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Apple (AAPL) Launches Mobility Data Tool to Check Coronavirus

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Apple (AAPL - Free Report) continues to bolster its efforts to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company recently released a mobility data trends tool that uses aggregated data collected from Apple Maps to show change in volume of people driving, walking or taking public transit for major cities and 63 countries or regions.

An insight into Apple’s mobility data tool is likely to help global authorities formulate new polices in traffic management that effectively adheres to physical distancing norms withouta hitch.

Notably, healthcare experts globally have been advocating physical distancing to flatten the curve. It is now expected that some form of social distancing will be required to prevent recurrent transmission of the coronavirus until a vaccine or any effective treatment is developed.

Per a study by researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, sporadic periods of social distancing might be required through 2022 in the United States to keep a check on the number of coronavirus patients falling severely ill, thereby easing the healthcare system.

Hence, Apple’s mobility trend tool is expected to gain more relevance once the global lockdowns are lifted and more and more people rejoin the workforce.
 

Apple Inc. Price and Consensus

Apple Inc. Price and Consensus

Apple Inc. price-consensus-chart | Apple Inc. Quote

 

Apple Joins Forces With Tech Giants to Combat Coronavirus

Apple in partnership with Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) Google recently announced a new set of tools that will allow mobile devices to trade information via Bluetooth connections to alert people when they are in close proximity to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The technology will first be available in mid-May as software tools to contact tracing apps endorsed by public health authorities.

Moreover, the tech behemoths also plan to build the tracking technology directly into their underlying operating systems (iOS and Android) in the coming months so that users do not have to download any app to begin logging on to nearby phones.

Additionally, Apple partnered with CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to release a COVID-19 website and a COVID-19 app (currently available on the App Store) in the United States to increase awareness level on the highly contagious virus.

Google also launched a website in the United States, which posts data related to coronavirus symptoms, treatment and preventive remedies procured from the World Health Organization (WHO). Verily, the company’s health-care division, unveiled a COVID-19 screening and testing website under Project Baseline.

Google also committed more than $800 million to help small businesses and crisis responders dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) also unveiled a COVID-19 tracker tool that offers up-to-date infection statistics on each affected country on the tracker. Moreover, the tool provides access to various coronavirus-related articles and other information.

Apple’s Concerted Efforts to Eliminate Coronavirus

The iPhone-maker took a number of initiatives to fight the coronavirus issue. Notably, apart from donating more than 20 million face masks globally, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company started manufacturing one million face shields a week, per CEO Tim Cook. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Apple is also shipping 1 million face masks per week to the areas that need those urgently. The company also assisted Stanford Medicine to build an app for police, firefighters and paramedics to help screen their symptoms and if needed, schedule a testing appointment.

Moreover, Apple Music mobilized a $50-million advanced royalty fund, per a RollingStone report for independent record labels that have a direct distribution deal and rakes in “at least $10,000 in quarterly Apple Music earnings.”

Apple Music followed the footprints of Spotify (SPOT - Free Report) , which rolled out a COVID-19 music relief project in late March as a fundraiser for musicians. Spotify also partnered with non-profit organizations, such as MusiCares and Help Musicians, a UK-based charity for musicians.

Apple also updated Siri and Apple Maps that are enabling users to find the coronavirus-related information they need quickly and easily.


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