Dennis Sellers

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 202000004416) for “virtual keyboard animation” that could mean enhanced virtual keyboards for the iPad and iPhone.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Future AirPods and AirPods Pro may make sure you’ve got each earbud in the proper ear. Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,524,040) for “headphones with orientation sensors.”</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,524,080) for a "system to move a virtual sound away from a listener using a crosstalk canceler” that hints at enhanced surround sound features in upcoming HomePods and Macs.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Recently the <em>Apple World Today</em> staff -- Steve Sande, Marty Stewart, and Yours Truly -- put our heads together to make our predictions for 2020. Here’s what my crystal ball shows:</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">As noted by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/12/30/apple-escalates-legal-fight-with-ios-virtualization-tool-provider-corellium" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, Apple has amended a lawsuit it's filed against a company called Corellium. While the iPhone maker has stopped short of calling a jailbreak illegal, the article says "it is taking the tack that developing an emulator or similar iOS emulation to facilitate a jailbreaking tool's creation is a copyright infringement.”</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Blackmagic Design has posted Blackmagic <a href="https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eGPU 1.2 Update</a>, which adds support for the Apple Pro Display XDR to the Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The week kicks off with two intriguing rumors, one of which seems very unlikely, the other which sounds probable.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Great minds must think alike since Steve and I had two of the same products on our best-products-of-2019 list: the <strong>16-inch MacBook Pro</strong> and <strong>iPhone 11 Pro Max</strong>. I won't go into more detail; you can read my reviews <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/11/27/16-inch-macbook-pro-is-the-best-mac-laptop-ever-made?rq=16-inch%20Macbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/9/23/better-battery-life-a-fantastic-camera-system-makes-the-iphone-pro-11-max-a-great-smartphone?rq=iPhone%2011%20Pro%20Max" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple w Apple wants to make the iPhone and iPad better devices for conference calling as evidenced by a new patent filing dubbed “portable multifunction device, method, and graphical user interface for conference calling.”</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,514,270) for “navigation peek ahead and behind in a navigation app" that hints are future features for its Maps app.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent for a "vital signs monitoring system,” which would, presumably, work with its HealthKit technology. And, perhaps, the Apple Watch although I couldn’t determine if Apple’s idea involves the smartphone and/or new hardware.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">If you're looking for a minimalist wireless car charger, Totallee’s <a href="https://www.totalleecase.com/products/wireless-car-charger" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wireless Car Charger </a>fills the bill. At $59, it's reasonably priced and, except for a tendency to spotlight fingerprints on its glossy surface, well designed.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for yet another patent (20190392830) — one of dozens — for a “method and system for representing a virtual object in a view of a real environment.” </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for yet another patent (number 20190393730) that hints that, though it scrapped plans for the AirPower device, it’s still looking into a next generation wireless charging system. The patent filing is dubbed "architecture of portable electronic devices with wireless charging receiver systems." </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Totallee’s $19 <a href="https://www.totalleecase.com/products/phone-ring-grip-holder" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Phone Ring Grip</a> is an iPhone accessory that some will find very handy, though it has limited appeal to me for two reasons, which I'll get to in a moment.</p>