Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Tenet Partners, a brand innovation firm, has released its 2020 Top 100 Most Powerful Brands report, which ranks the strongest brands across 50 industries, including tech, food, retail, automotive and financial services</p>

<p class="">Worldwide smartwatch shipments reached 14.3 million units in quarter one of 2020, up 12% year on year, despite COVID-19, according to <a href="http://www.canalys.com/"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Canalys</span></a>. And hough Apple’s shipments fell 13%, its smartwatch platform remains the world’s largest and is growing steadily, adds the research group.</p>

<p class="">Cool Holdings, Inc. — the parent company of Simply Mac, the largest Apple Premier Partner in the U.S. — has reopened two more of its Simply Mac stores that had been closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai signaled they’re open to testifying to Congress as part of lawmakers’ ongoing antitrust probe into the tech industry, while Apple hasn’t yet “explicitly agreed” to send CEO Tim Cook, reports <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/16/apple-facebook-google-antitrust/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post</a>. (However, the Sellers Research Group —that’s me— says he will cooperate.)</p>

<p class="">The latest ruling in the ongoing Apple versus WiLAN legal battle sees Apple subject to a judgement including interest of US$109 million — “and it may still increase further,” notes <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/06/17/apple-on-the-hook-for-109-million-to-patent-aggregator-wilan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p class="">Christie Smith is stepping down as Apple’s vice president of diversity and inclusion, as noted by her <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christie-smith-a83a1210/?src=aff-lilpar&veh=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.10078_plc.Skimbit%20Ltd._pcrid.449670_learning&trk=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.10078_plc.Skimbit%20Ltd._pcrid.449670_learning&clickid=SiF3qDT2ixyOUNRwUx0Mo3chUkiy0AW1yXcs1M0&irgwc=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn account</a>.</p>

Several companies are offering special deals to celebrate Father’s Day, which is Sunday, June 21. Among them:Twelve South is offering...

<p class="">Apple has been granted yet another patent for “Apple Glasses,” its rumored augmented reality/virtual reality headset. This one (number 10,686,922) is for a “head-mounted display apparatus for retaining a portable electronic device with display.”</p>

<p class="">On the <a href="http://www.macvoices.com/macvoices-20156-randy-fredlund-of-vivid-pix-on-photo-correction-at-home-and-underwater/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new episode of MacVoices</a>, Randy Fredlund, co-founder of Vivid-Pix joins host Chuck Joiner to talk about their software products designed to help you improve your photos, no matter where they were taken.</p>

<p class="">Apple has posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notice </a>on its YouTube channel allowing followers to set a reminder to tune into YouTube for the Apple Special Event on Monday, June 22, at 10 a.m. (Pacific).</p>

<p class="">Eugene Krupnov, CEO at <a href="https://uj-labs.com/mail/l/0BfILPqsKF8926V763ljkEPIuQ/yFJFyoBRy763aK5zA763pXrtdw/763U892rTiDJT7TRqe6coMccsA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unclutter</a> and nine other developers have united to present a collection of efficient tools for Mac users. Called the "Back On Track" collection, it includes 10 apps offered at deep discounts.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/16/more-apple-retail-stores-reopening-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> reports that Apple will continue reopening more of its US retail stores this week with a mixture of appointment, curbside, storefront, and in-store service.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2831250-1&h=2346805253&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linksys.com%2Fus%2F&a=Linksys" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Linksys</a>, the connected home division within the Belkin International and Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) entity, has announced the newest addition to its WiFi 6 product portfolio – the US$149.99 Linksys <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2831250-1&h=2565471946&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linksys.com%2Fus%2Fp%2FP-MR7350%2F&a=MAX-STREAM+AX1800+Mesh+WiFi+6+Router+(MR7350)">MAX-STREAM AX1800 Mesh WiFi 6 Router (MR7350)</a>, delivering whole-home mesh technology, faster speeds, greater coverage and all the benefits of WiFi 6 at an affordable price, according to Kannan Vardarajan, director of product management at Linksys.</p>

<p class="">Apple has secured the international rights to Israel-Iran espionage thriller "Tehran," for Apple TV+, according to <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/06/apple-boards-tehran-1202960169/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro is a great, if pricey, accessory — see my <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2020/4/27/apples-magic-keyboard-gets-the-ipad-pro-much-closer-to-a-laptop-alternative?rq=Magic%20Keyboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">review here </a>— but one thing that’s missing is a good way to securely store an Apple Pencil.</p>