Dennis Sellers

<p class="">As you know, there's a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), putting doctors, nurses and extended care teams at risk for contracting COVID-19. At the same time, patients are under intense isolation and without their families — prompting leading medical associations like the American Medical Association to call for expedition in implementing telemedicine.</p>

<p class="">Apple is still hoping to make a deal for the rights to Pac-12 college sports content for its Apple TV+ streaming service, according to <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2020/04/20/Media/Pac12-digital-rights.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sports Business Daily</a>.</p>

<p class=""><a href="http://email.maxborgesagency.com/c/eJwVzUuOwyAQRdHVmCEqim8NGHSi9D7AFE4kYluGKJ3dtyO9yR08nRIJQc1VPCICAhhUSoNCkEreDF4vhsjSDYIFNxl4pr-8HQv3tPA6f-S8PcU9InlrClFmCroghECka63WYkJURrR4H2Pvk_6Z8Pfc3l5Lyo2__zPFEQuv66PLzq3x0U8p7Xvj93a0IsdW0keMmCwp73Kwzgcw2dOJZucgQS3qy4xYA2dlHVsgJvYh-0Q-VxecweJ0-QfBckU-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plugable</a>, a developer of USB devices, has launched the Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C Dual Display Docking Station.</p>

<p class="">Apple has notified several of its suppliers that it plans to make about 213 million iPhones in the 12 months through March 2021, up 4% from the same period a year ago, despite some suppliers' belief that orders could end up being significantly lower, according to <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Telecommunication/Apple-aims-to-increase-iPhone-output-by-4-through-March" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nikkei Asian Review</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has given us the Apple Watch. Will it give us an “Apple Ring”? The company has filed for a third patent (number 10,627,902) for such a device with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.</p>

<p class="">Apple’s planned iPad Pro with 5G support and a mini-LED screen has been pushed from a late 2020 release to 2021, according to a new Chinese-language report by <a href="https://udn.com/news/story/7240/4506755" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Daily News</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple announced that starting today, ore customers around the world can enjoy many of Apple Services. The App Store, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and iCloud are now available in 20 more countries, and Apple Music is available in 52 additional countries.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-20/france-says-apple-s-bluetooth-policy-is-blocking-virus-tracker">Bloomberg</a> reports that France is asking Apple to remove a technical obstacle in iOS that it says is delaying a government contract-tracking app designed to contain the COVID-19 spread.</p>

<p class="">Remaining contestants on <em>American Idol</em> will film their next performances and submit them on an iPhone with three episodes left in the season, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/04/american-idol-abc-fremantle-live-shows-1202911320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="">The rumor mill is off to a strong start this week. Let's round 'em up and see how likely they are to happen.</p>

<p class="">Apple and Google's plan to track the spread of COVID-19 by tracing the contacts of those with confirmed cases through Bluetooth technology on their cellphones got an early blessing on Friday from the U.K.'s privacy watchdog, while the American Civil Liberties Union said it was “cautiously optimistic,” according to <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1265000/apple-google-virus-tracing-gets-watchdog-s-early-blessing?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology&read_more=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a>.</p>

<p class="">Here’a blast from the past (posted Feb. 4, 2013) from a website I owned in the past, <em>Apple Daily Report</em>: With Intel purportedly planning to take on the cable/satellite industry, Apple may be feeling pressure to unveil its long-rumored Apple TV (assuming, of course, that the company actually plans an HDTV (the “iTV”?)— though I think it does).</p>

<p class="">Apple is looking into enhanced stopwatch and timer user interfaces for its various devices including the Apple Watch and iPhone as evidenced by a new patent filing (number 20200117329).</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>

<p class="">Logistics Victory Los Angeles is receiving a donation of 160,000 face shields from Apple. Donated through Apple’s Giving program, the face shields will assist in L.A.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>