Technologies

Apple becomes world’s first $3 trillion company

The inventor of the iPhone, iPad, iPod music player and Mac computer nearly went bankrupt two decades ago. Now, it’s the world’s most highly valued.

A little over three years ago, Apple investors pushed the value of its shares above $1 trillion, making it the world’s most highly valued tech company. Then, two years later, Apple stock rose so high that the company’s value passed $2 trillion. Now, it’s risen yet again, topping $3 trillion. As in $3,000,000,000,000.

Around 10:45 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 3, Apple stock hit $182.86 per share, which when multiplied by the 16.4 billion shares outstanding, values Apple at about $3 trillion. That’s more than the value of AT&T, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Disney, Exxon, Ford, Goldman Sachs, IBM, McDonald’s, Morgan Stanley, Netflix, Nike, and Walmart — combined. The largely symbolic milestone comes as Apple’s struggled to keep up with near-record demand for its devices amid the pandemic.

In October, the tech giant warned investors that it was struggling with supply chain disruptions amid the coronavirus pandemic, which at the time amounted to as much as $6 billion in lost revenue. «We are optimistic about the future, especially as we see strong demand for new products,» Apple CEO Tim Cook told analysts on a conference call back then.

Apple’s market value moment marks another reminder of the company’s unlikely turnaround from near bankruptcy in 1997 to one of the most influential companies on the planet. Part of how the company did that was by creating mass-market products like the iPod music player, iPhone and iPad, which went on to become leading devices in each of their competing markets.

Apple’s been led by Cook for the past decade. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs recruited him to help oversee the company’s supply chain and operations in 1998. Jobs named him as successor in 2011, just a few months before Jobs died of cancer that year.

At $3 trillion, Apple’s value is greater than the annual economic output of the United Kingdom, France, India or Italy, according to data collected by the World Bank. Only Germany, Japan, China and the US are larger.

«Financial returns are simply the result of Apple’s innovation, putting our products and customers first, and always staying true to our values,» Cook said in a memo to staff after the company reached $1 trillion, according to Reuters. Cook has frequently said that investors looking for Apple to focus on stock performance rather than its products shouldn’t invest in the company.

Apple shares closed regular trading at $182.01, valuing the company at $2.99 trillion.

Technologies

Live-Action ‘Call of Duty’ Movie Reportedly Being Co-Written by Taylor Sheridan

The Yellowstone co-creator will reportedly team up with Peter Berg on the Paramount film.

Yellowstone, Landman and, now, Call of Duty. Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of the aforementioned hit shows, will co-write Paramount and Activision’s upcoming live-action video game adaptation, according to a report from Variety on Thursday.

Peter Berg will also co-write and direct the movie, which was announced last month. Berg previously directed films including 2018’s Mile 22, 2012’s Battleship and 2013’s Lone Survivor, while Sheridan’s movie credits include 2016’s Hell or High Water and 2017’s Wind River. Berg, Sheridan and David Glasser will produce the Call of Duty film.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter military video game series that debuted in 2003. CNET senior writer David Lumb calls it «arguably the biggest shooter franchise in gaming, with millions of players picking up every year’s new entry to the series.»

Lumb said the franchise is known for its bombastic single-player campaigns, which feature globe-spanning plots that rival those of the Mission Impossible films. «A Call of Duty movie has a lot of material to draw from,» Lumb said.

He also noted that Berg’s direction of Lone Survivor would fit the grim military heroism of Call of Duty, while Taylor Sheridan’s spate of neo-Western films and shows could lend a frontier adventurism to the film.

«Their collective works seemingly harmonize with the jingoistic pro-military tune of Activision’s shooter franchise — which is probably a good thing for Call of Duty fans,» Lumb concluded.

A release announcing Paramount and Activision’s film deal teased that it’ll be «designed to thrill its massive global fan base by delivering on the hallmarks of what fans love about the iconic series, while boldly expanding the franchise to entirely new audiences.» It didn’t include cast or plot information.

The update follows recent news that Sheridan is leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal. Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

US Government Urges Total Ban of Our Most Popular Wi-Fi Router

Technologies

Animal Crossing Update Adds Lego Furniture, With a Switch 2 Version Arriving the Same Day

Fans of Animal Crossing will have a reason to go back to their island.

Animal Crossing fans just received a big surprise, and it’s not just a new content update. A Switch 2 version is on its way.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive its first big update in three years, according to a post from Nintendo on Thursday. The update, labeled 3.0, will roll out on Jan. 15, the same day the Switch 2 version of the game will be available for purchase.

Released for the original Switch back in 2020, New Horizons was the first Animal Crossing game to come to a Nintendo console since 2008’s Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo regularly updated New Horizons for two years after its release, but stopped at update 2.0.6 released in November 2022. Two updates were added earlier in the year to prepare the game for playability on the Switch 2.

Animal Crossing 3.0 Update

In the 3.0 update coming on Jan. 15, a new hotel is opening. Players can help bring in guests to stay at the hotel by decorating guest rooms and dressing up mannequins to sell resort clothing.

For those who haven’t touched New Horizons in years, a Reset Service will be available. Players can have their island cleaned up, and items can be stored away or trashed for those who want a clean slate.

Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership will have access to up to three islands, where they can explore and do as they please. These new areas are available on Slumber Island. It’s up to the player to decide how the island will look, what items or plants are on it and even which characters will be found on the island. Players can also invite friends to build it together.

New Horizons will feature special collaborations and Nintendo retro gear. Lego items will be available in the update for players to decorate their homes with or clothing to dress up their villagers with. Retro Nintendo consoles, such as the NES and Game Boy, can also be used as decorative items.

If the player has a Switch Online subscription, some classic titles such as Ice Climbers and Dr. Mario can be played via these in-game devices. There are also special items based on The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon series when players tap their amiibo from those games onto the Switch while playing.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2

Switch 2 owners can get in on the digital life game with Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Not only will this new version come with updated graphics, including 4K resolution in TV mode, but it will also add special features that can only be done on the newest console.

One of the features is mouse controls for the Joy-Con 2. Players will be able to use the controller as a mouse to decorate indoors, create custom designs and write handwritten messages for the bulletin board.

Residents in the game can now be found by saying their name into the Switch 2’s built-in microphone while using the megaphone in the game. Multiplayer has also improved dramatically, with 12-player sessions available for those playing on the new edition, and CameraPlay is supported to allow players to see one another.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for purchase on Jan. 15 for $65. Owners of the original Switch version of New Horizons can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $5.