Tech Talk

A worker at Apple's European headquarters in Cork, Ireland has reportedly been tested positive for the coronavirus, a medical situation that has prompted the iPhone maker to perform a deep clean of the offices and to warn employees to self-isolate. An employee who worked out of the Cork offices was tested in early March for the virus, promptly after feeling unwell and departing the building. In a statement to the media and in an internal memo, Apple has confirmed the staff member was infected with covid-19. Apple told employees in an email it was working "closely" with the Health Service Executive of Ireland, reports the Irish Examiner. While the HSE believed the risk to other employees was low, Apple has still informed some who worked "in the immediate working environment" of the person to self-isolate and "not come into the office for an initial 48-hour period." It was also advised Apple will be "continuing our deep cleaning protocols o

Following after a weekend battering as part of a global financial meltdown caused by the coronavirus, Apple's stock has bounced back from Monday's sudden drop, with the share price considerably recovering near to Friday's closing price in premarket trading. Source http://bit.ly/38Ie08N

Apple is working on technology for two or more devices to act in concert when close together, with the technology able to make a foldable iPhone that doesn't suffer from a bending screen. Source http://bit.ly/2W1c6Oc

While the Chinese iPhone sales numbers for the month of February are miserable because of the coronavirus, JP Morgan's Samik Chatterjee is sticking with a $350 AAPL for the long-term. Source http://bit.ly/38AjD97

Apple has produced an unusual video in its 'Shot on iPhone' campaign, showing the battery power and utility of the iPhone 11 Pro's camera in a five-hour single-take tour of the Hermitage museum in St.Petersburg, Russia. Source http://bit.ly/335oUo5

Apple is doubling-down again on health and fitness in its operating systems, and appears to be building an app to help users walk through different workouts, and perform them safely. The app, reportedly called "Seymour," looks to be a separate app from the Activity app. At present, it looks like it will be launched alongside iOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14. It isn't clear how much data the two apps will pass between each other at this time. "Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch. While the download can be triggered on the Apple Watch, it appears that a larger screen, such as a television with an Apple TV, an iPad, or iPhone will be required to view the videos —which makes sense, given the size of the Apple Watch screen. According to MacRumors who spotted the app on Monday night, workouts included are core training, cycling, strength training

A new order has been issued by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department explicitly banning mass gatherings for at least three weeks, as the county gathers more information about COVID-19 casting further doubt on a timely WWDC. Source http://bit.ly/3cNpOtE

New information obtained about Apple's forthcoming operating system releases suggest that Apple is adding functionality to Messages, with big changes possibly coming soon to group chats. Source http://bit.ly/332zzzW

New features delved out of a build of iPadOS 14 suggests that users with an Apple Pencil will be able to write in text fields in just about any app, and have it translated to text in near-real time. Source http://bit.ly/33c9Jtq

Hours after canceling Today at Apple sessions across Italy on Monday, Apple announced a number of its stores in the country will see reduced operating hours or closures to help mitigate the impact of the new coronavirus. Source http://bit.ly/2TDfMnF

Apple recently removed an ad-blocking app owned by Sensor Tower after an investigation found the analytics firm to be secretly collecting user data through a variety of iOS and Android apps. Source http://bit.ly/2TDIfJK

Apple's shares have taken a hammering over the weekend in after-hours trading, with the share price set to open on Monday morning at about $20 below its value at the end of trading on Friday afternoon, its biggest drop in five years. Source http://bit.ly/2IyTTj2

Specifications and images for Apple's forthcoming "Powerbeats 4" wireless earbuds have appeared online, showing increased battery life, plus the addition of "Hey, Siri." Source http://bit.ly/38y5aKL

The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in Apple selling 494,000 iPhones in China in February, around 60% fewer than in the same month in 2019. The effects of the coronavirus with Apple closing Stores in China, and the government there limiting travel, has severely hit the company's iPhone sales for February 2020. While January had seen Apple claiming double-digit growth, new figures for February say that iPhone sales dropped almost 60%. According to Reuters, Apple sold approximately 494,000 iPhones across China in February 2020, compared to an estimated 1.27 million in the same month last year. The figures come from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), which reports that all mobile phone sales are significantly down. While Apple's iPhone sales represent a drop of around 60% year on year, Android phones have seen a fall of 45%. Collectively, CAICT says that 12.72 million Android phones were sold in February 2019, compared

The production schedule for the 'iPhone 12' collection is allegedly being affected by COVID-19 in one more way, with Apple's self-imposed travel restrictions preventing its own engineers from performing tests on components for the 5G-equipped models. Source http://bit.ly/3aGlevK

Apple has added an interactive wall of 20 iPhones to certain Stores, each phone showing a different feature of the hardware and of iOS. Source http://bit.ly/2PWj56T

Apple Authorized Reseller B&H Photo is slashing the price of its top selling Apple Mac Pro desktop computers by up to $1,600 exclusively for AppleInsider readers. These special Apple deals are available for a limited time only, delivering the lowest prices on record for the powerful machines. Source http://bit.ly/2PVoQlh

New health-focused features and a new sensor suite may come to Apple Watch this fall, including blood oxygen detection and an improved ECG. While the technology for blood oxygen detection has existed in the Apple Watch since the first version, it has never been used. However, a new report claims that the " Apple Watch Series 6 " in the fall may have the ability. If a person's blood oxygen falls below healthy levels, which is usually around 95% to 100% saturation, it can lead to heart health issues or even cardiac arrest. It is suggested that once implemented, users will be able to get push notifications for low blood oxygen. According to 9to5Mac, this technology could come in the future, and along with it an upgraded ECG. The Apple Watch Series 4 and newer can conduct an Electrocardiogram via the Digital Crown. There is a limitation, however, because it will return inconclusive results if the heart rate is too high. An improved system would allow ECGs to be pe