Ahead of Apple's "See You on the 7th" special event next Wednesday, September 7 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Siri is now offering up some traditionally witty responses to users that mention the tagline for the upcoming event. iPhone users can test Siri themselves by saying "see you on the seventh."
Apple sent out media invites earlier today for the event, to be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. There, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other senior executives are expected to announce the iPhone 7 and possibly a second-generation Apple Watch. Less likely is a new MacBook Pro, expected later in the year, but a September announcement cannot be ruled out entirely.
Apple will also likely provide an update on the prospective launch dates of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS 3, and tvOS 10.
The European Commission on Tuesday will rule that Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland, according to a 130-page judgment known by Financial Times.
Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager circulated the final ruling to her counterparts in the EU’s executive branch only on Monday morning, deploying a fast-track procedure in a bid to minimize leaks. The usual notice period is two weeks.
The ruling follows a three-year investigation into Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland, where it has reportedly paid around 2% or less in taxes compared to the country's headline 12.5% corporate tax rate.
The commission's ruling asks Dublin to raise a new tax assessment on Apple, which could have to restate its accounts as a result of the ruling, according to the report. One area of focus is Apple's tax arrangements for its intellectual property assets, which is "a hotly disputed area likely to lead to a large claim for back taxes."
The ruling means Apple could owe several billions of euros in back taxes. JPMorgan estimated the company could be forced to pay up to 19 billion euros ($21.2 billion) in back taxes, although a previous study placed the figure around $8 billion, and some analysts believe the amount could be a comparatively lower $1 billion.
Europe's competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager will provide an actual estimate of Apple's potential tax bill when the European Commission's findings are publicly released on Tuesday, according to the report.
Apple declined to comment on the matter, reiterating that the company fully complies with international tax law and that it is the largest taxpayer in the world. Apple said last month that both the company and Ireland would appeal any unfavorable ruling in European courts.
Apple joins the ranks of Starbucks, Fiat Chrysler, Amazon, Google, IKEA, and McDonald's as one of several large corporations accused of tax avoidance in Europe recently. Starbucks in particular is currently appealing its case in Netherlands, where it was ordered to pay as much as 30 million euros in back taxes.
Last week, the U.S. Treasury department warned that an adverse ruling against Apple could "set an undesirable precedent." It also said the European Commission is becoming a "supranational tax authority," going beyond acceptable enforcement of competition and state aid law and singling out U.S. companies.
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.
Verizon today announced a new marketing push for "LTE Advanced" technology that brings 50 percent faster peak wireless data speeds to 461 cities across the United States. The company marks LTE Advanced as the latest improvement on current 4G LTE technology, which it first introduced in 2010. Besides a collection of major cities, Verizon LTE Advanced will cover "loads of less-served places including highways, interstates, country roads and rural America."
LTE Advanced is not a new technology, with Verizon and other carriers working over the past couple of years to gradually roll it out through "carrier aggregation" upgrades that allow multiple bandwidth channels to be combined for faster speeds. Today's announcement from Verizon does, however, signal a major milestone in reaching coverage for 90 percent of the U.S. population.
The LTE Advanced upgrades come to Verizon's customers at no additional cost, with speed boosts and coverage kicking in "when you need it most," from day-to-day smartphone use to vacation trips. Verizon LTE Advanced will work on one of 39 devices already on the carrier's network, including the iPhone, Moto Droid, and Galaxy S6 and S7.
“Verizon LTE Advanced means your data session moves more quickly over the best network,” said Nicki Palmer, Verizon’s chief wireless network engineer. “Imagine a road with multiple lanes in which, once you pick a lane, that’s the lane you drive in. That describes our award-winning 4G LTE network.
Continuing the metaphor, Verizon LTE Advanced allows cars to change lanes efficiently and flawlessly, balancing the flow of traffic and getting drivers to their destinations more efficiently. That means blindingly fast data transmissions when you need it most.”
Verizon's LTE Advanced deployment currently uses a combination of two- and three-carrier aggregation, with two-channel carrier aggregation resulting in download speeds of up to 225 Mbps under ideal conditions, compared to "typical" speeds of 5-12 Mbps.
Whenever new smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and other companies are released, they will support Verizon's new LTE Advanced service out of the box, and pre-existing smartphones on Verizon plans will automatically upgrade with "no extra plan costs, no settings to change, and no indicators to check." Verizon calls LTE Advanced "the next-generation of wireless technology" and hopes to continue expanding the technology's reach, and upgrading its abilities to offer three-channel carrier aggregation with theoretical speeds exceeding 300 Mbps.
Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania, Todd Cleary of California, and Jun Bai of Delaware have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple over an alleged defect that causes iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus touchscreens to become unresponsive and fail, according to court documents filed electronically this week.
The class action complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court for Northern California, accuses Apple of violating California's consumer fraud statutes, through fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied warranty, unjust enrichment, and for violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.
Apple has long been aware of the defective iPhones. Yet, notwithstanding its longstanding knowledge of this design defect, Apple routinely has refused to repair the iPhones without charge when the defect manifests. Many other iPhone owners have communicated with Apple's employees and agents to request that Apple remedy and/or address the Touchscreen Defect and/or resultant damage at no expense. Apple has failed and/or refused to do so.
As a result of Apple’s unfair, deceptive and/or fraudulent business practices, owners of the iPhones, including Plaintiffs, have suffered an ascertainable loss of money and/or property and/or value. The unfair and deceptive trade practices committed by Apple were conducted in a manner giving rise to substantial aggravating circumstances.
The complaint, lodged by California law firm McCuneWright, LLP, seeks an order that requires Apple to repair, recall, and/or replace affected iPhones and to extend the warranties of those devices for a reasonable period of time. The plaintiffs also seek unspecified damages. A jury trial has been demanded.
The lawsuit cites repair website iFixit, which last week shared a blog post and video about the defect, nicknamed "touch disease." The defect presents as a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen and a display that's unresponsive or less responsive to touch. The problem is said to be caused by the touchscreen controller chips soldered to the iPhone's logic board losing contact after a period of normal usage.
The complaint specifically claims that Apple's failure to incorporate a "metal shield" or "underfill" over the logic board, as it did with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c respectively, makes the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus "substantially less durable to foreseeable and reasonable use by consumers and ultimately causes the touchscreen defect."
iFixit said the defect has affected a growing number of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners, citing its own repair shop colleagues and dozens of complaints on the Apple Support Communities. Multiple customers who brought their iPhones to Apple Stores were told that Apple doesn't recognize it as an issue and nothing could be done as their iPhones were no longer covered by warranty.
Apple today sent out media invites for an iPhone-centric event that will be held on Wednesday, September 7 at 10:00 am at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. Media invites (via The Verge) offer up a first look at the theme of the event and feature the simple tagline: "See you on the 7th."
The fall 2016 event is expected to see the debut of the next-generation iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which are rumored to feature improved cameras, better processors, and improved water resistance, implemented through the removal of the headphone jack and the introduction of a new flush, pressure-sensitive home button. Both devices are said to look similar to the iPhone 6s, with the same general size and shape, but with relocated antenna bands that no longer span the back of the devices.
Faster LTE and Wi-Fi speeds are rumored, as is a jump in storage space with 32GB positioned as the new minimum and a 256GB option rumored at the high end (possibly limited to iPhone 7 Plus). Display improvements first introduced in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, including the True Tone feature able to adjust the display to match ambient lighting could be offered, and the larger iPhone 7 Plus is expected to have exclusive features like 3GB RAM and a dual-lens camera for crisper, brighter images.
Apple may use the event to debut a second-generation Apple Watch, said to include better waterproofing, an improved processor, and a built-in GPS chip. Design changes are not expected for the next-generation Apple Watch, but new materials and new bands are always a possibility. Apple rotates its Apple Watch band offerings on a regular basis and we expect to see new designs this fall.
Most of Apple's Mac lineup is due for an update, but the most highly anticipated machine, the MacBook Pro, will reportedly not be debuting at the event, coming later in the year instead. It's not known if other Macs will see a refresh announcement at the event, but it's unlikely, and we're also not expecting any iPad announcements at this time.
We will, however, get an update on the prospective launch dates of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS 3, and tvOS 10. We're expecting to see iOS 10 and watchOS 3 launch shortly ahead of the release date of the next-generation iPhone (rumored to be September 16 or September 23), while macOS Sierra could come a bit later, perhaps towards the end of the month. tvOS 10, as a new operating system, could launch alongside iOS 10 or alongside macOS Sierra.
In line with past events, the September 7 event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. As it has done with several past events, Apple is likely to stream the event live on its website and on the Apple TV. MacRumors will also be providing full event coverage, both on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Update: Apple has announced it will indeed be live streaming the event.
While several rumors point towards Apple releasing its first iPhone models with OLED displays next year, the head of LCD manufacturer Innolux Wang Jyh-chau believes that OLED is unlikely to fully replace LCD technology in terms of performance-cost ratio and reliability long term, according to DigiTimes.
Instead, a new display technology called Micro-LED could eventually replace LCD to become the mainstream display technology, as noted by Innolux vice president and mobile product general manager Yang Hung-wen.
In response to market speculation that Apple will adopt OLED for its new iPhone to be launched in 2017, Innolux vice president and mobile product general manager Yang Hung-wen indicated that in order for product differentiation, Apple is likely to do so but it is uncertain whether it will be on a long-term basis, especially when Apple is developing Micro LED on its own.
Apple reportedly opened a secret laboratory in northern Taiwan last year to develop thinner, lighter, brighter, and more energy-efficient displays for future iOS devices, recruiting talent from local display maker AU Optronics and Qualcomm subsidiary SolLink. The report described the new displays as more advanced versions of LCDs currently used in iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices.
A subsequent report said Apple may be developing Micro-LED technology at the factory following its acquisition of Micro-LED company LuxVue Technology in 2014. In December 2013, LuxVue raised $25.2 million in funding to pursue the display technology, and the company also filed several Micro-LED patents. At the time, one of the company's investors said it had "a technical breakthrough in displays."
Micro-LED displays can be thinner and lighter and allow for improved color gamut, increased brightness, and higher resolutions. The panels do not require backlighting like traditional LCD displays, but they can be difficult and expensive to mass produce. Micro LEDs range in size from 1-micron to 100-micron.
Apple currently uses TFT-LCD displays for iPhones, while the Apple Watch is the company's only product with an OLED display. Rumors suggest the Apple Watch may gain a Micro-LED display itself as early as the second half of 2017, likely because the device's small size makes it suitable for testing new display technologies ahead of larger devices like the iPhone and iPad.
Today's report ultimately means that Apple's rumored switch to OLED display technology next year may only help keep up with the competition in the short term as it works to develop Micro-LED displays. Apple's tenth-anniversary iPhone in 2017 is expected to have glass casing and a 5.8-inch curved OLED display supplied by Samsung. Meanwhile, it has been reported Apple still plans to introduce 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models with flat LCD displays like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
From today, about 500,000 more ANZ customers will have the opportunity to use Apple Pay, as MasterCard is added alongside Visa and American Express.
Eligible cards, including the ANZ Low Rate MasterCard and ANZ Low Rate Platinum MasterCard, can be added to Apple Pay by tapping the "Add Credit or Debit Card" option in the Wallet app on iPhone 5 and later running iOS 8.1 or newer.
ANZ is the only bank that accepts Apple Pay in Australia as competing "Big Four" institutions in the country, including Commonwealth Bank, NAB, and Westpac, so far unsuccessfully fight to negotiate with Apple over access to its NFC-based digital payment technology. The trio of banks want their customers to be able to use digital wallets they have already financed and developed.
Following image leaks of two new Fitbit fitness trackers, the company today officially announced the Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Flex 2. In addition, the Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Alta wearables will receive a software update soon that brings new notifications, clock faces, and move reminders.
Fitbit Charge 2 (left) and Fitbit Flex 2 (right)
Starting with the Fitbit Charge 2, the new device comes with a large OLED screen that includes a built-in tap display and is intended to capture all-day activity, including the usual statistics like step count, heart rate, calories burned, and more. Like other Fitbits, the Charge 2 allows for sleep tracking and wake alarms, and will also remind users to move in order to stay ahead of activity goals. When not working out, Fitbit is giving Charge 2 users a chance to dress their device up with all-new luxe leather bands and other premium accessories.
Improving on the original Fitbit Charge HR, the new OLED display is 4-times larger, "so you can see more activity stats and keep your fitness goals on track with just a glance." In addition to basic fitness readouts, the screen will also show smartphone-connected information such as text messages and emails. All of the Fitbit Charge 2's features will be able to last up to 5 days depending on usage, according to the company.
The luxe leather collection for the Charge 2
Similar to the Breathe app coming to WatchOS 3 on the Apple Watch, Fitbit also announced "Relax," a mindfulness experience on the Charge 2 that will guide users through breathing exercises daily to help relax them. Relax will read each user's heart rate to determine the most comfortable breathing rate for each exercise, with sessions customizable from 2 to 5 minutes.
The Fitbit Flex 2, which is 30 percent smaller than the original model, follows in its predecessor's footsteps with a minimalist design that houses a row of LED lights instead of a traditional tap display. As a result, the Flex 2 is more rugged and the device is even water resistant up to 50 meters, letting it "automatically track your pool swims as exercise in the Fitbit app, capturing your laps, the duration of your workout, and caloric burn."
The luxe collection of bangles and pendants for the Flex 2
Due to the Fitbit Flex 2's small design, the actual tracker is also able to be housed in a variety of new wearable accessories created by the company. These include basic wristbands, fashionable bangles, and even necklaces. Fitbit will also be launching "designer collections" of new wearable accessories, including stainless steel bands and nylon bracelets that cost a more premium price, up to nearly $300.
The Fitbit Flex 2 is available for pre-order as a wristband in black, lavender, magenta, and navy for $99.95, and will launch in November. The Fitbit Charge 2 has a few more color options: black/silver, plum/silver, blue/silver, teal/silver, lavender/rose gold, and black/gunmetal, the latter two of which are considered "special editions." The Charge 2 is not yet up for pre-order, however, but those interested can opt-in for email notifications for when the new device will go on sale, presumably alongside the Flex 2 in the fall.
T-Mobile recently introduced a new plan called T-Mobile ONE that offers unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data for $70 per month. A second line can be added for $50 per month, while up to six more lines can be added for an additional $20 per month each. The total cost for a family of four, for example, would be $160 per month.
At the time, T-Mobile said mobile hotspot tethering would be limited to 2G speeds, with 5GB of high-speed tethering available as a $15 add-on. But today, the carrier has changed its tune and announced that T-Mobile ONE will now include unlimited tethering at 3G speeds in the U.S. at no additional cost.
Or, customers that want high-speed tethering can upgrade to the new T-Mobile ONE Plus plan, which includes unlimited tethering at 4G LTE speeds, unlimited HD video streaming, and Simple Global international data roaming at up to 3G speeds where available for an extra $25 per month per line. The carrier previously planned to charge an extra $25 per month just for the unlimited HD video streaming upgrade.
The regular T-Mobile ONE plan will continue to limit video to 480p standard definition across all services, but the carrier is also now introducing HD day passes for $3 per day that allow unlimited HD video streaming for 24 hours.
T-Mobile ONE will also now be available on September 1, five days earlier than the company previously announced.
Amazon and Pandora are closing in on licensing agreements with the world's largest record labels to launch their own streaming music services later this year, reports Financial Times.
Both subscription-based services are expected to cost $9.99 per month, a price that has become the industry standard, and compete with heavyweights like Apple Music and Spotify.
Amazon's offering could launch as early as September, according to the report, while Pandora is said to be making progress towards debuting its service later this year.
Reuters first reported Amazon's plans to launch a standalone streaming music service in June, followed by a Recode report last week claiming the online retailer is also working on a $5-a-month subscription music service that will be exclusive to owners of the company's internet-connected Echo speaker.
Amazon currently sells individual songs or albums through Amazon Music, while Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Amazon music, playlists, and radio stations for free, but the selection is limited compared to Apple Music and Spotify.
Pandora's ambitions to launch its own subscription music service, likely based on its acquisition of "key assets" from Rdio in 2015, were first reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. The company plans to offer two price tiers by also slightly tweaking its existing $5 per month ad-free option with select new perks like skipping songs and offline listening, the report said.
Pandora currently offers customers in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand the ability to listen to free, ad-supported radio stations centered around particular artists or songs, rather than offering on-demand listening like Apple Music. By offering only randomized, radio-like stations that prevent users from playing specific songs, it has been able to bypass licensing agreements with major record labels.
After placing the winning $815,000 bid on the rare "Celebration" Apple-1 computer last week, Glenn Dellimore spoke with Business Insider about his reasons for purchasing the computer. Dellimore made the decision with his wife, Shannnon, and the two were not only prepared to pay up to $2 million for the piece of Apple history, but both see it only increasing in value over the years.
The Dellimores -- who founded the Hollywood skin care brand Glamglow, now owned by Estée Lauder -- think that in around 10 to 15 years, the Apple-1 sold by CharityBuzz "could be worth as much as a Monet or Picasso." The rarity of this particular Apple-1 is doubled by the fact that it started as a "blank original-run board," that was never meant to be sold to the public and was not from a production run, potentially making it one of the first Apple-1 computers ever made.
Shannon and Glenn Dellimore
"When the auction was taking place, I realized we’d actually be in the air when it ended. Just as our wheels touched down, there were 30 seconds left in the auction and I was actually outbidded with 37 seconds left," Dellimore said. "I think the bid was $270,000 when I looked, and then it went up again, and I kept going bidding with someone else until it was $515,000. I said, 'you know what, I’m just going to put in a large number.'"
He said he might have bidded up to $2 million if he had been outbid again.
"Typically with things that are so valuable and so rare, there will be buyers in the world that are willing to pay whatever it takes," he said.
The current plan for the Apple-1 is for it to be displayed in a museum, and Glenn Dellimore hopes that the computer, which he refers to both as a "piece of history" and the "holy grail of computers," will be used to help educate younger people. Ultimately, Dellimore said that "the possibility of it being the number one, the very first prototype that Steve worked on, and with the way over time Apple has changed the world, this computer is the holy grail of computers, it is the most important computer on the planet, I think."
Opera has warned users of the browser that an unknown hacker has managed to gain access to its sync system, potentially compromising the data of around 1.7 million users.
The Norwegian company said in a blog post that "some of our sync users' passwords and account information, such as login names, may have been compromised" following the hack, and encouraged users to reset passwords for third-party sites.
Although we only store encrypted (for synchronized passwords) or hashed and salted (for authentication) passwords in this system, we have reset all the Opera sync account passwords as a precaution.
We have also sent emails to all Opera sync users to inform them about the incident and ask them to change the password for their Opera sync accounts. In an abundance of caution, we have encouraged users to also reset any passwords to third party sites they may have synchronized with the service.
Opera's web sync feature lets uses synchronize their browser data and settings across multiple devices. Opera notes that the total active number of users of the feature in the last month is less than 0.5 percent of the web browser's user base of 350 million people, and that the password reset is a precaution.
Security scares have been a recurring theme for online services recently. Last week, Dropbox told its users that the firm was resetting passwords for anyone who had not changed theirs since mid-2012. The preventative measure was enacted after the company learned about an old set of user credentials that was stolen in a hacking incident nearly four years ago.
Microsoft today launched a new commercial for its Surface Pro 4, directly comparing the tablet computer to Apple's MacBook Air.
The ad, titled "Surface Pro 4 is the one for me", was posted on YouTube and features a woman trying out some of the features of the Surface Pro 4 and then attempting to replicate the functionality on a MacBook Air, to no avail. All the while, a melody man plays a musical keyboard and quirkily sings the praises of Microsoft's PC offering against the Apple machine, which he calls "less useful, like a hat for your cat".
The lighthearted ad plays upon the Surface Pro 4's signature features like the detachable keyboard, pen, and touchscreen, as well as the machine's relative lightness compared to the MacBook Air, which is "slower, heavier, and a bit square," sings the keyboard player. The ad ends with the tagline: "Surface does more. Just like you."
The 12.3-inch Surface Pro 4 starts at $899 for 128GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM, and goes up to as much as $1,799 for 256GB of internal storage and 16GB of RAM.
Comparatively, the 11-inch MacBook Air starts at $899, with 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, increasing to $1099 for 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, while the 13-inch model starts at $999 for 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and rising to $1199 for 256GB of storage.
Philips today announced the newest addition to its Hue line of lights and accessories, debuting the new Philips Hue Motion Sensor. The Hue Motion Sensor is designed to allow Philips Hue users to control their lights automatically as they move through their homes.
The Motion Sensor connects to a Hue Bridge and because it's wireless and powered via battery, it can be placed anywhere in the home - a bookshelf, a side table, a wall, a ceiling, etc. Once in position, the motion detection feature can be adjusted to the ideal position and it will perform set actions like turning the lights on or off whenever activated.
"The Philips Hue motion sensor not only provides hands-free control but also helps deliver peace of mind. You can be guided safely throughout your home at night with lighting," said Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader, Home Systems, Philips Lighting. "Plus, you no longer have to remind the kids to turn off the lights when leaving a room. The reliable detection the motion sensor provides when you exit supports this and also helps you be more energy efficient."
The Hue Motion sensor is highly customizable and supports personalized settings ranging from a soft, subdued light at night to set scenes during the day. It also has a built-in daylight sensor so it can turn lights on and off based on the time of day, and it has an instantaneous reaction time, adjusting lights within .5 seconds of being activated. Up to 12 Motion Sensors can be connected to a single bridge for a fully automated home lighting experience.
Along with the Motion Sensor, Philips is introducing updated Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs that feature richer greens and blues, a feature Hue owners have long desired. The new bulbs offer bolder, brighter colors than existing bulbs. Two new Philips Hue White Ambiance bulb extensions are also available, including BR-30 and GU-10 variants.
Philips' new Motion Sensor is priced at $39.95 and will be available from the Philips Hue website, Amazon.com, and Best Buy starting in October of 2016. The new Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs and the new BR-30 and GU-10 bulb variants will also be available in October.
A purported photo of a larger 334 mAh lithium-ion battery destined for the Apple Watch 2 has surfaced on Chinese microblogging service Weibo, foreshadowing expected battery life improvements coming to the wrist-worn device.
The battery is allegedly for the 42mm model, which currently has a 246 mAh battery, suggesting the next-generation 42mm model could have a 35.7% larger battery. The photo does not provide any clues about potential battery life improvements coming to the smaller 38mm model, which is currently equipped with a 205 mAh battery.
The veracity of the photo cannot be confirmed, as is often the case, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said an Apple Watch 2 with a higher capacity battery will launch later this year. The larger battery should unsurprisingly lead to longer battery life for the Apple Watch, which is currently rated for up to 18 hours of mixed usage and up to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode on a single charge.
The much-rumored Apple Watch 2 is expected to be released in late 2016 with a faster TSMC-built processor, GPS, barometer, superior waterproofing, and a higher capacity battery -- but no cellular. Both 38mm and 42mm screen sizes will be retained with thinner display technology adopted. The device could launch in September alongside the iPhone 7 and spec-bumped Apple Watch 1 models.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sold more than $35 million worth of Apple stock, according documents filed with the SEC this week.
Cook sold 334,000 shares at prices ranging from $107.21 to $107.69, netting himself almost $36 million dollars.
Apple also sold more than 656,000 shares on Tim Cook’s behalf, an amount over $70 million, to settle the tax liability for the RSUs that vested earlier this week as he reached his five-year anniversary as CEO of Apple.
Cook on Wednesday unlocked awarded stock bonuses worth more than $100 million for both his time spent at Apple and the company’s performance under his leadership, earning 1,260,000 total shares.
That number consists of 980,000 tenure-based RSUs and an allotment of 280,000 shares awarded because Apple’s shareholder return reached 61%, putting it in the top-performing third of the S&P 500 index.
Tim Cook continues to hold more than 1.3 million shares of Apple stock following the sale, which is worth more than $140 million.
The European Commission is poised to hand down an adverse ruling against Apple next week following a three-year inquiry into the company's tax arrangements in Ireland, according to Financial Times.
Expectation of an adverse ruling gathered pace this week after the US Treasury issued a stinging attack on the commission’s investigation, saying the EU executive was becoming a “supranational tax authority” that threatened international agreements on tax reform.
The Brussels-based body, led by competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, has been investigating whether Apple's alleged "sweetheart deal" with Ireland constitutes illegal state aid, which it determined based on its preliminary findings in 2014.
The commission has accused Apple of sheltering tens of billions of dollars by transferring revenue to multiple subsidiaries in Ireland, where it pays a significantly lower tax rate of around 2%, compared to the country's headline corporate tax rate of 12.5%.
An adverse ruling could result in Apple owing up to $21.2 billion in back taxes, although a previous study placed the figure around $8 billion, and some analysts believe the amount could be as low as $1 billion.
Apple is one of several large corporations accused of tax avoidance in Europe over the past three years, joining the likes of Starbucks, Fiat Chrysler, Amazon, Google, IKEA, and McDonald's. Starbucks in particular is currently appealing its case in Netherlands, where it was ordered to pay as much as 30 million euros in back taxes.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has insisted that his company fully complies with international tax law, said last month that it would appeal any unfavorable ruling in European courts. Apple has also said it is the largest taxpayer in the world.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury department warned that an adverse ruling against Apple could "set an undesirable precedent." It also said the European Commission is becoming a "supranational tax authority," going beyond acceptable enforcement of competition and state aid law.
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.
Spotify and Apple Music are becoming increasingly bitter rivals, and according to new reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg, the feuding is now affecting artists. Spotify has been punishing artists who agree to Apple Music exclusives, displaying their content less prominently and offering fewer promotional opportunities.
Spotify has explicitly told artists who offer Apple Music exclusives that their music won't be included on featured playlists, and Spotify has also "buried" their songs in its search rankings. The music streaming service has reportedly been using these retaliatory tactics for about a year.
Spotify has been retaliating against musicians who introduce new material exclusively on rival Apple Music by making their songs harder to find, according to people familiar with the strategy. Artists who have given Apple exclusive access to new music have been told they won't be able to get their tracks on featured playlists once the songs become available on Spotify, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing the steps.
Spotify's tactics may not affect major artists in a significant way, but according to Bloomberg, the service has also threatened smaller acts who introduce their music on Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe.
Since Apple Music launched last year, Apple has been using exclusive content as a way to lure new subscribers to the service. Artists like Drake, Frank Ocean, Dreezy, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry have debuted content exclusively on Apple Music, something both Spotify and record labels have become increasingly uncomfortable with.
Earlier this week, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grange told employees that UMG is now prohibiting its artists from offering music exclusives, meaning popular content from Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and more, will no longer be eligible for debut solely on Apple Music. UMG's new policy has already affected Apple, preventing Apple Music from inking a deal with Lady Gaga.
At its one year anniversary in June, Apple Music boasted more than 15 million subscribers, and should it continue its rapid growth rate, the service could eventually eclipse Spotify as the most popular streaming service. Spotify continues to have approximately twice as many subscribers but the music service continues to struggle because it has yet to become profitable.
Update: According to a Spotify spokesperson that spoke to MacRumors, Bloomberg's claim that Spotify has "buried" search results for songs of artists who have signed Apple Music exclusives is "unequivocally false."
The European Commission on Tuesday will rule that Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland, according to a 130-page judgment known by 
Amazon and 
A purported photo of a larger 334 mAh lithium-ion battery destined for the 
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sold more than $35 million worth of Apple stock, according documents filed with the SEC this week.
The European Commission is poised to hand down an adverse ruling against Apple next week following a three-year inquiry into the company's tax arrangements in Ireland, according to 
