Kodi Smit-McPhee Joins Cuarón’s “Disclaimer” on Apple TV+
Kod Smit-McPhee - Image via IMDB
An Academy Award nominated actor is joining a few Academy Award winners on an Apple TV+ show. Deadline says Kodi Smit-McPhee will star with Oscar winners Kate Blanchett and Kevin Kline in the series “Disclaimer” from Academy Award winning director Alfonso Cuarón. Based on the novel by Renée Knight, Deadline says in “Disclaimer”:
…Blanchett will play Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past, one that reveals her darkest secret.
Smit-McPhee is up for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his part in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.
More Awards for Apple TV+ Film “CODA”
Image via NAACP Image Awards
The Apple TV+ film CODA is turning into quite the little award factory. Over the weekend, the film won Screen Actors Guild awards for Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur) and Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Now, news of five more awards. A piece from The Mac Observer says the film picked up four Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards Monday night. They included:
Best Adapted Screenplay – Siân Heder
Best Supporting Actor – Troy Kotsur
HCA Spotlight Award for the primary cast, including Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Eugenio Derbez and Daniel Durant
Best Picture – CODA
But wait! There’s more! A piece from iMore says the film has also been honored with an NAACP Image Award. Held over the weekend, the piece says CODA took home the trophy for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture, winning over such films as American Skin, Bruised, Test Pattern, and The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain.
Apple TV+ titles and actors had been up for a total of nine NAACP Image Awards. CODA was the Cupertino-streamer’s only winner for the evening.
Report: Apple Cutting Russian Banks Out of Apple Pay Outside of Russia
Apple has taken a more concrete action against banks in Russia. We heard yesterday that both Apple Pay and Google Pay had stopped working in Russia as a result of US and EU sanctions. This as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. Now, a piece from iMore says the Cupertino-company has gone further. At least one of the affected banks has been removed from the list of institutions supported outside of Russia, according to the report. Assuming the rest will follow, iMore says instead of simply not working in Russia, “it appears that Apple is cutting off those banks from Apple Pay outside of the country as well.”
Buffett: Apple One of Berkshire Hathaway’s “Four Giants”
For a long time, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett was famous for having no interest in technology stocks. I don’t follow him closely enough to know his thinking on tech overall, but boy is he into Apple. CNBC says the “Oracle of Omaha” penned his annual shareholder letter over the weekend. In it, he named the “Four Giants” driving his firm. They include “Berkshire’s cluster of insurers,” the railroad business BNSF, the energy play BHE, and Apple. Only not in that order. Apple is the second of the Berkshire behemoths, after the insurers and ahead of the trains and power people.
Looking over the letter, his love of Apple seems to come down to two things: Tim Cook and stock buybacks. Of the CEO, Buffett wrote:
Tim Cook, Apple's brilliant CEO, quite properly regards users of Apple products as his first love, but all of his other constituencies benefit from Tim's managerial touch as well.
I guess that gives you a “friend of a friend” mention in the Berkshire missive. Buffett acknowledging Cook acknowledging Apple customers isn’t the only Berkshire nod of late. A little over a week ago, the firm’s vice chairman, Charlie Munger, spoke of folks who tote Apple products, saying.
I judge the strength of the company based on how much the customers love it… And I've got zillions of friends who they'd almost part with their right arm before they'd part with their iPhone. That's a hugely powerful position to be in.
As for the stock buybacks, Buffett notes that his firm’s ownership of Apple has gone from 5.39% of the Cupertino-company to 5.55%. “That increase sounds like small potatoes,” wrote Buffett:
But consider that each 0.1% of Apple's 2021 earnings amounted to $100 million. We spent no Berkshire funds to gain our accretion. Apple's repurchases did the job.
I don’t know how into tech he is, but he is really into Apple.
Norway’s Oil Fund Urges “No” Vote on Proposed Cook Compensation
Pleased as Berkshire Hathaway might be with Apple management, some parties think enough is enough, and $99 million is too much for Apple’s CEO. The Financial Times says Norway’s $1.3 trillion oil fund, the “world’s largest sovereign wealth fund,” plans to vote against the $99 million in salary and bonuses proposed for Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Formally called the Government Pension Fund Global, the oil fund’s site says the country took the money made from oil fields found off the Norwegian coast in the late 1960s and started investing outside of Norway and outside of oil, to protect the country’s economy should the energy market go wibbly-wobbly. According to the site:
The fund is now one of the world’s largest funds, owning almost 1.5 percent of all shares in the world’s listed companies. This means that we have holdings in around 9,000 companies worldwide, entitling us to a small share of their profits each year.
According to the Financial Times:
The oil fund, which owned 1 per cent of Apple as of December 31 2020, justified its decision by saying a substantial part of annual pay should be provided in shares that are locked in for five to 10 years, and that the board “should provide transparency on total remuneration to avoid unacceptable outcomes”.
Norway’s oil fund is the second interested party to come out against Cook’s proposed compensation. In the middle of February, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), an Apple investor advisory group, urged its clients “to vote against Cook's pay and bonuses package.” That group says the amount in question “significantly exceed(s)” awards given by comparable companies. All of this comes ahead of a vote on compensation at Apple’s annual shareholders meeting. That’s scheduled for this Friday 4 March.
Strategy Analytics: iPhone Was Second in European Smartphones in 2021
iPhone took “silver” in Europe last year. That’s the indication from market tracker Strategy Analytics. Apple Insider has news of the firm’s top-five in terms of smartphone sales. It goes:
Samsung 29%
Apple 23%
Xiaomi 20%
Oppo 5%
Realme 3%
A couple of interesting points in those numbers. First, Samsung was the only smartphone maker in the top-five to see a decline. It held 30% of the European smartphone market in 2020 to last year’s 29%. Second, there’s a new kid in town. According to Apple Insider:
India-based manufacturer Realme broke into the top five for the first time with incredible 548% growth, though it only held a 3% share of the market by the end of 2021.
No word in the piece on who got pushed out of the top-five, so we’ll just call them “losers.” Losers, that is, assuming Strategy Analytics is correct. Of course, assume is all we can do since they’re just guesstimating, and Apple won’t say how many of what it’s sold.
Apple Offers Defense in Netherlands as “Dating App” Fines hit €30 million
€30 Million - that is how much Apple is into the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). Yes, they’re still duking it out over the government’s demand that Apple allow dating apps in the country’s App Store to accept third-party payment methods, as well as the many hoops through which developers would have to jump to make that happen.
Displeased with Apple’s various reactions, the ACM said it would fine Apple €5 million-a-week either until Apple met the country’s conditions, or they hit €50 million, the maximum allowed for the perceived infraction under Dutch law. Monday meant another €5 million tacked on, though it’s not just a tally we’re doing, today. A piece from MacRumors says Apple made another attempt to defend its position on the issue.
In a letter to the ACM, Apple head of compliance, Kyle Andeer, said we are so into compliance, we have a head of compliance: me. That’s not an exact quote. Rather, he wrote that Apple has a “consistent and longstanding commitment to compliance in each and every country in which we do business.” My way was more fun.
According to Andeer’s letter:
To ensure the best experience for users, Apple does not operate multiple versions of the App Store, there is just one store with many different storefronts. That has proven to be an incredible opportunity for developers…
Apple seems to be saying that it can’t turn on or off functionality in apps by region, and that if a developer in - say, the Netherlands - wants an app to be able to do things in the Netherlands that would not be allowed elsewhere, it would need a special app for the Netherlands.
Apple says that is not a big deal. For example, Apple pointed out that Match Group, the firm that astroturfed the whole ACM investigation, has different versions of different apps for different storefronts already.
Sure, it’ll be €35 million next week. Apple does seem to be laying a case for appeal though, doesn’t it?
The Beatles Compilation “1” Gets Spatial Audio Remaster on Apple Music
If you’ve struggled to hear the difference between tracks in Apple Music and tracks remastered for spatial audio in Apple Music, there’s an album out there that may really let you hear it. Engadget says the compilation album 1 featuring The Beatles has been remastered for that “like you’re in the middle of it” feel. “First released in 2000,” the piece says, “1 brings together nearly every number-one single the Beatles released between 1962 and their breakup in 1970.”
What?!? When did this happen?
Tracks include “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Come Together,” and 24 more. Engadget says, “Giles Martin, the son of legendary Beatles collaborator George Martin, produced the new spatial mix.” And, it comes with instructions! According to the piece:
To get the most out of the mix, you’ll want to listen with a pair of AirPods or Beats earbuds or headphones with an H1 or W1 chip. The effect is most noticeable when you enable head tracking. (…) The mix isn’t revelatory, but if nothing else, it’s an excuse to revisit some of the most influential songs in rock history.
Michael Douglas to Play Ben Franklin in Apple TV+ Limited Series
Michael Douglas - Image via Apple
When you think of the actor Michael Douglas, you may think rugged and dashing. When you think of famed Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin, you may think revolutionary, but dumpy. Oh… not that he couldn’t be electric…
Apple TV+ issued a press release Monday about an upcoming limited series that’ll turn multi-award winning actor Michael Douglas into Dr. Franklin. According to the release:
The drama will explore the thrilling story of one of the greatest gambles of Benjamin Franklin’s career. At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced France – an absolute monarchy – to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues, all while engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace treaty with England of l783. The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin’s most vital service to his country, without which America would not have won the Revolution.
What?!? When did this happen?
Tim Van Patten is set to direct. He’s directed a ton of stuff for HBO, including episodes of “Perry Mason,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Game of Thrones,” “Deadwood,” “Rome,” and that list goes on. The limited series will be written by Emmy and WGA Award-winning writer Kirk Ellis. He wrote the HBO mini-series “John Adams.” Richard Plepler will serve as one of the show’s executive producers. He used to run HBO. Are you sensing a theme?
Based on the book “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America” by Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff, you probably have plenty of time to read it. No word on when the show will land in Apple’s stream.
Great Expectations for the Next iPhone SE
Man alive are people excited about a thing Apple hasn’t announced. No, we’re not talking car, and no, we’re not talking VR. We’re talking about an imaginary thing that could be announced in a little over a week. Or, ya know - not.
Second week of February, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman got fairly serious about a spring product event from Apple. Gurman pegged the date around 8 March, with the usual caveat that that could change. As far as what he’s expecting, a 5G enabled iPhone SE and a new iPad Air are the two products around which Gurman seems most certain. There’s also the distinct possibility that Apple will continue its transition to its own chip with something in the Mac line.
While Apple could hit with a lot of stuff (assuming it hits with anything), financial analysts are financial analysts, meaning they are most dazzled by iPhone SE potential. Investor’s Business Daily waxed rhapsodic ‘round that last Friday.
Surprising no one, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives is really pleased with iPhone SE potential. While he thinks the company will stick with the current SE’s starting price of $399, a lower cost is not out of the realm of possibility. The way he sees it, the company needs “to make sure that it doesn't outprice itself in the midst of the strongest iPhone upgrade cycle it's had since 2015…” Whatever the price, Ives is just impressed that Apple would hit with new products in the midst of the ongoing chip shortage. The way he sees it, “It speaks to [Apple’s] increased confidence in getting these products into consumers' hands, despite all the challenges…” Ives has an “Outperform” rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $200.
Perhaps a tiny bit more bullish about the future and iPhone SE is Loop Capital Markets analyst John Donovan. He says he’s heard that Apple could drop the starting price on the new phone to $300. He thinks whatever Apple brings to the line will be a “modest upgrade,” according to Investor’s Business Daily. “It addition to 5G wireless capability,” the piece has Donovan saying this year’s iPhone SE “is expected to sport a newer processor —possibly Apple's current A15 chip — along with an improved camera…”
All of that for $100 less does not sound like a “modest upgrade” to me.
Not sure how much stock to put into the $300 talk. Either way, analysts are expecting big things from Apple’s smallest priced iPhone. “The third-generation iPhone SE might provide a lift to Apple's smartphone sales,” according to IBD, “especially in emerging markets like China.” Meanwhile, the piece has JPMorgan saying back in December “that the new iPhone could spur a wave of switchers from Android smartphones.” In a note to clients, the firm indicated that a new iPhone SE “has the potential to lure some of the nearly 1.4 billion users of low to midrange Android phones and about 300 million users of older model iPhones…” All of that means it “could be a catalyst for Apple stock,” according to IBD.
That is a lot riding on a phone that the tech press is likely to greet with a sigh and a halfhearted, “it’s fine.” Then again, they’re tech nerds, not business nerds. Salt to taste.
Sensor Tower: Spend on App Store Subscriptions Nearly 3X Google Play Spend
Assuming the anticipated iPhone SE3 does turn Androids into real, live iPhone users, look for them to spend more money. Whether you’re rockin’ an iPhone SE or an iPhone 13 Pro Max, services cost the same and iPhone users spend significantly more on those than do their robotic brethren. At least that’s the indication from market tracker Sensor Tower, by way of 9 to 5 Mac. According to the report, “Worldwide consumer spending in mobile apps reached an all-time high in 2021,” and most of it went through Apple’s App Store. “Worldwide,” says the piece:
…the top 100 non-game subscription apps on the App Store produced $13.5 billion. That’s nearly three times as much as Google Play’s revenue of $4.8 billion.
One might think people who don’t spend money on Android services will just keep right on not spending money on iOS services even if they do make the switch. There’s indication that the robot army is warming to subscriptions, though. Citing the Sensor Tower numbers, 9 to 5 Mac says Google Play saw huge growth in subscriptions last year - up 78% over 2020’s levels. While Apple’s growth was smaller, it was not insignificant. App Store spending saw a 31% year-over-year increase from 2020’s $10.3 billion, according to the Sensor Tower estimates.
Ukraine Deputy PM Calls for Apple to Stop Sales and Support in Russia
From Mykhailo Fedorov’s letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook - via Twitter
The Deputy Prime-Minister of Ukraine has called on Apple to suspend service to Russia. Ahead of worsening conditions over the weekend, The Verge on Friday spotted an open letter posted on Twitter from Ukraine’s Mykhailo Fedorov to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Quoting that:
The Russian Federation has carried out a deceptive and absolutely outrageous military attack on my country! Just imagine, in 2022, cruise missiles attack residential neighborhoods, kindergartens and hospitals in the heart of Europe.
The armed forces and citizens are defending Ukraine till the end! The whole world is repelling the aggressor through the imposition of sanctions - the enemy must suffer significant losses. But we need your support - in 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to the tanks, multiple rocket launchers (hrad) and missiles.
I appeal to you and I am sure that you will not only hear, but also do everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe and, finally, the entire democratie world from bloody authoritarian aggression - to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to App Store!
We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.
Of course there is the problem of Apple’s offices there. And when I say “offices,” I mean “people.” A piece from 9 to 5 Mac highlights a report from the New York Times covering that issue. According to the piece:
Legal experts and civil society groups told the publication that this “so-called landing law makes the companies and their employees more vulnerable to Russia’s legal system and the demands of government censors.”
According to the New York Times:
The moves are part of a Russian pressure campaign against foreign technology companies. Using the prospect of fines, arrests and the blocking or slowing down of internet services, the authorities are pushing the companies to censor unfavorable material online while keeping pro-Kremlin media unfiltered.
So far, Apple seems to have said nothing about any of the goings on in Ukraine, save Tim Cook’s Tweet Thursday, pledging support for Apple’s teams in the region, pledging support for local humanitarian efforts, and “calling for peace.”
Apple Pay and Google Pay Offline in Russia
At least one Apple service has stopped working for Russia, though it wasn’t Apple’s doing. Engadget says US and EU sanctions have forced both Google Pay and Apple Pay offline in the country. According to the piece:
Following Western sanctions on Russia’s financial institutions in response to the invasion of Ukraine, customers of several of the country’s largest banks can no longer use their debit and credit cards in conjunction with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Among the affected organizations include VTB Group, Sovcombank, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, and Otkritie FC Bank, according to a press release from the Central Bank of Russia spotted by Business Insider.
Apple Opens Al Maryah Island Store in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Apple Al Maryah Island - Image via Apple
Apple’s latest flagship store has thrown open its doors. The company issued a press release Thursday, saying it would welcome guests to its Al Maryah Island location in Abu Dhabi starting on Friday. That was followed by another press release Friday, saying that the store was open and ready for business. “Serving as Apple’s newest store in the United Arab Emirates,” the release says, “the space delivers the best of Apple with shoreline views amid Abu Dhabi’s prestigious financial district.” Lots of pretty pictures. You can see those at here.
Apple TV+ Outs New Trailer for “WeCrashed”
With three weeks left until its premier, Apple TV+ is ramping up promotion for WeCrashed. Late last week, the Cupertino-streamer issued a press release and a new trailer for the limited series. Based on the Wondery podcast “WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall for WeWork,” Apple says:
“WeCrashed” is inspired by actual events — and the love story at the center of it all. WeWork grew from a single coworking space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its value plummeted. What happened?
Headlined by Academy Award winners Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway, the cast also includes Kyle Marvin, America Ferrera, and O-T Fagbenle. The first three episodes hit Apple TV+ on Friday 18 March. Subsequent episodes hit one-a-week on following Fridays through 22 April. You can catch the latest trailer below.
Reelgood Puts “Severance” in Streaming Top-Ten for First Week
A sort of surprise showing for “Severance.” The Ben Stiller directed/Adam Scott led series premiered on Apple TV+ on 18 February. Describing the show, a piece from Cult of Mac says:
In Severance, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team of employees who’ve undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Scout finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
I said it ha a sort of surprise showing. According to the Cult, the “movie and TV search engine Reelgood” says “Severance” cracked the top-ten for titles streamed in the U.S. during its opening week. That’s top-ten for both movies and series. According to the piece:
The series has a 97% approval score on the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. The average audience score is 95%.
The first three episodes are streaming now on Apple TV+.
CODA and “Ted Lasso” Win Big at SAG Awards
CODA cast accepts SAG Award - Image via TNT/YouTube
We seem to be through the nomination part of awards season and arriving at the part where they’re sending home trophies. The Screen Actors Guild awards were held Sunday night - held and handed out. Apple issued a press release announcing four wins for two titles.
On the series side, it was another good year for “Ted Lasso.” Apple’s surprise hit series took home two of Apple’s four SAG Awards - one for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, and another for Jason Sudeikis for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
Ted Lasso cast accepts SAG Award - Image via TNT/YouTube
While all awards are history, the other two SAG Awards were history making. They went to CODA - one for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and the other to Troy Kotsur for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. With Sunday night’s honors, the release says:
…CODA makes history as the first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to receive the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and (…) Troy Kotsur becomes the first Deaf actor to receive an individual SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.
CODA and both seasons of “Ted Lasso” are streaming now on Apple TV+.
Maniacal Move on Ukraine Leads to Crazy Day on Wall Street
Insane day for the markets Thursday, thanks to a maniacal day crossing the border between Russia and Ukraine. Apple Insider ran a piece early on Thursday saying, “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked a ‘Black Swan’ event in the stock market…” Contextually, I get what a “Black Swan” event is, but I thought here we’d go with denotation rather than connotation. According to the site Investopedia:
A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences.
Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.
When Apple Insider posted its piece Thursday morning, it talked about a continuing sell-off of Apple and other big tech stocks. Didn’t stick.
Checking the Apple Stocks app that so many people wanted to be able to pull off their phones, the Dow ended the day up 92 pts - practically flat for the day. The NASDAQ was up 436 - a rise of a little over three-percent. Apple ended up 2.67 - a rise of a little over one-and-a-half-percent. Again though, didn’t sick. Shares in the Cupertino-company were down about a buck-and-a-half in after hours trading.
Wedbush: Own Apple Through Ukraine “Black Swan” Event
Image via TipRanks
When you’re a hammer, they say, everything looks like a nail. When you’re Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, everything looks like a reason to love Apple shares. I’m not saying he’s wrong. I just saying… he’s Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives.
Apple 3.0 ran part of a note he wrote Thursday, wherein he listed Apple as one of the tech stocks to own amid the tech stock selloff. Quoting his note from before the markets opened Thursday:
The Black Swan event from the Ukraine invasion [Wednesday] night by Russia will send shockwaves across the global markets [Thursday] morning with tech names expected to see significant pain when the US market opens.
He expected a freakout and he saw a freakout. But, he says he’s seen a few since the dot-com bubble went “pop” in the early 2000s. With that in mind, he wrote:
While each geopolitical shock event is different and unique, our playbook since 2000 has been to use these periods of global chaos to buy the tech winners that we view as way oversold in a panic-like sell off. Overall, we believe large cap tech will outperform small caps and a rotation to the tech stalwarts with defensive business model and high [Free Cash Flow].
Top names to own on this sell off in our opinion are Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Adobe, Salesforce, as well as core chip names which should be safety plays in this turmoil.
Ives has a “Buy” rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $200.
Russian Roll Into Ukraine Further Threatens Semiconductor Supply
Image: Brian Kostiuk via Unsplash
Are you wondering how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will affect the supply chain? I was not, until I read this headline from VentureBeat: “Ukraine supplies 90% of U.S. semiconductor-grade neon (and what it means to chip supply chain).” Here is an unfun paragraph:
According to research firm Techcet, Ukraine supplies more than 90% of the U.S.’s semiconductor-grade neon, a gas integral to the lasers used in the chip-making process, while Russia supplies 35% of the U.S.’s palladium supply, a rare metal that can be used to create semiconductors.
Or, ya know… not. The piece has the Semiconductor Industry Association saying the industry “has a diverse set of key materials and gases, so we do not believe there are immediate supply disruption risks related to Russia and Ukraine…” I’m sorry… with all the disruptions out there already, you can seriously afford more? Or, as VentureBeat puts it:
…the conflict is placing increasing pressure on a supply chain that’s already made it difficult to source chips for hardware and enterprise applications throughout the pandemic.
Cook Addresses Crisis in Ukraine (Without Addressing Russia)
From the Twitter feed of Tim Cook
Wednesday night into Thursday morning I kind of wondered when or if Apple was going to say anything about the situation in Ukraine. Then Apple Insider reminded me of something I’d completely forgotten: Apple just opened offices in Russia. Like, earlier this month “just.” According to the report:
Following Russia's 2021 demand for Big Tech firms to have a physical presence beyond retail and support in the region, Apple became the first to comply.
According to Russian news agency Tass, as of February 2022, Apple is the only company to do so. Separately, Spotify is reportedly completing paperwork on its own office.
Reminded that the company has workers in arm’s reach of the Kremlin, I thought Apple might not saying anything. Then along came Apple CEO Tim Cook. A separate piece from Apple Insider pointed to a post from Mr. Cook on Twitter. Quoting that:
I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. We’re doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm’s way and joining all those calling for peace.
Tim Cook doesn’t need me to tell him anything, but it seems smart to not say anything about Russia explicitly in the Tweet. Anyone paying attention might hear it anyway.