60 Minutes on Sunday aired an Inside Apple special with correspondent Charlie Rose that included interviews with a number of Apple’s senior executives alongside closer looks at Apple’s secretive design studio, camera lab, mock next-generation Apple Store and under construction Campus 2 project.
Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed a wide range of topics with Rose, starting with the legacy of co-founder Steve Jobs. “This is Steve’s company,” said Cook. “This is still Steve’s company. It was born that way, it’s still that way. And so his spirit I think will always be the DNA of this company.”
Rose then accompanied Apple design chief Jony Ive for a rare look inside Apple’s secretive design studio, where a team of 22 designers work on the future of Apple products. Apple covered many of the desks to ensure Rose could not see what the company is working on next.
Ive explained how he prototyped the Apple Watch, beginning with a sketch of the watch casing transformed into a 3-dimensional electronic blueprint sent to a high-precision CNC machine for milling. The watch casing is then sanded and polished by hand by veteran craftsmen at Apple.
The design chief also reflected on the complex engineering process that was required to create Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook, including working with Apple’s head of hardware engineering Dan Riccio to create the custom-shaped terraced battery that fits inside the notebook’s ultra-thin enclosure.
The segment revealed that Apple senior director Graham Townsend leads a team of 800 engineers and specialists working on the iPhone’s camera. Townsend showed Rose a micro suspension system that stabilizes the camera when its owner’s hand shakes, and explained how Apple engineers calibrate the camera.
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