Let’s Talk Apple – Ep. 18 (February 2015)

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Panel:

The show starts with a quick look at some of the many Apple-related numbers and statistics released in February before moving on to a quick rundown of some Apple-related legal stories. The big stories for the month were the explosion of iCar rumours, the release of Photos (to be discussed in more detail next month), iCloud for all, three major green building projects for Apple, and some interesting Apple hires. The show finishes with a quick rundown of some other Apple related stories that made the news in February.

You’ll find detailed show notes below the fold, and if you enjoy this free show, please consider clicking on the donate button at the top of the left side bar – the show is free for you to listen to, but not for Bart to Produce!

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Notable Numbers
  • iPhone profit share rises to record level (~89%), while Android dropped to a record low (~11%) – appleinsider.com/…
    • RELATED – Samsung reportedly ready to ditch Japanese Smartphone market due to dwindling sales – www.macobserver.com/…
  • Apple market valuation reaches $750B – more than 2x the value of any other company – medium.com/…
  • A drop in smartphone thefts in London (-50%), NYC (-25%) & San Fran (-40%) suggests that 'kill switches' in Smartphones are having the desired effect – www.reuters.com/…
  • Email tracking firm reporting that more than half of all emails opened in the UK are opened on an Apple device – www.engagecustomer.com/…
Legal Latest
  • Reporting by the WSJ alleges that Michael Bromwich, the antitrust monitor appointed by Judge Coté in the ebook price-fixing case that Apple is appealing, has committed 'major abuses' against Apple – appleinsider.com/…
  • Ericsson sue Apple after failing to reach agreement on renewing a patent license – www.macobserver.com/…
  • Apple lose patent case to Smartflash LLC in Texas – Apple will appeal and are calling Smartflash Patent Trolls, Smartflash object to this – www.macobserver.com/… & arstechnica.com/…
Main Stories
  1. iCar – rumours exploded in January that Apple are making a car
    • Business Insider initially reported on a strange Apple-owned car driving around with cameras on it. This reportedly prompted an Apple Employee to email them to say that Tesla employees are jumping ship to work on an Apple project that is too good to pass up and will give Tesla a run for their money – www.businessinsider.com/…
    • The Financial Times of London really started the ball rolling with a report that Apple was working on a car and that the project was being headed by a former Mercedes-Benz exec, who 9to5Mac are naming as Johann Jungwirth – www.macobserver.com/…
    • WSJ report that Apple has a staff of 'several hundred' working on a car under the code-name 'Project Titan' – arstechnica.com/…
    • Bloomberg report that Apple want to start producing the car as soon as 2020 – www.bloomberg.com/…
    • 9to5 Mac run down a list of Apple's car-related-hires – 9to5mac.com/…
    • A123 Systems sues Apple for poaching car battery engineers – www.macobserver.com/…
    • Apple add cars to their business description in Switzerland – www.macobserver.com/…
    • Recent Apple Hire Mark Newson created a concept car for Ford in 1999 – www.macobserver.com/…
  2. Photos
    • Apple add photos preview to website and release a beta version of the App to developers – www.apple.com/…
    • Apple confirmed that Aperture will be removed from the MAS when Photos is released to the public – www.macrumors.com/…
    • Since the second of March so can the public via the OS X 10.10.3 public beta – www.macobserver.com/…
    • Since the public beta is only just out – we'll save this topic until the March show
    • Apple show-case best of iPhone photography – www.apple.com/…
  3. iCloud for Everyone – Apple take iCloud out of beta and open up a limited service to anyone with an Apple ID – www.macobserver.com/…
  4. More Green Apple Building Projects
    • Apple will inbest $2Bn to convert the failed GTAT sapphire plant into a global 'Command and Control' data centre that will be powered by 100% renderable energy, from a new local solar farm – www.macobserver.com/…
    • Apple to invest $848M in a new Solar Farm in Monterey County, CA – www.macobserver.com/…
    • Apple to invest €1.7Bn in new European data centres (one in Athenry in Ireland, and one in Denmark), both will be entirely powered by green energy – www.apple.com/…
  5. Notable Apple Staff Changes:
Quick Stories

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