Apple’s famous co-founder Steve Jobs invested 5 months trying to recruit then Pepsi-Co CEO John Sculley to come to work for Apple. Sculley said no and shared Jobs’ reply. “Steve paused and thought for a while, and then he was about 18 inches away from me — and in those days he was in his 20s and he had jet black hair, very dark eyes and he was right in my face — and he said, ‘You want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?’” “Steve had that ability to put into words exactly a message that would resonate with the people he was trying to recruit,” Sculley told left-leaning CNBC.

Sculley recalled who a conversation between the legendary Apple co-founder and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. “I would say that one of the things that made a huge impression on me was I had been at Apple for about three months and I was sitting around one evening in the Macintosh engineering laboratory with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. And Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were talking about their ‘noble cause,‘” Sculley said. “I had never heard the words ‘noble cause’ in business in my entire life.”

Chairman Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway is another common point between Gates and Apple (APPL).

According to CBS News, Warren “Buffett’s Berkshire now owns just over 5% of Apple, which has a total market value of exceeding $2 trillion, making it Buffett’s largest investment by far in another publicly traded company. At $120 billion, Berkshire’s stake in Apple equals about just over 42% of its overall investment portfolio.” That CBS report was on March 31, 2021, and on March 2 The Street called Buffett as “he is still very bullish on Apple.”

Of course.

Berkshire, as numbers of manufactured housing industry professionals know, is the conglomerate parent company for major manufactured housing brands Clayton Homes, 21st Mortgage Corporation, and Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance (VMF) among several other brands with direct interests in manufactured housing.

Beyond the Berkshire-Apple connection, what makes the iPhone maker’s emerging controversy about an automatic download of what critics are calling a slippery slope download of spyware that scans users phones and which the firm says it would partner with law enforcement on.

On March 31st, 2021 Apple answered the question: “How many people have iPhones in the United States? Currently there are more than 113 million iPhone users in the United States, accounting for about 47 percent of all smartphone users in the United States.”

So, some 47 percent of all Americans would have what some are calling ‘spyware’ downloaded onto phones that would be used to effectively channel tips to law enforcement. It is an odd shift from the Apple that has previously declined to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with terrorist and others accused of serious crimes. “Apple believed that creating a back door into the phone would weaken security and could be used by malicious actors. The FBI sought a court order to compel Apple to help the government. Weeks later, the FBI backed down after it had found an outside group that had a solution to gain access to the phone,” said ADN on April 14, 2021.

The stated purpose by Apple for this ‘spyware’ on 47 percent of all smartphones seems not only innocent, but supporters would say is laudable. After all, how many will come out in favor of child pornography? Indeed, Apple’s defense is focused on that point.

But what is missing from that argument by Apple and its supporters are an array of possible slippery slope concerns.

According to WebRoot, “40 million American people regularly visit porn sites. 35% of all internet downloads are related to pornography. 34% of internet users have experienced unwanted exposure to pornographic content through ads, pop up ads, misdirected links or emails. One-third of porn viewers are women.” A Psychology Today report dated February 19, 2018 said that “In terms of basic results, they found that 73 percent of women and 98 percent of men reported internet porn use in the last six months.”

Despite moral outrage by various religious and other groups that say that pornography is immoral, undermines relationships, can be addictive, and reduce worker productivity, etc., the use of porn is apparently widespread.

But setting porn aside, critics of this Apple plan say there are larger questions. After all, iPhone owners have been told about Apple’s ‘strict’ privacy protections.  Paying for an iPhone and then the related cellular services when the device can have an automatic download that users are not aware that today may snoop for child porn, but tomorrow may by searching for something quite different.

What if millions of iPhone, or later other smartphones begin to snoop for financial, political, religious, or other private matters?

Such unauthorized searches by a publicly trade company that are effectively saying they will be providing information to law enforcement without an explicit user consent and without a search warrant.

Restated these may be bordering on warrantless searches. No probable cause is being offered to a judge to obtain a warrant before spying begins.

ProPublica, a legal site, said: “The government isn’t allowed to wiretap American citizens without a warrant from a judge. But there are plenty of legal ways for law enforcement, from the local sheriff to the FBI to the Internal Revenue Service, to snoop on the digital trails you create every day. Authorities can often obtain your emails and texts by going to Google or AT&T with a court order that doesn’t require showing probable cause of a crime. These powers are entirely separate from the National Security Agency’s collection of Americans’ phone records en masse, which the House of Representatives voted to end last month.” That was June 27, 2014, during the Obama-Biden Administration. Note, anyone that thinks that such federal spying has stopped would be mistaken.

 

So, on the one hand, it isn’t new. Americans have effectively been spied on by big tech working with various aspects of the federal government for years. But the step from meta data and GPS location to having ‘spyware’ looking for – whatever – on your personal device may prove to be a bridge too far for some.

 

Berkshire-Backed Apple’s Defense Against the Backlash 

The right-leaning Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 8.13.2021 that Apple is acknowledging a backlash to this download that will snoop for child porn.

Variety said yesterday that “Apple announced new details about its plan to scan users’ iCloud photos for child pornography, as the tech giant remains in damage control after a backlash over the privacy implications of the initiative.” Restated, clearly numbers are concerned, or it would not be an issue.

“Last week, Apple said it will implement a feature to detect photos stored in iCloud Photos that depict sexually explicit activities involving children, as part of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 updates due out this fall,” said Variety which added the following.

On Friday, the company — seeking to reassure customers that it is minimizing the chance the system might inaccurately flag an account as harboring child pornography — said it will not take action until the system has identified at least 30 matching child sexual abuse material (CSAM) images. It also said the system will be publicly auditable by third parties.”

Also per Variety, “Apple insisted the CSAM system was designed with privacy in mind.” But given that this news story broke as a result of a corporate leak, there are reasons to doubt that claim.

As soon as this story broke, this writer sent WND, one of the oldest Internet news sites online, a letter to the editor on the topic that explains how this scheme threats go well beyond porn. As noted, what other information could then be scanned later? The “camel’s nose under the tent” or “foot in the door” metaphors come to mind.

Imagine a corporate official working for a rival brand to Berkshire, Apple, or other giants. If a phone can be secretly scanned for images, why not financial information? Why not for business trade secrets?

According to left-leaning CNN on August 6, “Apple on Thursday said it will begin testing a new system to automatically match photos on iPhones and uploaded iCloud accounts to a database of child sexual abuse images and alert authorities as needed.”

Also Friday the 13th, “Apple tried to clarify that the system cannot be altered by malicious actors. “Surreptitious modifications to the CSAM hash database” — “inadvertently, or through coercion” — would be “insufficient to cause innocent people to be reported with this system,” Variety said the company claiming.

• But for those who grasp what hackers have accomplished, is that sufficient reassurance?
• In an era when big tech and big government are appearing to be in collusion, is this slippery slope a bridge too far for millions?

Shortly after the story was leaked that Apple was going to have this download, this writer authored an opinion column for WND. Note that it cited the information available at the time (August 6) the letter to the editor was submitted.

Here is the letter to the WND Newscenter, reproduced with permission. Note that this argument is less about porn than it is about the threat to privacy and personal liberty.

 

Apple’s Dangerous and Orwellian Threat To Liberty Beware of neuralMatch

For believers in traditional Judie-Christian morality Berkshire Hathaway backed Apple’s plan for “neuralMatch” might sound like a good thing at first blush. The Financial Times reported, and Tech Crunch has confirmed, that Apple plans to roll out an automatic download of software onto all iPhones later this year that will ‘search for child porn.’ If they find it, they’ll report it to authorities. Let’s be clear, this is arguably evil genius. Many if not most will (or should) oppose child porn. It sounds good. Porn of all kinds is a scourge. A children’s advocacy site claims 7 out of 10 kids encounter porn inadvertently.  But that illustrates that part of the risk to this scheme.

But beyond that, where does this slippery slope stop?

Will Apple next report on evidence of Trump supporters? Bible believers? Will they snoop competitor’s phones, all without a search warrant? Will WND readers be reported someday? Where does such [a]  seemingly innocent notion stop? If Apple does it what about other smart phones makers?

Why not just take down all pornography websites instead?

Do you see that this isn’t about porn, child or otherwise?

Rather, this is a new Orwellian tool for reporting anyone that the oligarchs and insiders don’t like.

Some weeks ago, I warned WND readers about the pattern of big businesses and big government allowing brazen and costly abuses. This is an extension of that. This is a Liberty issue.

https://www.wnd.com/2021/05/solution-big-tech-oligarchs/

There is a serious need to focus on the root cause of what’s going wrong in America. Of course, there are moral issues.

But on the legal and free enterprise sides, the monopolies and oligarchs must be broken up.

As the late Senator John Sherman said, “If we will not endure a king as a political power, we should not endure a king over the production.”

The Civic Alliance is made up of over 1000 routinely major brands that worked with Democrats and RINOs to unseat President Trump. It is a ruling alliance working with PINO Biden’s regime to oppose anyone that’s a threat to their awful dream of a Great Reset.

Apple’s plan smells of getting the camel’s nose under the tent with something that sounds innocent. You can almost imagine the Apple ads touting how they will supposedly be working with law enforcement to stop ‘child porn.’ It’s a transparently false and flawed approach. Take down porn sites instead.

Americans and people around the world need to break up the monopolists that think they can slip in such fascist surveillance state collusion between big business and big government on the unsuspecting. Heaven help us all. ##

##

The old maxims apply.

• Power corrupts.
• Absolutely power corrupts absolutely.

There are reasons why from the early days of the American revolution and since, there has been an American streak of independence that supported the notion of smaller businesses, family farms, and private property right. That favoring small has ebbed and flowed over the years, as financial powers pushed for their agenda which at other times would be overcome by everyday Americans organizing and pushing back.  Once more, the current concerns include too much big corporate financial, information, and political power are rising. There is a case to be made that Apple may have engaged in a delayed “bait and switch,” pushing their privacy only to later undermine their pledge to their customers.

 

 

There is an overwhelming amount of information that hits Americans day by day. Between social media, news, marketing, and conversations, thousands of inputs occur daily. Per Tech21Century, in 2020:

“Although people can not really read these 105,000 words each day, this is the real number estimated to be reaching the human eyes and ears every day. After adding pictures, videos, games, etc., we reach the volume of 34 Gigabytes of information per day on average.” The New York Times and other sources have said similarly.

What has been described as information warfare (InfoWar) and propaganda is a significant and practical issue. When repetition is proven to be an effective form of brainwashing.

 

 

Analysis means “the process of studying or examining something in an organized way to learn more about it, or a particular study of something.” – Cambridge Dictionary. A synonym for “commentary” is “analysis.” Analysis and commentary fits our tagline of manufactured home “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use.” ^©  

 

At the top, we noted that John Sculley was the former Apple and Pepsi CEO. He told Conversations with Nancy Brinker. That two of the principles that he believed in that helped make Apple innovative was  “Customer first.” And the principle of “Can’t there be a better way?” That sounds grand and is as good business should be operated. Perhaps that was true in the early years of Apple or other giants like Microsoft. But as money and power increased, those financial and economic giants have largely made aspects of the federal and other governments tools of their businesses.

MHLivingNews reported recently on a survey that said 73 percent of Americans have become distrustful of major corporations.

 

This InfoWars, spyware, and other threats to personal liberty are developing issue that impacts all Americans. Ironically or slyly, the Biden White House statement on antitrust explains why competition is necessary and good for the vast majority of Americans.

 

The tech giants and their Civic Alliance allies in business, finance, nonprofits, and big media are illustrating the keen insight of Danny Glover, periodically cited here on MHProNews and on MHLivingNews. There has been a form of business intelligence or ‘spying’ on others by Berkshire brands, per insiders.  But this notion of having what amounts to spyware on smartphones, under a seemingly positive guise of stopping child porn sounds good but is demonstrably a common method that autocrats have used for decades of framing a hidden agenda.  This shift in Berkshire-backed Apple’s privacy policy could well turn out to be a serious problem if it isn’t stopped.

 

The ultimate legal solution is the ever-more apparent need to break up giants when they fit into those categories. See the related reports for more.

###

Next up is our business daily recap of yesterday evening’s market report and related left-right headlines.

The Business Daily Manufactured Home Industry Connected Stock Market Updates.  Plus, Market Moving Left (CNN) – Right (Newsmax) Headlines Snapshot. While the layout of this daily business report has recently been modified, several elements of the basic concepts used previously are still the same. The headlines that follow below can be reviewed at a glance to save time while providing insights across the left-right media divide. Additionally, those headlines often provide clues as to possible ‘market-moving’ items.

 

Market Indicator Closing Summaries – Yahoo Finance Closing Tickers on MHProNews…

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business = evening of 8.13.2021 

• Americans are worried
• A woman wearing a mask walks past “face mask required” signs is posted on the door of a retail store, New York, NY, July 29, 2021.
• Consumer sentiment suddenly crashes below early-pandemic levels
• Big Oil blasts Biden for turning to OPEC for more crude
• Used car price hikes may soon be over
• China growth forecasts slashed as Delta variant spreads across the country
• Vaccine mandates for workers are just getting started
• Disney really needs the coronavirus to go away
• Get used to surging food prices: Extreme weather is here to stay
• Online mask sales jump as Delta variant spreads
• Airbnb warns that the Delta variant could disrupt travel
• Welcome to the peak everything market and economy
• Opinion: Central bank digital currencies are coming. We must prepare
• Watch how CNN covered the birth of cell phones in 1982
• Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft must return to factory, causing more delays
• Adidas is selling Reebok for less than it originally paid
• How to make the days that you’re in the office really count
• The new $2.6 million Lamborghini Countach is a hybrid
• Analysis: How ‘Jeopardy!’ got the host decision so, so wrong
• Rachel Maddow considers leaving MSNBC to start her own media venture
• This photograph taken on April 26, 2021 in Paris shows a physical imitation of the Bitcoin crypto currency.
• An anonymous hacker stole $600 million in cryptocurrency, then gave it back
• Attendees arrive to watch the movie “Grease” at a pop-up drive-in theatre at Bucktown Marina Park on May 22, 2020 in Metairie, Louisiana. With indoor theaters in many places closed due to coronavirus, drive-in theaters saw a rise in attendance.
• This pandemic-friendly activity might be here to stay
• The Lord of the Rings Amazon Original Series – First Series Image
• Amazon shifts ‘Lord of the Rings’ production to UK from New Zealand

Headlines from right-of-center Newsmax – evening of 8.13.2021

• US Afghanistan Veterans Pained by Taliban Gains, Lament Troops’ Pullout
• Soldiers who deployed to Afghanistan over the past two decades say the Taliban’s rapid conquest of much of the country over the past week is shocking — and troubling. some soldiers blamed the Biden White House’s withdrawal of forces for the Taliban sweep. [Full Story]
• Related Stories
• Taliban Sweep Across Afghanistan’s South, Take 4 More Cities
• Afghan Women Fear Return to ‘Dark Days’ Amid Taliban Sweep
• Pompeo: Biden Displays ‘Weak Leadership’ Amid Taliban Resurgence
• Bitter Blow: UK’s Former Hub in Afghanistan Taken by Taliban
• Newsmax TV
• Nunes on Holding ‘Fake News Accountable’ With Lawsuits
• LaHood: Infrastructure, Budget Legislation Will Cost Too Much |
• Reschenthaler: Biden ‘Owns’ Taliban’s Takeover in Afghanistan
• Jodey Arrington: Pressure Biden to Visit Border |
• Mark Green: $1.2T Infrastructure a ‘Bait and Switch’ for $3.5T |
• NY Rep. Schmitt: Cuomo Impeachment Inquiry Must Continue |
• More Newsmax TV
• Newsfront
• New York Assembly to Suspend Cuomo Impeachment Investigation
• The New York state Assembly will suspend its impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo once he steps down, the chamber’s top Democrat said Friday…. [Full Story]
• Nunes to Newsmax: Holding ‘Fake News Accountable’ With Lawsuits
• Devin Nunes, who is suing both MSNBC and The Washington [Full Story] |
• Trump: ‘Do You Miss Me Yet?’
• Former President Donald Trump asked a question Friday as the country [Full Story]
• Report: China Ready to Recognize Taliban If Kabul Falls
• China is reportedly prepared to recognize the Taliban as the [Full Story]
• Parents Claim Profane Mask Video Shown to Texas Elementary Kids
• A teacher at a Corpus Christi, Texas, elementary school is at the [Full Story]
• Biden’s ‘Anti-Science’ Border Approach ‘Jeopardizing American Lives’
• The Biden administration’s lax immigration policies have fueled not [Full Story] |
• Texas First State to Make Paying for Sex a Felony
• On Sept. 1, Texas will become the first state in the country where [Full Story]
• Border Security Key for Belarus’ Neighbors as European Migrant Crisis Looms
• As Europe sees signs of a coming migration crisis – potentially [Full Story] | |
• FDA Authorizes COVID Vaccine Boosters for Immunocompromised
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized a [Full Story]
• Related
• HHS Requiring 25K Workers to Get COVID-19 Vaccine
• 27 People Aboard Carnival Cruise Test Positive for COVID-19
• Facebook Delays Return to Office for Employees Until January
• CDC Panel Recommends Use of COVID Boosters in Immunocompromised
• Pfizer, Moderna Seen Reaping Billions From COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Market
• Fact-Checking Site Snopes Honcho Plagiarized at Least 54 Articles
• A co-founder of the fact-checking website Snopes wrote and published [Full Story]
• Detainees Say ICE Not Protecting Them From COVID, ICE Disagrees
• Migrants who have been detained by Immigration and Customs [Full Story]
• Taliban Sweep Across Afghanistan’s South, Take 4 More Cities
• The Taliban completed their sweep of Afghanistan’s south on Friday, [Full Story]
• DC Military Base on Lockdown After Report of Armed Man
• A military base in Washington has been placed on lockdown after a [Full Story]
• Intel Indicates Ongoing Russian Efforts to Interfere in 2022 Elections
• Intelligence reports indicate Russia is continuing its attempts to [Full Story]
• Report: Job Posts Requiring Applicant COVID Vaccinations Doubles
• The number of job postings requiring applicants to have COVID-19 [Full Story]
• Judge Upholds Biden’s Eviction Ban
• A federal judge in Washington ruled that a temporary U.S. ban on [Full Story]
• College Professor: ‘America Only for White People’
• An assistant professor at a private Pennsylvania women’s liberal arts [Full Story]
• Treasury Sanctions Alleged Oil Smuggler, Companies Linked to Iran’s Quds Force
• The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday it was imposing sanctions on [Full Story]
• Suspected Chicago Cop Killer Connected to April Hit-and-Run
• One of two men charged in the death of a Chicago police officer [Full Story]
• Taco Bell Paves the Way With Contactless Drive-Thru Concept
• Touchless drive-thrus are the future and Taco Bell is driving the [Full Story]
• DeSantis Backs Down on Threat to Cut School Officials Pay Over Mask Mandates
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is backing away from a [Full Story]
• Pelosi Announcement Means House Staffers Can Earn More Than Lawmakers
• House staffers will be able to earn higher salaries than most of the [Full Story]
• US House Members Introduce Bill Targeting Apple and Google App Stores
• A Republican and a Democratic member of the U.S. House of [Full Story]
• Russian Defense Minister Praises Cooperation With China at Joint Wargames
• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised military cooperation [Full Story]
• Chelsea Clinton Plans Full Year of ‘She Persisted’ Books
• Chelsea Clinton has a full schedule of books coming in 2022. The [Full Story]
• Taliban Capture Afghanistan’s Kandahar, Herat: Embassies Getting Staff Out
• Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Friday, [Full Story]
• US Will Host Summit of the Americas in 2022
• The United States is preparing to host the Ninth Summit of the [Full Story]
• Justice Barrett Rejects Indiana U. Students’ Vaccine Mandate Challenge
• A group of Indiana University students seeking to block the school’s [Full Story]
• US Supreme Court Lifts New York’s Pandemic-Related Eviction Ban
• The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday lifted New York state’s ban on [Full Story]
• NYC GOP Mayoral Nominee Sliwa Calls for Chris Cuomo’s Firing
• New York Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa is calling on CNN to [Full Story]
• Trump Issues Free Gift to All Supporters, (Liberals Are Demanding It Be Banned!)
• US Postal Service Proposes Some Temporary Holiday Shipping Price Hikes
• The United States Postal Service (USPS) said on Tuesday it is proposing to temporarily hike prices for some package shipments for the 2021 peak holiday season.USPS said the rate changes were similar to 2020. The proposed hikes that cover priority mail and other package… [Full Story]
• Amazon’s Palm Print Recognition Raises Concern Among Senators
• Millicom Plans Rapid Growth for Digital Wallet in Latin America
• Texas Cruise Outbreak; Houston Schools Defy Abbott: Virus Update
• FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for the Immunocompromised
• More Finance
• Health
• Some Diabetes Meds Might Also Lower Alzheimer’s Risk
• Older adults who take certain diabetes drugs may see a slower decline in their memory and thinking skills, a new study suggests. Researchers in South Korea found that among older people… [Full Story]
• Diet Key to Better Health in People With Diabetes
• Could Women’s Health Decline Along With Their Height?
• Just How Safe Are Neti Pots?
• US Kids Are Eating More ‘Ultraprocessed’ Foods

 

Manufactured Housing Industry Investments Connected Equities Closing Tickers

Some of these firms invest in manufactured housing, or are otherwise connected, but may do other forms of investing or business activities too.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • NOTE: The chart below includes the Canadian stock, ECN, which purchased Triad Financial Services, a manufactured home industry lender
                        • NOTE: Drew changed its name and trading symbol at the end of 2016 to Lippert (LCII).
                        • NOTE: Deer Valley was largely taken private, say company insiders in a message to MHProNews on 12.15.2020, but there are still some outstanding shares of  the stock from the days when it was a publicly traded firm.  Thus, there is still periodic activity on DVLY.

 

Summer 2021…

Berkshire Hathaway is the parent company to Clayton Homes, 21^st Mortgage, Vanderbilt Mortgage and other factory built housing industry suppliers.
· LCI Industries, Patrick, UFPI, and LP each are suppliers to the manufactured housing industry, among others.
· AMG, CG, and TAVFX have investments in manufactured housing related businesses. For insights from third-parties and clients about our publisher, click here.
Enjoy these ‘blast from the past’ comments.

MHProNews. MHProNews – previously a.k.a. MHMSM.com – has celebrated our 11th year of publishing, and is starting our 12th year of serving the industry as the runaway most-read trade media.

Sample Kudos over the years…

It is now 11+ years and counting…

Learn more about our evolutionary journey as the industry’s leading trade media, at the report linked below.

· For expert manufactured housing business development or other professional services, click here.
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Disclosure. MHProNews holds no positions in the stocks in this report.

That’s a wrap on this installment of “News Through the Lens of Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, stock, investing, data, metrics, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)

By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship along with numerous awards in history. There have been several awards and honors and also recognition in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.