Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Apple has posted the first public beta of watchOS 7. The public betas are available on <a href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beta Software Program website</a>. Just remember that beta software, so proceed with care.</p>

<p class="">The Russian Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) says Apple has limited competition in the market for iOS-based mobile apps and abused its dominant position with respect to the developers of parental control apps, reports the <a href="https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/69512/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interfax</a> international information group.</p>

<p class="">It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy: Apple CEO Tim Cook is now a billionaire, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-10/apple-s-cook-becomes-billionaire-via-the-less-traveled-ceo-route" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>'s Billionaires Index.</p>

<p class="">Apple ranks 12th in the annual <a href="https://fortune.com/global500/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fortune Global 500</a> list of the world's largest companies for profit, down one spot from last year.</p>

<p class="">Apple has imported clothes – likely shirts for retail store employees – from a company facing U.S. sanctions over forced labor at a subsidiary firm in China’s western Xinjiang region, reports <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/aug/10/apple-imported-clothes-from-xinjiang-firm-facing-us-forced-labour-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>.</p>

<p class="">New York’s Mass Transit Agency (MTA) wants Apple to come up with a better way for iPhone users to unlock their iPhones without taking off their masks, which are required to be worn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="">Foxconn's Zhengzhou main production area is looking to beef up its work force for production of the upcoming “iPhone 12,” <a href="https://view.inews.qq.com/w2/20200810A0O1MP00?tbkt=D&uid=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tencent Tech</a> reports, citing unnamed “industry chain sources.”</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumor</a>s — Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that, in a worst-case scenario, Apple's annual global iPhone shipments could decline by 25–30% if it is forced to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world. WeChat a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed by Tencent.</p>

<p class="">The HomePod offers news briefs from a variety of news sources to help keep you y up to date.</p>

<p class="">On July 24, headphone maker Koss sued Apple for patent infringement. Now, as reported by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/09/apple-returns-fire-in-koss-airpods-patent-infringement-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, Apple has returned the favor.</p>

<p class="">Apple is taking legal action against the developers of the meal planner and grocery list app "Prepear" due to its logo, according to <a href="https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/apple-legal-action-pear-logo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iPhone in Canada</a>.</p>

<p class="">Per a newly granted patent (number 10,734,708) future Apple Watches may have a wireless antenna array build into the display. The patent involves “antennas formed from conductive display layers.”</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1483071787?ls=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Game of Thrones: Tale of Crow</a>s is this week's addition to <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Arcade</a>, Apple’s US$4.99/month or $49.99/year game streaming service that has over 120 games,. It's available for the the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.</p>

<p class="">State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel65.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced </a>that the California Department of Education (CDE) is collaborating with Apple and T-Mobile to connect up to one million students in need as most schools across California expect to begin the next school year in distance learning.</p>

<p class="">Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1291746412779069440%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https://www.macrumors.com/2020/08/07/apple-donating-to-beirut-relief-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has tweeted </a>that the tech giant is donating to relief organizations that are helping with immediate needs and long-term support in Beirut following a devastating explosion.</p>