Apple Looking At Cars, Medical Devices For Growth: Report

NEW YORK – Apple Inc is looking atcars and medical devices to diversify itssources of revenue as growth fromiPhones and iPads slow, according to aSan Francisco Chronicle report.Apple’s head of mergers and acquisitions,Adrian Perica, met with TeslaMotors Inc founder Elon Musk at thecompany’s headquarters last year aroundthe same time analysts suggested thatApple acquire the Model S electric carmaker, the newspaper reported onSunday, citing a source.The company is also exploring medicaldevices and sensors that can help predictheart attacks by studying sound bloodmakes at it flows through arteries.The company’s senior vice president ofoperations, Jeff Williams, has met withUS Food and Drug Administration chiefDr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. JeffreyShuren, who oversees the agency’sapproval for medical devices, to discuss”mobile medical applications,” the paperreported, citing FDA records. Applecould not be reached for comment.Rival Google Inc recently bought thermostatmaker Nest Labs for $3.2 billion,robot maker Boston Dynamic and artificialintelligence startup DeepMindTechnologies Ltd.The company has also been working onprojects including Google Glass and selfdrivingcars.Investors hope that Apple, which lastcame out with a new device – the iPad -in 2010, has something up its sleeve for2014. Speculation currently revolvesaround a smartwatch or even a longrumoredTV product.