quot; said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-russia-roles-in-americas-alarming-says-rex-tillerson-31537" target="_blank">China, Russia roles in Americas &#39;alarming&#39;, says Rex Tillerson</a>

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming &quot;alarming&quot; roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead.

&quot;Latin America doesn&#39;t need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people,&quot; Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals.

&quot;China&#39;s state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn&#39;t have to be the hemisphere&#39;s future,&quot; he said, warning that &quot;unfair trading practices&quot; would cost local jobs.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-turns-down-un-security-council-visit-31539" target="_blank">Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit</a>

Myanmar&#39;s government has told the Security Council that this month was &quot;not the right time&quot; for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday.

Kuwait&#39;s Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April.

&quot;They just think that this is not the right time for a visit,&quot; Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him. Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director. CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington. Fidel Castro's eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported. "Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning," Cubadebate website said. Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations. The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period. "We're thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple's history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. China, Russia roles in Americas 'alarming', says Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming "alarming" roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead. "Latin America doesn't need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people," Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals. "China's state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn't have to be the hemisphere's future," he said, warning that "unfair trading practices" would cost local jobs. Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit Myanmar's government has told the Security Council that this month was "not the right time" for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April. "They just think that this is not the right time for a visit," Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

WION Morning News Brief, February 2, 2018

Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations.

The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period.

&quot;We&#39;re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple&#39;s history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup,&quot; said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>However, Apple reported that overall iPhone sales in the quarter of 77.3 million were about a million fewer than the same period a year earlier</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=However, Apple reported that overall iPhone sales in the quarter of 77.3 million were about a million fewer than the same period a year earlier" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;iPhone X surpassed our expectations and has been our top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in November.&quot;

However, Apple reported that overall iPhone sales in the quarter of 77.3 million were about a million fewer than the same period a year earlier.&nbsp;

But iPhone revenues rose 13 percent from a year ago, suggesting its newer models were gaining traction.

The earnings -- for the first quarter of Apple&#39;s financial year -- come amid concerns over weak demand for the newest and most expensive iPhone X, the 10th anniversary edition of the iconic smartphone.

Revenue growth from iPhone sales rose in all regions, and it was the top-selling smartphone overall in mainland China, according to Cook.

&quot;It was a stellar quarter for iPhone,&quot; Cook said.

&quot;iPhone X was the most popular.&quot;

Apple also forecast revenue of between $60 billion and $62 billion in the current quarter, an outlook less rosy than analysts had expected.

Apple shares dipped and then rose more than three percent to $173.40 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

Spotlight off iPhone 
Despite Apple&#39;s spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growth.

Apple&#39;s image has been bruised by revelations that it updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age.

While the iPhone delivered the bulk of revenues, $61.6 billion in the quarter, the key segment of services saw revenue growth of 18 percent to $8.5 billion.

The &quot;other product&quot; segment which includes the Apple Watch and Apple TV, increased 36 percent to $5.5 billion.

Cook spent much of an earnings call with analysts playing up increasing revenue from Apple services, digital content, subscriptions, and products other than iPhones.

The number of Apple devices being used in the world as of January is at an all-time high of 1.3 billion, the ranks having grown 30 percent during the past two years, according to Apple.

&quot;That number speaks to the strength of the product; the loyalty of the customer, the strength of the ecosystem; it also obviously fuels the services business,&quot; Cook said.

While iPhone sales are at the heart of Apple&#39;s money-making machine, the company has taken to spotlighting revenue from the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, iTunes and other content and services people tap into using its devices.

Where&#39;s the wow? 
Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData Retail, saw &quot;worrying trends&quot; behind Apple&#39;s record-breaking quarterly earnings.

The number of iPhones sold declined, and people overall seem to be waiting longer to upgrade to new smartphones, the analyst noted. He saw the slowdown in iPhone sales as a sign that Apple isn&#39;t coming up with the kind of innovations that &quot;wow&quot; consumers.

&quot;We believe that the clear blue water that once existed between Apple and rivals is much diminished,&quot; Saunders said.

&quot;The company has time to reopen the gap, but to do so, it needs to pull something new and unique out of its hat sooner, rather than later.&quot;

Apple said its cash pile grew to $285 billion, with much of that stashed overseas.

The company said last month it would bring back most of its profits from abroad to take advantage of a favorable tax rate in legislation approved by Congress last year.

The repatriation will result in a tax bill of about $38 billion, but also would free up big chunks of money for investment.

The tech giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion in the final three months of last year

Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations. The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period. "We're thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple's history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. However, Apple reported that overall iPhone sales in the quarter of 77.3 million were about a million fewer than the same period a year earlier × "iPhone X surpassed our expectations and has been our top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in November." However, Apple reported that overall iPhone sales in the quarter of 77.3 million were about a million fewer than the same period a year earlier. But iPhone revenues rose 13 percent from a year ago, suggesting its newer models were gaining traction. The earnings -- for the first quarter of Apple's financial year -- come amid concerns over weak demand for the newest and most expensive iPhone X, the 10th anniversary edition of the iconic smartphone. Revenue growth from iPhone sales rose in all regions, and it was the top-selling smartphone overall in mainland China, according to Cook. "It was a stellar quarter for iPhone," Cook said. "iPhone X was the most popular." Apple also forecast revenue of between $60 billion and $62 billion in the current quarter, an outlook less rosy than analysts had expected. Apple shares dipped and then rose more than three percent to $173.40 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. Spotlight off iPhone Despite Apple's spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growth. Apple's image has been bruised by revelations that it updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age. While the iPhone delivered the bulk of revenues, $61.6 billion in the quarter, the key segment of services saw revenue growth of 18 percent to $8.5 billion. The "other product" segment which includes the Apple Watch and Apple TV, increased 36 percent to $5.5 billion. Cook spent much of an earnings call with analysts playing up increasing revenue from Apple services, digital content, subscriptions, and products other than iPhones. The number of Apple devices being used in the world as of January is at an all-time high of 1.3 billion, the ranks having grown 30 percent during the past two years, according to Apple. "That number speaks to the strength of the product; the loyalty of the customer, the strength of the ecosystem; it also obviously fuels the services business," Cook said. While iPhone sales are at the heart of Apple's money-making machine, the company has taken to spotlighting revenue from the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, iTunes and other content and services people tap into using its devices. Where's the wow? Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData Retail, saw "worrying trends" behind Apple's record-breaking quarterly earnings. The number of iPhones sold declined, and people overall seem to be waiting longer to upgrade to new smartphones, the analyst noted. He saw the slowdown in iPhone sales as a sign that Apple isn't coming up with the kind of innovations that "wow" consumers. "We believe that the clear blue water that once existed between Apple and rivals is much diminished," Saunders said. "The company has time to reopen the gap, but to do so, it needs to pull something new and unique out of its hat sooner, rather than later." Apple said its cash pile grew to $285 billion, with much of that stashed overseas. The company said last month it would bring back most of its profits from abroad to take advantage of a favorable tax rate in legislation approved by Congress last year. The repatriation will result in a tax bill of about $38 billion, but also would free up big chunks of money for investment.

Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit

With Apple set to report quarterly results, Thursday investors and others are cautiously watching to see whether its newest iPhone will help fuel momentum for the world&#39;s most valuable company.

Despite Apple&#39;s spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growing.

Apple&#39;s image meanwhile has been bruised by revelations that the company updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age.

Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected.

The company is staking much of its future on the redesigned iPhone X -- the 10th-anniversary edition of the iconic handset -- introduced last year.

Although Apple does not normally break down sales by individual models, some analysts have expressed concern that the newest and most expensive iPhone is a laggard, while others say Apple has delivered on its promise with a fuller range of handsets.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data released on Tuesday indicated that Apple&#39;s flagship iPhone X in December was among the top three best-selling devices across Europe, Australia, Japan, &quot;urban China,&quot; and the US.

&quot;The full results for the last quarter of the year show that Apple&#39;s decision to release three new handsets over a staggered period, including the ultra high-end iPhone X, has been a sound one,&quot; said KWC global director Dominic Sunnebo.

&quot;Given that in December iPhone X made it into the top three best-selling devices across all key regions, particularly in urban China where it was the top-selling model, the pricing strategy seems to have been vindicated.&quot;

Some analysts say Apple needs to think beyond the smartphone if it is looking to secure its future.

&quot;We&#39;re rapidly approaching the era of smartphone market maturation, and quite possibly, the end of smartphone market growth,&quot; said chief analyst Bob O`Donnell of Technalysis Research.

And, while smartphones remain popular, voice-commanded machines, wearable computing, augmented-reality glasses and other innovations could make handsets seem like &#39;old technology&#39; in the not too distant future, the analyst reasoned.

&quot;Challenges for the iPhone X and other high-end smartphones go well beyond just the appearance (or not) of a replacement &#39;super cycle,&#39;&quot; O`Donnell said in a blog post.

Smartphone upgrade rates are at record low levels and do not appear poised to rebound in the current quarter, according to BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk.

&quot;The sustained lengthening of the replacement cycle appears driven simply by customer choice to hold onto their phone longer,&quot; Piecyk said in a note.

Apple is in a unique position following a major tax overhaul which has prompted the company to reveal plans to bring back most of its $269 billion in profits held overseas, providing funds to pay dividends, buy back shares, invest in research, or make acquisitions.

Rumors being floated included the notion that Apple might want to buy streaming television giant Netflix to beef content in its services business.

Netflix&#39;s value based on its share price is more than $88 billion, an amount of cash Apple could afford given its overseas cash, according to Swarup Gupta of Zacks Investment Research.

&quot;Such a buyout would also add to Apple`s services muscle,&quot; Gupta said. 
While there appear to be threats to Apple share price this year, there also appear to be an array of opportunities, according to Gupta.

Apple has touted the growth of its services business, revenue from which rose 34 percent last year to almost $8.5 billion, according to Zacks.

Apple could also start making money from sales of voice-commanded HomePod speakers infused with Siri virtual assistant software.

HomePod will make a belated debut this year, taking on Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.

Gupta noted that the controversy over slowing of older iPhones &quot;has dented the reputation&quot; of the brand.

&quot;But given the nature of Apple&#39;s fan following, it could easily be forgotten in the months to come unless another major slip up happens on the company`s part,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected

With Apple set to report quarterly results, Thursday investors and others are cautiously watching to see whether its newest iPhone will help fuel momentum for the world's most valuable company. Despite Apple's spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growing. Apple's image meanwhile has been bruised by revelations that the company updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age. Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected. The company is staking much of its future on the redesigned iPhone X -- the 10th-anniversary edition of the iconic handset -- introduced last year. Although Apple does not normally break down sales by individual models, some analysts have expressed concern that the newest and most expensive iPhone is a laggard, while others say Apple has delivered on its promise with a fuller range of handsets. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data released on Tuesday indicated that Apple's flagship iPhone X in December was among the top three best-selling devices across Europe, Australia, Japan, "urban China," and the US. "The full results for the last quarter of the year show that Apple's decision to release three new handsets over a staggered period, including the ultra high-end iPhone X, has been a sound one," said KWC global director Dominic Sunnebo. "Given that in December iPhone X made it into the top three best-selling devices across all key regions, particularly in urban China where it was the top-selling model, the pricing strategy seems to have been vindicated." Some analysts say Apple needs to think beyond the smartphone if it is looking to secure its future. "We're rapidly approaching the era of smartphone market maturation, and quite possibly, the end of smartphone market growth," said chief analyst Bob O`Donnell of Technalysis Research. And, while smartphones remain popular, voice-commanded machines, wearable computing, augmented-reality glasses and other innovations could make handsets seem like 'old technology' in the not too distant future, the analyst reasoned. "Challenges for the iPhone X and other high-end smartphones go well beyond just the appearance (or not) of a replacement 'super cycle,'" O`Donnell said in a blog post. Smartphone upgrade rates are at record low levels and do not appear poised to rebound in the current quarter, according to BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk. "The sustained lengthening of the replacement cycle appears driven simply by customer choice to hold onto their phone longer," Piecyk said in a note. Apple is in a unique position following a major tax overhaul which has prompted the company to reveal plans to bring back most of its $269 billion in profits held overseas, providing funds to pay dividends, buy back shares, invest in research, or make acquisitions. Rumors being floated included the notion that Apple might want to buy streaming television giant Netflix to beef content in its services business. Netflix's value based on its share price is more than $88 billion, an amount of cash Apple could afford given its overseas cash, according to Swarup Gupta of Zacks Investment Research. "Such a buyout would also add to Apple`s services muscle," Gupta said. While there appear to be threats to Apple share price this year, there also appear to be an array of opportunities, according to Gupta. Apple has touted the growth of its services business, revenue from which rose 34 percent last year to almost $8.5 billion, according to Zacks. Apple could also start making money from sales of voice-commanded HomePod speakers infused with Siri virtual assistant software. HomePod will make a belated debut this year, taking on Amazon Echo and Google Home devices. Gupta noted that the controversy over slowing of older iPhones "has dented the reputation" of the brand. "But given the nature of Apple's fan following, it could easily be forgotten in the months to come unless another major slip up happens on the company`s part," he said.

Apple challenged to show iPhone star shines

Benchmarks buckled under heavy selling pressure today as wary investors pocketed gains in recent winners ahead of the Union Budget amid lacklustre global leads.

The BSE Sensex sank about 250 points to end at 36,033.73, while the broader NSE Nifty dropped 80 points to 11,049.65.

Brokers said investors took money off the table and held back fresh bets ahead of the Union Budget on February 1.

Market sentiment was also impacted as other Asian markets retreated from record highs, tracking overnight meltdown at the Wall Street after a sell-off in Apple shares.

Investors were also cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve&#39;s two-day monetary policy meeting beginning today.

The 30-share Sensex, after opening a shade lower at 36,277.12, continued its slide to crack the 36,000-mark and hit a low of 35,993.41 during the day. It finally settled at 36,033.73, down 249.52 points, or 0.69 per cent.

The index had gained 232.81 points yesterday and closed at a record high of 36,283.25.

The Nifty too closed lower by 80.75 points, or 0.73 per cent, at 11,049.65 after hitting a low of 11,033.90.

It had ended at a lifetime high of 11,130.40 yesterday.

&quot;Market slid followed by weaknesses in global markets while investors are likely to utilise the correction as improving domestic macros coupled with earnings growth will benefit in the long run.

&quot;The upcoming US Fed policy and India budget will remain the near term catalyst,&quot; said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 291.86 crore on net basis while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also picked up equities to the tune of Rs 90.08 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.

Asian Paints was the worst performer among the Sensex components by falling 2.22 per cent, followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank at 2.20 per cent.

Other laggards were Axis Bank, Dr Reddy&#39;s, Adani Ports, Reliance Industries, Wipro, ICICI Bank, TCS, Yes Bank, HDFC Ltd, Infosys, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, NTPC, ONGC, Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, ITC and HDFC Bank.

Bucking the trend, Coal India, Hero MotoCorp, Sun Pharma, SBI, IndusInd Bank, HUL and Power Grid finished with gains of up to 1.71 per cent.

Reliance Communications soared 10.46 per cent after the company reported narrowing of consolidated loss to Rs 130 crore for the quarter ended December 2017.

Sector-wise, the BSE consumer durables index was the weakest of the lost, dropping 1.74 per cent, followed by IT 1.07 per cent, teck 1.02 per cent, bankex 0.85 per cent, realty 0.80 per cent, metal 0.63 per cent, healthcare 0.61 per cent, infrastructure 0.56 per cent, auto 0.48 per cent, capital goods 0.36 per cent and FMCG 0.33 per cent.

Oil &amp; gas and PSU indices managed to close in the green.

The broader markets continued to face selling pressure, which pulled down the small-cap index by 1.34 per cent and mid-cap by 0.67 per cent.

Overseas, European stocks were trading lower following sharp losses in Asian bourses and on Wall Street. Key indices like Frankfurt&#39;s DAX was down by 0.35 per cent, while Paris CAC 40 shed 0.19 per cent in their late morning deals. London&#39;s FTSE fell 0.42 per cent.

In Asia, Japan&#39;s Nikkei fell 1.43 per cent and Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng slipped 1.09 per cent, while Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.99 per cent.

The BSE Sensex sank about 250 points to end at 36,033.73, while the broader NSE Nifty dropped 80 points to 11,049.65

Benchmarks buckled under heavy selling pressure today as wary investors pocketed gains in recent winners ahead of the Union Budget amid lacklustre global leads. The BSE Sensex sank about 250 points to end at 36,033.73, while the broader NSE Nifty dropped 80 points to 11,049.65. Brokers said investors took money off the table and held back fresh bets ahead of the Union Budget on February 1. Market sentiment was also impacted as other Asian markets retreated from record highs, tracking overnight meltdown at the Wall Street after a sell-off in Apple shares. Investors were also cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting beginning today. The 30-share Sensex, after opening a shade lower at 36,277.12, continued its slide to crack the 36,000-mark and hit a low of 35,993.41 during the day. It finally settled at 36,033.73, down 249.52 points, or 0.69 per cent. The index had gained 232.81 points yesterday and closed at a record high of 36,283.25. The Nifty too closed lower by 80.75 points, or 0.73 per cent, at 11,049.65 after hitting a low of 11,033.90. It had ended at a lifetime high of 11,130.40 yesterday. "Market slid followed by weaknesses in global markets while investors are likely to utilise the correction as improving domestic macros coupled with earnings growth will benefit in the long run. "The upcoming US Fed policy and India budget will remain the near term catalyst," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 291.86 crore on net basis while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also picked up equities to the tune of Rs 90.08 crore yesterday, provisional data showed. Asian Paints was the worst performer among the Sensex components by falling 2.22 per cent, followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank at 2.20 per cent. Other laggards were Axis Bank, Dr Reddy's, Adani Ports, Reliance Industries, Wipro, ICICI Bank, TCS, Yes Bank, HDFC Ltd, Infosys, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, NTPC, ONGC, Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, ITC and HDFC Bank. Bucking the trend, Coal India, Hero MotoCorp, Sun Pharma, SBI, IndusInd Bank, HUL and Power Grid finished with gains of up to 1.71 per cent. Reliance Communications soared 10.46 per cent after the company reported narrowing of consolidated loss to Rs 130 crore for the quarter ended December 2017. Sector-wise, the BSE consumer durables index was the weakest of the lost, dropping 1.74 per cent, followed by IT 1.07 per cent, teck 1.02 per cent, bankex 0.85 per cent, realty 0.80 per cent, metal 0.63 per cent, healthcare 0.61 per cent, infrastructure 0.56 per cent, auto 0.48 per cent, capital goods 0.36 per cent and FMCG 0.33 per cent. Oil & gas and PSU indices managed to close in the green. The broader markets continued to face selling pressure, which pulled down the small-cap index by 1.34 per cent and mid-cap by 0.67 per cent. Overseas, European stocks were trading lower following sharp losses in Asian bourses and on Wall Street. Key indices like Frankfurt's DAX was down by 0.35 per cent, while Paris CAC 40 shed 0.19 per cent in their late morning deals. London's FTSE fell 0.42 per cent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei fell 1.43 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.09 per cent, while Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.99 per cent.

Sensex, Nifty tumble from record highs ahead of Budget

Italy&#39;s antitrust authority today said it had launched a probe into tech giants Apple and Samsung for allegedly shortening the lives of their products so clients would buy newer models.

The watchdog accused the companies of a &quot;commercial policy aimed at exploiting the shortcomings of some (tech) components to reduce the performance of their products over time and persuade consumers to purchase new versions&quot;.

It said it was also looking into complaints the pair failed to provide information on what consequences software updates pushed by the companies would have on products.

The Italian probe follows an investigation launched this month into Apple in France over suspected &quot;planned obsolescence&quot; in some of its iPhone models.

The US company was forced to admit in December that it intentionally slowed down older models of its iPhones over time, sparking concerns it was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade.

At the time, Apple denied it intentionally shortened the life on any of its products. It said it slowed models to extend the performance of the phone, which uses less power when running at slower speeds, and prevent unexpected shutdowns.

The California-based group also faces a class-action suit in the United States.

It has been a bad start to the year for Samsung too: the electronics giant faces a legal case in France over the alleged use of child labour and other abuses in Chinese manufacturing plants producing its products.

The watchdog accused the companies of a 'commercial policy aimed at exploiting the shortcomings of some (tech) components to reduce the performance of their products over time and persuade consumers to purchase new versions'

Italy's antitrust authority today said it had launched a probe into tech giants Apple and Samsung for allegedly shortening the lives of their products so clients would buy newer models. The watchdog accused the companies of a "commercial policy aimed at exploiting the shortcomings of some (tech) components to reduce the performance of their products over time and persuade consumers to purchase new versions". It said it was also looking into complaints the pair failed to provide information on what consequences software updates pushed by the companies would have on products. The Italian probe follows an investigation launched this month into Apple in France over suspected "planned obsolescence" in some of its iPhone models. The US company was forced to admit in December that it intentionally slowed down older models of its iPhones over time, sparking concerns it was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade. At the time, Apple denied it intentionally shortened the life on any of its products. It said it slowed models to extend the performance of the phone, which uses less power when running at slower speeds, and prevent unexpected shutdowns. The California-based group also faces a class-action suit in the United States. It has been a bad start to the year for Samsung too: the electronics giant faces a legal case in France over the alleged use of child labour and other abuses in Chinese manufacturing plants producing its products.

Italy probes Apple, Samsung over cuts to product life

The chairman of a US Senate committee overseeing business issues asked Apple to answer questions about its disclosure that it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good.

Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a January 9 letter to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that &quot;the large volume of consumer criticism leveled against the company in light of its admission suggests that there should have been better transparency.&quot;

Apple said it will cut the price of a replacement for an out-of-warranty battery to $29 from $79 for an iPhone 6 or later. The company also will update its iOS operating system so users can see whether the battery is in poor condition and affecting the phone&#39;s performance.

Thune asked if Apple considered making free battery replacements available or if it explored offering rebates for customers who paid full price for replacement batteries.

He also wants to know if Apple notified consumers of the throttling feature in software updates, which slows the phone, and if customers had the option of declining the update. The letter also asked if the similar software was used in earlier iPhone models.

Thune wants Apple&#39;s answers by January 23

An Apple spokesman did not respond to a request for comment early Wednesday.

Apple addressed the concerns about the quality and durability of its products at a time when it is charging $999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone X.

&quot;We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,&quot;it said last month. &quot;We apologize.&quot;

Apple acknowledged earlier in December that iPhone software can slow down some phones with battery problems. Apple said the problem was that aging lithium batteries delivered power unevenly, which could cause iPhones to shut down unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside.

That disclosure played on a common belief among consumers that Apple purposely slows down older phones to encourage customers to buy newer iPhone models. While no credible evidence has emerged that Apple engaged in such conduct, the better disclosure struck a nerve on social media and elsewhere.

Lawsuits have been filed in California, New York and Illinois alleging the company defrauded users by slowing down devices without warning.

The company also faces a legal complaint in France, where so-called &quot;planned obsolesce&quot; is against the law.

The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good

The chairman of a US Senate committee overseeing business issues asked Apple to answer questions about its disclosure that it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good. Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a January 9 letter to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that "the large volume of consumer criticism leveled against the company in light of its admission suggests that there should have been better transparency." Apple said it will cut the price of a replacement for an out-of-warranty battery to $29 from $79 for an iPhone 6 or later. The company also will update its iOS operating system so users can see whether the battery is in poor condition and affecting the phone's performance. Thune asked if Apple considered making free battery replacements available or if it explored offering rebates for customers who paid full price for replacement batteries. He also wants to know if Apple notified consumers of the throttling feature in software updates, which slows the phone, and if customers had the option of declining the update. The letter also asked if the similar software was used in earlier iPhone models. Thune wants Apple's answers by January 23 An Apple spokesman did not respond to a request for comment early Wednesday. Apple addressed the concerns about the quality and durability of its products at a time when it is charging $999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone X. "We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,"it said last month. "We apologize." Apple acknowledged earlier in December that iPhone software can slow down some phones with battery problems. Apple said the problem was that aging lithium batteries delivered power unevenly, which could cause iPhones to shut down unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside. That disclosure played on a common belief among consumers that Apple purposely slows down older phones to encourage customers to buy newer iPhone models. While no credible evidence has emerged that Apple engaged in such conduct, the better disclosure struck a nerve on social media and elsewhere. Lawsuits have been filed in California, New York and Illinois alleging the company defrauded users by slowing down devices without warning. The company also faces a legal complaint in France, where so-called "planned obsolesce" is against the law.

US senator wants Apple to answer questions on slowing iPhones

Apple Inc shareholders Jana Partners and the California State Teachers&#39;&nbsp;Retirement System are urging the smartphone maker to take steps to address what they say is a growing problem of young people getting addicted to Apple&#39;s iPhones, Jana partner Charles Penner said.

Jana, a leading activist shareholder, and CalSTRS, one of the nation&#39;s largest public pension plans, delivered a letter to Apple on Saturday asking the company to consider developing software that would allow parents to limit children&#39;s phone use, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Sunday.

Jana and CalSTRS also asked Apple to study the impact of excessive phone use on mental health, according to the publication.&nbsp;

CalSTRS and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jana and CalSTRS together control about $2 billion worth of Apple shares, the Journal reports.

The social rights issue is a new turn for Jana, which is known for pushing companies it invests in to make financial changes.&nbsp;

However, the issue of phone addiction among young people has become a growing concern in the United States as parents report their children cannot give up their phones. CalSTRS and Jana worry that Apple`s reputation and stock could be hurt if it does not address those concerns, according to the Journal.&nbsp;

Half of the teenagers in the United States feel like they are addicted to their mobile phones and report feeling pressure to immediately respond to phone messages, according to a 2016 survey of children and their parents by Common Sense Media.

The phone addiction issue got a high-profile boost from the former Disney child star Selena Gomez, 24, who said she cancelled a 2016 world tour to go to therapy for depression and low self-esteem, feelings she linked to her addiction to social media and the mobile photo-sharing app Instagram.

Jana and CalSTRS also asked Apple to study the impact of excessive phone use on mental health, according to the publication

Apple Inc shareholders Jana Partners and the California State Teachers' Retirement System are urging the smartphone maker to take steps to address what they say is a growing problem of young people getting addicted to Apple's iPhones, Jana partner Charles Penner said. Jana, a leading activist shareholder, and CalSTRS, one of the nation's largest public pension plans, delivered a letter to Apple on Saturday asking the company to consider developing software that would allow parents to limit children's phone use, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Sunday. Jana and CalSTRS also asked Apple to study the impact of excessive phone use on mental health, according to the publication. CalSTRS and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jana and CalSTRS together control about $2 billion worth of Apple shares, the Journal reports. The social rights issue is a new turn for Jana, which is known for pushing companies it invests in to make financial changes. However, the issue of phone addiction among young people has become a growing concern in the United States as parents report their children cannot give up their phones. CalSTRS and Jana worry that Apple`s reputation and stock could be hurt if it does not address those concerns, according to the Journal. Half of the teenagers in the United States feel like they are addicted to their mobile phones and report feeling pressure to immediately respond to phone messages, according to a 2016 survey of children and their parents by Common Sense Media. The phone addiction issue got a high-profile boost from the former Disney child star Selena Gomez, 24, who said she cancelled a 2016 world tour to go to therapy for depression and low self-esteem, feelings she linked to her addiction to social media and the mobile photo-sharing app Instagram.

Apple should address youth phone addiction, say two large investors

Remember Lisa? Apple&#39;s personal computer device came way before the much-loved Macbook of the 21st century.&nbsp;

According to reports, California&#39;s Computer History Museum has managed to recover the source code which will facilitate the release of Lisa operating system (OS).

The source code for the OS as well as the applications now rests with Apple for review.&nbsp;

Lisa OS will be made available for free this year once Apple clears it for a release.&nbsp;

Lisa was released in the year 1983 and managed to sell close to ten thousand units.&nbsp;

Lisa&#39;s apparent failure is often believed to be the reason behind Steve&#39;s Job&#39;s shift from the company after which he founded NeXT Computer.

The company was eventually overtaken by Apple.&nbsp;

Lisa OS will be made available for free this year once Apple clears it for a release.

Remember Lisa? Apple's personal computer device came way before the much-loved Macbook of the 21st century. According to reports, California's Computer History Museum has managed to recover the source code which will facilitate the release of Lisa operating system (OS). The source code for the OS as well as the applications now rests with Apple for review. Lisa OS will be made available for free this year once Apple clears it for a release. Lisa was released in the year 1983 and managed to sell close to ten thousand units. Lisa's apparent failure is often believed to be the reason behind Steve's Job's shift from the company after which he founded NeXT Computer. The company was eventually overtaken by Apple.

Apple likely to release Lisa OS for free this year

apple

Apple, News on Apple, stories on Apple, articles on Apple, Apple stories at Wion, Apple news, Apple latest news