*By Carlo Versano*
Buried in a recent [Information](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/waymos-big-ambitions-slowed-by-tech-trouble) report about Waymo's struggles in the self-driving car space was a new bit of intel on Apple's ambitions in the auto world:
"Apple, which is working on its own self-driving car, recently set up a facility for testing prototype vehicles near Surprise, Ariz., west of Phoenix, according to a person briefed about the matter."
And while it's been rumored for some time that the iPhone maker has been exploring entering the car industry, HyperChange TV's Galileo Russell points out details are up for debate. Some analysts think the company would be more likely to build an operating system for an electric car, though not the car itself. But even that theory flies in the face of a basic tenet of Apple's business model, Russell said.
"They're a hardware company ... If they're going to make a move here, they would actually just build it all themselves."
Rumors of Apple's interest in building an electric car re-emerged with a vengeance when it poached Tesla's head engineer, Doug Field, earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the Apple Insider blog [posted](https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/28/apple-researching-refinements-to-sunroofs-seating-for-project-titan-car) what it said were patents filed by Apple that show it's actively working on physical automobile systems, such as sunroof and seat designs.
Russell said he sees a day where it's Apple and Tesla versus everyone else in the auto industry. "If I was GM or Ford, I'd be very, very worried about those two companies."
Earlier this month Ming-Chi Kuo, a prolific Apple analyst, [predicted](https://www.digit.in/vr-ar/apple-car-to-make-apple-2-trillion-company-claims-ming-chi-kuo-42890.html) that the 'Apple Car' will launch between 2023 and 2025 and will be the catalyst to give the company a $2 trillion valuation.
But Russell actually thinks the company will get there based on the strength of its services component alone.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/prospects-for-an-apple-car).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
