*By Alisha Haridasani*
Apple plans to introduce software that will reportedly help habitual iPhone users spend less time glued to their smartphones, a shift away from the company’s efforts to keep people more reliant on its hardware.
The company is expected to unveil its Digital Health initiative at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week in San Jose, [Bloomberg reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-31/apple-to-tout-digital-health-ar-features-at-software-conference). The tools, bundled with the new iOS mobile operating system, help monitor how much time people spend on their phones.
The Digital Health tools are likely a response to concerns raised by two of the company's shareholders in January about the possibly addictive nature of some smartphone apps, particularly among children. “We believe there is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help them ensure that young consumers are using their products in an optimal manner,” the shareholders said in an [open letter](https://thinkdifferentlyaboutkids.com/).
Apple’s decision to encourage people to put down the company’s most popular product may seem counterintuitive, but it may also point towards a future business strategy for Apple that is more reliant on its services business, which includes Apple Music and iCloud.
The iPhone accounted for more than 60 percent of Apple's revenue in [Q2](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/Q2_FY18_Data_Summary.pdf), but growth in sales have slowed in the past few years. Apple’s services, however, are starting to generate more revenue, surpassing revenue from iPads, Macs, and other accessories, such as Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Apple has tried to boost subscriptions for its Music service and has invested in producing original content, as competition with Spotify and Netflix heats up.
VMG Consumer Acquisition Corp, a blank check company targeting consumer and retail companies, has officially hit Wall Street. The company listed its $200 million IPO on the NASDAQ, trading under the ticker symbol 'VMGAU.' Aarti Kapoor, CEO of VMG Consumer Acquisition Corp, joined Cheddar Movers to discuss.
Goldman Sachs is getting into the holiday giving spirit with its sixth annual Analyst Impact Fund competition. The Shark-Tank style contest gives Junior Analysts the chance to pitch a charity of their choice to senior leadership, with the winner being granted $250,000 to donate to their chosen non-profit. The team representing Lime Connect, the world's largest network of people with disabilities, has taken home this year's top prize. For more on this, Jim Esposito, Goldman Sachs Co-Head of the Investment Banking Division, and Julian Sanchez, one of this year's winners, joined Cheddar Movers.
Sprinklr CEO Ragy Thomas joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Baker Machado to discuss the customer experience company's latest earnings report and forecasts for future growth.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 40 million people have had their personal health information exposed in data breaches this year alone. A number of these incidents have caused health care networks to crash for weeks. Founder and CEO of BlackCloak Chris Pierson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Rainmaker Games bills itself as a blockchain-based organization founded in the metaverse, built on a new type of gaming ecosystem called play-to-earn. The company announced a $6.5 million seed round after it was founded just this year. Rainmaker Games CEO and founder Will Deane joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Analysts are all-in on tech giant Apple, issuing bullish ratings this week and calling it a 'safety blanket' and one of the best assets for investors in 2022. This comes as Apple edges closer to a $3 trillion market cap. Mario Stefanidis, Vice President at Roundhill Investments, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss why analysts are bullish on the tech giant, how close the company is to hitting a $3 trillion market cap, and more.
