Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There are <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/1/14/apple-daily-report-apples-airpower-may-still-be-alive-and-more-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rumors </a> that Apple’s long-awaited AirPower is actually coming soon. Perhaps it’s true; Apple  has been granted a patent (number 10,182,282) for an “earbud case with charging system.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gubagoo.com&esheet=51925464&newsitemid=20190115005130&lan=en-US&anchor=Gubagoo&index=1&md5=ce9198aa4d281aaa34af5d1266d594cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gubagoo</a>, a provider of “conversational commerce solutions” for automotive dealerships and original equipment manufacturers, has announced that its customers are now able to use <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gubagoo.com%2Fapple-business-chat&esheet=51925464&newsitemid=20190115005130&lan=en-US&anchor=Apple+Business+Chat&index=2&md5=90c2717d871ec3075d33105ac5ae04de" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Business Chat</a>, a new way for users to communicate directly with businesses using the native Messages app on iPhone and iPad.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">TD Ameritrade, which provides investing services and education to clients, has announced what it says is an industry first: the ability for individual investors to instantly fund a brokerage account with Apple Pay through Apple Business Chat in the Messages app on iPhone and iPad. Sunayna Tuteja, head of strategic partnerships and emerging technologies at TD Ameritrade says that, historically, to fund brokerage accounts, investors have had to endure a multi-day waiting period while funds were verified or manage a complicated wire transfer. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A patent lawsuit filed by Qualcomm against Apple has been thrown out by a German court in a reversal for the chipmaker after it won a recent court ban on the sale of some iPhones in the country, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-qualcomm-court/german-court-throws-out-qualcomms-latest-patent-case-against-apple-idUSKCN1P911C?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"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2019/01/14/iphone-batteries-and-apples-quarterly-miss" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Daring Fireball</em></a>'s John Gruber, quoting an unnamed source, says Apple replaced a total of 11 million iPhone batteries under the $29 battery replacement program that debuted at the end of 2017 and ran through 2018.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Japanese website <em>Mac Otakara</em> — as noted by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/01/14/rumor-apple-developing-seventh-generation-ipod-touch-mulling-usb-c-for-next-iphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a> — reports that Apple is planning a seventh generation iPod touch and will likely replace the Lightning port on all 2019 iPhones with USB-C.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Are you into fidget spinners? I’m not, but if I were, I’d probably make good use of the ZenPod.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">iOS 12 supports QR codes. A QR code (quick response code) is a type of 2D bar code that is used to provide easy access to information through a smartphone. In this process, known as mobile tagging, the smartphone's owner points the phone at a QR code and opens a barcode reader app which works in conjunction with the phone's camera.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s alive! Maybe. According to a tweet from ChargerLab, mass production of Apple’s AirPower has begun at Luxshare Precision, which makes AirPods and USB-C cables. If the long-promised product ever actually arrives, it will be able to charge a Qi-compatible iPhone, an Apple Watch, and a pair of AirPods (in a special wireless charging case) at the same time regardless of where they're placed on the pad. AirPower hasn't been priced yet, but guesses have it costing anywhere from $150 - $200. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Twenty-eight percent of mobile shoppers used wallets like Apple Pay or PayPal and 29 percent of mobile orders came from mobile wallets on peak days including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to the 2018 Holiday Shopping Report from <a href="http://www.salesforce.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Salesforce</a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">PayPal has appointed marketing (and Apple) veteran Allison Johnson to the position of executive vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO), effective today. In this newly created role, she’ll be based in the company’s San Jose headquarters and report directly to PayPal CEO Dan Schulman.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlie Sloth has announced a show on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio; <em>The Charlie Sloth Rap Show</em> starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19,  which will hear the former BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ bring interviews and “his famous <em>Fire In The Booth</em> freestyles to a new audience, according to a <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/charlie-sloth-to-host-new-apple-music-beats-1-show-2430901#ssZd5yQmdXb6QDKK.99" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>NME </em>report.</a></p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">HitCase’s $69.99 <a href="https://twitter.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9b280c9e97d13a9a745a52bb5&id=be6531df57&e=48ea76e720" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SPLASH</span></a> has just about everything I’m looking for in an iPhone case. My only issue — and it’s not really HitCase’s fault — is that the SPLASH is adds a smidge too much width to the Apple smartphone (in my case, an iPhone Xs Max) to allow it to slip into smartphone holsters, which I like to use.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The HomePod, Apple's wireless speaker from Apple, will be available in mainland China and Hong Kong markets starting Friday, Jan. 18. It will be available in white and space gray.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There are rumors that Apple will release Apple-branded over-the-ear headphones this year along with its AirPods and Beats-branded product. And the tech giant has been granted a patent (number 10,178,463) for such a product.</p>