Latest news with #AppleIntelligenceAI
Business Insider
01-08-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Tim Cook is in a shopping mood
In a rare move, Apple CEO Tim Cook indicated interest in corporate acquisitions. "We're very open to M&A that accelerates our road map," Cook said on Thursday's earnings call, referring to mergers and acquisitions. "We are not stuck on a certain size company, although the ones that we have acquired thus far this year are small in nature." The CEO added, "We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a road map. If they do, then we're interested." Apple rarely splurges on big acquisitions. Its largest buy was Beats Electronics for $3 billion in 2014, which it used as a starting point to develop Apple Music. In the last few years, the company has bought smaller global fintech, augmented reality, and AI startups. On Thursday's call, Cook said Apple has bought seven companies this year from "all walks of life" and was doing a deal once every few weeks. In May, Apple bought video game studio RAC7 for an undisclosed amount. Still, Apple's recent eight- to nine-figure deals are small compared with those of its Big Tech counterparts, who have been spending big to stay competitive in the AI and cloud race. In March, Google finalized a $32 billion acquisition of the cloud security startup Wiz. In May, OpenAI said that it was acquiring iPhone designer Jony Ive's AI devices startup io for about $6.4 billion. In June, Meta paid $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in data labelling startup Scale AI. More acquisitions could be the iPhone maker's way of playing catch-up in the AI supremacy race that engulfed Big Tech. Last year, Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI platform. But this year, at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, asenior vice president of software engineering, said Apple's work on Siri needed " more time." On Thursday, Apple delivered record third-quarter revenue of $94 billion compared to Wall Street's estimates of $89.3 billion. It also beat on earnings per share, a key profitability measure, which came in at $1.57 compared to the estimated $1.43.
Business Insider
31-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Apple salaries revealed: How much the iPhone giant pays AI staff, software engineers, and designers
As the race for AI supremacy consumes Big Tech, Apple lags behind many of its peers. Four of Apple's top AI researchers have defected to Meta in the past month, Bloomberg reported, and Apple has upped pay for researchers within its Apple Foundation Models (AFM) group, Bloomberg reported — another symptom of the ongoing talent wars. Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI platform last year. At this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, said Apple's work on Siri needed " more time." That said, Apple is hiring for hundreds of roles in machine learning and AI, and nabbing a job at the company remains a dream for many. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a 2023 interview with the singer Dua Lipa that the company hires from " all walks of life," and he said he prizes qualities like collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. "Fundamentally, we all believe that one plus one equals three," Cook said in the interview. "Your idea plus my idea is better than the individual ideas on their own." In addition to competitive salaries, Apple offers various benefits, from stock grants to discounts on its products. While Apple and other Big Tech firms don't disclose salary information publicly, the federal filings they make when hiring outside the US can hint at pay ranges for certain roles. That said, the data only refers to foreign hires and doesn't include equity or other benefits employees can receive on top of their base pay. The Apple salary filings show a machine learning engineer or researcher can take home as much as $312,200, while a human interface designer can earn as much as $468,500. Apple's data scientists can earn $322,400 in base pay, while software development engineers can pocket as much as $378,700. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Here's what Apple pays across other key roles, based on applications from the second quarter of 2025. Engineering roles CPU Implementation Engineering: $103,164 to $264,200 Design for Test Engineer: $131,352 to $293,800 Design Verification: $103,164 to $312,200 Electronics Engineer: $108,160 to $264,200 Engineering Project/Program Manager: $105,550 to $301,400 FE Engineering: $125,694 to $312,200 Hardware Development: $124,942 to $293,800 Hardware Systems Engineering: $125,495 to $378,700 Manufacturing Quality: $142,293 to $227,600 Module Design Engineer: $108,796 to $329,600 Physical Design Engineer: $101,982 to $341,200 Production Services Engineer: $122,800 to $293,800 Reliability Engineering: $128,300 to $264,200 RF/Analog/Mixed Signal Engineering: $131,352 to $312,200 Silicon Validation Engineering: $103,164 to $329,600 System Product Design Engineer: $103,164 to $312,200 Tools and Automation Engineer: $105,602 to $293,800 Wireless Systems Engineering: $128,300 to $312,200 Wireless Systems Validation Engineer: $126,672 to $312,200 Data roles Data Engineer: $105,602 to $234,700 Data Scientist: $105,550 to $322,400 AI roles Machine Learning: $126,880 to $329,600 Machine Learning Engineer: $143,100 to $312,200 Machine Learning Research: $114,100 to $312,200 Software development roles AR/VR Software Development: $129,805 to $312,200 Human Interface Designer: $135,400 to $468,500 Software Developer: $132,267 to $264,200 Software Development Engineer: $132,267 to $378,700 Software Development Engineer - Applications: $132,267 to $378,700 Software Development Engineer - Data: $135,400 to $329,600 Software Development Engineer - Firmware: $126,880 to $312,200 Software Development Engineer - Test: $94,640 to $329,600 Software Development Engineering Manager: $166,691 to $378,700 Software Engineering Applications: $103,164 to $378,700 Software Engineering Applications Manager: $171,400 to $378,700 Software Engineering Systems: $126,880 to $329,600 Other types of roles Professional Services Consultant: $100,200 to $258,700 Strategic Sourcing Manager: $110,600 to $286,400
Fast Company
24-07-2025
- Fast Company
Apple's iOS 26 public beta is out. Here's how to install it safely
A stable 'release' version of Apple's iOS 26 is due in September, but you can now try an in-progress version, called the public beta. It previews a revamped interface and new features in apps like Messages and Phone (both with spam filtering), Camera, Wallet, and especially CarPlay. Models starting with the iPhone 15 Pro also get upgrades to the Apple Intelligence AI suite, including live translation, improved image creation, and the ability to search visually across apps. The translucent Liquid Glass interface is seeing a bit of a revival in areas such as Notification Center, after Apple toned it down in earlier betas. Is the iOS 26 public beta safe to install? The public beta follows four developer betas meant for app creators (although others tend to install betas out of curiosity). Adding the word public doesn't mean this beta is without risks. To get it, you have to accept an agreement that absolves Apple of responsibility for any problems it may cause. This includes bricking—rendering the phone inoperable. It's safest to test the public beta on a spare device, which Apple's beta site strongly recommends. You can lower the risk to an old model or your current one by first backing up your iPhone and learning how to unbrick and roll it back to the latest release version of iOS 18. We'll walk you through how to do that further down. These tips may also help with glitches you may encounter in the release version. How to get iOS 26 public beta First, check whether your iPhone supports iOS 26. Apple's list includes models back to 2019's iPhone 11 and 2020's SE (2nd generation), both using the A13 Bionic chip. If you have an iPhone X or earlier model, it won't show an option to download iOS 26. Getting the beta is easy: Visit the Apple Beta site, click Sign Up, and log in with the same Apple ID your iPhone uses. Signing up provides access to all Apple OS 26 betas: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, plus HomePod software. Does installing iOS 26 public beta void my warranty? According to Apple's FAQ, installing the beta won't void your hardware warranty, although you will have to restore to a stable OS version before getting service. Apple Beta Software Program login screen for signing in with Apple ID But within the the roughly 5,500-word Apple Beta Software Agreement is the clause: 'APPLE SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS, EXPENSES OR OTHER LIABILITIES YOU MAY INCUR . . . INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DAMAGE TO ANY EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE OR DATA.' (Fast Company has asked Apple to clarify whether 'equipment' would include the iPhone hardware and will update if we get an answer.) The agreement does say that the company may provide support through its beta program, 'at Apple's option.' TL;DR: Don't count on help, and take your own precautions. How to back up your iPhone before installing iOS 26 public beta Before you do anything, first back up your iPhone. The easiest way is online: Go to Settings, then click your name, iCloud > iCloud Backup. Apple provides 5GB of free storage. Paid tiers start at 50GB for $0.99 per month and 200GB for $2.99. advertisement You can also back up to a computer over USB. In recent versions of macOS: Open Finder, click your iPhone in the left panel, then click Back Up Now. Windows or macOS Mojave (10.14) and earlier should use iTunes. (Yes, it's still out there.) Click the Device button near the top left of the iTunes window, then Click Summary > Back Up Now. Before installing iOS 26 public beta, note these backup options in your macOS Finder. How to download and install iOS 26 public beta on your iPhone Now comes the main event. On your iPhone, click Settings > General > Software Update. Click Beta Updates to see multiple options on the next screen, including Off and possibly betas for several versions of iOS. Click to place a check mark next to iOS 26 Public Beta. Then tap the back button and click Update Now. iPhone screenshots showing how to select iOS 26 Public Beta from the Beta Updates menu How to roll back from iOS 26 beta In the event that iOS 26 does brick your phone, a new tool called Recovery Assistant may automatically activate, allowing you to monitor the process wirelessly from another Apple device. If Recovery Assistant doesn't appear or work, try the old-fashioned way: Connect the iPhone to your computer over USB and open Finder or iTunes (depending on your computer operating system). Press and release the iPhone's volume up button, then the volume down button. Then press and hold the side button until you see the Recovery Mode screen with cable and computer icons. If you don't see them, throw yourself at the mercy of Apple Support by contacting them online. MacOS Finder shows iPhone in Recovery Mode with the option to update or restore for iOS 26 beta installation. If you do, Finder or iTunes will show the message 'There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.' It's best to select the Restore option, which erases the Phone and installs the latest public release of iOS. Then restore the deleted data and settings from your backup.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump to change controversial Biden-era restrictions on AI chip exports
President Donald Trump will rescind a set of Biden-era curbs meant to keep advanced technology out of the hands of foreign adversaries but that has been panned by tech giants. The move could have sweeping impacts on the global distribution of critical AI chips, as well as which companies profit from the new technology and America's position as a world leader in artificial intelligence. 'I vocally opposed this rule for months, and indeed, the ranking member and I together urge the Biden administration not to adopt it, and I'm very pleased that President Trump has now confirmed he plans to rescind it,' US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said during a Senate committee hearing to discuss AI regulation on Thursday. Cruz said he will soon introduce a new bill that 'creates a regulatory AI sandbox,' adding that he wants to model new regulation after the approach former President Bill Clinton took at the 'dawn of the internet.' OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith and CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator testified during the hearing. Altman, whose company collaborates with Apple by integrating its ChatGPT technology into Siri's voice assistant, said he visited an Apple facility in Texas where they're building 'what will be the largest AI training facility in the world.' Apple said in February that its investing $500 billion in expanding its US footprint, which includes building a facility in Houston to produce servers for its Apple Intelligence AI features. 'We need a lot more of that,' Altman said. The curbs, which were set to take effect on May 15 and were introduced during the final days of former President Joe Biden's administration, sorted countries into three tiers subject to specific AI-related trade regulation. Those in the top tier, which include the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, Germany and Ireland among other countries, face the least restrictions, while countries like China and Russia are in the tier with the strictest constraints. It's the countries that fall in between that have raised concern among critics like Microsoft. Microsoft's Smith wrote in February that countries that fall into this second bucket may look elsewhere for AI, potentially China. 'The unintended consequence of this approach is to encourage Tier Two countries to look elsewhere for AI infrastructure and services,' he wrote. 'And it's obvious where they will be forced to turn.' AI chip giant Nvidia has also publicly pushed back against the curbs. The tech executives called for more innovation and faster AI adoption in their prepared remarks. Smith also discussed the importance of using AI to boost job growth in America, a key tenet of Trump's push to bring tech manufacturing to the US despite the challenges of shifting away from vast supply chains and cheaper labor in China and elsewhere abroad. 'Are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in all the jobs that they do today, or are we trying to build machines that will help people pursue better jobs and even more interesting careers in the future?' said Smith. 'Indisputably, it needs to be the second, not the first.' Much of the hearing focused on the challenge of balancing the ability to move quickly while adopting necessary standards and export controls to prevent technology from being diverted to China. But the tech executives were also grilled on ethical issues related to AI, such as the trustworthiness of the information chatbots produce, copyright concerns and how to protect children from potential harm. Nonprofit media watchdog Common Sense Media recently published a report saying AI apps pose 'unacceptable risks' to children and teens, coming after a lawsuit was filed last year over the suicide death of a 14-year-old boy whose last conversation was with a chatbot. 'This idea of AI and social relationships, I think this is a new thing that we need to pay a lot of attention to,' Altman said, after saying his company would be willing collaborate on a framework to help protect young users. The Trump administration has previously pushed for less regulation around AI, with Vice President JD Vance saying that 'excessive regulation of the AI sector' could 'kill a transformative industry just as it's taking off' during remarks at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. Trump is also pushing for the US to be a leader in both the AI industry and in technology manufacturing, frequently touting vows from TSMC and Apple to expand their US infrastructure as victories. The hearing also comes as tariffs on semiconductors are expected to arrive imminently. Last month, after saying smartphones and other select electronics would be exempt from reciprocal tariffs, Trump said in a Truth Social post that those products would be moved to a 'different tariff bucket' as the administration examines the 'whole electronics supply chain.' The AI race between the US and China escalated earlier this year with the arrival of Chinese tech startup DeepSeek's supposedly cheap yet sophisticated AI model, which shook both Wall Street and Silicon Valley. It grabbed headlines in January for the company's claims that its R1 model could roughly match OpenAI's o1 model for a fraction of the price, challenging the notion that powerful performance required costly investments. 'The number one factor that will define whether the United States or China wins this race is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world,' Smith said.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 Products You Should Avoid Buying at Best Buy
Best Buy may be your go-to place for a number of electronics, back-to-school supplies and other office-related goods, but you might not want to pick up everything on your shopping list there. Find Out: Read Next: Additionally, while Best Buy does have a price match guarantee for certain 'qualified competitors,' meaning you're likely to be able to get competitive prices on a lot of items, there are exceptions to specific products and a limit on how many you can buy. When shopping at Best Buy, steer clear of these six products. Apple's latest iPhone is a marvel of Apple technology — a larger and brighter display, a sharper and more powerful camera and all the efficiency that its Apple Intelligence AI tools bring … and yet its functions are not vastly different from what you've already got if you're a couple models back. Additionally, buying it from Best Buy may not give you the same warranty coverage you get with Apple. Not to mention, it's $1,199 upfront, or around $33/month if you commit to a 36-month period. Check Out: With a few exceptions, an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable, whether you paid $10 for it or the stunning price of this Rocketfish 50-inch fiber optic HDMI cable — $124.99. That's a lot to shell out for a cable. Don't buy the hype. Most high-priced cables offer no noticeable advantage over more affordable options. A lot of clever psychological marketing goes into products marketed to gamers, often encouraging you to spend much more money than you need to. So while you might, indeed, feel better in a fancy gaming chair, like this one by Corsair for $249.99, you also might find a regular office or desk chair works fine with a pillow tossed in for back support. Not to mention, Best Buy is hardly the leader in office furniture — there are plenty of stores where you can probably find a similar item for cheaper. Refurbished products can be much cheaper on the one hand, and certainly who can blame any consumer for wanting to bring the steep price of a Macbook laptop down. While this refurbished MacBook Air 15-inch laptop does seem like a steal at $729.99, buyer beware: When you buy refurbished Apple products from Best Buy, you may not get the same scope of warranty or access to Apple's genius support. You might be better off saving up for the real deal from Apple directly. Printer ink is one of those office supplies that seems to be constantly in need of replenishing, especially if you have a color printer. HP is a trusted name in printer ink, and $45 may not seem terribly high for a standard capacity black and tri-color ink cartridge, but Best Buy is not the leader in cheap ink and toner prices. Many other stores offer ink subscription services that bring the price of ink down when you buy in bulk or subscribe for replenishment. You can likely find a better deal elsewhere. Lastly, if you're shopping for a major appliance, such as a refrigerator, washer/dryer or a dishwasher, Best Buy frequently has sales on these items. If you find an appliance in an off-sale period, try to be patient — the sales usually carve several hundreds of dollars off the prices, and it's worth the wait. While you can get a ton of great deals at Best Buy, it's financially savvy to know what to avoid as well. Editor's note: Pricing is accurate as of May 2, 2025. Pricing and availability are subject to change. More From GOBankingRates 10 Best Spring Items To Buy at Costco Before They Sell Out 4 Things You Should Do if You Want To Retire Early How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 12 SUVs With the Most Reliable Engines This article originally appeared on 6 Products You Should Avoid Buying at Best Buy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
