Following Tim Cook’s appearance for an interview at the Wall Street Journal’s WSJD Live conference, some very interesting bits of information have surfaced regarding Apple’s rise against the tide – as always. Brief videos of the event have surfaced on the Internet and Cook is seen talking about the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, a very interesting prospective partnership with Alibaba, and more.
Cook is not yet swayed by the idea of supposed retailer hesitance to jump onboard with the Apple Pay service – citing for the first time, that service received over 1 million activations in the first 72 hours of its launch, which he puts at being a much larger number than all contactless payment services competitors combined. Cook went on to mention how security of your card information is the actual driver for this increased interest in a service that has its fair share of competitors, including Google Wallet.
Not much else was revealed about the eagerly anticipated Apple Watch, with Cook mentioning how the wrist worn gadget can be complimenting to a healthier lifestyle, offering a precise track of your vitals on the go. Cook said that he does not see Apple getting into the line of cancer or other disease research, but the device can go a far way in helping enrich people’s lives through the health and fitness component. Where Apple goes with it in the long run can be left to later for discussion, and this being a new area of opportunity for Apple, Cook is very excited about it.
To all those interested, Cook also mentioned why the iPod Classic has been discontinued. According to Cook, there was a shortage of parts needed to manufacture the device, and re-engineering newer components was not worth it in the face of increasingly decreased demand for the product. I guess the device will truly be a classic in a few years or so.
All this news aside, Cook made a very interesting revelation that talks with Alibaba’s Jack Ma, the executive Chairman of the Chinese e-commerce company, were underway for entering into a partnership, which will see the integration of Alipay and Apple Pay. Just to paint an overview of why this is significant, is the fact that Alibaba is claimed to be the world’s biggest e-commerce company, with Alipay to have grown as the third largest payment system in the world, after Visa and MasterCard. Cook said that he loves what Ma has done with Alibaba and is excited to reach some mutual understanding.
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- Watch Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Interview With Charlie Rose – Part 1 [VIDEO]
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