Dennis Sellers

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/06/new-apple-tv-4k-hardware-appears-closer-to-launching-based-on-tvos-13-4-beta-code/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac </a>has found references to a new Apple TV set-top box in the code of the tvOS 13.4 developer beta released yesterday.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Last August Apple announced an Independent Repair Program (IRP), offering customers additional options for the most common out-of-warranty iPhone repairs. The tech giant said it would provide more independent repair businesses — large or small —  with the same genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics as its Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/20/20813761/apple-tv-plus-budget-money-disney-netflix-hulu-warnermedia-hbo-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reportedly spent $6 billion</a> to create the opening roster of shows on its Apple TV+ streaming service, which debuted in November. But will its content be enough to catch and holder viewers?</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200043237) for a “media composer for computer-generated reality" that would allow iPhones and iPads to “film” computer generated reality images, overlaying objects on the devices to real world scenes.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200045245) for a “creative camera" feature on an iPhone and iPad that would allows users to use Animoji and Memoji in new, fun ways.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">When the iPad went on sale 20 years ago, it quickly became Apple's fastest-selling product ever. With all the hoopla surrounding it, many folks believed it would eventually replace the Mac. That hasn't happened and won’t happen anytime soon. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strategyanalytics.com%2Faccess-services%2Fdevices%2Fwearables%2Freports%2Freport-detail%2Fapple-watch-outsells-entire-swiss-watch-industry-in-2019&esheet=52169356&newsitemid=20200205005756&lan=en-US&anchor=Apple+Watch+outsold+the+entire+Swiss+watch+industry+by+a+huge+margin+in+2019&index=1&md5=6373d700cf23a2847e033ef1676b6606" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry by a huge margin in 2019</a>. Apple’s smartwatch shipped 31 million units worldwide in 2019, compared with 21 million for all Swiss watch brands combined. Swiss companies, like Swatch, are losing the smartwatch wars, according to the research group.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">O’Shea Jackson is now set to star in the Apple drama series “Swagger,” for the Apple TV+ streaming service, <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/oshea-jackson-jr-swagger-apple-1203492592/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Variety </a>reports.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in India in 2019 with 41% year-over-year growth driven by multiple price cuts on iPhone XR throughout the year, according to <a href="http://www.counterpointresearch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint Research</a>. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">New research conducted by <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tolunacorporate.com%2F&esheet=52168914&newsitemid=20200205005250&lan=en-US&anchor=Toluna&index=1&md5=0378d8252c70ecf72c23e51e0817397f" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toluna</a>, a consumer intelligence platform that delivers insights on demand, and <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fharris-interactive.co.uk%2F&esheet=52168914&newsitemid=20200205005250&lan=en-US&anchor=Harris+Interactive&index=2&md5=251a9fde3db64bc6180a750f9f1bf972" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Harris Interactive</a>, a full-service digital consultative market research agency, shows that one-third of UK consumers don’t own smart tech devices.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Liz Schimel, Apple’s head of business for Apple News, has bid adieu to the company. Why? Due to the service’s “struggle to attract paying customers,” according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-04/apple-s-news-service-business-chief-departs-after-slow-start" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a> (even though Apple says Apple News +, its $9.99/month subscription service now has over 100 million active users).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The launch of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max brought triple‑camera systems to Apple’s smartphone line-up. I love the system on my iPhone 11 Pro Max, but this also means there’s more valuable tech to get damaged by a klutz like me who often drops his phone or bangs it against something.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,548,529) that shows the company is looking into ways to make the Apple Watch even more waterproof.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Genius’ hit series <a href="https://genius.com/shows/verified" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Verified</a>, featuring top artists explaining the lyrics and meaning behind their biggest songs, is coming to Apple Music. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office waded into a dispute between Apple and <a href="http://voip-pal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Voip-Pal.com</a> Inc. on Monday, defending two Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions that Apple claims should be thrown out because they were the product of a "campaign of intimidation" by Voip-Pal, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1240357/uspto-rips-apple-s-bid-to-ax-voip-pal-s-ptab-wins?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Law360</span></a> (a subscription is required to read the entire article) </p>