Apple CEO Tim Cook led a virtual company-wide meeting today, addressing the ongoing COVID-19 situation and associated plans to return to work. In a new report this afternoon, Bloomberg has the details of the meeting.
The European Union has called on Apple to remove from the App Store contact tracing apps that don’t have appropriate privacy safeguards. Google should do the same with the Play Store, it says, stating that fighting the coronavirus must not mean sacrificing the rights of citizens.
It has previously called for a common standard across all 27 countries in the union and hinted – though not confirmed – that it will use the Apple/Google API …
Apple shuttle drivers – the people who drive the buses who normally ferry staff to work – are still being paid their full wages during the coronavirus shutdown, but the Teamsters union says that it had more trouble agreeing with the iPhone maker than any other tech company …
Consumers are increasingly turning to apps that offer them remote doctor’s appointments during the coronavirus crisis, say health providers …
All 27 members of the European Union now seem set to adopt the Apple/Google coronavirus contact tracing API.
The European Commission last week said that all EU countries should adopt the same app or at least a common standard known as the Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) platform …
We shared details last month of Folding@home, a distributed computing project designed to help find a cure for the coronavirus. By running the app on your Mac, you can contribute to a system which has now become seven times faster than the world’s fastest supercomputer.
Indeed, says the project head, there were times when there were so many people participating that the back-end system couldn’t keep up …
Apple is continuing its work to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 around the world. Apple today released a mobility data trends tool from Apple Maps, which provides insight into social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak.
If there’s one thing that’s become abundantly clear since Apple and Google’s API partnership, it’s that the coronavirus contact tracing privacy protections need to be spelled out in terms that non-technical people (even POTUS) can understand.
The two companies have gone to pains to explain that privacy was top priority in the design of the application programming interface, but mainstream media reports and conversations with non-techy friends have made it obvious that many don’t understand why apps that use this can be trusted …
Chinese smartphone sales were down roughly 20% year-on-year in March, reflecting the triple-whammy delivered by the coronavirus crisis.
Production was disrupted, reducing supply; many retail stores were closed in early March, leading to fewer purchase opportunities; and lost income during lockdowns would have reduced demand for expensive consumer electronics purchases …
Last week, Google and Apple announced a partnership to create a contact-tracing system that works with both iOS and Android. We reported new details on the system earlier today, and during a White House briefing this evening, President Trump added his opinion to the mix.
Last week Apple and Google announced a group effort to introduce a single contact-tracing system that works with both iOS and Android. The development is the latest in an ongoing effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
The concept is simple — at least as far as contact-tracing systems go. iPhones already use Bluetooth for all sorts of features like AirDrop and streaming music to AirPods. Starting in mid-May, Bluetooth will also be used as a tool to help detect exposure to COVID-19 before symptoms are even present.
Earlier this month, four US senators formally questioned Apple in a letter over its COVID-19 screening app and website even though the company has been transparent about how it works and the privacy and security it’s built on. Now Apple has officially responded to the government request.
The US government has started sending out stimulus payments for financial support during the coronavirus pandemic. While the payments should be arriving automatically for the majority of people, some may need to enter details manually. Follow along for how to get your stimulus payment with everything from Square’s Cash app to a regular bank account.
Foxconn’s Wisconsin offices remain empty a year after the company said it would “correct” statements about them being unoccupied, says a new report today…
The UK’s National Health Service has announced plans to adopt the Apple-Google coronavirus API jointly announced last week, but in a weakened form.
Even without the UK’s planned compromise, the idea of this type of contact tracing has come under criticism from a University of Cambridge computing professor …
The collection and sale of smartphone location data has long been a source of controversy, especially given that most people don’t realise they are being tracked.
But there’s a fresh argument now, as location data brokers claim they can use the data to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, while privacy advocates argue this is just an attempt to legitimize the wholesale tracking of consumers without informed consent …
Apple launched a new app last month to inform about how to stay safe and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Today the COVID-19 app for iOS was updated to version 2.0 with new features, including tips to stay mentally healthy, and more.
An app created by Stanford Medicine in partnership with Apple helps first responders get access to drive-thru coronavirus tests.
The app is currently for use by firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, but there’s hope that the program will be later made available to other key workers …
An international team which has created a privacy protocol for use by coronavirus tracking apps includes two of the biggest names in encryption. Other institutions involved further boost the credibility of the approach.
The protocol is known as PACT: Private Automatic Contact Tracing …
Foxconn is implementing some of the world’s strictest coronavirus precautions as it aims to keep its one million workers safe and iPhone 12 production on schedule.
The Chinese government requires all factories to implement a series of specific safeguards, but Foxconn is going far further …
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing hospitals to adapt at a rapid pace to protect patients and healthcare workers alike. A new report from Wired today explores how hospitals across the United States are using iPads to help nurses check in on patients and much more.
A new report from Axios today highlights how major tech companies are “scrambling to craft digital options” for summer internships this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For its part, Apple has committed to hiring over 1,000 people for internships this summer.
Rather than each European country developing its own coronavirus tracking app, they should either all use the same one, or at least ensure that they use common standards, says the European Commission.
We recently outlined how these apps can help, but also how they can pose a significant risk to privacy without careful design…
One business that has been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown is photography – but a British photographer has come up with an innovative solution: taking remote portraits via FaceTime.
Tim Dunk’s main business is wedding photography, and that has completely dried up as all mass-gatherings are banned, forcing people to postpone their weddings.
The idea of taking portraits via FaceTime is not quite as crazy as it sounds …