Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In November it was announced that Apple is enlisting Oscar-winning indie studio A24 to produce a slate of films for its growing entertainment division in a “multiyear agreement” that involves multiple films. According to <a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/sofia-coppola-bill-murray-apple-and-a24s-first-co-production-1203108630/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a><em>,</em>, the first film will be <em>On the Rocks</em>, which will re-team director Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray, who worked together on 2003’s <em>Lost in Translation</em>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has rolled out three Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone Xr, Xs, Xs Max. All are available in black or white and cost $129.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Nomad. has released <a href="https://hellonomad.com/collections/natural-products" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new leather accessories</a> featuring natural color leather. One is a a leather strap for the smaller 38/40mm Apple Watch; the other is a new leather AirPods case.  </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The folks behind <a href="http://www.duckduckgo.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DuckDuckGo</a> have announced that map and address-related searches on the Internet search engine that doesn’t track you for mobile and desktop are now powered by <a href="https://developer.apple.com/maps/mapkitjs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Apple's MapKit JS framework</span></a> for both the desktop and mobile versions.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a judgment worth $440 million that was won by intellectual property licensing firm VirnetX (considered by many, including me, to be a patent troll), against Apple in a patent infringement case, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-virnetx-patent/apple-loses-bid-to-undo-440-million-judgment-in-virnetx-patent-case-idUSKCN1P91UF" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/apple-exec-on-intels-ceo-candidate-list-1547565241-0e48d7d0-8ce2-440e-9f13-a9c5788e0b31.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Axios</em></a> Apple exec Johny Srouji is now on Intel’s shortlist for potential CEOs. The company’s search has been ongoing for about six months.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Nike has announced the <a href="https://www.nike.com/t/adapt-bb-basketball-shoe-8Bwk1L/AO2582-001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nike Adapt BB</a>, the first shoe in its platform “that creates a truly custom fit by combining an advanced power-lacing system, an app and continually updated firmware.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for another patent (number 10,180,721) that hints at “smart clothing.” This one, dubbed “fabric-based divides with force sensing,” involves a “smart glove.”</p>

<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>