Apple is well-known for doing things in-house whenever possible, and that might even extend to financial services. Bloombergsources claim Apple is laying the groundwork for “future financial services” through a multi-year effort that would bring more financial procedures under the company’s wing. The iPhone maker is reportedly developing its own payment processing system, and also wants to handle credit checks, risk assessment for loans and other behind-the-scenes tasks.

The initiatives are meant for future offerings, according to the sources. This wouldn’t augment Apple Card, Apple Pay, contactless payments for stores or other known financial products. The first product to rely on the payment processing would supposedly be a service nicknamed “Apple Pay Later” that lets you pay off devices in either four interest-free instalments or monthly instalments with interest.

Apple has already declined comment. This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that the company was said to be shaking up its business models, though. A previous rumor also suggested Apple was planning a hardware subscription service where you’d pay a monthly fee to use the latest devices. 

The greater responsibility could prove a challenge. Apple has “faced some hurdles” developing the payment processing tech, Bloomberg said. However, the company has multiple incentives to take more control of financial services. It could launch new features faster, and in countries where they wouldn’t otherwise be viable. Apple might also take a larger slice of revenue in some cases. Simply put, Apple might not be held back by payment processors and banks like some of its peers.

Source: Engadget – Apple reportedly wants to handle more financial services in-house

VinFast Automotive— the Vietnamese car startup — is set to build its first North American assembly plant in North Carolina’s Triangle Innovation Point, right outside of Raleigh. The company will invest a total of $5 billion in the facility which will eventually employ 13,000 workers, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. The Vinfast plant won’t just be North Carolina’s first EV facility, it’ll also be the state’s first car manufacturing plant. Toyota also announced plans last year to build a $1.29 billion battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County, further cementing North Carolina’s status as the next potential EV hub.

We’ve already heard about VinFast’s two new electric crossover cars — the VF32 and the VF33 — that it plans to debut in the US this summer. But the North Carolina plant will focus on building two other cars: the VinFast VF 9, a 7-passenger all-electric SUV and the VinFast VF 8, a 5-passenger, all-electric mid-size SUV. The company is aiming to make both lines available for delivery in the US later this year.

As far as SUVs go, both VinFast models will be reasonably priced. The smaller car, the two-row VF 8, will retail for $39,400. The three-row VF 9 will retail for $53,700. Drivers have the option of selecting different battery sizes for each model. The VF 8 with a smaller battery has a range of 285 miles, with a bigger battery the range increases to 313 miles. Meanwhile, the VF 9 is likely to come with a larger battery pack that could give it a range of up to 423 miles, InsideEVs reported. If this actually happens, this would put the VF 9 at a higher maximum range than many of its competitors in the electric SUV space. For the sake of comparison, the 2021 Tesla Model X has a range of 360 miles and the Kia EV9 SUV has a range of 300 miles.

Even as far as EV startups go, VinFast is relatively new to the game. The company is a subsidiary of a Vietnamese conglomerate called VinGroup, and only started making cars in 2017. Both its cars and scooters are popular in Vietnam, but it has yet to sell any cars abroad, reported the Raleigh News and Observer. But with its first US manufacturing facility in the works, the Vietnamese startup is likely to gain more credibility stateside.

Source: Engadget – EV startup VinFast will build a billion plant in North Carolina

For those who want to try their hand at audio production, one of the most significant barriers to entry is the cost of equipment and instruments. That Korg Minilogue you have in mind for a killer synthwave track? Even a pre-owned one will set you back about $400. In recent years, audio plugins you can use with your favorite digital audio workstation have made it more affordable to dabble in audio production, but even those can be expensive.

Universal Audio wants to make its audio plugins more accessible with a subscription service called UAD Spark. Priced at $20 per month, the package includes some of the company’s most popular plugins, including ones that replicate the Neve 1073 preamp and Studer A800 tape recorder. You’ll also find a handful of exclusives. One such exclusive emulates the Opal Morphing Synthersizer.

But what’s likely to make UAD Spark compelling to a lot of people is that you don’t need one of the company’s Apollo or Volt audio interfaces to take advantage of the service. All the plugins included in Spark will run natively on your Mac (and Windows machine come this fall). And if you already own a Volt audio interface, you’ll get a free 30-day trial to the service. Should you decide to subscribe, any plugins you already own will be available through Spark.

Source: Engadget – Universal Audio’s Spark subscription service brings audio production plugins to the Mac

The White House has launched covid.gov, a dedicated website for COVID-19 guidance, including resources for treatment and testing. The site is meant to be a “one-stop shop” for all things related to COVID-19, including testing and treatment options, masks and vaccines. The website also provides county-level data from the CDC about community spread of COVID-19.

The website includes a new “test-to-treat” locator that connects people with testing sites and treatment options in their area. “This program creates one-stop-shop locations where people can get a COVID-19 test and receive an oral antiviral treatment, if appropriate for them because they test positive and face high risks from COVID,” the White House wrote in a statement. “Since the launch earlier this month, there are now over 2,000 Test-to-Treat locations nationwide, including in pharmacy-based clinics, federally-qualified community health centers (FQHCs), and long-term care facilities.”

While much of the information on covid.gov has already been available, the White House says it’s the first time that it’s brought all of its COVID-19 guidance and resources into one place. For example, it links to both vaccines.gov as well as the USPS site to order free COVID tests. It also includes links to find “high quality” masks, and resources on how to wear them.

Source: Engadget – White House launches covid.gov with testing and treatment resources

Waymo is now operating fully driverless cars in more than one city. The Alphabet-owned brand has started trials of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace EVs in San Francisco with no backup drivers. The tests are limited to employees hailing rides in the company’s early service area, but this still represents a major milestone — the company claimed in a message to Engadget that it was the first anywhere to offer autonomous ride-hailing in two different territories.

You’ll also see an expanded footprint in Arizona. Waymo said it will expand fully autonomous rides to downtown Phoenix, starting with employees. Members of the public in the Trusted Tester program can hail rides “soon after,” Waymo said.

It’s not certain when Waymo might offer trips to the general public in San Francisco. The company recently received permission to charge for self-driving rides in California, but only as long as there’s a backup driver aboard. Still, both rollouts indicate greater confidence on Waymo’s part. It’s more willing to test its autonomous system in densely-populated areas (where traffic and roadwork can be huge headaches), and without leaning as much on human safety nets.