Dennis Sellers

<p>Yikes! Shortly after finding Apple infringed VirnetX network security patents, a jury in the Eastern District of Texas on Wednesday found the infringement was willful, a decision that has the potential to put the iPhone maker on the hook for more than $1.5 billion in damages, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1032626/apple-s-infringement-in-502m-security-ip-row-willful-jury?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p>Apple wants to protect your eyes, so has filed for a patent (number 20180102109) for “luminescence shock avoidance in display devices” on its various gadgets.</p>

<p>On a regular basis, <em>Apple World Today</em> posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are today's picks.</p>

<p>A new report from the In-vehicle UX (IVX) group at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>, “<em>Android Auto and CarPlay Remain Popular Among Owners</em>” surveying new vehicle owners with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, has found that these owners remain satisfied and evangelistic about mirroring systems, with a large percentage relying on them solely for all key in-car tasks.</p>

<p>A <a target="_blank" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vbxxxd/unlock-iphone-ios11-graykey-grayshift-police" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Motherboard</em> investigation</a> has found that law enforcement agencies across the country have purchased GrayKey, a relatively cheap tool for bypassing the encryption on iPhones, while the FBI pushes again for encryption backdoors.</p>

<p>Apple is teaming up with GOAT, Jet, and HotWire to offer, respectively, discounts on sneakers, patio/garden purchases, add hotel bookings.</p>

<p>Are you an owner of multiple Apple Watches (and Apple hopes you are)? The tech giant wants you to be able to switch between them with ease when it comes to syncing with an iPhone (or iPhones). Patent number 20180103140 joins a previous patent (number 20170201612) for “switching between watches or other accessories.”</p>

<p>Worldwide PC (personal computer, not necessarily Windows devices) shipments totaled 61.7 million units in the first quarter of 2018, a 1.4% decline from the first quarter of 2017, according to preliminary results by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gartner.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner, Inc</a>. The PC market experienced a 14th consecutive quarter of decline, dating back to the second quarter of 2012, although Apple’s Mac, once again, bucked the trend, adds the research group.</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. Firstface, a Korean mobile tech solutions firm, is suing Apple for copying a feature for Touch ID to unlock the smartphone screen through bitometric sensor-based user authentication, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20180412000817" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Korea Herald</em></a>.</p>

<p>Apple has <a target="_blank" href="https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=04112018a" rel="noopener noreferrer">reminded developers</a> that, beginning June 1, all new app updates submitted to the Mac App Store must support 64-bit. </p>

<p>Considering how early reports claimed the Apple Watch was a bust (now it’s the top product in the smartwatch field), take this one with a grain of salt: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-12/apple-s-stumbling-homepod-isn-t-the-hot-seller-company-wanted" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a> claims that inventor of Apple’s HomePod is “piling up” as the wireless speaker isn’t the hit the tech giant expected.</p>

<p>Apple urged a California federal judge Wednesday to toss Uniloc patent infringement suit and sanction the non-practicing entity, saying Uniloc pursued the claims knowing Apple's devices don’t use Uniloc’s motion device technology and such "bad cases" should be cut off in their infancy, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1032260/apple-says-uniloc-s-bad-patent-suit-warrants-sanctions?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p>Hue Dada! is a Mac app from DouWere designed to enhance the user experience in the Finder. You can drag and drop any Finder item onto the Hue Dada icon in the color bar to colorize it, according to its tag. Any tag change will automatically adjust the color of the previously dropped item.</p>

<p>On a regular basis, <em>Apple World Today</em> posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are today's picks.</p>

<p>The AWT News Update is on a one-day hiatus while my compadre, Steve, takes a break. In its place, I’ll offer a text-only (no podcast) summary of breaking stories with a tip o’ my hat to my former website, <em>Apple Daily Report</em>.</p>