Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Apple’s conference call to discuss its second fiscal quarter results is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, at 2 p.m. (Pacific). On Feb. 17, the company said it wouldn't hit the March revenue guidance it had previously offered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/apple-music-launches-50m-advance-fund-for-independent-labels-hit-by-covid-19-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music Business Worldwide reports</a> that Apple Music is quietly making a $50 million advance fund available for independent labels and distributors, to support the indie sector with vital cashflow during the uncertainty of global COVID-19 lockdown.</p>

<p class="">Apple has updated <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clips/id1212699939">Clips</a>, the free app for iOS and iPad OS that makes it easy to create and share videos using an iPhone or iPad. The upgrade adds iPad cursor support, new stickers, and more.</p>

<p class="">Apple has posted iOS 13.4.1 and iPadOS 13.4.1, both of which fix a FaceTime bug.</p>

<p class="">Apple has <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211028" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shared a support document</a> outlining how to assemble and adjust the <a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face shields for medical workers</a> that the company’s design, engineering, operations and packaging teams are working on.</p>

<p class="">Strategy Analytics wireless smartphones team has released <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strategyanalytics.com%2Faccess-services%2Fdevices%2Fmobile-phones%2Fsmartphone%2Fsmartphones%2Freports%2Freport-detail%2Fchina-smartphone-consumer-purchase-intentions-post-covid-19&esheet=52199826&newsitemid=20200406005735&lan=en-US&anchor=%26%238220%3BChina+Smartphone%3A+Consumer+Purchase+Intentions+Post+Covid-19&index=1&md5=8b774f25180dbbaf0b11902762ed431c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“China Smartphone: Consumer Purchase Intentions Post Covid-19</a>” based on a survey of 1,300 consumers March 21-25. It has some (kinda) good news for Apple.</p>

<p class="">YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser <a href="https://twitter.com/jon_prosser/status/1247498140468547585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1247498140468547585&ref_url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/07/apple-over-ear-headphones-and-airpods-x-may-launch-later-in-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has tweeted</a> that Apple seems to be preparing first over-ear headphones at June’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) while the rumored ”AirPods Pro Lite" will arrive in the fall and be dubbed "AirPods X." He thinks the former will cost about US$350 and the latter around $200.</p>

<p class="">A newly granted patent (number 10,614-775) hints that Apple’s TrueTone tech could be used to adjust brightness on the keyboards of Mac laptops and perhaps even standalone Magic Keyboards for iMacs, Mac minis, and Mac Pros.</p>

<p class="">Future Apple Pencils could work with Macs even if they don't have touchscreens. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,613,666) for “content creation using electronic input device on non-electronic surfaces.”</p>

<p class=""><em>The New York Times</em>, IFTTT, Medium, Strava, Ritual, Freshii, Fiverr, and more have added support to Apple’s "Sign in with Apple" feature, reports <a href="https://www.cultofmac.com/699289/new-york-times-ifttt-medium-others-add-sign-in-with-apple-support/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cult of Mac</a>. This “shows how rapidly adoption of the service is increasing ahead of Apple’s June 30 deadline for apps to implement the feature,” the article adds. This deadline was recently <a href="https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=03262020b">pushed back from April 30</a>.</p>

<p class="">CEO <a href="https://www.cultofmac.com/699591/apple-will-stream-one-world-together-at-home-covid-19-concert/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tim Cook says Apple</a> is donating $10 million to the <em>One World: Together at Home</em> initiative by the international advocacy organization Global Citizen and the World Health Organization.</p>

<p class="">The latest <a href="http://www.macvoices.com/macvoices-20109-shelly-brisbin-discusses-the-latest-in-accessibility-and-her-book-ios-access-for-all-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">episode of MacVoices </a>sees <em>iOS Access for All </em>author Shelly Brisbin join Chuck Joiner to talk about how iOS and macOS compares to other platforms, who’s making progress in the accessibility area, and how they are doing it. She also explains what she would recommend to first-time buyers of accessibility tech, how to choose, and what she would like to see Apple to continue their progress in this area.</p>

<p class="">Though Apple’s Mac is widely considered to have less problems than its counterparts, it still comes with some common issues including security issues, according to David A Milman, CEO of <a href="http://www.rescue.com/"><span style="text-decoration:underline">RESCUECOM</span></a>, a computer support company.</p>

<p class="">Rubén Caballero, a former hardware engineering executive at Apple who left the company in April 2019, has taken on a new role at Microsoft, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-06/microsoft-hires-ex-apple-exec-in-charge-of-wireless-for-hardware" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-buying-historic-amount-computers-webcams-121043910.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yahoo Finance</a> says that Americans are buying “historic”’ amount of computers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Apple’s release of the 2020 MacBook Air and iPad Pros seems to have been ironically good timing. And now might be the perfect time to release a new iMac.</p>