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Tag: Apple
February 25, 2025
Culture
TECH

Apple Shareholders Vote to Keep DEI Program.

Apple shareholders have rejected a proposal to halt the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program, as many other companies are ditching DEI. The initiative to end woke DEI policies at Apple was led by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank.

In the proposal, the center cited potential litigation and financial risks linked to DEI programs as a primary concern for shareholders. A similar proposal was previously rejected at Costco’s annual meeting. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company’s culture relies on hiring exceptional talent and fostering collaboration. “We’ve never had quotas or targets for Apple,” Cook claimed.

In recent months, businesses like Google, Target, and Disney have reduced or eliminated their DEI programs. Conservative activism and court decisions have largely influenced the policy changes, with many companies scrapping DEI after President Trump’s election win last November.

In the first days of his administration, President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate DEI within the federal government and among federal government contractors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also ended its DEI policies shortly before Trump’s inauguration.

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Apple shareholders have rejected a proposal to halt the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program, as many other companies are ditching DEI. The initiative to end woke DEI policies at Apple was led by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank. show more
February 24, 2025
Economy
TECH

Apple Commits $500 Billion to U.S. Investment In Response to Pressure from Trump.

Apple announced on Monday its intention to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next five years, including plans to create 20,000 jobs and build artificial intelligence (AI) servers. The move is seen as a response to pressure from President Donald J. Trump and his plans to impose tariffs on foreign imports from countries with tariffs on American exports.

The company’s latest ventures include constructing a server factory in Houston by 2026 and establishing a manufacturing academy in Detroit. Existing data centers across several states—including Arizona, California, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington—will also receive investment for expansion.

This recent pledge builds upon Apple’s earlier U.S. expansion. In 2021, it committed to investing $430 billion domestically over five years. In 2018, Apple announced a $350 billion investment in the American economy, promising the creation of 20,000 jobs. Additionally, Apple confirmed that an Arizona facility owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has begun producing valuable semiconductor chips.

President Trump, who met with Apple CEO Tim Cook last week, suggested his tariff threats influenced the new plans. “APPLE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED A RECORD 500 BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” the America First leader wrote, adding: “THE REASON, FAITH IN WHAT WE ARE DOING, WITHOUT WHICH, THEY WOULD’NT BE INVESTING TEN CENTS. THANK YOU TIM COOK AND APPLE!!!”

Despite the planned domestic U.S. expansion, Apple’s core products, like the iPhone, will remain manufactured abroad.

Apple stated that its new hires will primarily focus on research, development, engineering, and AI. “We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement, adding: “And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”

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Apple announced on Monday its intention to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next five years, including plans to create 20,000 jobs and build artificial intelligence (AI) servers. The move is seen as a response to pressure from President Donald J. Trump and his plans to impose tariffs on foreign imports from countries with tariffs on American exports. show more
January 4, 2025
TECH

Apple’s $95M Cash Settlement Could Result in a Whopping $20 Payout Per Person.

Apple has consented to a $95 million cash settlement following a class action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations caused by its voice assistant, Siri. The lawsuit claims that Apple’s assistant recorded and shared user conversations without consent.

The lawsuit argues that Siri was unintentionally activated, capturing private discussions, which were then shared with third parties, including advertisers. Users say that these incidents occurred without initiating Siri with typical trigger words. Apple maintains its denial of any wrongdoing as the settlement awaits approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland, California.

If approved, the settlement could allow users of Apple’s products between September 17, 2014, and 2024 to claim compensation. Each claimant might receive up to $20 per eligible Siri-enabled device, capped at five devices. These include a range of Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and more. However, claims are expected from only a small fraction of eligible customers.

Financially, this settlement equates to around nine hours of profit for Apple, a company with a net income of $93.74 billion in its latest fiscal year. Since September 2014, Apple has accumulated $705 billion in profits. A hearing to review the settlement terms has been suggested for February 14.

A similar case against Google‘s Voice Assistant is underway in California, represented by the same legal teams involved in the Apple lawsuit.

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Apple has consented to a $95 million cash settlement following a class action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations caused by its voice assistant, Siri. The lawsuit claims that Apple's assistant recorded and shared user conversations without consent. show more
August 14, 2024
TECH

Could Google Really Be Broken Up?

Google could soon be broken up into smaller companies after the Internet search giant was found to be in violation of U.S. antitrust law last week. The Justice Department (DOJ) is weighing a range of potential remedies to Google‘s search monopoly for consideration by a federal judge. One option would be to force the company to spin off parts of its business, like the Chrome browser and Android smartphone.

While breaking up Google is a distinct possibility, other options under consideration include forcing the tech giant to adopt data interoperability—meaning they’d be required to share data with competitors. Additionally, the court could nullify deals that make Google’s search engine the default setting on various devices, including Apple‘s iPhone.

The DOJ is reportedly consulting with technology industry experts and companies impacted by Google‘s monopoly regarding potential remedies. According to individuals close to the discussions, the deliberations are currently in preliminary stages.

Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, overseeing the case, has directed both the DOJ and Google to establish a procedural framework by September 4. A subsequent hearing to outline the next steps is set for September 6.

Last week’s judgment against Google represents a significant milestone in antitrust enforcement. The ruling will likely intensify the scrutiny of technology conglomerates such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta, which are also facing antitrust investigations. Google is scheduled for another antitrust trial focused on ad technology next month.

The implications for the tech giant are substantial, given the company’s evolution into a $2 trillion enterprise driven by a robust online advertising apparatus and other ventures tied to its search engine. Last year, Google‘s search engine and associated businesses generated $175 billion in revenue.

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Google could soon be broken up into smaller companies after the Internet search giant was found to be in violation of U.S. antitrust law last week. The Justice Department (DOJ) is weighing a range of potential remedies to Google's search monopoly for consideration by a federal judge. One option would be to force the company to spin off parts of its business, like the Chrome browser and Android smartphone. show more
June 14, 2024
TECH

AI Will Always Lie, Admits Apple’s Tim Cook.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says artificial intelligence (AI) programs like large language models (LLM)—think ChatGPT—are likely to continue generating false information and lying to users. “It’s not 100 percent,” Cook said in a recent interview with The Washington Post when asked if Apple‘s venture into AI would produce a ‘truthful’ chatbot. He emphasized that the company is “confident it will be very high quality” but added: “I would never claim that it’s 100 percent.”

Users of AI tools like LLM-powered chatbots have increasingly encountered what they call “hallucinations,” a term used to describe AI-generated inaccuracies. These errors can either be intentional—i.e., programmed into the AI by its creator—or can develop incidentally as the AI learns and expands its knowledge. The former has increasingly become a flashpoint in American politics as some AI image generators created by major technology companies have produced purposefully inaccurate results for the sake of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The National Pulse reported in March that Adobe’s Firefly AI image generator regularly refused to depict white people and inserted minorities into historically inappropriate contexts. A similar issue was faced by Google‘s Gemini AI tool before they temporarily suspended it from use after public backlash. The AI image generator Midjourny recently blocked users altogether from creating images featuring Donald Trump or Joe Biden, claiming the policy is meant to prevent election misinformation.

Cook’s remarks came as Apple has officially entered the AI sector, announcing a range of machine learning tools at its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this week.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook says artificial intelligence (AI) programs like large language models (LLM)—think ChatGPT—are likely to continue generating false information and lying to users. "It’s not 100 percent," Cook said in a recent interview with The Washington Post when asked if Apple's venture into AI would produce a 'truthful' chatbot. He emphasized that the company is "confident it will be very high quality" but added: "I would never claim that it’s 100 percent." show more
China Apple App Store Bans
April 19, 2024
Jack Montgomery
TECH

China Demands Apple Remove WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, & Telegram from App Store… Apple Caves.

China’s Cyberspace Administration has demanded that Apple pull four popular messaging apps from its China-based App Store over national security concerns. WhatsApp and Threads, owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, along with Signal and Telegram, could circumvent China’s ‘Great Firewall’ via virtual private networks.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree. The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns,” Apple confirmed in a statement.

The takedowns come as the Chinese Embassy in the United States is lobbying Congress directly over the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications bill. Passed by the House of Representatives but still requiring Senate approval, the bill would require ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to divest from the social media app or be banned from operating in the U.S.

The Chinese regime, which denies controlling TikTok, insists its intervention is “not about lobbying for a single company but about whether all Chinese companies can be treated fairly.”

Chinese state-owned entities own “golden shares” in ByteDance, giving Chinese Communist Party apparatchiks veto power on its board.

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China's Cyberspace Administration has demanded that Apple pull four popular messaging apps from its China-based App Store over national security concerns. WhatsApp and Threads, owned by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, along with Signal and Telegram, could circumvent China's 'Great Firewall' via virtual private networks. show more
March 21, 2024
Ed Kozak
TECH

Biden Sues Apple.

The Biden regime is suing Apple Inc. On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and over a dozen states filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Big Tech giant, accusing it of illegal monopoly over the smartphone market.

“Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits but by violating federal antitrust law,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies break the law.”

In the formal complaint lodged in a federal court in New Jersey, Apple is accused of using its domination over the iPhone hardware and software to perpetuate its market supremacy, effectively barring competitors from reaching consumers. Sixteen state and district attorneys general have signed on with the DOJ to pursue the case.

“Monopolies like Apple’s threaten the free and fair markets upon which our economy is based. They stifle innovation. They hurt producers and workers and increase cost for consumers,” Garland said. “If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly. But there’s a law for that,” he continued.

Apple asserts that it focuses on technological innovation and privacy protection and that the lawsuit’s arguments are inconsistent with the facts and the law. Apple has vowed to contest the lawsuit aggressively.

The DOJ alleges Apple adopted tactics such as hindering the diffusion of “SuperApps,” which ease transitions between smartphone platforms, and intentionally downgraded cross-platform messaging quality. It also accuses Apple of thwarting the creation of cloud streaming apps and associated services, which the DOJ says would allow customers to access high-quality games and other apps without necessitating Apple hardware.

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The Biden regime is suing Apple Inc. On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and over a dozen states filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Big Tech giant, accusing it of illegal monopoly over the smartphone market. show more
March 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
TECH
UK

Apple, Google Block Access to Tommy Robinson’s Telegram Channel.

Anti-grooming gangs activist turned citizen journalist Tommy Robinson reports his Telegram channel can no longer be accessed via Apple and Android phones because Apple and Google have taken steps to block users’ access to it. The National Pulse has independently confirmed his complaints.

“If you’re trying to access my Telegram channel and you can’t, it’s because the censorship continues,” he said in a post on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter).

“Apple… and also Google Play, Android, whatever,” have blocked access to the channel, Robinson continued, explaining: “Telegram haven’t banned me, but the mobile phone companies and providers have.”

“We’re obviously doing something right,” Robinson suggested, adding, “if it wasn’t for  Elon Musk we’d be totally erased again now.”

He urged the South African tech entrepreneur to “bring out his own mobile phone, so we can get away from iPhones, so we can get away from their censorship, Google, all of them.”

Musk does partly censor Robinson, however. It is impossible to embed Robinson’s posts on outside sites — including The National Pulse.

Robinson said people who want to view his Telegram channel can still do so by downloading the Telegram desktop app directly from Telegram.

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Anti-grooming gangs activist turned citizen journalist Tommy Robinson reports his Telegram channel can no longer be accessed via Apple and Android phones because Apple and Google have taken steps to block users’ access to it. The National Pulse has independently confirmed his complaints. show more
December 29, 2023
News
TECH

CCP-Linked TikTok Demands Users’ iPhone Passwords.

TikTok users have been asked to input their iPhone passwords to view content. The video app, known to have been involved in controversial surveillance of journalists in the past, has yet to clarify the reasons for these demands.

The issue was first noticed in late November. Since then, an increasing number of users have voiced their concerns. Notably, it began around the same time Apple released two critical security updates for the iPhone. The most recent iOS update, rolled out on December 11, fixed a bug that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive user data.

Some benign reasons for the password demands have been posited, such as a glitch, implementing a security measure to address vulnerabilities, or enabling the “restricted mode” content filter. Cybersecurity experts warn these would be poor justifications, however, given the enormous security risks and the potential exposure to phishing and other scams.

An overtly sinister motive is also possible, given TikTok’s links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Beijing’s desire to access the personal data of citizens in rival states.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray warned in 2022 that “the Chinese government could use [TikTok] to control data collection on millions of users, or control the recommendation algorithm which could be used for influence operations if they so choose, or to control software on millions of devices.”

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TikTok users have been asked to input their iPhone passwords to view content. The video app, known to have been involved in controversial surveillance of journalists in the past, has yet to clarify the reasons for these demands. show more
December 6, 2023
News

Gunman Injures 4 In Brussels Shooting.

Four individuals have been injured in a shooting that occurred in a major shopping district in Brussels, Belgium this evening. Authorities received reports of the incident around 7:30 p.m. local time on the Avenue de la Toison d’Or.

According to police, the victims were located in different areas within the vicinity. One was discovered near the Galerie Toison d’Or, a bustling shopping center, and a second victim was found near an Apple store. Another casualty was found on a nearby high street. One of the victims is currently in serious condition at a local hospital.

Police spokesman Ilse Van de Keere confirmed the details, saying, “Around 7:30 p.m., we received reports of a shooting on Avenue de la Toison d’Or. Our services immediately went to the scene. Several people were injured. A perimeter was set up.”

The gunman is believed to be at large.

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Four individuals have been injured in a shooting that occurred in a major shopping district in Brussels, Belgium this evening. Authorities received reports of the incident around 7:30 p.m. local time on the Avenue de la Toison d'Or. show more