Apple

Apple Pay doesn't have a single banking partner, it works as a layer on top of your existing bank or credit card. The underlying financial infrastructure in the U.S. relies on card networks like Visa, Mastercard, and Amex, and Apple famously partnered with Goldman Sachs for its Apple Card (issued since 2019). That Goldman Sachs partnership, however, soured badly: Goldman publicly sought to exit the deal by 2023-2024, and Apple has been reported to be exploring a transition to other issuers.

Tim Cook is still CEO, there is no new CEO as of mid-2025. Cook has run Apple since Steve Jobs stepped down in August 2011, days before Jobs's death in October 2011. Succession speculation flares up periodically, with names like COO Jeff Williams floated internally, but Apple has made no announcement.

That's Isaac Newton, the story goes that a falling apple in 1666 inspired him to develop his theory of gravity. Newton himself referenced the apple anecdote late in his life, though historians debate how literally to take it. Apple Inc. nodded to this legend implicitly with its iconic bitten-apple logo, though the company has never officially confirmed the Newton connection as intentional.

The 2024 Netflix limited series *Apple Cider Vinegar* is based on the story of Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who falsely claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer through diet and natural remedies, apple cider vinegar included. Gibson built a food app empire, The Whole Pantry, before being exposed as a fraud; she was later fined by Australian courts for consumer law violations.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is made by fermenting crushed apples, yeast converts the sugars to alcohol, then bacteria convert the alcohol to acetic acid. It has been used in folk medicine for centuries and is associated with brands like Bragg in the modern wellness market. The Netflix show of the same name brought renewed attention to it via the Belle Gibson scandal.

For most people, the Apple Watch Series 10 (released late 2024) is the sweet spot, thinner design, faster chip, solid health sensors, without the Ultra's price tag. If you're a serious athlete or outdoors person, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the only real answer. Skip the SE if you can stretch the budget; the health sensor gap isn't worth the savings.

Fuji apples consistently top sweetness charts, with a high natural sugar content and a crisp, honey-like flavor. Honeycrisp and Gala are close runners-up, widely available and reliably sweet. If you want maximum sugar with almost zero tartness, go Fuji; it's not even a close competition.

The fastest way: open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap *My Watch*, then *General > About*, the model name is listed there. You can also check the back of the watch itself for an engraved model number, then cross-reference it on Apple's support page (support.apple.com/identify-apple-watch). Each generation has a distinct case size and sensor bump profile if you want to identify it visually.

The newest models as of 2025 are the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, both announced at Apple's September 2024 event. The Series 10 is the thinnest Apple Watch ever made. Apple typically refreshes the lineup every September, so a Series 11 is expected in fall 2025.

Apple harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere runs roughly August through November, peaking in September–October. If you're reading this outside that window, what's in your grocery store is almost certainly cold-storage fruit from last autumn's harvest, apples store exceptionally well, so 'fresh' in February is a relative term. Farmers markets in-season will have varieties like Honeycrisp, McIntosh, and Empire that supermarkets rarely stock.

The evidence-backed uses are modest: some studies show ACV can modestly lower blood sugar spikes after meals and may support weight management when combined with caloric restriction. The wilder wellness claims, curing cancer, detoxing organs, fixing everything, are not supported by robust clinical evidence. Undiluted ACV can also erode tooth enamel and irritate the esophagus, so the 'it's just natural' safety assumption is wrong.

The iPhone 17 lineup is expected in fall 2025, and Apple historically maintains Watch-iPhone compatibility for current and recent models. Based on Apple's typical pattern, the Apple Watch Series 10, Ultra 2, and whatever Series 11 launches alongside iPhone 17 will all be compatible. Older watches (Series 4 and earlier) have been dropped from compatibility in recent iOS cycles, so check Apple's official compatibility list when iOS 19 launches.

The sweetest mainstream varieties are Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Ambrosia, all low in tartness and high in natural sugars. Red Delicious looks the part but consistently disappoints on flavor. If you want sweet *and* complex, Honeycrisp is the crowd favorite for good reason.

Granny Smith is the classic pie apple, its high acidity and firm flesh hold up to baking and balance the sugar in the filling. The real pro move is blending varieties: Granny Smith for structure and tang, plus Honeycrisp or Braeburn for sweetness and depth. Avoid Red Delicious in pie; it turns to mush and has almost no flavor when cooked.

All current Apple Watch models, Series 10, Ultra 2, and SE (2nd gen), are fully compatible with the iPhone 16 lineup running iOS 18. Apple requires an iPhone 6s or later (running iOS 16+) as a minimum for most recent watches, so iPhone 16 is more than covered. The pairing requires the Watch app and both devices on the same Apple ID.

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, yes, April Fools' Day, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Los Altos, California. Wayne famously sold his 10% stake back for $800 just 12 days later, a decision worth tens of billions in hindsight. The company was incorporated as Apple Computer Co. on January 3, 1977.

Apple hasn't announced iPhone 18, and the company never pre-announces release dates. Based on Apple's ironclad annual cycle, iPhone 18 is expected to be revealed at an Apple Event in September 2026 and go on sale days later. Treat any earlier 'leak' date as speculation until Apple sends out official invites.

Apple started on April 1, 1976, when Jobs, Wozniak, and Wayne signed the partnership agreement in the Jobs family garage in Los Altos, California. The first product was the Apple I, a bare circuit board Wozniak designed himself, sold for $666.66. It was a very different company from the trillion-dollar machine it became.

Apple Pay has not launched in India as of mid-2025, and Apple has given no official timeline. India's payments landscape is dominated by UPI (Unified Payments Interface), a government-backed, interoperable system that Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm run on, which creates a high bar for Apple to clear both technically and regulatorily. Apple has been expanding its India presence aggressively (opening retail stores, manufacturing iPhones locally), so a Pay launch is plausible, but don't hold your breath for a near-term date.

Apple releases new iPhones every September without fail, it has been the rhythm since iPhone 6 in 2014. The announcement event is typically the second Tuesday of September, with sales beginning 10–14 days later. iPhone 17 is expected in September 2025; anything claiming an earlier date is a rumor, not a schedule.