MacRumors

As work on its car project progresses, Apple has been snapping up a huge number of employees with expertise in the automotive industry from companies like Tesla, Ford, GM, Volkswagen, Bosch, and more, along with researchers who have expertise in autonomous vehicles and electric car platforms.

Each of these hires gives us a glimpse into the ideas Apple is potentially exploring for its Apple Car, and a set of recent hires suggests Apple is hard at work prototyping car parts designed for the project as research continues.

Former Tesla employee David Masiukiewicz recently left Tesla to join Apple, reports 9to5Mac. At Tesla, Masiukiewicz was a Senior CNC programmer who worked on hardware prototyping, and at Apple, he's listed as a "Senior Model Maker" in the "Product Realization Lab" where Apple prototypes new parts and designs for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. His job description gives hints as to what he produced for Tesla:

Precision 5 axis CNC machining of powertrain, suspension and chasis components using CATIA v5 and Openmind hyperMILL software. Programming of Mill/Turn equipment using Esprit.

In response to a question about why he left Tesla for Apple on one of his social media sites, Masiukiewicz declined to give details but said "Apple provided me with many compelling reasons to come work for them."

Kevin Harvey, who joined Apple last year after working in the CNC machine shop at Andretti Autosport, is also working in the Product Realization Lab. Neither Harvey nor Masiukiewicz are confirmed to be working on Apple's car project, but given their previous expertise, it's highly likely their roles at Apple are car related rather than focused on prototyping future iPhones and iPads.

Today's hiring news comes following a report earlier this week suggesting former Tesla vice president Chris Porritt has left the company to join Apple, perhaps for a key role developing the Apple Car.

Apple has shared a new television ad called "Siri and Liam" to celebrate Earth Day, which is today, April 22. In the 15-second spot, Siri asks Apple's recycling robot Liam what he is doing for Earth Day, before it humorously takes apart the iPhone. It is Apple's second Earth Day ad, the other being "Renewable Energy," shared in the past 24 hours, and continues the company's environmental push this month.

Apple first introduced Liam at its "Let Us Loop You In" media event in March as a robot that can disassemble old iPhones and recover recyclable materials. The robot can deconstruct nearly all parts of the iPhone in order to rescue cobalt and lithium from the battery, separate gold and copper from the camera, extract silver and platinum from the main logic board, and more.

Apple's Earth Day initiatives this year include turning Apple Store logos green, providing retail employees with green t-shirts, offering a selection of Earth-inspired Apple Music playlists, and launching an "Apps for Earth" promotion in support of the World Wildlife Fund. The company also released its annual environmental responsibility progress report [PDF] covering the 2015 fiscal year last week.

Apple has released a brand new ad called "Renewable Energy," which takes place entirely within the Messages app. The ad is focused on explaining how 100% renewable energy at Apple's data centers enables users to send and enjoy iMessages to and from friends.

The ad argues that since the tech behind iMessages is renewable and environmentally friendly, users are showing Earth "some love" by using the service. The ad ends with Apple's green-stemmed Earth Day logo and arrives just in time for Earth Day, which is April 22.

In 2013, Apple announced that its data centers were using 100% renewable energy. Worldwide, 93% of Apple's facilities run on renewable energy. Its new headquarters, Apple Campus 2, will also run on 100% renewable energy.

Apple is celebrating Earth Day by updating its retail stores' logos with green accents and providing retail employees with green shirts. The company is also promoting stores that run on 100% renewable energy with new signage.

Last week, the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores mysteriously went down in China. A new New York Times report says the stores were forced down by the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Initially, Apple apparently had the government’s approval to introduce the services. But then a regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, asserted its authority and demanded the closings, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company "hoped to make books and movies available again to our customers in China as soon as possible." The store closures come six months after they were launched alongside Apple Music in the country.

Compared to other tech companies, Apple has had success in launching new ventures in the China. Most recently, Apple launched Apple Pay in the country in partnership with UnionPay, China's state-run interbank network.

After the shutdown of the two stores, China's President Xi Jinping conducted a meeting on China's restrictive internet policies with Alibaba's Jack Ma, Huawei's Ren Zhengfei and other tech leaders in the country, according to The NYT. Daniel H. Rosen, a founding partner at Rhodium Group, a firm that specializes in the Chinese economy, tells The New York Times that China has an interest in promoting Chinese tech companies while attempting to reduce the impact of foreign tech giants like Apple in the country.

Apple is one of eight companies that China has targeted for being "too deeply established in the country's core industries" according to The New York Times. Other companies on China's list include IBM, Qualcomm and Microsoft. Earlier today it was reported that local Chinese handset makers like Huawei faced inventory losses and squeezed market share following the launch of the iPhone SE.

Apple has worked to grow its business in China, now its second biggest market, spending several years in negotiations with China Mobile, the country's largest carrier, to bring the iPhone to its 700 million customers. The two agreed to a deal in 2013. Tim Cook has also made several visits to the country, with Apple also planning to expand its retail efforts.

Last November, when asked whether Apple had run into censorship problems in China, Eddy Cue said that the company had a "great working relationship" with China and that the launch of Apple Music and the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores showed that Apple knew how to work in the country.

4/22 update: The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has linked the store closures to the release of controversial independent movie Ten Years, which won best picture prize at this month’s Hong Kong Film Awards, despite being banned in China. News of the store closures broke shortly before the movie became available on iTunes in Hong Kong. The dystopian film imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, mini Red Guards, radical protest and social alienation rife.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple today added banners to the iTunes and App Stores allowing customers to donate to the American Red Cross in support of people affected by the earthquakes that hit Ecuador and Japan last week.

Donations made through iTunes and the App Store can be placed using credit cards already on file with Apple, making the donation process simple. Customers are able to donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 to relief efforts. 100% of all donations made through iTunes will be given to the American Red Cross. [Direct Link to Donations]

48 people have died in Japan and thousands more were injured after magnitude 6.2 and 7.0 earthquakes hit southwest Japan on April 14 and 16, causing severe damage in the Kumamoto and Ōita prefectures. More than 140 aftershocks have also affected the region.

In Ecuador, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit approximately 110 miles from Quito on April 16, killing more than 500 people and injuring thousands more.

Apple has used the iTunes Store donation method multiple times in the past to raise money for charity, most recently accepting donations in September to support the refugee and migration crisis across the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. Other previous relief effort fundraising campaigns have included the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2013 Phillippines typhoon, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

United States Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James Comey today gave some hints on how much the agency paid to access the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, suggesting a sum upwards of $1.3 million.

According to Reuters, Comey said the FBI paid an amount exceeding what he will make in the next seven years and four months as director of the FBI. Comey's annual salary is at $183,300, and without raises or bonuses, will result in earnings of $1.34 million.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in London, Comey was asked by a moderator how much the FBI paid for the software that eventually broke into the iPhone.

"A lot. More than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months for sure," Comey said. "But it was, in my view, worth it."

According to anonymous law enforcement officials, Farook's iPhone did not contain contacts or messages resulting in new leads in the investigation, but it did clarify that Farook did not make contact with a third-party following the attack, suggesting he and his wife did not have assistance from friends or family members.

The FBI reportedly paid the sum in question to "professional hackers," at least one of which is a "gray hat" researcher that sells security flaws to governments, black market groups, and companies creating surveillance tools.

The method used to gain entry to the iPhone 5c owned by Farook does not work on the iPhone 5s or newer, but the FBI can continue to use it to access iPhone 5c devices running iOS 9.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Following the launch of the new 12-inch Retina MacBook earlier this week, Apple Stores in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, U.K. and other countries have begun receiving limited stock of the notebook to set up as display models and to fulfill in-store purchases.

Apple today reenabled its web-based Personal Pickup tool for the 12-inch MacBook, and the availability checker shows that select models are currently in stock at select Apple Stores in or near major U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

Outside of the U.S., the 12-inch MacBook is also available in or within the surrounding metropolitan area of a number of major international cities, including Adelaide, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brisbane, Hamburg, Ottawa, London, Madrid, Milan, Montréal, Munich, Naples, Paris, Perth, Rome, Sydney, Toronto, and Vancouver. Many other locations offer the notebook on a ship-to-store basis.

Due to limited per-store availability of the 12-inch MacBook during launch week, it is highly recommended that prospective buyers call their local store ahead of time to confirm in-store stock. A crowdsourced list of Apple Stores with new 12-inch MacBook stock is also available in the MacRumors discussion forums.

The new 12-inch MacBook is also coming to Apple Authorized Resellers like Adorama, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, MacMall, and others.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was once again named one of "the 100 most influential people" by TIME magazine in its annual list recognizing individuals who have made a major impact on the world. Tim Cook is recognized as a "Titan" alongside people like Yuri Milner, Binny and Sachin Bansal, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Wang Jianlin, and Pope Francis.

Each person included on TIME's list is featured alongside an essay written by an associate, with Cook's 2016 note penned by Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Apple is known for elegant, innovative products that change the world by transforming how we connect, create and communicate, as well as how we work, think and act. Its continued success requires a leader of great courage and character who demands excellence, upholds the highest ethical standards and routinely challenges the status quo, including encouraging vital conversations about who we are as a culture and a community.

Tim Cook is that kind of leader.

Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction. Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons. As CEO, he's led Apple to new heights, and he continues to build a global brand that is universally recognized as an industry leader and widely respected for its values.

Tim Cook has been included on the list of most influential people several times, and in 2014, Cook was nominated for the TIME person of the year after making the bold move of publicly announcing his sexual orientation despite being a notoriously private person.

Other notable people included on TIME's 2016 list include actors, world leaders, scientists, and notable people from the tech world. Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg, YouTuber Pewdiepie, Aziz Ansari, Sundar Pichai, Stephen Curry, Adele, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Barack Obama were some of this year's most influential people.

Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.2 update to public beta testers, just a day after seeding the second iOS 9.3.2 beta to developers. iOS 9.3.2 beta 2 comes just over a month after the public release of iOS 9.3 and three weeks after the release of iOS 9.3.1, a followup bug fix update. iOS 9.3.2 has been in testing since April 6.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.3.2 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas.

iOS 9.3.2, as a minor 9.x.x update, focuses primarily on performance improvements and under-the-hood bug fixes to address issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.3. We don't know all of the fixes that will be included, but significant Game Center bug appears to have been fixed in the first beta, while iOS 9.3.2 beta 2 added the ability to use Low Power Mode and Night Shift simultaneously. No other outward-facing changes or immediately apparent bug fixes have been discovered in the first two developer betas.