Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Another day, another lawsuit. Apple has been hit with a new class action lawsuit alleging its deliberately misled buyers by using a 2x2 MIMO antenna array in the iPhone XR while knowing it was "inferior" and "defective" compared to the 4x4 MIMO setup in the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, reports <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/05/06/apple-facing-second-lawsuit-over-iphone-xrs-inferior-2x2-mimo-antennas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p class="">Darren Eastman, a former Apple engineer who’s suing the company over allegations that he wasn’t properly credited on key patents, has added an additional eight patents to his lawsuit, reports <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/06/apple_engineer_patent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Register.</a></p>

<p class="">The <a href="https://nfc-forum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NFC Forum</a>, the global standards and advocacy association for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, announced that its Board of Directors approved and adopted the <a href="https://nfc-forum.org/our-work/specification-releases/specifications/nfc-forum-technical-specifications/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wireless Charging Specification (WLC)</a> that makes it possible to wirelessly charge small, battery-powered consumer and IoT devices with a smartphone or other NFC charging device at a power transfer rate of up to one watt.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/06/airpods-pro-issue-crackling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> notes that Apple has now addressed potential issues that some AirPods Pro owners have experienced in two support documents which you can find <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211147" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. You can find details on the issues at the <a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Support Forum</a>.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://apple.news/ANDN2XMokSRm1A2YCxc0WsQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Variety </a>reports that the American Film Institute’s <a href="https://www.afi.com/movieclub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AFI Movie Club</a>, daily selections of favorite films new and old to watch during quarantine, is now available directly on the Apple TV app — thereby making it easier to stream the titles from the app or pay Apple to rent or buy the titles.</p>

<p class="">As Apple works toward making its iPhones even more water resistant, even waterproof, the company is also working on technology to make it easier to use the touch display when the smartphone is wet. A newly granted patent (number 10,642,418) is for "finger tracking in a wet environment.”</p>

<p class="">The Eve app — which works with all HomeKit-enabled apps from Eve -- has been upgrade to version 4.2 and is available at the Apple App Store. Also, the Eve Cam will start shipping later this month; go to <a href="http://www.evehome.com/eve-cam" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.evehome.com/eve-cam</a> for more info.</p>

<p class="">Cool Holdings, the parent company of Simply Mac (the largest Apple Premier Partner in the U.S.) announced that it’s begun to reopen and expand the hours of many of its Simply Mac retail stores that had been closed or had hours of operation curtailed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="">Apple has announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference virtually, beginning June 22, in the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-developer/id640199958/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Developer app</a> and on the <a href="https://developer.apple.com/wwdc20/">Apple Developer website</a> for free for all developers.</p>

<p class="">Huawei overtook Samsung to take the leading position in the Russian smartphone market in the second half of 2019, as consumers flocked to purchase the Chinese telecommunications firm’s affordable handsets. And Apple's iPhone continues to lose market share in the country.</p>

<p class="">Twenty-one of Australia’s 22 Apple Stores will reopen on May 7 at 10 a.m. (local time) following extended closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Apple's updated regional retail webpages. The exception is the Sydney store.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/05/04/apple-fights-us-government-intervention-in-iphone-copyright-case/#5263ae47681a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forbes</a> reports that Apple is fighting a Department of Justice intervention in its copyright suit against cybersecurity startup Corellium, according to recently unsealed court documents.</p>

<p class="">France says Apple is undermining its effort to fight COVID-19 by refusing to help make its iPhones more compatible with a planned “StopCovid” contact-tracing app, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-tech-idUSKBN22H0LX" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>. The catch is, per the Sellers Research Group (that's me) that French officials want the tech giant to ease up on its privacy-ensuring methods.</p>

<p class="">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,642,356) for a "wearable interactive user interface” that involves an "Apple Glove.”</p>

<p class="">There’s been talk of bendable or flexible iPhones and iPads. How about bendable Mac laptops? Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,642,318) that hints a a variety of flexible products.</p>