News

Apple Rumored To Be Trialing Blood Glucose Management

The Cupertino company is reportedly exploring the benefits for pre-diabetic users, though public release plans remain uncertain.

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2024

Nour Nasir

Apple

Apple is reportedly exploring new ways to monitor blood glucose levels, this time focusing on software-based solutions. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has already tested an app specifically aimed at helping pre-diabetic users manage diet and lifestyle choices. While Apple currently has no plans to launch the app to the public, it may influence future health-focused offerings.

The app was reportedly tested internally, with Apple identifying potential employee test subjects using blood test data. Participants were chosen if they were at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes and given software to actively monitor their blood sugar via various devices available on the market, logging glucose changes in response to their food choices. The app tracked these trends, correlating dietary adjustments to blood sugar levels.

Gurman mentions that Apple has since paused the app’s testing to concentrate on other health-related features. Apple’s Health app currently lacks a meal tracking feature — something that’s readily available on competing platforms. The report also suggests Apple could eventually integrate third-party glucose-tracking capabilities into its own ecosystem.

Also Read: Apple Watch Gets UAE Approval For Sleep Apnea Detection

The recent experiments by Apple are said to be separate from the company’s long-term goal of developing a non-invasive method for monitoring blood glucose levels — a project that has been under exploration for around 15 years. Apple’s current prototype device for non-invasive glucose monitoring is reportedly about the size of an iPhone and uses laser technology to penetrate the skin with light.

Gurman speculates that Apple’s initial consumer version may take the form of an alert system that notifies users if they are at risk of pre-diabetes, with specific blood glucose level readings possibly arriving in later versions of the device.

News

Abu Dhabi’s Robot Kitchen Is Serving Up Biryani, Not Burgers

Circus SE wants to put a tiny automated factory inside the buildings where Gulf residents live and work, bypassing part of last-mile delivery.

Published

5 days ago

October 20, 2026

Nour Nasir

abu dhabi's robot kitchen is serving up biryani not burgers

Circus SE

The most telling thing about a new autonomous kitchen now running in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Square is what it won’t cook:

“We don’t do fast food,” says Nikolas Bullwinkel, Founder and CEO of Circus SE. “We’ve actively decided not to build a machine that can only do burgers”.

Instead, the CA-1 system is built around pot-based cooking: curries, pastas, soups and rice dishes. After experimenting with highly personalized recipes, Circus deliberately leaned back toward recognizable food. “We’re going with a chicken biryani because you know it,” Bullwinkel says of the AED 40 dish.

circus se ca-1 robot system

The Germany-based robotics and food technology company operates across eight countries, and Abu Dhabi is its first deployment outside Europe. More locations are expected there and in Dubai.

In Germany, its units can be placed in supermarkets, gas stations, airports and hospitals. In the Gulf, Bullwinkel wants them inside residential and office buildings, replacing some of the complexity of last-mile delivery. “We’re basically bringing a very tiny factory a few square meters into your building,” he says. Catering company Royal Prestige supplies the ingredients and knowledge of local tastes.

The CA-1 manages up to 36 refrigerated ingredient silos alongside automated induction cooking, robotic plating and a self-cleaning dishwasher. Two robotic arms move ingredients through the system with minimal human intervention. It can produce up to 120 hot meals an hour, and a meal such as rice and curry can take around three to four minutes.

Also Read: Ooredoo Qatar’s 5G+ Network Is Built For Machines As Much As People

Five cameras and multiple sensors monitor heat, temperature and consistency, an attempt to approximate what a chef perceives. “You can hear something gets burned, you can smell it, you can see it at some point,” Bullwinkel says. CircusOS, the company’s operating system, adjusts recipes in real time.

You might think of the platform as a threat to kitchen staff, but Bullwinkel frames Circus as a way for chefs to develop recipes and distribute them at scale. With that being said, rising labor costs and shortages are also part of his case for automation.