-- Apple CEO says company is expanding its philanthropic efforts.
-- Apple CEO says company is 'micro-managing' overtime at China-based factories.
-- Apple CEO says company is going to double down on secrecy in products.
By John Letzing Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (Dow Jones)--Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Tim Cook sought to clarify his image Tuesday as leader of the gadget giant in the wake of his high-profile predecessor Steve Jobs.
Cook, speaking at the D: All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., noted some specific areas where Apple is operating in new ways under his leadership, by expanding its philanthropic efforts and more closely scrutinizing its outsourced manufacturing in China.
But Cook also cited areas where Apple has no plans to change: Staying extremely secretive about new products, and fighting to protect its innovations in court if necessary.
Cook became CEO of Apple in August of last year, when company co-founder Jobs resigned in the midst of a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs died a little more than a month later.
Cook would only make passing mention of two of Apple's key Silicon Valley peers, Google Inc. (GOOG) and Facebook Inc. (FB). When he was asked what he thinks of Google's "painting," or innovations, he responded: "I love Apple's painting."
Jobs was known to have taken offense at Google's mobile phone technology, which spawned a series of devices that resemble Apple's iPhone. Apple has been embroiled in patent litigation with companies making phones based on Google's mobile software, including Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE).
Cook was also asked about Facebook, the social network which has had a conspicuously small presence on Apple devices despite boasting more than 900 million users.
"I think we can do more with them," Cook said. "They have their way of doing things, but people can say that about us as well."
Another area of further innovation for Apple will be the Siri voice-command technology featured in the latest version of the iPhone--which has been criticized for being gimmicky and of little practical use.
"There's more that it can do, and we have a lot of people working on this," Cook said.
Cook wore a black T-shirt beneath a collared shirt and jacket that recalled the signature, black turtleneck often worn in public by Jobs.
At one point Cook appeared on the verge of being overtaken with emotion as he recalled the period of Jobs' death as "absolutely the saddest days of my life."
Late last year, Cook said, "somebody kind of shook me and said, its time to get on."
Now, Cook says he's at ease with making Apple his own.
"I've never really viewed or felt the weight of trying to be Steve, it's not who I am, and it's not my goal in life. I am who I am, and I'm focused on that, and being a great CEO."
Cook said Apple has begun delving more into philanthropy, which was not an area closely associated with Jobs.
The CEO said company employees now have a matching gift program, for example, which enables them to give how they choose.
"Steve clearly knew about the matching gift thing, he was alive then, and he was for it," Cook said.
Cook also said the company has now begun "micro-managing" working conditions at China-based factories that manufacture products for Apple. One goal has been to reduce overtime, he said: "We're measuring working hours for 700,000 people, I don't know of anybody else doing that."
Apple will continue the legal battles it began under Jobs to protect its patent rights, Cook said, though he allowed that the related litigation is "overhead that I wish didn't exist."
He declined to comment on recent efforts at reaching a legal settlement with Samsung, citing a magistrate judge's request.
In addition to fighting intellectual property battles, Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., will also continue seeking to keep its fans in the dark until the day its new products are unveiled, Cook said. "We're going to double down on secrecy in products," he said.
Cook said he is making his own decisions as a leader in part due to some advice Jobs gave him prior to his death, when he asked that Cook not rely on his legacy.
"He told me to never do that, to never ask what he would do," Cook said. "Just do what was right."
-By John Letzing, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-8230; john.letzing@dowjones.com
