Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Consumer spending on mobile apps and app installs grew significantly during the first half of 2020, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from Sensor Tower.</p>

<p class="">A California federal judge has entered final judgment against Apple and Broadcom after the California Institute of Technology's US$1.1 billion patent jury trial win, but held off on deciding Caltech's bid to double the damages until after the inevitable appeal in the case is concluded, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1298036/apple-broadcom-can-t-shake-caltech-s-1-1b-ip-jury-win?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="">The Apple Watch received a Calculator app as of watchOS 6. You can tap its icon on the Apple Watch screen to open it.</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,732,829) for “devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for providing control of a touch-based user interface absent physical touch capabilities.” The goal is to make it easier for folks with certain disabilities to use iPhone and iPads.</p>

<p class="">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, we’ll frequently offer a wrap-up of news items you should check out. First up: Apple has released the fourth developer betas of macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7.</p>

<p class="">The University of California, Los Angeles, is launching a three-year study to better understand how factors such as sleep, physical activity, heart rate and daily routines impact symptoms of depression and anxiety. Apple helped co-design the study, which uses Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/04/apple-ucla-to-study-depression.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has announced that Phil Schiller is becoming an Apple Fellow, continuing a career that began at Apple in 1987. In this role, which reports to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Schiller will continue to lead the App Store and Apple Events.</p>

<p class="">Apple has updated its 21-inch iMac and iMac Pro.The former will come standard with SSDs across the line for the first time. Customers can also choose to configure their 21.5-inch iMac with a Fusion Drive.</p>

<p class="">There’s no Apple Silicon, Face ID, or a new design, but Apple has announced a pretty substantial update to the 27-inch <a href="https://apple.com/imac/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iMac</a>. It features faster Intel processors up to 10 cores, double the memory capacity, next-generation AMD graphics, SSDs across the line with four times the storage capacity, a new nano-texture glass option for the Retina 5K display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, higher fidelity speakers, and studio-quality mics.</p>

<p class="">Oprah Winfrey has named <em>Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents</em> her most important Book Club selection ever. It’s <a href="http://apple.co/OBCCaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">now available</a> on Apple Books at US$14.99 for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and CarPlay.</p>

<p class="">Future Mac laptops may sport virtual, resizable, illuminated and trackpads as evidenced by a newly granted Apple patent (number 10,732,676) for an “illuminated device enclosure with dynamic trackpad.”</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,733,804) for a “method and system for representing a virtual object in view of a real environment.” It involves upcoming augmented reality (AR) and lighting features in iPhones, iPads, and, possibly, Macs and the rumored “Apple Glasses,” an AR head-mounted display.</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,735,569) for “electronic devices with convex displays.” It’s another patent that hints at an iPhone with a curved, wraparound display.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://www.canalys.com/newsroom/canalys-worldwide-tablet-pc-market-Q2-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worldwide tablet shipments hit 37.5 million units in quater two of 2020</a>, a 26% year-on-year increase, according to the Canalys research group. Apple’s iPad topped the market again and saw annual growth of 19.8%.</p>