Design chief departure adds to uncertainty at Apple

WASHINGTON, United States — The departure of chief designer Jony Ive adds to uncertainty at Apple as the California tech giant shifts into new segments like services and streaming media amid a slowdown in sales of the hugely profitable iPhone.

Ive, the driving force behind the trend-setting design of the iPhone and other Apple devices, announced Thursday he would leave Apple later this year to create his own firm, while continuing to collaborate with the company.

But Ive’s departure highlights Apple’s move to de-emphasize its hardware — with the global smartphone market largely saturated and increasingly competitive — and focus on music, streaming television, digital payments and other services and subscriptions.

“The major question now going forward is around future product innovation with one of the key visionaries of the Apple brand gone,” said Daniel Ives at Wedbush Securities in a research note.

“In our opinion this news only adds to the current agita around the Apple story as the company is branching out into television and gaming.”

The analyst added that Ive “is leaving a hole in the company and is clearly irreplaceable as he has been one of the most important figures at Apple throughout the past few decades.”

Prepared for transition? 

Other analysts said Apple is well-prepared for Ive’s transition and that it may even allow the company to benefit from fresh ideas.

Avi Greengart of the research and consulting firm Techsponential said that while Ive was instrumental to Apple’s success in product design, he had been gradually shifting into new areas such as its retail stores and new Cupertino campus, handing over products to his proteges.

“He’s been halfway out the door for a while,” Greengart told AFP

“The design team at Apple has remained consistent, and I don’t worry that all of a sudden Apple’s design is going to decline significantly.”

Design has been and will continue to be a major focus for Apple, Greengart said, noting that there will be many design challenges as Apple moves more heavily into wearable tech and other kinds of products.

“Wearable technology is where Apple already has a big lead in the smartwatch space and it is investing heavily in augmented reality for mobile,” Greengart said.

He said there is “an intense design challenge” in wearables, notably for the segment of eyewear in which Google and others have struggled.

“Investing in design is something Apple can absolutely do and can’t afford not to do,” he said.
With Ive handing over the role of product innovation,  “this has a chance to reinvigorate parts of Apple design,” Greengart said.

Who’s in charge? 

British-born Ive joined Apple in 1992 and was a key collaborator of co-founder Steve Jobs in designing the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Macbook as well as the iOS software system for Apple devices.

The company said its design team leaders Evans Hankey and Alan Dye will now report to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

John Gruber, a software designer who writes the tech-focused Daring Fireball blog, said the new structure raises questions about Apple’s design culture going forward.

“It makes me queasy to see that Apple’s chief designers are now reporting to operations,” Gruber wrote.

“I don’t worry that Apple is in trouble because Jony Ive is leaving; I worry that Apple is in trouble because he’s not being replaced.”

Gene Munster and Andrew Murphy of the investment firm Loup Ventures said in a note to clients they were “puzzled” by the new design team structure but expect that to be temporary.

“Apple’s core competency of design is unmatched and from its culture of design-first thinking, the right leader will emerge in time. Thanks to Jony Ive,” they wrote. /ee
Agence France-Presse

source: technology.inquirer.net

Asian shares mostly lower as investors look to G-20 meeting

TOKYO – Asian shares were mostly lower Wednesday as investors awaited developments on the trade friction between the U.S. and China at the Group of 20 meeting of major economies in Japan later in the week.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.5% to 21,088.32 in early trading, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 inched down nearly 0.1% to 6,652.20. South Korea’s Kospi stood virtually unchanged but a tad lower at 2,121.24.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1% to 28,214.56, while the Shanghai Composite inched up less than 0.1% at  2,982.65.

On Wall Street, discouraging economic data and cautionary remarks from the head of the Federal Reserve weighed on the market.

The sell-off marked the third straight loss for the market and the biggest drop this month for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 index, which hit an all-time high only last week.

In an early afternoon speech, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell noted that the economic outlook has become cloudier since early May amid uncertainty over trade and global growth.

Earlier Tuesday, reports showed a decline in consumer confidence and more weakness in the housing market.

The S&P 500 index fell 27.97 points, or 1%, to 2,917.38.

The Dow dropped 179.32 points, or 0.7%, to 26,548.22. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, slid 120.98 points, or 1.5%, to 7,884.72.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks gave up 9.05 points, or 0.6%, to 1,521.04.

Trade policy remains the biggest source of uncertainty looming over the market. Investors are worried about the trade dispute between the U.S. and China and its potential impact on global economic growth and corporate profits.

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet this week at the G-20. The world’s two largest economies spent much of the current quarter escalating their trade war and giving global markets jitters over prospects for economic growth.

“To a large extent, any further deterioration in trade relations is expected to guide expectations here so the focus remains up ahead with the G-20,” said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore.

ENERGY:

Benchmark crude oil rose $1.05 to $58.88 a barrel. It fell 7 cents to settle at $57.83 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 73 cents to $65.01 a barrel.

CURRENCIES:

The dollar rose slightly to 107.46 Japanese yen from 107.03 yen on Tuesday. The euro weakened to $1.1357 from $1.1381. /gsg

source: business.inquirer.net

Huawei launches 3 new devices despite unpredictable future

Huawei unveiled three new devices in China on Friday, June 21, according to GizmoChina — the Nova 5, the Nova 5i and the Nova 5 Pro. While all are powered by some form of Android Pie, access could be limited.

Nova 5

The Nova 5 features a 6.39-inch OLED display, an in-display fingerprint scanner and is the first phone powered by the new Kirin 810 chipset. The front camera is housed inside a waterdrop-shaped notch, and the back is outfitted with a quad-camera set-up. It comes out of the box powering Android 9, but it is unknown if or when the device will lose access to updates.

The Nova 5 comes with 6 gigabytes of RAM, 128 gigabytes of storage, and will sell for 2,799 yuan or about $407 (almost P21,000). Pre-ordering opens Friday, June 28, with sales opening up on July 20.

Nova 5 Pro

While the Nova 5 Pro has the same display, camera set-up, battery and operating system as the Nova 5, it is equipped instead with the same chipset that powers the flagship P30 and Mate 20 smartphone series: the Kirin 980 processor.

The Nova 5 Pro comes with 8 gigabytes of RAM, up to 256 gigabytes of storage, and starts at 2,999 yuan or about $436 (around P22,000). It can be pre-ordered now and will officially go on sale on June 28.

Nova 5i

The Nova 5i, according to GizmoChina, is essentially a rebranded version of the mid-range P20 Lite device that was launched earlier this year. Instead of being powered by the Kirin 659 chipset, however, it uses the Kirin 710. The LCD display measures in at 6.4 inches and has a punch-out notch located in the top left corner.

Like the others in the series, the Nova 5i has a rear quad-camera set-up; in contrast to the rest of the lineup, though, the fingerprint scanner is on the back. The device uses a lower grade version of Android Pie.

The Nova 5i comes with 6 gigabytes of RAM, 128 gigabytes of storage, and starts at 1,999 yuan or about $291 (almost P15,000). The device is available for pre-order now with sales starting on June 28.


At this point, the Nova 5 Series is only expected to launch in China. RGA/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Boston’s public schools to provide free menstrual supplies to students

Boston Public Schools will be offering free menstrual supplies to its students starting in the fall of the 2019 academic year, it was disclosed.

The move is to ensure that the students of Boston’s public schools have every resource they need to learn and succeed, as per a Boston Public Schools (BPS) statement.  

“This pilot program is about equity in our schools, and among our young people,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was quoted as saying on Monday, June 17. “Nearly one in five girls in the US have left school early, or missed school all together because they didn’t have access to menstrual products. I’m proud BPS continues to be a leader in equity, ensuring our students have the resources they need, and access to the same opportunities.”

The pilot program will involve all the 77 schools that teach students in grades 6 to 12. According to the statement, the menstrual products will be ordered by the BPS School Health Services, which will then distribute the supplies to the schools’ nurses’ offices throughout the year.

Interim BPS Superintendent Laura Perille lauded the pilot program, saying it ensures girls do not have to choose between taking care of their health and attending class.

“Offering free, easily accessible menstrual supplies means that more students will have access to the supplies they need, and are able to stay in class and focus on their education,” said Perille.

In some countries such as Bhutan, having menstruation usually means missing class and activities. A study by UNICEF and Bhutan’s education ministry in 2018 showed that more than half of adolescent nuns missed class due to lack of sanitary pads, dirty toilets and having no place to properly dispose of used sanitary pads.

Around 76.58 percent of adolescent Bhutanese nuns also stated it was important to buy pads without being seen.  /ra

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Lagerfeld’s Chanel made $11 billion in his last year

Chanel clocked up sales of nearly 10 billion euros ($11.1 billion) in its final year under the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, the French label said Monday.

The notoriously secretive brand owned by the Wertheimer family, which has only reported its results publicly twice in its 109-year history, said sales rose more than 10 percent in 2018.

Chanel’s iconic creator — who had so dominated fashion that he was called the “Kaiser” — died of cancer in February aged 85.

Lagerfeld worked until the end, and despite his final illness his creations “achieved double-digit growth with great performances in leather goods and ready-to-wear”, the label said.

Profits rose to close to $3 billion, with finance chief Philippe Blondiaux hailing “another strong year”.

The performance was particularly strong given that the fashion house had sunk $1 billion into upping its digital presence, Blondiaux said, as well as securing “supply chains… and strengthening social and environmental commitments.”

He said its perfume and beauty division had also shown rapid growth with the launch of new fragrances such as Coco Mademoiselle and Bleu de Chanel.

Chanel is regarded as one of the world’s richest and most stable fashion brands, said to be worth in excess of $20 billion.

Only rival Paris house Louis Vuitton has more financial clout, although much of its profits come from its luggage and handbag business.

In terms of turnover, it is also comes second behind Vuitton, whose owners LVMH reported sales of “well over $10 billion” in 2018.

The results were released on the eve of Paris men’s fashion week, where a special event will honour Lagerfeld in the city’s vast Grand Palais, the scene of some of his greatest catwalk triumphs.

Chanel opened its books for the first time last year, showing that its owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer were the fourth and fifth richest people in France and among the 40 wealthiest on the planet.

fg/jh

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Urine drinkers meet up in library, discuss health benefits of the liquid

A group of people from Colorado, United States is in the habit of drinking their own urine or using it for topical treatments.

The group gets together at the Boulder Public Library for their regular “Urine Therapy Meetup” to discuss urine’s health benefits, as reported by 9NEWS via NBC-affiliate KUSA-TV yesterday, June 12.


Christopher Macor, one of the group’s members, said his own urine healed the eczema on his hands when ointments did not work. He also pointed out that using urine for health treatments has been a practice by others as well, for 4,000 years now.

Another member, a woman named Indira Gupta, stated in the report that she has been drinking urine to cure various ailments since 1983.

“That is the first thing I do,” Gupta was quoted as saying. “Let some part go, take the middle part, drink it, put it in my eyes, put it in my face, and just have some Chai in the morning.”

The group said that a book called “Healing Water from Within By Brother Sage” has been a reference. Hannah Mallorca/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Samsung expands mid-tier phone range in US with 3 new devices

Since 2014 when the segment was launched, Samsung’s Galaxy A-series smartphones have been sold in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. On Tuesday, June 11, the company announced that three of the newest models in the mid-tier range will be coming to the United States starting this month.

Galaxy A50

Leading the incoming series is the Galaxy A50, a model with a 6.4-inch full HD AMOLED display, a tear-drop shaped notch, and an in-display fingerprint reader.

The most notable feature of the handset is the triple camera set-up on the rear consisting of a 5-megapixel depth camera, 25-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Users will not only be able to take high-quality shots but also apply bokeh effects and optimize color tones and other settings thanks to an integrated scene optimizer.

With 512 gigabytes, the Galaxy A50 has a starting retail price of $349.99 (about P18,000).

Galaxy A20

Like the Galaxy A50, the A20 dons a 6.4-inch display but instead of the tear-drop shaped Infinity-U notch, the top edge of the screen features a V-shaped notch.

Only one camera can be found on the rear with 13 megapixels. The front camera, on the other hand, has an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The Galaxy A20 has a starting retail price of $249.99 (almost P13,000).

Galaxy A10e

The Galaxy A10e has the smallest display of the trio measuring in at 5.83 inches. The single-camera on the back is 8 megapixels.


The Galaxy A10e has a starting retail price of $179.99 (about P9,000).

The Galaxy A50 will be the first to launch in the U.S. on Thursday, June 13. The release date of the other models has not yet been disclosed. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Facebook to launch cryptocurrency this month — report

According to a report by The Information, Facebook’s digital “stablecoins” could launch within the next few weeks.

In December 2018, Bloomberg reported that Facebook had its own cryptocurrency in the works, allegedly for WhatsApp money transfers, a “stablecoin” backed by the United States dollar.


While sources previously suggested that the Facebook cryptocurrency was expected to launch in 2020, The Information reported Wednesday that it could hit the digital market this month.

The Information stated that Facebook is not only planning to launch the “stablecoins,” but also to offer bonuses for those who adopt the cryptocurrency, to build ATM-like kiosks where users could purchase Facebook digital money with real money and to provide those involved in the project with the option to be paid in the digital currency.

Though this type of cryptocurrency is pegged to the U.S. dollar and is therefore more stable than other types of currency like Bitcoin, whose value regularly shifts by hundreds every couple weeks, Facebook will apparently look for outside help to manage the project.

The company declined to comment on the matter. RGA/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Shakira tax fraud court appearance brought forward to Thursday

Colombian superstar Shakira will be questioned in court in Spain over alleged tax evasion on Thursday, six days earlier than initially scheduled, a court said.

The hearing, which had been set for June 12, will now get underway on Thursday at a court in Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona where the singer lives with her partner, FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique, the high court of Catalonia said in a statement Monday.

The 42-year-old is suspected of not paying taxes in Spain despite being a resident between 2011 and 2014, according to prosecutors.

The case only covers the period from 2012 to 2014, however, as the timeframe to prosecute alleged tax offenses in 2011 has expired.

In a relationship since 2011 with Pique, with whom she has two sons, Shakira transferred her official residency to Spain in 2015.

Until then, it was in the Bahamas.


But a spokesman for prosecutors in Barcelona told Agence France-Presse last year that this did not “match reality” with her children and partner were in Barcelona.

Shakira’s representatives insist that until 2014 she earned most of her money in international tours and did not live more than six months a year in Spain — a prerequisite to be an official tax-paying resident in the country.

With her mix of Latin and Arabic rhythms and rock influences, Shakira is one of the biggest stars from Latin America, scoring major global hits with songs such as “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Wherever”. RGA/JB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Stanley Cup: Bounce here, bounce there and Blues, Bruins now tied 2-2

ST. LOUIS — It usually takes a lucky bounce here and there to win the Stanley Cup.

Game 4 of the final between the Bruins and the Blues had a whole lot of bounces — and not a lot of luck for goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Jordan Binnington.

Whether it was nerves, fatigue or simply traffic in front, Rask and Binnington each gave up rebounds aplenty and both teams cashed in on the prime scoring chances Monday night. The Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo pounded a slap shot that seemed to handcuff Rask and the juicy rebound left the puck in midair where Ryan O’Reilly swatted it into the net.

The goal put the Blues up 3-2 and turned out to the game-winner in the 4-2 victory that knotted the final at 2-2.

Binnington chalked up the second-chance goals to smart shooting.

“Players were doing a good job and shooting the puck, but you know, yeah, there were some rebounds tonight but nothing out of the ordinary, I’d say,” Binnington said.


Both of O’Reilly’s goals came off rebounds. He took a rebound off of a Zach Sanford shot behind the net and beat Rask on a wrap-around to the right side just 43 seconds into the game.

Charlie Coyle evened things up with 6:46 left in the first after he found himself alone in front of the Blues net to bang home the rebound from a Zdeno Chara shot.

The Blues took advantage of another second-chance opportunity at 15:30 in the first. This time it was Vladimir Tarasenko pouncing on a big rebound in the slot off of a Pietrangelo shot to make it 2-1.

“To find your chances, you need to go in the red zones and score some greasy goals maybe,” Tarasenko said. “If you look on our goals, it pays off for us. It kind of was the game plan, so we try to keep it same way and create traffic for Rask and try to get rebounds.”

Rask struggled again during a Boston power play in the second period as O’Reilly almost poked in his own rebound on a short-handed rush.


“You try to control them all, but sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t,” Rask said.

The Bruins capitalized shorthanded at 14:19 of the second as Brandon Carlo found the back of the net for the first time this postseason after Binnington couldn’t handle a Patrice Bergeron shot with the puck caroming off of his pad.

“First shot he might get stuck a little bit,” Carlo said. “From there, you can try to get him moving side to side and ultimately put the pucks past him and it’s great that we can crash the net. Hopefully we can learn from that and utilize it in the next couple of games.”

The goal quieted the Enterprise Center and took away the momentum St. Louis generated during a prolonged shift in the Boston zone, which featured several line changes and dangerous scoring chances as well as creating the power play that led to the short-handed goal.

Then came O’Reilly’s heroics and the first Stanley Cup Final victory at home in St. Louis franchise history. Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Boston.

“I felt like it was going to be tough to go to Boston down 3-1 and have a chance to win so we had to make sure we came out with our best game,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “We’ve been a good rebound team all year long and all playoffs long. That was the biggest thing. We were a confident group coming into tonight and I think we showed it.”

source: sports.inquirer.net