Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Global sales of smartphones to end users declined 20.2% in the first quarter of 2020, according to Gartner, Inc. Like all other manufacturers, Apple was affected.</p>

<p class="">Theresa Kang-Lowe, a literary agent and partner at WME (an agency that specializes in entertainment, sports, and fashion, is leaving the agency to launch her own management/production company and is finalizing a multi-year overall deal with Apple TV+, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/06/theresa-kang-lowe-departs-wme-launch-management-company-deal-apple-1202948494/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has doubled the RAM upgrade price for its entry-level, 13-inch MacBook Pro. Or has it?</p>

<p class="">Apple has released a supplemental update (version 10.15.5) to macOS Catalina. To download it, go to System Preferences and click Software Updates.</p>

<p class="">Apple has released iOS 13.5.1, iPadOS 13.5.1, and watchOS 6.2.6.</p>

<p class="">In an email to Apple Card users about their statements, Apple says "we understand that the COVID-19 situation poses unique challenges for everyone and some customers may have difficulty making their monthly payments.”</p>

<p class="">I find this a bit hard to believe, but Microsoft has placed first in RESCUECOM's computer reliability report, followed by Lenovo in second place and Apple in third.</p>

<p class="">Apple is considering an US$330 million investment in a Taiwanese factory to manufacture both LED and microLED displays for future iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other devices, according to <a href="https://www.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_54352.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taiwan Sourcing Service Provider</a> (<em>CENS</em>). The article adds that the tech giant is teaming up on the new factory with LED producer Epistar and LCD panel maker AU Optronics.</p>

<p class="">Apple CEO Tim Cook in a memo to employees on Sunday addressed the killing of George Floyd, reports <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/31/apple-ceo-tim-cook-email-to-employees-about-george-floyd.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>. He condemned the killing and called for the creation of a “better, more just world for everyone.”</p>

<p class="">Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200166348) for “navigation system acquisition and use of cellular coverage map data.” The idea is to improve an iPhone’s ability to communicate with a vehicle’s navigation system to find the best route to a destination.</p>

<p class="">India’s government has dropped “contentious” clauses including the evaluation of plant and machinery to be brought from China and South Korea, which had been opposed mainly by Apple, paving the way for the tech giant and other companies to make a larger play in local production using the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, reports the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/india-paves-way-for-apple-others-to-increase-domestic-production-by-removing-a-clause/articleshow/76098501.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Economic Times</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has unveiled a first look at “Ted Lasso,” a new original comedy series from Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence, that will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, Aug. 14.</p>

<p class="">Apple failed to overturn a 10 million euro (approximately US$11.1 million) fine lived against it by the Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), Italy’s anti-trust agency, <a href="https://www.imore.com/apple-loses-appeal-italy-over-iphone-slow-down-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports iMore</a>.</p>

<p class="">Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted three new patents for a vehicle.</p>

<p class="">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 this week’s picks.</p>