Apple has made 5 times more profits than Huawei in the first quarter of 2019

Apple sells fewer smartphones than Huawei now, but remains in a separate dimension in terms of financial results. The Cupertino company generated five times more profits than its Chinese competitor in the first quarter of 2019.

 

Already ahead in 2018 and firmly anchored in the second place of smartphone manufacturers, Huawei again surpassed Apple in the first quarter of 2019 in terms of mobile sales. Despite the controversies related to 5G and its supposed links with the Chinese government, the group is doing well. Huawei even plans to become the world leader in front of Samsung from 2020. But all these sales do not necessarily translate into excessive profits.

Huawei sells more smartphones but margins are much lower

GizChina reports that Apple has earned five times more profits than Huawei in the first quarter of 2019, even though the Cupertino company has had its worst quarter in years. Apple no longer reports its sales figures but would have estimated that passed only 36.4 million iPhone over the period, for a market share that collapsed to about 12% (59 million smartphones sold and 19 % of pdm for Huawei).

The fact that Apple still manages to grow considerably despite this decline in form proves that the US group remains extremely strong. It still manages to release huge margins on its iPhone and its hardware in general thanks to its image and its ecosystem to which many users are addicted. And feeling that the wind is turning on the hardware, the company headed by Tim Cook directs all its efforts on services now. After the success of Apple Music, eyes are now turning to its Apple TV + video service as well as, to a lesser extent, its Apple Arcade video game platform and its Apple News + press kiosk.

Facebook: the co-founder wants to dismantle the social network

Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, calls for dismantling the social network. In an article published in the New York Times, he believes that the power held by Mark Zuckerberg, who holds 60% of the group's shares, has become much too important. The man is asking the US government to put laws and regulatory agencies in place to control Facebook's growing hold.

 

 

"Fifteen years ago I co-founded Facebook at Harvard, and I have not worked for the company for a decade. But I have a feeling of hatred and responsibility, "says Chris Hughes, Mark Zuckerberg's former roommate at Harvard, in the New York Times column. Officially, he still holds the position of consultant for Facebook. "The financial benefits I gained from my work at Facebook have changed the trajectory of my life" admits Chris Hughes, who sold all his shares in 2012.

Chris Hughes accuses Zuckerberg of being responsible for Facebook drifts

Until 2016, he claims to have "watched with admiration the development of society." That year, the Cambridge Analytica scandal led him to become aware of the "dangers of Facebook's monopoly." In his argument, he points several times to Mark Zuckerberg's "obsession for growth", which he has not seen since the summer of 2017. According to him, the current CEO of the group has knowingly "sacrificed the security and privacy of its users for the click ".

For Chris Hughes, Mark Zuckerberg is therefore directly responsible for the excesses of the social network. "The government must absolutely hold Mark to account," he says. "Mark's power is incredible, and far surpasses anyone else in government or the private sector," the co-founder accuses, all the more concerned that the CEO is "surrounded by a team that strengthens him in his beliefs instead of challenging them ". With 40% of the firm's shares, the board is not strong enough to go against Zuckerberg's decisions. It is more "a panel of advisers than a counter-power". Hughes tempers his remarks by saying that Mark Zuckerberg is still "a nice man and a good person".

Facebook: Chris Hughes calls on the government to dismantle the social network

"Facebook won the prize of domination. It is worth more than $ 500 billion and, in my estimation, represents more than 80% of the global income of social networks "adds the co-founder, for whom this monopoly is a direct result of the policy of his friend Mark. To assert its dominance, Facebook shamelessly copies the ideas of its competitors, as we have seen many times with Snapchat. In other cases, the group simply buys the platform that shadows it. In 2014, Facebook got its hands on WhatsApp.

"Facebook dominates the social media industry, it is not accountable to the market," warns the forum. Faced with the growing grip of the social network, described as a "leviathan that destroys the entrepreneurial spirit," and the lack of competition, Chris Hughes asks the US government to act and dismantle Facebook. The co-founder wants to split the group and make Instagram and WhatsApp independent. In the same vein, he asks the state to curb the growth of Facebook by prohibiting any new acquisition. With these measures, he wants to allow the competition to counterbalance the power of the social network, which has 2.32 billion active users each month.

Finally, Chris Hughes also calls for the creation of a federal agency regulating the giants of the Web, to control the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon). The proposals of the co-founder of Facebook join the words of the Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who wants to dismantle all the giants of tech. What do you think of the cautions of the co-founder of Facebook? Should the government regulate the American firm? We are waiting for your opinion in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This very polite whale finds the iPhone that a tourist just lost at the bottom of the sea, in video

Incredible but true: a rather helpful white whale has really saved an iPhone from a tourist dropped in the open sea. A viral video is currently circulating on social networks. We can see the cetacean bring the smartphone to its owner with great delicacy.

A video showing a whale carrying an iPhone in its mouth appeared a few days ago on the social network Reddit, reports Softpedia. The short sequence shows a beluga, or white whale, coming to the surface with an iPhone in its mouth. Once in the open, the owner, obviously a tourist, recovers the iPhone without a hitch!

A very helpful white whale saves an iPhone dropped into the water: here is the video

According to Softpedia, the scene takes place off the coast of Norway in the Arctic Sea. Belugas are found only in these waters. Not surprisingly, the video quickly became viral. It has been shared on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Many Internet users are still skeptical and believe that the video has been rigged. No clue to the image, however, allows to question the veracity of the sequence.

Similarly, it is worth remembering that white whales are incredibly intelligent animals that can be trained to perform simple or complex dog-like tasks. Also, it is emphasized that belugas are equipped with one of the most sophisticated sonar of wildlife. It is not surprising that the whale was able to locate the iPhone to bring it to the surface.

As our colleagues at BGR, who relay information, remind us, whales and dolphins are currently used by some countries, including Russia, for reconnaissance and spying missions. It is not surprising that a cetacean could really bring back an iPhone lost in the sea to its owner, much like a dog brings back a stick.

Apple refuses to be compared to Google and Facebook

Apple does not want to be compared to other tech giants, like Google and Facebook. According to Tim Cook, the CEO of the California firm, Apple is very different. Why ? Simply because it does not collect the personal data of its users.

 

 

 

In an interview with our colleagues at CNBC, Tim Cook asked US politicians not to put Apple in the same basket as other giants of technology. The CEO actually answers Elizabeth Warren, the senator who proposed dismantling the GAFA. "Large technology companies have too much power - too much power over our economy, our society and our democracy. They destroyed the competition, used our private information for profit "said the woman politician, referring to Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Apple does not want to be compared to another tech giant

"I am frustrated that technology is considered monolithic. Technology is not monolithic "regrets Tim Cook, annoyed that Apple is compared to companies like Google or Facebook. "It's like thinking all restaurants are the same," says the manager, adding that each firm has "its own personality and its own characteristics." "We're in the same geographic location as a lot of tech companies, that's pretty much our only common point," Cook said.

Unsurprisingly, Tim Cook asserts that Apple stands out from a group like Google or Facebook because it does not take personal data from users. "We do not trade your data. We are on your side, "promises the businessman. A few months ago, he had already said that "we try to collect as little data as possible on your account". How do you welcome Tim Cook's assertions? Is Apple really different from a group like Google? We are waiting for your opinion in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iPhone 7: new class-action because of out-of-warranty sound issues

The iPhone 7 is one of the best selling Apple smartphones - it has had its share of problems. One of them is worth a new class-action to Apple: the chip that manages the sound on some devices deteriorates over time, and leads to a degradation of the audio and the unavailability of basic features allowing to use the smartphone normally. Apple does not recognize the problem, which has led plaintiffs to pay for the repair themselves.



Our colleagues AppleInsider report that a new class action opens in California against Apple. Two complainants, Joseph Casillas and De'Jhontai Banks, are cited in the documents. In question, a defect of the audio chip of the iPhone 7, causing a series of sound problems and interface on the smartphone. Both complainants were able to use their smartphone normally for more than a year without the problem. Then, an audible distortion of the sound began to appear.

IPhone 7 suffer from a real "disease" of their audio chip

All the features related to audio have been gradually affected, which includes elements of the interface - the audio output selection option, for example, has become "gray" and therefore unusable. The problem went so far as to prevent owners of these iPhone 7s from making a voice call. After contacting Apple after-sales service, Joseph Casillas was told that it was impossible to diagnose the problem.

With an out-of-warranty iPhone, and a service refusing to repair it, he had to turn to a repair by a third center, at his expense. De'Jhontai Banks was also told that he should "pay for this repair". According to the reasons cited by the class action, the problem would be the result of a lack of design of the iPhone 7.

A hardware defect that is not publicly recognized by Apple

The aluminum frame would be composed of a low quality aluminum, which allows it to deform, with a particularly pronounced effect at the location where the chip responsible for audio management. Gradually, this physical constraint causes the breaking of the contacts between the chip and the motherboard, leading to the problems described above.

Apple seems to be playing Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde: on the one hand, the firm does not publicly acknowledge the problem, but still refers to it in internal repair documents. The firm also briefly offered free repairs for gray audio options - but no longer offers the program.

The plaintiffs could ultimately obtain damages, as well as the repair, recall and replacement of the affected iPhone and the extension of the warranties. Case to follow ...

iPhone: Apple is accused of lying about autonomy

Apple is accused of lying about the autonomy of its iPhone. A British consumer association estimates that the manufacturer significantly overestimates the endurance of 9 of its smartphones. Tim Cook's firm quickly responded to the charges.



Which ?, the British equivalent of the UFC-Que Choisir, accuses Apple of exaggerating the announced autonomy of the iPhone, reports Digital Trends. "We have tested nine iPhone models and found that not all of them meet Apple's promise of self-sufficiency," the organization says on its website.

Apple would greatly exaggerate the promised autonomy of the iPhone, accuses Which

According to the tests carried out, the autonomy announced by Apple would systematically be 18 to 51% higher than the autonomy noted. In his press release, Wich? highlights the case of the iPhone XR. "The battery lasted 16 hours and 32 minutes, while Apple promised a 25-hour battery life, 51 percent more," says the consumer advocacy association.

During our test of the iPhone XR, we were positively surprised by the autonomy of the smartphone. It is indeed easy to have a day and a half of autonomy in case of full use, which coincides with the promises of Apple. Nevertheless, Wich? was rather interested in the conversation time in a single charge, which obviously changes the deal.

Not surprisingly, Apple has stepped up to defend the autonomy of its iPhone. "We rigorously test our products and we guarantee the life of their batteries. Thanks to the tight integration between hardware and software, the iPhone is designed to intelligently manage power consumption to maximize the life of its battery. Our test method reflects this intelligence. Which? did not share his methodology with us. We can not compare their results to ours, "says Apple. In the process, the group proposes to discover in detail its methodology on its website.


As part of his study, Wich? tested other brands of smartphones. Like Apple, HTC has been pinned for a real autonomy found very different from that promised. The Taiwanese group, for its part, admitted that "differences in configuration and test environments may result in variations from the figures indicated". In contrast, Samsung, Sony and Nokia have underestimated the autonomy of their smartphones in case of call. What do you think of the Which? Are the variations innocuous and inevitable? Have you noticed significant variations in your personal experience?