This week, Apple Computer’s decision to abandon its pursuit of car manufacturing (we don’t know if the car will be called an “iCar”) has led to a series of books analyzing the project from its inception to its dissolution. It is certain that a large number of articles will be published.
new york times responds to readers’ fascination with the company by taking a first crack at analyzing the moves and mistakes Apple has made along the way.
This story features what is essentially a “clip job” of collecting and rewriting the millions of words written over the past decade, as well as new reports and insights from project insiders and others. It is a combination of. Not surprisingly, neither Apple nor Elon Musk (Tesla was always supposed to be a target for Apple’s cars) formally responded to the paper’s requests for comment. But whatever that means, Musk responded to X’s news with a salute and a cigarette emoji.
Fans of the Apple Car drama may be familiar with bits and pieces of the story’s details; times A one-size-fits-all introduction to understanding the history of what became known as Project Titan.
According to reporters Brian X. Chen and Tripp Mickle, the program has seen some ups and downs since its inception in 2014, but it was originally pitched primarily as an electric vehicle to compete with Tesla. After that, it was planned to become a self-driving car.
lastly, times Apple has spent “more than $10 billion on this project, returning the car to its starting point as an electric vehicle with driver assistance features comparable to Tesla,” according to six people involved in the project over the past decade. ”. However, it was doomed “mainly because developing the software and algorithms for a car with self-driving capabilities proved too difficult.”
Long considered a product-driven company, the Apple car news was initially seen as a major step toward generating new business. With the aging of the iPhone, “cars became part of his $2 trillion transportation industry, and he was able to help Apple, which by then was already a nearly $200 billion business,” the article said. states. But members of the development team “knew they were working against harsh realities,” according to six employees familiar with the project. If an Apple car were to come to market, it would likely cost at least $100,000, but it would still generate a small profit compared to smartphones and earphones. It also comes years after Tesla dominated the market. ”
Ultimately, Apple spent millions to bring more than 2,000 employees to Apple Park, including engineers who worked for NASA and developed race cars for Porsche. times “We have developed a series of new technologies, including a windshield that can display the direction of each turn and a sunroof with a special polymer that reduces heat from the sun.”
But as of 2016, when Titan managers told the teams working on the project that they intended to shift their focus from building cars to developing software for self-driving cars, automotive efforts became difficult. It has become clear that the company has fallen into a similar situation, three people involved said. The report says it is familiar with the changes.
Earlier this year, several Project Titan team members were reassigned within Apple to “artificial intelligence development that will move into other technologies we’re researching, including AI-powered AirPods with cameras, robotic assistants, and augmented reality.” It was announced that it would be done. “According to three people briefed on the project,” the article states.
Some people are told to apply for another job.
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