iCloud AltPatrick Gates, Apple's senior director of engineering for iCloud, FaceTime, and iMessage, is leaving the company to join a stealth startup called Humane, reports The Information.

Gates has been with Apple for close to 14 years, and he took over ownership of iCloud services infrastructure after Eric Billingsly left the company in 2017.

The startup that Gates is joining, Humane, was created by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno. Chaudhri is well known as the designer of the interface for the original iPhone and a former member of Apple's UI team. He was at Apple for more than 20 years before departing in 2017.

Humane is a secretive company working on "innovative technology that feels familiar, natural, and human," with the self-described mission of creating the next shift between humans and computing.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
68 months ago
When your partner's parents ask what you do for a living, but you design sex-bots…

Humane ('https://hu.ma.ne') is a secretive company working on "innovative technology that feels familiar, natural, and human," with the self-described mission of creating the next shift between humans and computing.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mccaffertee Avatar
68 months ago
Apple has got fat and lazy and doesn’t seem to have a razor sharp focus anymore. Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now.
I became an Apple guy after I purchased a 17" MacBook Pro in 2003 and was mezmorized by the culture and cool factor. So, I got the Airport router, then the Airport Express so I could sit outside on the deck, then an iPod for exercising, then a monitor, keyboard and mouse setup for my office, then an iPad, then iMac for home office, then a MacBook Pro for the wife, then an Apple TV, and another iPad, and the Time Capsule backup drive, and the iPhone, and another for the wife. The apps all synchronized and made it so simple for my wife. I bought my mom and MacBook, I convinced friends to switch. And every year, we spent big $$$$$ to have the latest and greatest Apple toys. They were different, they looked cool...I kept up-to-date with everything Apple, I couldn't wait for the newest OS to drop, or to see what the heck they would invent next, or how cool they could design the next big thing.

I found Mac Rumors and made it more important than the news with hopes to get a peek at the "next big thing" and to learn the tips and tricks (because Apple never gives us features instructions), but we didn't care...half the fun was figuring it out. The box that the hardware came in was off-the-charts cool. And, most importantly, because "It Just Worked"

Today, well, I could care less. I am either burnt out on Apple, or they have lost their MoJo...there's no routers, no backup capsule, no monitors, no airport. My new iPhone XS looks like my kids friends old iPhone 6. And the new MacBook Pro looks like my old MacBook Pro from 2012, so who cares. I spent money to stay in the Apple Eco-System, but if the majority of the Eco-System isn't available anymore, WHY should I spend double on a MacBook Pro if I need to buy a different brand router, and etc.... but hey, they are developing some secret electric car.

October 06, 2011... the beginning of the end.
Apple has been riding out the momentum of prior innovation and banked lots of cash.
I say great job alienating the core customer base.
:(
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HJM.NL Avatar
68 months ago
Can’t blame them for leaving. Apple has got fat and lazy and doesn’t seem to have a razor sharp focus anymore. I’ll bet that there are too many restrictions at Apple to be innovative or being able to stand above the crowd.

Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now. Competitors have caught up to Apple and on many fronts leapfrogged Apple in areas where it once was king.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eatrains Avatar
68 months ago
Look how little progress there has been made from 2012 till now. Competitors have caught up to Apple and on many fronts leapfrogged Apple in areas where it once was king.
Not really. Google is nowhere near matching iMessage. Microsoft is struggling to cobble together a Handoff/Continuity knockoff. Nothing is as seamless as iCloud Backup.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HJM.NL Avatar
68 months ago
I became an Apple guy after I purchased a 17" MacBook Pro in 2003 and was mezmorized by the culture and cool factor. So, I got the Airport router, then the Airport Express so I could sit outside on the deck, then an iPod for exercising, then a monitor, keyboard and mouse setup for my office, then an iPad, then iMac for home office, then a MacBook Pro for the wife, then an Apple TV, and another iPad, and the Time Capsule backup drive, and the iPhone, and another for the wife. The apps all synchronized and made it so simple for my wife. I bought my mom and MacBook, I convinced friends to switch. And every year, we spent big $$$$$ to have the latest and greatest Apple toys. They were different, they looked cool...I kept up-to-date with everything Apple, I couldn't wait for the newest OS to drop, or to see what the heck they would invent next, or how cool they could design the next big thing.

I found Mac Rumors and made it more important than the news with hopes to get a peek at the "next big thing" and to learn the tips and tricks (because Apple never gives us features instructions), but we didn't care...half the fun was figuring it out. The box that the hardware came in was off-the-charts cool. And, most importantly, because "It Just Worked"

Today, well, I could care less. I am either burnt out on Apple, or they have lost their MoJo...there's no routers, no backup capsule, no monitors, no airport. My new iPhone XS looks like my kids friends old iPhone 6. And the new MacBook Pro looks like my old MacBook Pro from 2012, so who cares. I spent money to stay in the Apple Eco-System, but if the majority of the Eco-System isn't available anymore, WHY should I spend double on a MacBook Pro if I need to buy a different brand router, and etc.... but hey, they are developing some secret electric car.

October 06, 2011... the beginning of the end.
Apple has been riding out the momentum of prior innovation and banked lots of cash.
I say great job alienating the core customer base.
:(
I hear you and sadly I could copy your writing. Apple has left us and their soul has gone. It has become a money focused company and I’m glad they’re struggling at the moment. This correction is coming years late and I’m afraid this wake up call is to late too. They’re getting behind on all important technology fronts. Years of neglect won’t get overhauled easy.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
68 months ago
Not sure why but Humane sounds really creepy to me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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