Apple to add 'lockdown' safeguard on iPhones, Macs and iPads and more business news

Seen on the screen of a device in La Habra, Calif., new iPhone 13 smartphones are introduced during a virtual event held to announce new Apple products on Sept. 14, 2021. Apple plans to roll out a "lockdown" option for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers intended to protect against spyware unleashed by state-sponsored hackers — although enabling it will also make these devices less useful. The safeguard was announced on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Seen on the screen of a device in La Habra, Calif., new iPhone 13 smartphones are introduced during a virtual event held to announce new Apple products on Sept. 14, 2021. Apple plans to roll out a "lockdown" option for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers intended to protect against spyware unleashed by state-sponsored hackers — although enabling it will also make these devices less useful. The safeguard was announced on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Apple to add 'lockdown' safeguard on iPhones, Macs

Apple plans to roll out a "lockdown" option for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers intended to protect against spyware unleashed by state-sponsored hackers - although enabling it will also make these devices less useful.

The safeguard announced Wednesday is a tacit acknowledgement that not even Apple - the world's most valuable company - has been able to adequately shield the iPhone and its other products against attacks from malicious actors backed by governments fishing for information about perceived adversaries.

The new feature, called "lockdown mode," will initially be offered in a test format before it's released to all iPhone, IPad and Mac users, as part of a major software updates this fall.

Amazon Prime gives free Gubhub for a year

Amazon will give its U.S. Prime members free access to meal delivery service Grubhub for a year under a deal announced Wednesday.

The Grubhub Plus membership -- which normally costs $9.99 per month -- lets customers order from thousands of restaurants with no delivery fees on most orders. Amazon Prime membership costs $139 per year.

Prime members must sign up for the Grubhub service. After one year they will be charged Grubhub's normal fees unless they deactivate the program.

The deal is part of a partnership between Amazon and Just Eat Takeaway, the Amsterdam-based delivery company that bought Grubhub in 2020 for $7.3 billion. Amazon has an initial option to take a 2% stake in Grubhub, which could climb to 15% if certain performance conditions are met.

The deal could give Grubhub a much-needed boost. The Chicago-based company was the U.S. market share leader as recently as January 2019, when it controlled 31% of food delivery sales, according to market research firm YipitData. But rivals DoorDash and Uber Eats chipped away at that lead by offering discounted service and rapidly expanding into suburbs. As of May, Grubhub controlled 11% of sales, while DoorDash held 57% and Uber Eats had 31%.

Fed says higher rates needed to quell inflation

Federal Reserve officials were concerned at their meeting last month that consumers were starting to anticipate higher inflation, and they signaled that much higher interest rates could be needed to restrain it.

The policymakers also acknowledged, in minutes from their meeting released Wednesday, that their rate hikes could weaken the economy. But they suggested that such steps were necessary to slow price increases back to the Fed's 2% annual target.

The Fed officials agreed that the central bank needed to raise its benchmark interest rate to "restrictive" levels that would slow the economy's growth and "recognized that an even more restrictive stance could be appropriate" if inflation persisted.

Denver airport CEO to be considered to head FAA

The White House said Wednesday that President Joe Biden plans to nominate Phillip Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.

Washington is well known to Biden administration figures. In late 2020, he served on Biden's transition, leading a team that advised the incoming administration on transportation policy.

The FAA is currently led by acting chief, Billy Nolen, after former pilot and Delta Air Lines executive Stephen Dickson stepped down March 31.

The FAA has come under criticism for its approval of the Boeing 737 Max jetliner, which was later involved in two deadly crashes, and its slow reaction to fears that new wireless networks could interfere with critical equipment on planes.

This summer, airlines have accused the FAA of causing many flights to be delayed or canceled, partly because of a shortage of air traffic controllers, a claim disputed by administration officials.

Washington has a limited resume in aviation. He has been the top executive at the Denver airport only since last July. He has been closely tied to a plan to improve the airport for growth expected over the next 10 years, and called for building two new runways in addition to one under construction.

France seeks to boost economy despite war

France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has vowed to boost jobs, cut taxes, support purchasing power, tackle climate-related issues and help France better face the consequences of the war in Ukraine. She said that would include nationalizing electricity giant EDF.

Borne laid out her main priorities Wednesday in her first major speech to the National Assembly after parliamentary elections last month cost French President Emmanuel Macron's government its majority.

She said the government plans to nationalize French electricity giant EDF amid an energy crisis aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The French state now holds an 84% stake in the company, one of the world's biggest electricity producers.

- Compiled by Dave Flessner

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