New Delhi:

An Apple watch has saved the life of a 35-year-old woman from Delhi. The woman suffered from Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) – a rapid and abnormal heart rhythm.

Speaking to news agency IANS, Sneha Saha, a policy researcher, said that late in the evening on April 9, she started experiencing a rapid heart rate.

She assumed it to be a panic attack due to stress. She started doing deep breathing exercises and drinking water, but had no respite as the problem persisted.

When the heart palpitations didn’t stop, she wore her Apple watch, to assess her condition. The watch advised her to visit a doctor.

She chose to ignore that too, but around midnight, the Apple watch alerted Sneha to visit a doctor immediately due to extremely high heart rate (230 bpm) and onset of AFib.

Sneha, who lives in Munirka, was then rushed to the Emergency at the nearby Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj, where doctors could not read her pulse.

Assessing her condition further, they had to administer three delivery of direct current (DC) shocks (50 50 100 joules) to revive her heart’s sinus rhythm. Subsequently, she was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“Had the Apple Watch not alerted me of the serious condition around midnight, I would not have gone to the hospital and would have lost my life,” Sneha told IANS, noting that the watch has now become her “constant companion.”

“I would not have measured my heart rate, had the watch not been there. Whatever I had to say to the doctors was based on Apple Watch readings,” added Sneha, who is on her way to recovery.

The doctors diagnosed her condition to be a type of Tachycardia — an increased heart rate for any reason — which can get triggered by exercise or stress.

After returning home, she wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook on April 23, thanking him and the Apple team “for making such an advanced and precise recording ECG app.”

Within a few hours, he responded: “I am glad you sought the medical attention and treatment you needed. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us.”

“After the harrowing experience, I realised it is very important for us to understand our health, our sleep patterns, our heart rates as we all deal with stress,” Sneha said.

“Smartwatches are a very good way of keeping track of your daily activities, your heart rate,” added the Ph.D. degree holder in Science Policy Studies from the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A picture, featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai dining together, has sparked widespread buzz on social media. The grainy photo, initially believed to be a recent occurrence, has sparked numerous reactions and memes.

Users on X, formerly Twitter, speculated on the nature of the meeting, with some suggesting potential collaborations between the two tech giants. However, it later emerged that the photo was from a  2017 encounter at a Vietnamese restaurant in Palo Alto.

“What do you think Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook are Cooking for us?” a user wrote on X.

What do you think Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook are Cooking for us? pic.twitter.com/wBojjeaATi

— iArgue (@x_ai_a12) March 18, 2024

“Let them cook,” replied another user. 

Let them cook

— Bilawal Sidhu (@bilawalsidhu) March 19, 2024

Someone wrote, “This will be the biggest win-win in the business history. Google will emerge as the likely winner for the GenAI market and Apple will be the primary platform for GenAI access. Can you imagine how capable Macs that are powered with AI will be?”

This will be the biggest win-win in the business history.

Google will emerge as the likely winner for the GenAI market and Apple will be primary platform for GenAI access.

Can you imagine how capable Macs that are powered with AI will be?

— Oguz O. | ???? Capitalist ???? (@thexcapitalist) March 18, 2024

A person came up with some clever puns, stating, “They are cooking something !! Or they PICHing something to COOK.”

They cooking something !!

Or they PICHing something to COOK

( Ik it’s a really bad joke )

— Mr. K (@Mr_K_here) March 18, 2024

“Probably the Google AI going into iPhone discussions,” someone guessed. 

Probably the Google AI going into iPhone discussions.

— Conquests of the Impossible (@Conquestsbook) March 19, 2024

A user chimed in, “Two old guys trying to stay relevant by figuring out this new fangled AI thing.”

Two old guys trying to stay relevant by figuring out this new fangled AI thing.

— fgdhew (@Daniel50007832) March 18, 2024

Meanwhile, someone clarified, “That is an old picture. This was a picture of them eating in Palo Alto a few years ago at this Vietnamese fusion restaurant.”

That is an old picture. This was a picture of them eating in Palo Alto a few years ago at this Vietnamese fusion restaurant

— Tommy Mustache (@MustacheTommy) March 18, 2024

The buzz started after Bloomberg reported that Apple is in advanced negotiations with Google to integrate its Gemini AI models into the iPhone. This potential collaboration aims to improve Apple’s AI capabilities, which have been said to lag behind rivals.

Following the news, Google’s stock price surged by over 6%, while Apple’s saw a rise of up to 2.5%. According to Bloomberg, Apple aims to incorporate Google’s AI technology into its next iOS operating system release, expected later this year. 

This potential collaboration comes amidst an existing search engine partnership between Apple and Google, which has recently come under scrutiny from the US Department of Justice for alleged antitrust violations. Apple has also reportedly explored partnerships with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for generative AI initiatives. 

While Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised significant AI updates, some observers question the company’s decision to collaborate with external partners for AI advancements. Analysts speculate that a deal with Google could strengthen its position in mobile device AI. The outcome of these negotiations could shape the future of AI technology in the tech industry.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook sold stock worth about $41 million after taxes in his biggest sale in more than two years as the shares of the iPhone maker slide off recent highs.

Tim Cook sold 5,11,000 shares, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. He still has about 3.28 million shares in the Cupertino, California-based company where he’s worked for more than two decades, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The share sale comes after Tim Cook took a rare pay cut of about 40% to $49 million for 2023. As part of the changes to his compensation, his stock awards tied to Apple’s performance will increase to 75% this year from 50% previously.

Other Apple executives also disclosed stock sales, including Senior Vice Presidents Deirdre O’Brien and Katherine Adams, who sold $11.3 million in shares each.

Mr Cook’s last major stock sale was in August 2021, when he sold more than $750 million in Apple stock after completing a decade as CEO. After tax withholdings, he netted about $355 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Apple shares hit an all-time high in July and have since declined more than 12% amid a wider tech selloff. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. downgraded the stock on Wednesday citing a weaker sales growth outlook. The shares fell about 1.2% in premarket trading before New York exchanges opened.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)