Dennis Sellers

<p class="">President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to impose new taxes on American companies that produce goods outside the U.S., <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-taxes/trump-threatens-new-taxes-on-companies-that-make-goods-outside-united-states-idUSKBN22Q2HS">reports Reuter</a>s. Obviously, Apple is one such company.</p>

<p class="">Apple <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/apple-acquires-startup-nextvr-to-gain-virtual-reality-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">confirmed</a> to Bloomberg that it's scooped up NextVR, a live event streaming AR/VR company. No details on the acquisition, but it's expected to be in the US$100 million range.</p>

<p class="">Jamf is launching <a href="https://www.jamf.com/lp/redeploy-initiative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamf Nation Redeploy</a>, a global initiative to help connect organizations with unused Apple devices with organizations that have one of the following specified problems:</p>

<p class="">mophie, a ZAGG brand, has announced the US$99.99 powerstation wireless X, which is available now at <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=S-ixb87oFfyj2hMvD_0NSH82HUaPvESxIQdV3VLdWcVvX4qUAaqJzC08gh5gzUTii11NzEtfw6g-7wVvpTWwkHDTfLIam9Tsnx0pCpr2nbYuxbQDs3uA6c1cCDQUDmQ2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mophie.com</a>, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=qFtnbMbWCT9erTzex1ttBXv_dXeiWl8glz8CdWyFjc_yOL-q9r4D6ZVUvV1GweKMfzTf3Mhn0vQm17gb8B1oNKGVcALnFaW3wIBcc39SUpzUd23ZsFma-hLaQGBiShN4qGpSHZxY5ttOCTPHqrZF2DSFBLA-umZ2uwOpFraI50w-AO5Z7AieziEipR1OER7y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">apple.com</a>, and, soon, in Apple retail stores.</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients -- as noted by <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> -- analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the long-rumored Apple Glasses won’t arrive until at least 2020. He also says that Apple is working on two new iPad models.</p>

<p class="">Could an Apple Watch help detect if its wearer has COVID-19? As noted by <a href="https://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2020/05/can-a-smart-watch-detect-covid-19/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+uk%2Fgizmodo+%28Gizmodo+UK%29"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Gizmodo</span></a>, Stanford’s <a href="https://innovations.stanford.edu/#section-wearables"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Wearables Data Study</span></a> is trying to determine if the smartwatch and devices such as Fitbits and Oura Rings can do just that.</p>

<p class="">Apple has filed for another patent (number 20200150715) for an “expandable ring device” that hints at an Apple Ring that could be used to control, among other things, a Mac. At least seven other patents have been filed for or granted to the company.</p>

<p class="">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200150785) for a “highly portable media device.” If it comes to fruition, it would be a solid state drive for storing songs, TV shows, movies, etc</p>

<p class="">As noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>, the Italian website <a href="https://www.ispazio.net/1969995/data-di-riapertura-apple-store-italia-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iSpazio</a> says Apple plans to re-open 10 of its 17 stores in Italy on May 19, excluding locations in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions.</p>

<p class="">According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-05-13/fbi-serves-warrant-on-senator-stock-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Los Angeles Times</a> (a subscription is required to read the entire article), the FBI has served Apple with a warrant for obtaining info on the iCloud account of U.S. Senator Richard Burr. He’s being investigated for selling a significant percentage of his stock portfolio in 33 different transactions on February 13, just as his committee was receiving daily COVID-19 briefings and a week before the stock market sharply declined.</p>

<p class="">Apple ranks ninth on <em>Forbes</em>’ 2020 Global 2000 list, which ranks the world’s largest public companies.</p>

<p class="">Cynthia Hogan, Apple's vice president for public policy and government affairs, has resigned from the company, reports <a href="https://www.axios.com/apple-policy-exec-leaving-company-af4f093d-ab00-4582-a5be-dd4a184a02c5.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Axios</a>. She'll leave next month to serve as one of four leaders of a vice presidential selection committee for Joe Biden's presidential campaign.</p>

<p class="">Utah is one of the first states to endorse a contact tracing app to slow the spread of coronavirus and 45,000 people have signed up since it was released in late April. However, the app was built by a social media startup and doesn’t use the Apple-Google Bluetooth contact tracing system, reports <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/13/utah-contact-tracing-healthy-together-app.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>.</p>

<p class="">The first Futureproof IT summit, an event put on by Alectrona, Abelloni, Technolutionary and the MacAdmins Podcast, was announced early last month. And Apple consultants are looking to give back amid the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="">Director/producer Ridley Scott has inked a first-look TV deal with Apple, for whom he once directed its famed "1984" commercial that introduced the company's first Mac, reports <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ridley-scott-inks-apple-tv-deal-1294445" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.</p>