Apple races to tweak software ahead of looming US Watch ban

An Apple watch is seen on display at the Apple Store in Grand Central Station in New York City. Work within Apple suggests that the company believes software changes – rather than a more complicated hardware overhaul – will be enough to bring the device back to store shelves. But the patents at the heart of the dispute are mostly related to hardware, including how light is emitted into the skin to measure the amount of oxygen in a person’s blood. — AFP

Apple Inc, just days away from a US ban of its smartwatches, is plotting a rescue mission for the US$17bil (RM79.65bil) business that includes software fixes and other potential workarounds.

Engineers at the company are racing to make changes to algorithms on the device that measure a user’s blood oxygen level – a feature that Masimo Corp has argued infringes its patents. They’re adjusting how the technology determines oxygen saturation and presents the data to customers, according to people familiar with the work.