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Apple’s Stolen Device Protection seen in a beta version of iOS.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

Apple will introduce a new security mode for iPhones that can protect users when thieves or other attackers learn their private passcode.

The feature, Stolen Device Protection, creates a second layer of security, making it harder for thieves to use the passcode to create mischief when the user’s phone is not at home or at work.

If the phone is at a location that is not usually associated with its owner, and Stolen Device Protection is turned on, the device will require Apple’s FaceID facial recognition in addition to a passcode for users to perform sensitive actions, such as viewing stored passwords or wiping the phone. It also adds a delay when changing the user’s Apple ID password.

The new feature comes after The Wall Street Journal identified a scam in which attackers befriend or spy on their victims, often at bars at night, and get them to reveal their passcode, sometimes by asking to see a photo or by looking over their shoulder.

The attacker then steals the phone and uses the purloined passcode to turn off theft protections such as Apple’s Activation Lock feature or Lost Mode. A working stolen iPhone is more valuable than one that’s locked down through software, which typically needs to be sold for parts.

Apple prompts essentially every iPhone user to input a four-digit or six-digit passcode when the device is set up. Before the new function, Apple’s privacy and stolen device protections, including its FaceID facial recognition tool, were tied to that passcode, allowing anyone with a stolen device and passcode to take full control of the phone.

Stolen Device Mode can be turned on under Face ID and Passcode > Stolen Device Protection for those who have the latest developer beta of iOS, iOS 17.3.

The opt-in feature will be shipped to other iPhone users in the coming weeks when iOS 17.3 is launched to the public.

“As threats to user devices continue to evolve, we work tirelessly to develop powerful new protections for our users and their data,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can’t access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user’s passcode. In the rare cases where a thief can observe the user entering the passcode and then steal the device, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection.”

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Amazon beats on top and bottom lines, driven by growth in cloud and digital ads

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Amazon beats on top and bottom lines, driven by growth in cloud and digital ads

Amazon reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the first quarter, driven by growth in advertising and cloud computing. The stock ticked higher in extended trading.

Here’s how the company did:

  • Earnings per share: 98 cents vs. 83 cents expected by LSEG
  • Revenue: $143.3 billion vs. $142.5 billion expected by LSEG

Wall Street is also looking at these key numbers:

  • Amazon Web Services: $25 billion vs. $24.5 billion in revenue, according to StreetAccount
  • Advertising: $11.8 billion vs. 11.7 billion in revenue, according to StreetAccount

Operating income soared more than 200% in the period to $15.3 billion, far outpacing revenue growth, the latest sign that the company’s cost-cutting measures and focus on efficiency is bolstering its bottom line. AWS accounted for 62% of total operating profit. Net income also more than tripled to $10.4 billion, or 98 cents a share, from $3.17 billion, or 31 cents a share, a year ago.

Sales increased 13% from $127.4 billion a year earlier.

Amazon expects a continued jump in profitability for the second quarter but at a more measured pace. The company said operating income will be $10 billion to $14 billion, up from $7.7 billion a year earlier.

Revenue in the current quarter will be $144 billion to $149 billion, Amazon said, representing growth of 7% to 11%. Analysts were expecting growth of 12% to $150.1 billion, according to LSEG.

Sales at AWS accelerated 17% in the first quarter to $25 billion, topping Wall Street’s forecast for sales growth of 12% to $24.5 billion. For the past year, growth in AWS has slowed, as businesses trimmed their cloud spend. But Amazon executives have said they’re seeing cost optimizations taper off, and they’ve indicated that demand for generative artificial intelligence can be a boon for its cloud business.

Amazon’s earnings growth has been driven in part by widespread cost-cutting, tweaks to its fulfillment operations, and the stabilizing of cloud spending. CEO Andy Jassy has become more disciplined in the company’s spending, while growing profitable services like advertising, cloud computing, Prime memberships and its third-party marketplace.

The company has laid off more than 27,000 employees since late 2022, with the cuts bleeding into 2024. During the first quarter, Amazon let go hundreds of staffers in its health and AWS businesses.

Amazon’s advertising unit saw sales surge 24%, just ahead of consensus estimates. It’s the first report since Amazon started running ads in Prime Video, a move analysts predict could generate significant revenue over time.

The company’s ad business, which grew faster than retail or cloud computing, has become an increasingly important profit driver for Amazon and has emerged as a main player in online advertising.

That market overall started growing again after a brutal 2022, when brands reeled in spending to cope with inflation and rising interest rates. Meta, Snap and Google parent Alphabet all reported first-quarter results last week and showed better-than-expected revenue growth, which was primarily driven by improvements across their ad businesses.

Revenue from third-party seller services, which includes commissions collected by Amazon, fulfillment, shipping fees and other charges, continued to surge. Sales in the unit grew 16% year over year to $34.5 billion.

Amazon remains a standout among mega-cap internet companies in that it’s yet to implement a quarterly dividend, even as cash and equivalents jumped to $73.9 billion in the quarter from $54.3 billion a year earlier. Meta announced its first dividend in February at 50 cents a share, and Alphabet followed, telling investors last week that it will start paying a dividend of 20 cents a share. Those companies also announced plans to buy back tens of billions of dollars in stock.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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Super Micro pushes up full-year revenue forecast as it points to strong AI demand

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Super Micro pushes up full-year revenue forecast as it points to strong AI demand

Lisa Su, chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, left, and Charles Liang, CEO of Super Micro Computer, speak at the AMD Advancing AI event in San Jose, California, on Dec. 6, 2023.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Super Micro shares slipped 8% in extended trading on Tuesday after the server maker reported slightly less revenue than expected for its fiscal third quarter, even as it gave optimistic revenue guidance.

Here’s how the company did in comparison with LSEG consensus:

  • Earnings per share: $6.65 adjusted, vs. $5.78 expected
  • Revenue: $3.85 billion, vs. $3.95 billion expected

The company’s revenue jumped 200% year over year in the quarter, which ended on March 31, according to a statement. That compared with a 103% increase in the previous quarter. Net income came out to $402.5 million, or $6.56 per share, compared with $85.8 million, or $1.53 per share, in the year-ago quarter.

CEO Charles Liang said in the statement that Super Micro is bumping up its fiscal 2024 revenue guidance to $14.7 billion to $15.1 billion from $14.3 billion to $14.7 billion. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected $14.60 billion.

Notwithstanding the after-hours move, Super Micro stock is up 205% so far this year, while the S&P 500 stock index has gained 6%.

The company goes up against with legacy IT equipment providers such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise. But last year, investors were keen to bet that Super Micro could become a key provider of servers containing Nvidia graphics processing units for working with artificial intelligence models, pushing up the stock 246%. Liang said in the statement that he expects Super Micro to keep taking market share.

In March, Super Micro took the place of Whirlpool in the S&P 500.

Executives will discuss the results with analysts on a conference call starting at 5 p.m. ET.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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Pinterest shares soar 16% on earnings beat, strong revenue growth

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Pinterest shares soar 16% on earnings beat, strong revenue growth

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Shares of Pinterest popped 16% in extended trading Tuesday after the company reported first-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates and showed its fastest revenue growth since 2021.

Here’s how the company did, compared to LSEG analyst expectations:

  • Earnings per share: 20 cents adjusted vs. 13 cents expected
  • Revenue: $740 million vs. $700 million expected

Revenue for the quarter jumped 23% from $602.6 million a year earlier. Pinterest’s net loss for the first quarter narrowed to $24.8 million, or a 4 cent loss per share, from $208.6 million, or a 31 cent loss per share, a year earlier.

Pinterest reported 518 global monthly active users (MAUs) for the first quarter, up 12% year over year. Wall Street was expecting MAUs 504.9 million, according to StreetAccount. Pinterest said Generation Z is its fastest-growing, largest and most engaged demographic on the platform.

The company’s average revenue per user was $1.46 for the period, while StreetAccount was expecting $1.40 per user.

In its first-quarter release, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said the company is driving greater returns for advertisers because of its investments in AI and shoppability.

“We’re executing with tremendous clarity and focus, shipping new products and experiences that users want, and in doing so, we’re finding our best product market fit in years,” Ready said.

Digital advertising companies like Pinterest have started growing again after a brutal 2022, when brands reined in spending to cope with high levels of inflation. Meta, Snap and Google parent Alphabet all reported first-quarter results last week that exceeded analysts’ estimates for revenue.

For its second quarter, Pinterest expects to report revenue between $835 million and $850 million, which equates to growth of 18% to 20% year over year. Analysts were expecting revenue of $827 million.

Pinterest will hold its quarterly call with investors at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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