UBS Upgrades AAPL, Thinks Firm Will Make Big Impact in Electric Vehicle Market

UBS analyst David Vogt upgraded AAPL to a Buy and raised the price target to US$142 from US$115, Yahoo Finance reported. This upgrade was in no small part based on the impact he thinks Apple can make in the electric vehicle market.

Our analysis of the auto market and Apple’s multi-year investment in the industry (self-driving car licenses and LiDAR patents) suggests to us Apple’s auto optionality is worth at least an incremental $14/share,” Vogt said in a research note to clients. “Apple’s current portfolio provides significant cash flow the company will likely utilize to enter the battery electric vehicle market.” Vogt says Apple can capture some of the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market given customer satisfaction is already high for the tech giant’s products. “We expect Apple’s platform strategy and market share in the global PC and smartphone markets should enable Apple to introduce a branded BEV and achieve a minimum 5% market share in the global BEV market,” he wrote. “Over the next ten years, we forecast the global automotive market will likely transition to almost 100% EV opening up a 90M unit market to new entrants with large installed bases of loyal satisfied customers like Apple.”

Opera Browser Gets M1 Support For Mac and a Speed Boost

Opera browser now has native support on M1 Macs, the company announced in a blog post on Thursday. The company also said it performs twice as fast on Apple Silicon devices.

Opera now natively supports the newest line of Apple M1 processors. With the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon chips, Apple is able to gain more control over the performance of Mac hardware and the software that runs on macOS. Like Apple, Opera’s goal is to make your online experience as smooth as possible. With this latest release, Opera runs 2 times faster compared to the previous version of our browser. This means faster access to your favorite websites, and quicker transition to Opera’s built-in features like WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and Instagram – all neatly packed into the sidebar… Speaking of speed, Opera now lets you set your own keyboard shortcuts to quickly access the Flow feature, which connects your computer browser with Opera on iOS and Android.

Microsoft Shuts Down its Cortana App on Mobile

As of March 31, 2021, Microsoft’s Cortana app on iOS and Android will no longer be supported.

As of March 31, 2021, the Cortana content you created–such as reminders and lists–will no longer function in the Cortana mobile app, but can still be accessed through Cortana in Windows. Also, Cortana reminders, lists, and tasks are automatically synced to the Microsoft To Do app, which you can download to your phone for free.

New Siri Remote for Apple TV on the Way

There are lots of rumors currently flying around about an updated Siri remote, with a new Apple TV expected. 9to5Mac has a good roundup, including details of the product’s code name.

Details about this new Apple TV Remote are still unknown, but 9to5Mac’s sources have told us that this model is being developed under the code name “B519,” which is quite different from the code name of the current Siri Remote — internally identified as “B439.” When Apple introduced the Apple TV 4K in 2017, the Siri Remote had a small change with a white ring around the Menu button, which made it be identified as a new model. However, as the new Remote has an internal model number way above the current version, we believe the changes will be more significant. Siri Remote has always been a controversial accessory among Apple TV users. While some people love it, there are a significant number of users who hate it for not having physical navigation buttons or for having a glass surface, which makes it extremely fragile. With a new Apple TV model on the way, this could be the perfect opportunity for Apple to create an improved Remote

Spotify Looks to Take on Clubhouse With New Live Audio Experience

Spotify announced Tuesday that it had acquired the creators of live audio app Locker Room, and will be moving into that space. The move is part of its attempts to take on Clubhouse.

“Creators and fans have been asking for live formats on Spotify, and we’re excited that soon, we’ll make them available to hundreds of millions of listeners and millions of creators on our platform,” said Gustav Söderström, Chief Research & Development Officer at Spotify. “The world already turns to us for music, podcasts, and other unique audio experiences, and this new live audio experience is a powerful complement that will enhance and extend the on-demand experience we provide today.” In the coming months, Spotify will evolve and expand Locker Room into an enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans. Through this new live experience, Spotify will offer a range of sports, music, and cultural programming, as well as a host of interactive features that enable creators to connect with audiences in real time. We’ll give professional athletes, writers, musicians, songwriters, podcasters, and other global voices opportunities to host real-time discussions, debates, ask me anything (AMA) sessions, and more.

BackPack Magnetic 5,000mAh Powerbank: $39.99

We have a deal on BackPack, a magnetic wireless charger equipped with extra strength magnets inside, which perfectly align and attach to your iPhone 12 family of devices. It has a built-in 5,000mAh battery, and bottom ports allow Type-C out and/or Type-A out. It’s $39.99 through our deal.