Dennis Sellers

<p class=""><a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-apps-tracing/apple-google-contact-tracing-tech-launches-with-23-countries-seeking-access-idUKKBN22W2NW"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Reuters</span></a> reports that authorities in 23 countries across five continents have sought access to contact tracing technology from Apple and Google.</p>

<p class="">Apple has released iOS 13.5, iPad OS 13.5, and tvOS 13.4.5. According to the release notes, the first two speed up access to the passcode field on devices with Face ID when you’re wearing a face mask and introduces the Exposure Notification API to support COVID-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities.</p>

<p class="">Apple has announced “Greatness Code,” a short-form documentary series co-produced by Uninterrupted and Religion of Sports, and directed by Gotham Chopra. It will come to the Apple TV+ streaming service on July 10.</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/05/20/iphone-12-predicted-to-ship-without-earpods-will-boost-airpods-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — analystMing-Chi Kuo says he thinks Apple will leave out the US$29 Lightning EarPods when the "iPhone 12" ships to consumer this fall.</p>

<p class="">Last week Apple chip manufacturer TSMC <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2020/5/15/tsmc-to-build-operate-an-advanced-semiconductor-fab-in-the-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the U.S. with the mutual understanding and commitment to support from the U.S. federal government and the State of Arizona. However, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tsmc-plant-trump/senate-democrats-call-for-trump-administration-to-unveil-details-of-tsmc-plant-deal-idUSKBN22W09N?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> says Democratic lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to answer “serious questions” about those plans due to national security concerns and potentially undisclosed subsidies.</p>

<p class="">A former Apple contractor who helped blow the whistle on the company’s program to listen to users’ Siri recordings is going public to protest the lack of action taken as a result of the disclosures, reports <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/20/apple-whistleblower-goes-public-over-lack-of-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardia</a>n.</p>

<p class="">Apple Stores in Canada will begin reopening their doors to the public today, starting with six locations in the Vancouver area, one in Winnipeg, and one in Halifax, reports <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>. The tech giant has 29 retail stores in the country.</p>

<p class="">Apple and Cisco will be walking away from a patent dispute with less than half the attorney fees they originally requested, after U.S. District Judge William Alsup subjected them to a severe dressing-down earlier this month regarding compensation, notes <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1275251/apple-cisco-get-4-2m-in-fees-after-rebuke-for-g-r-e-e-d-?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="">Claris International Inc., an Apple subsidiary, has launched FileMaker 19: the company’s first open platform for developers to rapidly build custom apps leveraging direct JavaScript integrations, drag-and-drop add-ons, AI via Apple’s Core ML, and more.</p>

<p class="">Future AirPods, Apple Pencils, and even iPhones could respond to your squeeze. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,659,866) for an "elastomeric pressure transduction based user interface.”</p>

<p class=""><em>Greyhound</em>, the WWII battleship drama written by and starring Tom Hanks, is set to premiere on Apple's streaming television service Apple TV+ instead of debuting in theaters as originally planned, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/05/tom-hanks-greyhound-apple-tv-wwii-action-film-apple-wins-auction-1202938467/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple plans to manufacture its upcoming AirPods Studio headphones in Vietnam, “a new phase in its effort to diversify manufacturing away from China amid political and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing,” according to <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-to-make-new-headphones-in-vietnam-in-shift-from-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Information</a>.</p>

<p class="">Reliable Apple leader Jon Prosser <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfjSy6T4iE4&feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports </a>that Apple’s upcoming augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) glasses (which will resemble everyday glasses in design) and will indeed be dubbed “Apple Glasses” with pricing starting at US$499.</p>

<p class="">Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,656,777) for “concealed user interfaces” in a vehicle.</p>

<p class="">I’m not sure how well this would go over, but Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,656,719) for “dynamic input surface for electronic devices" that hints at Mac laptops with virtual keyboards instead of physical ones.</p>