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Tag: Dan Riccio

  • Apple’s Dan Riccio Reportedly Overseeing VR/AR Headset Development

    Apple’s Dan Riccio Reportedly Overseeing VR/AR Headset Development

    Dan Riccio, Apple former head of hardware, is reportedly heading up the company’s efforts to develop a virtual and augmented reality headset.

    Dan Riccio has been heavily involved in Apple product design and hardware engineering since he joined the company in 1998. He was eventually appointed executive team leader of Hardware Engineering in 2012.

    In January, however, Riccio was moved to a secret project, with John Ternus replacing him as hardware chief. Underscoring the importance of Riccio’s new role, he reports directly to Tim Cook. Some believed his new role might be tied to Project Titan, Apple’s car development efforts.

    According to a new report by Bloomberg, however, it appears Riccio is working on a headset for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR and AR have seen increased usage across a wide range of industries. While gaming is often the first people think of, VR and AR are being used to train personnel, provide therapy, improve remote workplace experiences, expand social networks and more.

    Apple has been a big proponent of AR technology, rolling it out in the iPhone and iPad. If Bloomberg’s reports are true, a dedicated VR/AR headset would represent a significant increase in the company’s investment in the fledgling technology, and could pave the way for more widespread adoption.

  • Apple Snags Porsche’s Head of Chassis Development

    Apple Snags Porsche’s Head of Chassis Development

    Amid a slew of new rumors and information about the Apple Car, the company has hired Dr. Manfred Harrer, Porsche’s Vice President of Chassis Development.

    Apple’s plans for a car, code-named “Project Titan,” are coming into clearer focus, thanks to reports, rumors and walked-back statements. Hyundai initially released a statement saying it was in talks with Apple to build a car, before walking that statement back in two subsequent ones.

    Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Project Titan will use Hyundai’s E-GMP battery electric vehicle (BEV) chassis, giving the first glimpse at possible specs for the finished product.

    At the same time, Apple’s hardware chief, Dan Riccio, recently was moved to a new project where he will report directly to CEO Tim Cook. For someone of Riccio’s stature within the company to be moved to a new project underscores the importance of that endeavor, as does his reporting directly to Cook, leading some to believe he may be working on Project Titan.

    The latest news from Insider Deutschland, via 9to5Mac, indicates that Apple is moving forward with its hire of Dr. Harrer. Dr. Harrer has spent over a decade at Porsche, and been head of chassis development since 2016. His hiring is particularly interesting, given the rumors that Apple will use Hyundai’s E-GMP platform.

    Apple is well-known for taking a platform and customizing it to meet their specific needs. One has only to look at the iPhone, iPad and Mac to see this in practice. While the processors used in all three devices are loosely based on Arm designs, Apple has a license that allows them to customize them so heavily that it truly has its own, custom silicon.

    One can’t help but wonder if Dr. Harrer was hired with the same goal — to take Hyundai’s E-GMP platform and customize it to better meet Apple’s needs and goals. Just as Apple’s custom silicon consistently out-performs competitors using vanilla Arm designs, a customized E-GMP platform could end up out-performing Hyundai’s standard option.

  • Apple Shakeup Has Hardware Chief Taking On New Secret Project

    Apple Shakeup Has Hardware Chief Taking On New Secret Project

    Apple has announced a shakeup of its executive team, with hardware chief Dan Riccio taking on a new project.

    Dan Riccio has been with Apple since 1998 as a leader on the Product Design team. From there he became vice president of iPad Hardware Engineering in 2010, and then executive team leader of Hardware Engineering in 2012. Riccio now moves on as a vice president of engineering. Most significantly, Apple says his new role will involving working on a new project and reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook.

    In the meantime, John Ternus will take over Apple’s Hardware Engineering in place of Riccio.

    “Every innovation Dan has helped Apple bring to life has made us a better and more innovative company, and we’re thrilled that he’ll continue to be part of the team,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “John’s deep expertise and wide breadth of experience make him a bold and visionary leader of our Hardware Engineering teams. I want to congratulate them both on these exciting new steps, and I’m looking forward to many more innovations they’ll help bring to the world.”

    “Working at Apple has been the opportunity of a lifetime, spent making the world’s best products with the most talented people you could imagine,” said Riccio. “After 23 years of leading our Product Design or Hardware Engineering teams — culminating with our biggest and most ambitious product year ever — it’s the right time for a change. Next up, I’m looking forward to doing what I love most — focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about.”

    While Apple is not giving any hints about what project Riccio will be working on, one possibility is the Apple Car. The project is currently being led by Apple AI chief John Giannandrea, but it seems likely Riccio’s vast experience in hardware engineering would be an invaluable asset to the project. Alternatively, Riccio could be helming an entirely unrelated, yet to be revealed project.