Dennis Sellers

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple will release an Apple-branded over-the-ear headphone in the first half of 2020. A newly filed patent (number 10,555,066) for “detection of headphone rotation” hints at such a device (or perhaps merely new Beats headphones).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>Apple World Today</em> readers, I need your assistance. I have a subscription to Apple News+ and have Family Sharing enabled, but it’s not working.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.lg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LG Electronics </a>(LG), which introduced its 2020 smart TVs with the Apple TV app at CES last month, is now launching the Apple TV app for compatible 2019 LG smart TVs in the U.S. and more than 80 other countries.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple investors on Thursday pushed back against the company's accusation that they had "puzzle pled" their case, telling a California federal judge they had methodically laid out their allegations of misrepresentation and intentional wrongdoing relating to the company's sluggish iPhones, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1239645/apple-investors-filed-chart-outlining-a-sprawling-suit?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="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I’m dubious, but fewer than 10% of the Apple device owners eligible to get the company’s Apple TV+ streaming service have taken advantage of the one-year-free offer, according to one analyst -- as noted by <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/02/of-apple-customers-eligible-for-apple-tv-fewer-than-10-have-signed-up-analyst-1202850235/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has introduced special coverage of the <a href="https://apple.news/AQF3EspoWTC2V-lxKovY7tg/">2020 US presidential election</a>, curated by Apple News and featuring, per the company, “reliable news, information and data throughout the election from dozens of trusted news sources.” </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The worldwide tablet market declined 0.6% year-over-year during the fourth quarter of 2019 (4Q19) as global shipments fell to 43.5 million units, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) <a href="http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=81" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker</a>. For the full year 2019, the tablet market shrank 1.5% year over year as global shipments totaled 144 million units.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">With the second version of the <a href="https://www.elgato.com/en/eve/eve-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eve Energy</a> device, you can switch your Eve devices on or off using Siri, Apple's "personal digital assistant.” At $39.99, the new version is $10 bucks cheaper than the original. A redesign at a lower price is a pretty sweet deal.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent for “displays with multiple scanning mode” that offers yet more hints of the rumored “Apple Glasses,” the company's anticipated augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors </a>-- Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has lowered his iPhone shipment forecast by 10% to 36-40 million units in the first quarter of 2020, noting that the Coronavirus outbreak is affecting the iPhone supply in China. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Jen Tullock (<em>Before You Know It, Partners</em>) and Zach Cherry (<em>You, Crashing)</em> are set for lead roles alongside Patricia Arquette, Adam Scott and Britt Lower in<em> </em>Severance<em>,</em> Apple’s new workplace thriller drama directed by and executive produced by Ben Stiller, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/01/severance-jen-tullock-zach-cherry-apple-drama-series-1202847861/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has temporarily shut down all its retail stores in mainland China through Feb. 9 due to the Coronavirus, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/01/apple-temporarily-shuts-all-stores-and-offices-in-mainland-china.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>. It’s online store will remain open.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">As noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>, Apple is now offering an onsite repair option for customers in certain cities who need issues with their Apple devices addressed but aren't able to visit a repair shop or Apple Store. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">An Apple patent filing (number 2020034037) for a “device, method, and graphical user interface for simulating and interacting with handwritten text” suggests that Apple Pencil support could be coming to the iPhone. It also hints at improved handwriting recognition on the iPad, as well.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">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>