Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">With iOS 13 certain to be unveiled at June’s Worldwide Developer Conference, several folks and publications — such as <a href="https://www.cultofmac.com/546401/ios-13-will-boast-great-updates-for-ipad-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Cult of Mac</em></a> — expect some serious operating system updates for the iPad Pro, such as mouse support and an improved file system. Others want Apple to go even further.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The AirPower may be dead, but Apple hasn’t given up on making its own charging systems.The company has been granted a patent (number 20190203751) for “smart charging systems for portable electronic devices” such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches,and Mac laptops.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has seen 7nm chip orders ramp up and the process capacity utilization rate start picking up recently, according to <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20190403PD209.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>DigiTimes</em></a>. In fact, it may see its 7-nanometer chip capacity pushed to max as it prepares for the 2019 iPhones.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Ian Goodfellow, one of the top minds in artificial intelligence at Google, has joined Apple in a director role, reports <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/04/apple-hires-ai-expert-ian-goodfellow-from-google.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/the-apple-goldman-sachs-credit-card-could-be-worth-1-5-billion-in-5-years-analyst-says-51554400003" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barron’s</em></a><em> </em>— HSBC, a British multinational banking and financial services holding company (and the seventh largest bank in the world) says Apple’s upcoming credit card, the <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/3/25/apple-gets-into-the-credit-card-business-with-apple-card?rq=Apple%20Card" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Card</a>, could become a “significant player in the U.S. card market,” HSBC says in new note.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20190102924) for “generating synthetic group selfies.” A synthetic group selfie can be an arrangement or composition of individual selfies obtained from a plurality of computing devices into a single group image (e.g., synthetic group selfie).</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">We have the Apple Watch, so is it time for the “Apple Glove?”Apple has filed for another patent (number 20190101981) for such a wearable (an “IMU-based glove”), which would likely be used in conjunction with the anticipated Apple Glasses, an augmented reality headset.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.lexar.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lexar</a> has announced the Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD, a portable solid state drive with a USB 3.1 Type-C Port.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1146077/-apple-s-30m-ip-case-is-all-misdirection-evolved-says?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology&read_more=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>, Evolved Wireless told a Delaware federal jury Wednesday that Apple used "misdirection" to try to convince jurors that the technology giant doesn’t owe millions for infringing two of Evolved's patents related to LTE technology.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple is teaming up with Grubhub— web commerce platform for ordering and delivering take-out food — for a new Apple Pay promo: use the latter’s mobile payment service in the Instacart app — available at the Apple App Store — and get free deliveries on groceries.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has updated its <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/#ntf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leadership</a> webpage to note that Adrian Perica has been named the vice president of corporate development. He’ll report to CEO Tim Cook.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has cut retail price of the HomePod by $50 to $299 in the US. Other international markets are also seeing price cuts, though some aren’t as substantial as this.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/3/25/apples-video-subscription-service-coming-this-fall-pricing-not-yet-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Apple TV+” video streaming service</a> isn’t due until the fall, but it can’t come soon enough if Apple truly wants to get in on the “cord cutting” momentum. The 18- to 44-year-old age group accounts for 71% of adults in the US that have a live-streaming “skinny TV”service,” according to Leichtman Research Group (LRG), as reported by <a href="https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2019033155624/lrg-most-skinny-tv-customers-are-under-45.html?utm_campaign=lrg-most-skinny-tv-customers-are-under-45&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_2071#axzz5jnADwbR9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>RapidTV New</em>s</a>.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">MacGamer HQ has tested the gaming capability of every Mac that Apple makes — including the 2019 iMacs. Check out the <a href="https://www.macgamerhq.com/hardware/the-best-mac-for-gaming/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_best_mac_for_gaming_in_2019&utm_term=2019-04-02" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Best Macs for Gaming in 2019.</a></p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/03/apple-offers-9-7-million-for-transportation-projects-in-cupertino/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-mercnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Mercury News</em> </a>reports that Apple is offering to spend $9.7 million on five bike and pedestrian-oriented transportation projects for the city of Cupertino, California, a proposal by the company after the city council agreed last July to put off changes to the business license tax that would have cost Apple $9 million a year.</p>