Apple has just become an energy company, looks to sell excess electricity into the grid and maybe more

Apple has quietly created an energy subsidiary, ‘Apple Energy’ LLC, registered in Delaware but run from its Cupertino headquarters. The company was seemingly formed to allow it to sell excess electricity generated by its solar farms in Cupertino and Nevada, with plans to sell electricity across the whole of the US.

[Apple Energy LLC] is a Delaware limited liability company and is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Apple Inc. [Contact is] Apple Energy LLC, One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014

Given Apple’s expertise and huge commitment to using renewable energy to power its operations, it is no surprise that it wants to ensure that its solar farms generate sufficient power to meet its needs. Because the sun only shines during the day obviously, Apple needs to shift its generation and its usage. Data centers need to go 24/7. Apple Stores are open in the evening. Apple has alternatives for this at its campus (see Fuel Cell generation below) but if it wants to operate 100% renewable, it has to “trade” overcapacity during the middle of the day for “net-metered” energy during the evening or cloudy days.

Apple-energy

Apple’s Cupertino Campus 2 Photovoltaics are rated at 14 megawatts alone.

But a set of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filings suggests that Apple could have bigger ambitions in the power field …

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple Energy

Guardian gives us a first look at failed prototype car Steve Jobs asked to see in 2010

The Guardian has an interesting piece on a prototype car that caught the interest of Steve Jobs in the spring of 2010. Called the V-Vehicle, it was an attempt to create a lightweight, low-cost, gas-powered car whose secret was cheaper materials.

Working with designers Tom Matano and Anke Bodack, Bryan Thompson had developed a car body made of polypropylene and glass fibre that was 40% lighter than a conventional steel vehicle and would cost 70% less to produce. The creamy white hatchback had unpainted, upgradable body panels and a “space frame” body, a design technique usually reserved for high-end cars like the Ferrari 360 or Audi’s line of cars.

Within a few hours of receiving an email saying that Steve wanted to see it, Thompson and the team had taken the car to Steve’s house – where Apple’s co-founder had plenty of advice to offer during the 15 minutes he spent sitting in the car …

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Filed under: Apple Car Tagged: Apple Car, Steve Jobs, V-Vehicle

Google to mirror Apple’s App Store revenue split – a year earlier – as questions remain

It seems Apple isn’t going to be alone in offering a better deal to developers of subscription-based apps. The same day Phil Schiller revealed that developers will receive 85% of subscription revenue from year two, Re/code reports (and TNW confirms) that Google will be offering the same deal to Android developers – but with one big difference …

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Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Tagged: App Store, Google, Phil Schiller

DOJ asks Supreme Court to send Samsung vs Apple case back to trial court

In what feels like a never-ending patent battle, the Department of Justice today filed an amicus brief regarding the ongoing case between Apple and Samsung. Back in December, it was announced that Apple and Samsung had reached a $548 million settlement, but shortly after that Samsung asked that Supreme Court hear an appeal of its case, saying that the lower courts misapplied the design patent law. Apple then asked the Supreme Court not to hear the appeal and argued that the case was closed, but in March the Supreme Court agreed to hear Samsung’s appeal over the case.

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Samsung

Father’s Day Gift Guide Hub: One Place with all the best deals

There are a ton of deals on tech and more right now in the lead up to Father’s Day. Together with 9to5Toys & Canary, we’re keeping track of all the best deals and we’ve collected all the handy links in the hub below.

Bookmark this page and keep checking back for more as we add the latest from 9to5Toys ahead of Father’s Day on June 19.

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Filed under: Sponsored Post Tagged: Apple, Canary, Deals, discounts, Father’s Day, gift guide, Gift Ideas, hub, iPhone, Security