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Tim Cook

Apple Has Responded To The Need Of The Hour By Donating Masks

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The deadly consequences of the novel coronavirus have shaken up the entire world. Every citizen from every nation should be grateful to the healthcare sector, all doctors and nurses. But, with the rising number of affected people, every country is suffering from a major crisis of masks. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple has announced a donation of 2 million masks to the healthcare workers of Europe and the USA.

Shortage of masks 

The demand for masks has surely increased in a few days. The common citizens also use masks every time they are stepping out of the house. But, people who are working in the healthcare sector need proper masks. The doctors and employees at the medical units are putting their life at stake and working. This has led to the acute shortage of masks and the demand for it is growing exponentially. Moreover, the acute shortage in the production of masks has also resulted in black marketing.

Responding to this Apple CEO Tim Cook has tweeted on 21st March 2020 that the company will donate 2 million masks to the medical professionals. Everyone stood by this gesture and other companies are trying as well to donate masks to them.

N95 Respirators

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services in association with the Federal Emergency Management Agency has ordered millions of N95 Respirators. Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States confirmed the news but he was not specific about when these masks will reach the medical units.

N95 Respirators are easy disposable masks but not fit for all common people. Though these masks provide a proper seal and keep the infected droplets away, people should take proper precautions. With the terror of coronavirus increasing day by day, you should learn about the right thing and practice it. The production of N95 Respirators is for meeting the need in the health care units and not for common use.

The N95 Respirators should be used under medical supervision. As much as it is effective in sealing your mouth and nose area from outside droplets, it can cause breathing problems. So, patients with chronic respiratory, cardiac, and other medical complications should not use it without consultancy. It is also imperfect for children to use as well.

Donating the construction masks

Masks that are used in the construction sites are very effective in infiltrating pollutants. These masks have proved to be very useful as a barrier against the impure droplets of air. So, Pence called a meeting to notify the companies that construction masks should be donated to the hospitals and medical units. The construction masks are perfect and replaceable during this time of shortage.

Moreover, the industrial companies are also ordered to not order any more masks. All the produced masks will be supplied to the medical professionals in this time of emergency. He also said its better to take all the preventive measures rather than going mask free to the danger zone. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said that within a week the shortage of masks will be covered.

Donation of other companies

It is not only Apple that is making donations for the healthcare sector. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla is known for donating 50,000 N95 Respirators for the healthcare workers. A UW medicine physician, Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf received it a day ago. Along with the N95 masks he has also sent plenty of special helmets to fight this deadly pandemic.

Mark Zuckerberg also announced the donation of 720,000 masks for the same cause just like Apple and Elon Musk. He also donated the stacked up wildfire masks for a greater emergency. And, along with that he also donated $1 million to help report news from the areas of the virus outbreak.

Mask shortage in Amazon

Meanwhile, Amazon is struggling to meet the masks need for its employees. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon declared that Amazon is currently facing a major crisis of masks. While other companies are donating masks to the healthcare units, Amazon cannot secure their employees. It has ordered millions for those who cannot work from home, but the delivery is questionable.

Mac Pro

Apple Mac Pro Computers’ Production will Solely Take Place in the U.S.

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The China-U.S. trade war does not seem to settle anytime sooner, amid which, many of the tech companies are facing real big issues. Even companies like Apple, despite being the biggest tech companies are not able to escape the heat.

For the past few years, Apple has been importing some of its major Mac components from China, as buying or manufacturing the same parts in the U.S. is a bit expensive. But due to the friction between the two countries, Apple had to make new arrangements for the components. At last, the company has got a green signal from the U.S. government for a cut in the tariffs on in-house manufacturing of the same components.

So finally, Apple now will be manufacturing its new Mac Pro computers solely in the U.S., and that too, in Austin, Texas. The company revealed the news on Monday, but it did not give any hints on when the computers will be out in the market. According to the previous reports from June, the company was planning to do the manufacturing in China, but as the government has given some revise on the tariffs, what can be better than that for Apple?

Mac Pro
Image Source: ilounge.com

“The Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful computer ever and we’re proud to be building it in Austin. We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity. We believe deeply in the power of American innovation. That’s why every Apple product is designed and engineered in the U.S., and made up of parts from 36 states, supporting 450,000 jobs with U.S. suppliers, and we’re going to continue growing here.” said the Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The new Mac computer is the same $5,999 redesigned computer, that the company had revealed at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June. For the manufacturing of the various important parts, Apple has partnered with over a dozen American companies.

Over the China-U.S. trade war, U.S. President Donald Trump also encouraged the U.S. based tech companies for manufacturing the products and their parts within the country. On this, he gave a statement, “Make then in the U.S.A., no Tariffs! A man I have a lot of liking for and respect is Tim Cook, and we’ll work it out, I think they’re going to announce that they’re going to build a plant in Texas and if they do that I’m starting to get very happy, okay.”

If the manufacturing is solely done in the U.S., Apple may spend $350 billion in the U.S. by 2023, contributing to the U.S. economy to a high extent.

Apple event

Apple Event 2019: All Products that Apple Talked About

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With Apple’s iPhone 11 being the biggest highlight, Apple finally hosted its annual Apple Event 2019, which started at 10 a.m. PT and 10:30 p.m. IST and took place at the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California. Along with the iPhone, there were many other products that the company talked about during the event.

The products, other than the iPhone, mainly includes the new version of the Apple Watch, and the launch of Arcade, a subscription-based game for mobile, desktop and living room. Finally, the company has also launched its much anticipated Apple TV+, that will be up for a rivalry with Netflix through its original TV shows.

Apple, like every other year, took to the stage of its Apple Event to launch its new flagship smartphone iPhone 11. Like the previously launched Apple iPhone X, the company has brought three smartphones to the iPhone 11 lineup, which includes iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone Pro Max.

Apple event
Image Source: Apple YouTube

Each of these iPhones are in other three variants based on their storage capacities. The Apple iPhone 11 has got storages 64GB ($699), 128GB ($749), and 256GB ($849). The three variants of iPhone 11 Pro includes 64GB ($999), 256GB ($1,149) and 512GB ($1,349). And, the iPhone 11 Pro Max renders stoargae capacities of 64GB ($1099), 256GB ($1,249) and 512GB ($1,449).

This time, the company has brought the dual sim option to the iPhones through a Nano-SIM card slot and an eSIM. The iPhone 11 is said to be the successor of the iPhone XR launched last year and has been upgraded to a dual-camera setup, including a standard wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens. And, on the other hand, the other two newly launched smartphones are packed with triple 12MP sensors rear cameras that include an ultra-wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens.

The iPhone 11 has got a 6.1 inches LCD display, and for the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, the company has used 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED screen, respectively. The processor used in all the iPhone 11 models is an A13 Bionic chipset, which according to the company is way faster than the processors used in its previously launched iPhones. iPhone 11 comes in six new colours, including purple, green, yellow, white, red and black. The colour choices for the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max are midnight green, space grey, silver and gold.

Talking about the Arcade, that the company launched with a partnership with gaming giants Konami, Capcom and Annapurna Interactive, is said to be the first subscription service for mobile and desktop. There will be more than 10,000 games that the users will have access through the subscription. The service will be available for $4.99 per month.

The company also launched the Apple TV+ for a $4.99 monthly subscription fees that will be streaming in over 100 countries. In fact, the company has announced a one-year free subscription with the purchase of any of its iPhone, iPad or Apple TV.

The company also introduced its new 7th generation iPad, empowered with the newly launched iPad OS, having a 10.2-inch display. According to Apple, the iPad has three times better pixels on its display, and for the first time, any of its iPad is having a 100% recycled aluminium body. The price of the new Apple iPad is set to be $329, and it will cost $299 for the educational institutions.

Last but not least, another highlight of Apple Event was the new Apple Watch Series 5, completely dedicated to human health. The watch will be looking after the health of the human heart, and the other women related health issues. The watch also includes a compass and decibel reader to monitor noise level. There are two types of models, one of which only includes the GPS ($399), and the other includes both GPS and the cellular service ($499). The users will also have an option for international emergency calling over the watch. The watch is available in five colours, i.e., silver, gold, aluminium, black and white.

Apple event invitation

Apple Event 2019 Date Confirmed; The iPhone 11 Launch Being the Biggest Highlight of the Event

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June 2019, Apple gave some hints on its keynote event to take place in September, where the company would be revealing its new shiny range of iPhones. And finally, the company has confirmed the date too. The company’s mega-event will be taking place on 10th September at 10th at 10 AM PT, 1 PM ET, at the Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California.

This is the 11th annual event that the company is hosting, and like the previously held events, Apple will launch the new iPhone series at the event; this time the iPhone 11. Along with the iPhone, Apple will also be talking about the new updates and the iOS that usually are launched one or two weeks after the launch of the new iPhones.

The Apple event is always the most anticipated one, and the rumours about the event always start making rounds months before it. So like every other time, the big news agencies also have been talking about the event and the products, days before the event; iPhone 11 being the major highlight. For now, the new iPhones are considered as their successor. According to some reputed news hosts, Apple iPhone will be almost like the iPhones launched last year, there will still be some of the advanced features to make the difference.

Apple event invitation
Image Source slashgear.com

Apple, like previous year, will be launching three iPhones this year too, and for the very first time, two of the three iPhones will be having a triple-camera setup on their rear. There may be a slight increase in the size of the smartphones, and the rumoured size is a 6.1 inches display. The experts are also expecting a faster processor and improved battery life for the new iPhones.

One of the expected upgrades may also include the support for bidirectional wireless charging for the Airpod, through their new wireless charging cases. Like every other year, the iOS 13 will also be launching soon after the launch of the iPhones. With the launch of iOS, Apple may introduce the dark mode and rich updates to Photos, Maps, and privacy-protecting features like Sign In with Apple.

There is also rumours that the company may launch or reveal new Apple Watches, iPad as well as new Macs. Believing the rumours the MacBook Pro and iPad Pros may be upgraded with a new and faster processor.

The company has already sent the invitations to its guests. Though the invitation does not say much about the new upgrades and the iPhones, it simply reads “By innovation only” accompanied by a colourful multi-layer Apple logo. The different colours used in the logo may be an indication of the availability of these colours for the new range of iPhones. There are also high expectations from the company over the colours of the new iPhones, like a green iPhone for a change.

Apple iOS 13.1

Apple Releases the Developers Beta for iOS 13.1 Ahead of iOS 13

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Apple is only a few weeks away from launching its flagship smartphone, the iPhone 11, but before that, the company has got a surprise for its users. People are aware that the company is working on its next iOS version, i.e. iOS 13, and that like usual time, the company will launch after the release of its new iPhone. But this time, Apple has gone for something unusual. The company has just announced the release of the first developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 13.1 before the launch of the iOS 13.

Yes, the company has released the iOS 13.1 beta version for testing ahead of the release of iOS 13, which is quite unlike Apple. Usually, the company releases the major updates in the iOS, and only after that, go for the release of .1 version of the software.

The release of the beta of iOS 13.1 indicates that the iOS 13 is almost ready, and is starting to work on the next version of the OS. When a company releases the developers beta, it is for the developers to test the features and find the bugs. This way, the company can improve the product before the release.

Apple iOS 13.1
Image Source: pocket-lint.com

So, similarly, with the .1 version, the company is trying to test some of its features, that it will be incorporating in the next version of iOS 13. The newly released beta version of the Apple OS, along with new features, has also got some of the bug fixes. One of the new features that the company has set for the test with the release of the beta is the audio sharing support.

The feature will allow the Apple device to simultaneously connect to two different pairs of Airpods through Bluetooth. But there is still a question that will the iPhone, and the other apple device support connecting to two pair of Airpods?

The other feature that the company has introduced with the new OS beta is the video editing feature, that will allow the users to make the background of a video transparent or invisible. It will help produce the green screen effect on the videos. Apple has developed the feature with the help of recently acquired company Spektral.

Along with the iPhone, the company has also released the new beta versions for watchOS 6.0 and tvOS 13.0 today. The users can go to the software updates option on the iPhones to get the developer beta installed on their devices from today onwards. There is no statement from the company that when the beta of iOS 13.1 will be available for the general public.

Apple Card

The US Citizens Can Now Finally Use the Apple Card

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Apple finally launched its most anticipated Apple card on Tuesday. For now, it will only be available for the users in the U.S. The users can apply for the card directly from their Apple Wallet app on their iPhone. They do not have to wait for the physical card to arrive as they can use it virtually through the Apple Pay as soon they request for the card.

The new card is the digital-first card that the iPhone users will get, and it will even make the credits private for the users. According to Apple, no system will keep the record of from where and when a user has shopped and what amount did he pay, like, in the cash system, it will keep the credits anonymous. So the users don’t have to worry about their data being sold by the company. But the users can see their spendings and balance in the card through the Apple Card app. They can also keep the record of the cash backs they got and see where they spent their money in Apple Maps.

Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard to design and process the card. There is no annual fee, cash advances fees, over the limit fees or late fees, that the user needs to pay to use the card. And moreover, according to the claims made by the company, it has got even lesser interest on the purchases. In fact, the company will be providing incentives and cash rewards to users for using the new card. The card is acceptable at every merchant accepting Mastercard.

Apple Card
Image Source: interestingengineering.com

The new card also renders some interesting features, like it changes colour for different types of spendings. For example, if a user is using the card for a restaurant bill, the card will turn orange. And if the spending is on entertainment, the card colour will be a mix of orange and pink. Apple has already started 3% cashback on purchase through the virtual card at selected merchants, including Uber and Uber Eats. With the physical card, the cashback will be 1%.

The new app to use the card is available for the users, who own an Apple 6 or a newer model running iOS 12.4. To use the app, you need to go to the Apple Wallet and tap on the (+) icon on the upper right corner on the screen. Then, a Continue button will appear along with a small description of the Apple Card. Upon tapping on the Continue button, a list of Card Type will appear, where you need to select Apple Card. Then you must verify and confirm your details by filling in the information and accept the Apple Card terms and conditions on the next screen.

After that, Apple will send you a description of the credit limit and interest rates based on your information, where you need to tap on Accept Apple Card. This way, the card will be ready for use.