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Apple hires Google’s chief of search and A.I.

Apple has hired Google's chief of search and artificial intelligence John Giannandrea, reports The New York Times. The outlet has obtained an internal email from Tim Cook, who tells employees “John shares our commitment to privacy and our thoughtful approach as we make computers even smarter and more personal.”

Apple to report Q2 2018 earnings on May 1

Apple has announced that it will be sharing the earnings results for its second fiscal quarter of 2018 on the first of May. The company has scheduled a conference call for Tuesday, May 1 at 5pm ET (2pm PT) to talk about its performance over the past 3 months.

Jimmy Iovine said to be leaving Apple in August

Jimmy Iovine is leaving Apple later this year, according to a new report from Billboard. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet claims the executive plans to leave the company in August, after the shares he acquired as part of the Beats acquisition fully vest.

Bloomberg: 3D face scanning feature could replace Touch ID in iPhone 8

Apple is working on a 3D face scanning feature that could replace Touch ID in iPhone 8, reports Bloomberg. Citing sources familiar with the product, the outlet says that the "improved security system" allows users to log in, authenticate payments, and launch secure apps by scanning their face.

This is powered by a new 3-D sensor, added the people, who asked not to be identified discussing technology that’s still in development. The company is also testing eye scanning to augment the system, one of the people said.

The sensor’s speed and accuracy are focal points of the feature. It can scan a user’s face and unlock the iPhone within a few hundred milliseconds, the person said. It is designed to work even if the device is laying flat on a table, rather than just close up to the face. The feature is still being tested and may not appear with the new device. However, the intent is for it to replace the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, according to the person.

Apple wouldn't be the first tech company to integrate face-scanning tech into its handset. Samsung's Galaxy S8 has an iris scanner that can be used to unlock the phone, although it has received mostly negative reviews. Apple's face-scanning sensor is believed to be more secure, thanks to 3D depth perception.

Thus far, a majority of the leaks and reports we've seen regarding the iPhone 8 have pointed to a device without a Home button, leading many to believe Apple found a way to embed Touch ID into the display. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, however, agrees with Bloomberg's facial recognition theory.

Source: Bloomberg

Apple working with startup Health Gorilla to add diagnostic data to iPhone

Apple is teaming up with a tiny startup called Health Gorilla to bring comprehensive clinical data to the iPhone, reports CNBC. The goal is to integrate with hospitals, imaging centers and lab-testing companies to make data such as blood work accessible from the smartphone.

According to its website, Health Gorilla specializes in giving doctors a "complete picture of patient health history." The tech is primarily geared towards physicians, allowing them to easily share records, but also has a free offering for patients that delivers medical info in short order.

Apple is hoping its new partnership will allow it to solve the long-standing interoperability problem by putting patients in charge of their own medical information. This will enable hospitals to access vital data at the point of care, cutting down on missed diagnoses and other errors.

Source: CNBC

Apple Pay P2P transfers will incur standard 3% fee when funded by a credit card

If you try to use your credit card to fund an Apple Pay person-to-person payment over iMessage, Apple will tack on a 3% fee, reports Recode. The fee is standard among similar P2P services, and necessary to cover credit card transaction costs, but it's worth pointing out to potential users.

If you don't want to incur the 3% fee, simply use your debit card to fund the Apple Pay P2P payment, as this method is completely free.

Apple announced the new iMessage-based service during its WWDC keynote earlier this week. With it, you'll be able to use any card stored in Apple Pay to send money to other users. Once sent, the money loads onto a prepaid Apple Pay Cash card, where it can be spent or withdrawn.

Apple Pay Cash will go live after Apple publicly launches iOS 11 this fall.

Source: Recode

Apple developing dedicated AI chip for future devices

Apple is working on a processor dedicated specifically to AI-related tasks, reports Bloomberg. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet says the chip is known internally as the Apple Neural Engine, and its goal is to improve the way devices handle facial recognition, speech recondition and other AI-related tasks.

Currently, Apple devices handle complex AI processes with two different chips—the main processor and the GPU. This new chip would let Apple offload those tasks onto a dedicated module designed specifically for complex artificial intelligence processing, resulting in better battery life and performance.

The Apple AI chip is designed to make significant improvements to Apple’s hardware over time, and the company plans to eventually integrate the chip into many of its devices, including the iPhone and iPad, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. Apple has tested prototypes of future iPhones with the chip, the person said, adding that it’s unclear if the component will be ready this year.

It's no surprise Apple looking to move quickly with this AI chip. Other manufacturers, such as Google and Qualcomm, are already using dedicated AI modules, and artificial intelligence sits at the heart of two major spaces the company is rumored to be interested in: self-driving vehicles and augmented reality.

Source: Bloomberg