Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Apple has filed counterclaims and responses in its legal battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games and is now seeking damages for Epic Games’ breach of contract, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/08/apple-seeks-damages-from-epic-for-breach-of-contract.html?__source=sharebar%7Ctwitter&par=sharebar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has Apple released a new public beta (the third) of macOS Big Sur, the upcoming revamp of the desktop/laptop operating system.</p>

<p class="">Apple <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has announced</a> a special event dubbed “Time Flies” for Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 10 am. (Pacific). Apparently, it will be live-streamed only (no press has been invited to a physical event) as was June’s 2020 Worldwide Developer Conference.</p>

<p class="">Google is pushing back against a California federal judge's query into whether Epic Games' lawsuits against Google and Apple over their respective in-device app distribution systems should be combined with several proposed class actions against the tech giants, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1307597/google-wants-play-store-apple-app-store-suits-kept-apart?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a> (a subscription is required to read the entire article).</p>

<p class="">Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,769,525) for ‘decision making for autonomous vehicle motion control.”</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,771,742) for “devices with enhanced audio” that hints at better speakers in future Macs and perhaps a new line of displays that are more affordable than the US$5,000 Apple Pro Display XDR. If realized, the technology would not only enhance music and movie playback, but improve FaceTime calls.</p>

<p class="">An estimation by <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUUPhTH4ap5N6P3CgHqT0VwppS5RK3NwyxFXhEaNtzQNyy18ku4MlsM2HTmQvJZzl7t-2BB0SLb2oYZ7Tl1-2BHkETY0c-2BABVq6x5Pe3sq1hPt3Uq45-2FXGDg7kt2tJpyrSQsPkQ-3D-3DwlTF_xZzzR7eUdv-2BX6QkrpVLiiGy7ypJ6sj-2BpG-2F9bEkPx-2BLw-2Fta5JivvYG-2BIm7tC0QTGfz3ip2cOeqepMuS-2FmnnjZpVVyKQ5UBx6YCFqOmr-2B0VQqoVAdvxccRTKhQt6Dpojxf7mwroa-2BSzhuXmRuX8OaEaaNcH-2BTYxzjOEl7g79IdhPK9yO80QVA9VZTdtu-2FdU6pH9-2FvUN8-2FfqrrVdKHnyAiKaSPsRqM0knmG-2BDEGhfYuYRCjd9Dd-2FAu76TR0GWIc-2F5ZVWa0yZd5YCRu0-2FecPBe4RBHKH3nIEA39NImJv04toRY6foRrIo345dSSSvyg7SIQ6DMSiEiV69cK7-2BCcy4r1UeCwt4yrZ9zxQqlwVJjnPcXY-3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buy Shares indicates</a> that Epic Games could potentially lose an average of US$26.7 million in monthly revenue after the <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2020/8/17/epic-games-asks-court-to-stop-retaliation-by-apple?rq=Fortnite" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">App Store terminated the Epic Games account</a>. (Buy Shares is a UK-based financial education hub for investors.)</p>

<p class="">A newly granted patent (number 10,771,898) shows that future Apple devices ay use sound outside the range of human hearing to “talk” to each other. This could be useful in, among other things, finding misplaces iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, and Macs.</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,768,751) dubbed “electronic device including optical image sensor having metallization layers and related methods.” It indicated that Apple is still investigating the idea of incorporating Touch ID under the screen of an iPhone, an iPad, and perhaps even a Mac rather than having a separate Touch ID button.</p>

<p class="">Apple has previewed Apple Marina Bay Sands, the first Apple Store to sit directly on the water. Appearing as a sphere floating on the iridescent Marina Bay, the store introduces a new retail experience at one of the most iconic locations in Singapore.</p>

<p class="">In an email to Apple Card users about their September statements, Apple says "we understand that the COVID-19 situation poses unique challenges for everyone and some customers may have difficulty making their monthly payments.”</p>

<p class="">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, we’ll frequently offer a wrap-up of news items you should check out. First up: Tim Connolly, a former executive at Disney and Quibi, has joined Apple as Apple explores ways to bundle Apple TV+ with other services, reports <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/09/07/apple-hires-hollywood-dealmaker-boost-tv-plus-video-service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Telegraph</a>.</p>

<p class="">The iPhone represents technical complexity and usage simplicity combination that just makes it stand apart from the rest. It’s loaded with advanced features that fill most of the needs a phone user will have.</p>

<p class="">On a regular basis, <em>Apple World Today </em>posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are this week’s picks.</p>

<p class="">A new report from <a href="https://loupventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Loup Ventures</a> says that the research group’s estimates indicate that Apple is converting potential customers of Apple Music into paying customers at a rate 2.5x faster than Spotify.</p>