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50 Cent claims he received a six-figure payout from the late Steve Jobs. During an interview shared by “Tha Row TV” on YouTube, the rapper -turned-business-mogul took a trip down memory lane to recall being paid handsomely for a product placement in one of his music videos. This became possible thanks to a conversation with Jobs, who had a meeting with Beats By Dre co-founder Jimmy Iovine at his office. In the interview, he claimed that within the first 10 minutes of meeting, he was able to get his hands on an iPod, which had just been released in 2001. He then convinced Jobs that he could help market the iPod, leading to a $150,000 payday. “I told him ‘Let me see that.’ They gave it to me I said ‘What’s it called. It’s called an iPod? How many songs you said?’ ‘You think you could sell an iPod? I can sell an iPod.’ H e looked at Jimmy, Jimmy said ‘Believe it or not, the kid is gold. I don’t care whatever he says right now it’s gonna go’ and h e just went with it and gave me...
Well-known for her career in entertainment, Malinda Williams is now dedicating time to uplifting women in technology. The Pivot Many may recognize Malinda Williams for her work as an actress, which includes credits in shows such as “The Cosby Show,” “Sister, Sister,” “Moesha,” and films like “Soul Food” and “The Wood.” She had been booking gigs for more than 30 years, yet she encountered a period of stagnation during which work became scarce. Money management had always been easy for her, which was helpful when it was time to stretch her earnings, Williams shared in an interview with AFROTECH™ . Eventually, she had to move to New Jersey and ventured into a “difficult” period, which also reignited a new area of interest. “I set out on a continuation of my spirit spiritual journey, but I also went to the bookstore, and that’s where I find a lot of my spiritual material, and a book called ‘HTML For Dummies’ fell off the shelves,” she told AFROTECH™. “I had tinkered around a little bit...
AJ Nettles wants to work at Apple one day after meeting CEO Tim Cook. The second-year student attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham has affirmed his journey in cybersecurity, one that began at an early age tinkering with computers while living in the small town of Monroeville, AL. “Our family had our first computer near when I was 5, and I really had fun interacting and playing around with it, learning about the internet and things like that,” Nettles told AFROTECH™. “Then I like to play games, so that kind of helped feed back into learning about technology overall, like computer science, and thinking about how it works and stuff. I was first exposed to it when I was young.” By the time Nettles reached the end of his time at Monroe County High School, he gained robotics experience and became more interested in learning about computer science and building technologies. “I had a bunch of different accounts for everything to play my games and email and all that. And I used...
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is among the countries facing a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reported that it’s not only experiencing one of the world’s longest humanitarian crises but also one of the most complex. A most prevalent issue in the DRC is child labor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 25,000 children work in cobalt mines. Despite the alarming rate of exploitation, a case in the U.S. regarding the matter has ended with the defendants not found at fault. Previously, in 2022, Apple, Alphabet Inc. (Google), Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla were said to have been “knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mine cobalt,” according to ABC News. However, in March 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found the five tech giants not liable due to only having an “ordinary buyer-seller transaction” with...
While working in the music industry, many artists make the smart move and don’t limit themselves to only excelling in music. Will.i.am is among such musicians who are the definition of “multi-hyphenate.” As an entertainer, record producer, tech entrepreneur, and founder, the East Los Angeles, CA, native has built an extensive resume for himself. “Investor” is yet another title under his growing list of endeavors. In an interview with the “Drink Champs” podcast, Will.i.am recounted two specific investments he’s made thus far. When asked by host N.O.R.E. whether he’d choose Steve Jobs or Elon Musk — like in a game of “This or That” — Will.i.am was prompted to share how both CEOs have made an impact on his life. “I invested in Tesla in 2006 before Elon took over [the company] — around the same time,” Will.i.am explained on the podcast. He continued, “And then, I was a part of Beats. And then, Apple bought Beats from us. So you’re talking about two companies that changed my life. So, I...
When your father is Steve Jobs, you may be a little analytical about the evolution of the iPhone. This is true for Eve Jobs, who appears to not be a fan of the iPhone 14 design. However, she isn’t the only one because Twitter users are not feeling the update that the renowned tech company unveiled during an event on Wednesday (Sept. 7). Eve Jobs, the daughter of Steve Jobs and Laurene Powell Jobs, reacts to today’s iPhone announcement on her Instagram. pic.twitter.com/bfn2VtbpsA — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 7, 2022
Time flies — not only when you’re having fun, but also for the students at the Detroit Apple Developer Academy. What seems like it was just a jumpstart for those interested in the future of tech has now become a life accomplishment as the Detroit Apple Developer Academy celebrates its first-ever graduates of the program. “Ten months ago, we opened the doors to the developer academy with a shared vision for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and building leaders, developers, and entrepreneurs who could make an impact on their local communities,” said MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. in a statement shared with AfroTech. “Today, we celebrate nearly 100 graduates and their remarkable accomplishments that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on the city of Detroit and our state for many years to come.” As reported by AfroTech, the academy — located in Detroit, MI — is a first-of-its-kind program that falls within Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. Offered...
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference may have wrapped its first in-person event since the pandemic, but the features coming down the pipeline are still the talk of the town. During the week-long event, the leading technology company welcomed developers, students, and media for a first-of-its-kind event at Apple Park tucked away in Silicon Valley and offered first glances at the updated software set to unveil during the fall. The company had the chance to soak in the newly redesigned MacBook Air as well as an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by the all-new M2 chip. What really had folks sitting at full attention in their seats is the forthcoming abilities of the iOS 16 software. Beyond that, Apple reiterated its commitment to being a home where technology is accessible to all through programs like the Apple Developer Academy and the WWDC Student Scholars. Buckle up for a full AfroTech rundown of the festivities.
Ever sent a risqué text that you wish you could take back? It looks like dreams might just come true in the next Apple iOS update. During its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the leading technology company has announced a whirlwind of updates. And while AfroTech will have an inside scoop on all that is coming down the pipeline, we’ll get straight down to the one that has the world buzzing – the ability to unsend texts! Yup, you read that correctly – with the iOS 16 software, users will have the opportunity to not only recall messages that might have been sent on accident but will also have the ability to make edits to the text even after it’s been sent. “iOS 16 is a big release with updates that will change the way you experience iPhone,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering during the keynote event. “We have reimagined how the Lock Screen looks and works with exciting new features that make it more personal and helpful,...
In 2014, Apple obtained the rights to Beats Music and Beats Electronics, founded by Hip-Hop royalty Dr. Dre. His excitement about the news, however, allegedly led to changes in the deal. Eager to celebrate his wins, the former N.W.A member created a video where he dubbed himself “the first billionaire in Hip-Hop.” Now, alleged details have surfaced claiming that the celebratory statement cost the mogul $200 million out of the deal.
To empower communities of color, Apple has committed $25 million to credit unions and financial institutions, which it will deploy through CNote, a women-led impact investment platform. CNote is thrilled to work with @Apple to expand access to capital in communities of color across the country! https://t.co/VfJS54uUG6 pic.twitter.com/WcvJlI5fF6 — CNote (@goCNote) May 5, 2022
iPhone users across the world have the convenience of using Siri. From asking for additional information about a random project to helping to identify who sings a song you may have overheard at brunch; the digital assistant is there to provide the answers. With Siri being a core feature on all Apple products, its functionality is paramount to all users. However, did anyone ever conceptualize human attributes to Siri? Is it a Black person? Does the digital assistant identify with a gender?