Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Apple ranks 12th in the annual <a href="https://fortune.com/global500/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fortune Global 500</a> list of the world's largest companies for profit, down one spot from last year.</p>

<p class="">Apple has imported clothes – likely shirts for retail store employees – from a company facing U.S. sanctions over forced labor at a subsidiary firm in China’s western Xinjiang region, reports <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/aug/10/apple-imported-clothes-from-xinjiang-firm-facing-us-forced-labour-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>.</p>

<p class="">New York’s Mass Transit Agency (MTA) wants Apple to come up with a better way for iPhone users to unlock their iPhones without taking off their masks, which are required to be worn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="">Foxconn's Zhengzhou main production area is looking to beef up its work force for production of the upcoming “iPhone 12,” <a href="https://view.inews.qq.com/w2/20200810A0O1MP00?tbkt=D&uid=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tencent Tech</a> reports, citing unnamed “industry chain sources.”</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumor</a>s — Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that, in a worst-case scenario, Apple's annual global iPhone shipments could decline by 25–30% if it is forced to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world. WeChat a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed by Tencent.</p>

<p class="">The HomePod offers news briefs from a variety of news sources to help keep you y up to date.</p>

<p class="">On July 24, headphone maker Koss sued Apple for patent infringement. Now, as reported by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/09/apple-returns-fire-in-koss-airpods-patent-infringement-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, Apple has returned the favor.</p>

<p class="">Apple is taking legal action against the developers of the meal planner and grocery list app "Prepear" due to its logo, according to <a href="https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/apple-legal-action-pear-logo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iPhone in Canada</a>.</p>

<p class="">Per a newly granted patent (number 10,734,708) future Apple Watches may have a wireless antenna array build into the display. The patent involves “antennas formed from conductive display layers.”</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1483071787?ls=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Game of Thrones: Tale of Crow</a>s is this week's addition to <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Arcade</a>, Apple’s US$4.99/month or $49.99/year game streaming service that has over 120 games,. It's available for the the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.</p>

<p class="">State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel65.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced </a>that the California Department of Education (CDE) is collaborating with Apple and T-Mobile to connect up to one million students in need as most schools across California expect to begin the next school year in distance learning.</p>

<p class="">Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1291746412779069440%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https://www.macrumors.com/2020/08/07/apple-donating-to-beirut-relief-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has tweeted </a>that the tech giant is donating to relief organizations that are helping with immediate needs and long-term support in Beirut following a devastating explosion.</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors </a>— analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that one of Apple’s camera lens suppliers for the “non-Pro” iPhone 12 is having quality issues. However, other suppliers are expected to be step up to the plate, so that there’ll be no delay in the product launch schedule (probably late October).</p>

<p class="">iOS 13 QuickType keyboard includes QuickPath, so you can swipe your finger from one letter to the next to enter a word without removing your finger from the keyboard.</p>

<p class="">Apple has released the first public beta of macOS Big Sur and the fourth public betas of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. The public betas are available on <a href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beta Software Program website</a>. Just remember that this is beta software, so proceed with care.</p>