Apple nears bear territory, Instagram blocks some apps, former GE exec returns

Here’s a look at some of the companies the Yahoo Finance team is watching for you today.

Apple is moving even closer to bear territory. The stock fell 20% from its recent high intraday, but has yet to close 20% below that high. It’s part of a huge sell-off across the tech sector and it’s dragging down the dow too.

Facebook is also under pressure this morning as it takes new steps to get rid of fakes on Instagram. They’re removing so-called “inauthentic follows” using apps designed to drive up your number of likes and comments. Instagram says anyone who uses those apps may see their accounts frozen or deleted.

A former top executive at GE is coming back to help fix the company’s troubled power unit. John Rice retired last year as vice chairman after a four-decade career. He once ran the company’s energy business. Now he’ll be chairman of the gas and power operation. It’s a newly created role, as the CEO Larry Culp tries to turn GE around.

Google is making a big investment in green power. The company plans to put $700 Million into a data center in Denmark that’s powered with renewable energy. Google says it’s also considering investing in wind and solar projects in Denmark. It’s already buying renewable energy from a wind farm under construction in Finland.

Microsoft’s Skype is now available on Amazon’s Echo devices. You can also ask Alexa to make phone calls via Skype or video chat, if your Echo device allows it. The move is seen as a direct challenge to Facebook’s portal device offers video chat.