| Cult of Mac

Apple chipmaker in South Korea sends 800 workers home due to coronavirus fears

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Coronavirus-related shutdowns continue to disrupt Chinese factories.
Supply chain has been hit hard by coronavirus spread.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

SK Hynix, the world’s second largest memory chipmaker, which counts Apple as one of its biggest clients, sent 800 workers home Thursday amidst coronavirus fears.

The 800 workers quarantined themselves as a precautionary measure after a single trainee had close contact with a coronavirus patient. While most of the coronavirus virus-related supply chain disruption centers on China, this incident took place in South Korea, where a small outbreak recently took place in the city of Daegu.

Apple supports more than 325,000 jobs in South Korea

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Apple-Garosugil-Seoul
The Apple Store in Garosugil, Seoul.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s impact on South Korea is much larger than most fans will have anticipated.

Cupertino directly employs 500 workers of its own, and has created hundreds of thousands of jobs on Samsung’s home turf. Local App Store developers have earned a whopping 4.7 trillion won.

Apple joins last-ditch bid for Toshiba’s chip division

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Toshiba
Toshiba is ready to go public.
Photo: Toshiba

Acquiring Toshiba’s chip-making business could still be in play for Apple after all, even though the company’s previous attempts to secure the coveted division with Foxconn fell through.

According to a new report, Apple is part of a “last-ditch” bid to acquire Toshiba’s chip-making ability along with Bain Capital and a few other players. If successful, the acquisition could give Apple a serious weapon in its battle with Samsung for smartphone supremacy.

Apple may help rescue Toshiba’s chipmaking business

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Foxconn Wisconsin
Foxconn wants Toshiba's chip business.
Photo: Foxconn

iPhone-assembler Foxconn may be about to get some help from none other than Apple in its quest to buy Toshiba’s chipmaking business.

Apple is reportedly considering whether to make a huge multi-billion dollar investment in the world’s second-largest memory chip maker. If the deal goes through, it would give Foxconn and Apple a major advantage over other smartphone manufacturers.

Foxconn may pay $27 billion for Toshiba’s chip business

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Foxconn Wisconsin
Foxconn is taking over everything.
Photo: Foxconn

Apple’s most important manufacturing parter is getting ready to make a huge investment that could make it one of the world’s biggest chipmakers.

The Japanese government is hoping Toshiba will sell itself to a domestic company, but Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industries (aka Foxconn) is preparing to make a huge offer for the company that could shake up the tech world.