*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.
Chinese electric vehicle maker, Xpeng, just announced it's jacking up the price of its EVs due to the cost of raw materials on the rise. Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
The rise of 'ghost guns' is the fastest growing gun safety problem in our country, as four recent shootings involved a 'ghost gun.' David Pucino, deputy chief counsel at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Jesse Coors-Blankenship and Gregg Hill, general partners at Parkway VC, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where they say they decided to invest in Sandbox AQ because the Alphabet spinoff is 'one of the most important companies of the century' with a team carrying strong knowledge of A.I. and quantum tech.
Tyler Hayes, CEO of Atom Limbs, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how the Atom Touch prosthetic is different from other prosthetics on the market, and how the Atom Limbs team of former Apple and Tesla leaders are bringing innovation into this industry.
Nouveau Monde Graphite says it wants to power the sustainable energy revolution. The Canadian company is developing carbon-neutral battery materials to serve the growing EV and cleantech markets and is doing so via a mining and manufacturing operation in Quebec. Eric Desaulniers, founder, president & CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The U.S. is bracing for a potential cyberattack as both the FBI and President Biden warn that Russia is 'exploring' a hack. This comes amid a recent rise in hacks on U.S. companies including Microsoft, Okta, and Nestle. Chris Pierson, founder & CEO, BlackCloak joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
