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Apple and Employees Give $2.6 Million to Charity Through Donation Matching Program

Apple has matched $1.3 million in employee donations for a total of $2.6 million donated to charity via a program CEO Tim Cook instituted earlier this year. Via the program, Apple offered to match U.S. full-time employees' contributions to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, up to $10,000 per employee per year.

The $1.3 million matched so far is being used by Apple to internally promote the program and solicit more donations. An image touting the success of the program links employees to a page that provides an overview of the matching program.

The total was first reported by AppleInsider.





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Apple and Employees Give $2.6 Million to Charity Through Donation Matching Program

Apple has matched $1.3 million in employee donations for a total of $2.6 million donated to charity via a program CEO Tim Cook instituted earlier this year. Via the program, Apple offered to match U.S. full-time employees' contributions to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, up to $10,000 per employee per year.

The $1.3 million matched so far is being used by Apple to internally promote the program and solicit more donations. An image touting the success of the program links employees to a page that provides an overview of the matching program.

The total was first reported by AppleInsider.





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Apple Store Employees Made This Music Video to Teach Customer Service Skills

This video was produced by the staff of an Apple Retail Store as an entertaining way to teach Apple's customer service strategy. That strategy, based on one from the Ritz Carlton hotel -- widely acknowledged as the gold standard in customer service -- allows Apple Retail Store employees to assist customers without pressuring them to buy.

As Apple products generally sell themselves, the theory is that employees merely need to present the proper solutions to the customer based on their needs. Uncovering those needs is key to completing the sale and creating satisfied customers or "promoters" in Apple Store parlance.

The Apple Steps of Service, as taught during Core Training, which every new hire at Apple goes through:

A - Approach the customer with a "warm welcome"


P - Position, Permission, Probe -- Tell the customer what you want to do, ask permission, and then ask them questions to determine their needs.


P - Present the appropriate product solution that fits their needs.


L - Listen to their concerns.


E - End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

There are also the three A's -- three steps used with the "L" above to help alleviate customer concerns.

A - Acknowledge that their concerns are valid.


A - Align with the customer, agreeing that you would feel the same were you in their shoes.


A- Assure the customer that you will be able to solve their problem to their satisfaction.

The video, which was well-received by employees at an all-hands store meeting, was posted by former Apple employee Kyle Sisson as part of his editing portfolio. It is a brief look into the back of house, where much of the video was filmed, an unusual occurrence at the intensely private Apple Store.





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Apple Releases iOS 5.0.1 to Address Battery Life Issues

Apple has just release iOS 5.0.1 to the public, bringing fixes for battery life issues introduced with iOS 5. The release also brings several other enhancements including multitasking gestures for the original iPad.

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes bugs affecting battery life


- Adds Multitasking Gestures for original iPad


- Resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud


- Improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation

The build number on the public release is 90A405, an increment of one build over the beta 2 build seeded to developers last Friday.

iOS 5.0.1 is available for iPhone (4S, 4, and 3GS), iPod touch (third- and fourth-generation), and all iPad models. The update is available for download via iTunes, but is not yet showing up as an over-the-air update for direct download to iOS devices.





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Apple Researching Integrated Speaker for iPod Nano and Shuffle

Patently Apple reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple describing the integration of a speaker into the clip of the iPod nano or shuffle. Apple's proposed design includes a recessed portion within the device's clip that would house a piezoelectric speaker.

Exploded view of iPod nano or shuffle case with speaker integrated into clip


As part of the invention's description, Apple outlines how a small domed or dimpled cover over the speaker could be designed to produce specific acoustic effects, allowing for sufficient movement of air to create the required sound quality for the device.

In some embodiments, the cavity size may be shaped to create a particular frequency response or to otherwise influence the sound produced by the acoustical element. In some embodiments, the interior surface of the cavity may be modified to increase the size of the cavity, to control the frequency response of the cavity, modify the amount of air displaceable by movement of the diaphragm of the acoustical element, and/or to direct sound waves within the cavity and/or out of the cavity. The shape of the surface may be configured to resonate at a certain desired frequency or frequency range that is desired based on its shape. For example, one or more indentations in the surface may be provided to increase the size of the cavity and/or control the frequency response of the cavity. Generally, the larger the size of the cavity, the lower the frequency that may be resonant within the cavity. In some embodiments, holes may be provided in the surface to adjust the frequency response.

Adding a speaker to the iPod's clip would of course mean that it would need to be electrically connected to the main portion of the device, and Apple also describes how thin, flexible wires or microstrips could be routed alongside or through the hinge block that serves as the mounting point for the clip.

Apple does not propose any specific uses for the external audio features enabled by the addition of a speaker clip, and the extremely thin nature of the speaker housing would limit the sound quality achievable through the system. At a minimum, the speaker could provide clicks and beeps as feedback for user input on the device, although more complex audio could also be generated.

Curiously, the exploded view diagram included in the patent application also includes a fairly large hole in the iPod clip, as seen at the bottom left of the diagram. While Apple does not specify the intended function of that hole, it does line up nicely with previously leaked front and back photos potentially showing a rear-facing camera hole for the iPod nano's main body. That design has, however, yet to see a public debut.

The patent application, simply entitled "Speaker Clip", was filed in May of 2010 with the lead designer listed as Ben Filson, a longtime Apple design engineer who left the company last year to join Tony Fadell's Nest Labs project. The patent application also lists as inventors Eugene Whang and Matt Rohrbach, two key members of Apple's industrial design team.





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