Dennis Sellers

<p class="">Apple has released the fourth public betas of macOS 10.15.4, iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, and tvOS 13.4 available. 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 is unfinished software, so proceed with care.</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients -- as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple has six mini-LED products in the pipeline that will debut in 2020 and 2021.</p>

<p class="">Apple has filed for another patent (number 10,579,099) for an "Apple Ring." The new patent filing is for an "expandable ring device” that could be used to control Macs or iPads, or work in tandem with an augmented reality head-mounted display (the rumored "Apple Glasses”).</p>

<p class="">Apple and Xiaomi were the only global smartphones vendors in the top five to achieve growth in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to <a href="http://www.gartner.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner</a>.</p>

<p class="">Shares in Apple surged 6.9% on Monday, helped by a broad Wall Street rebound and an upgraded rating from an analyst who said the iPhone maker’s stock had become oversold following last week’s rout related to fears about the new coronavirus. Monday’s bounce put the company’s stock on track for its largest one-day gain since December 2018, notes <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-stocks/apple-stock-rebounds-almost-7-to-head-for-strongest-day-since-2018-idUSKBN20P2RK" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has revealed the best Night mode photos shot on an iPhone. The winning images will be featured in a gallery on <a href="http://apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">apple.com</a>.</p>

<p class="">According to <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/apple-michelle-mendelovitz-svp-drama-20th-century-fox-tv-1203520847/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Variety</a>, Apple creative executive Michelle Mendelovitz is heading to 20th Century Fox Television to become the studio’s senior vice president of drama development. She most recently served as a creative exec developing scripted and documentary series for Apple TV Plus since 2018, overseeing “For All Mankind,” “Servant,” “Visible: Out on Television,” “Severance,” “Defending Jacob,” and “Invasion,” as well as Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry’s mental health documentary.</p>

<p class="">With the Coronavirus spreading to new countries, causing a halt in air travel, and impacting the stock market, it's clear that the situation is only escalating. Unfortunately, hackers often benefit and profit from public fear and anxiety, as they have been through Coronavirus-themed malware and phishing attacks.</p>

<p class="">Throughout March, Apple Stores worldwide will host a series of over 5,000 Today at Apple sessions titled “She Creates” to highlight inspiring female creators using photography, design, technology, business, music and film to address tough topics, explore new perspectives and empower their communities, says Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People.</p>

<p class="">Apple has agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle litigation accusing it of quietly slowing down older iPhones to induce owners to buy replacement phones or batteries, reports <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-apple-iphones-settlement/apple-to-pay-up-to-500-million-to-settle-u-s-lawsuit-over-slow-iphones-idUKKBN20P2D7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p class="">Housing Trust Silicon Valley – a nonprofit community loan fund that works to create a strong affordable housing market in the greater Bay Area – is launching the Apple Affordable Housing Fund, funded by an US$150 million grant to Housing Trust with the goal of building more affordable housing in the greater Bay Area.</p>

<p class="">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasts that iPhone production won’t improve much until the second quarter of the year due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak.</p>

<p class="">A <a href="https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute</a> (ASPI) says it has identified 27 factories in nine Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labour transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. It adds that several Chinese factories are making components for Apple or their suppliers using Uyghur labour and that "political indoctrination is a key part of their job assignments.”</p>

<p class="">Streaming platforms have changed the way Americans consume content, with viewership across traditional Pay TV as well as theaters dipping with each passing year, according to <a href="https://www.piplsay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Piplsay,</a> a “global platform for getting people’s opinions at scale.”</p>

<p class="">A newly granted Apple patent (number 10,572,072) for “depth-based touch detection” shows the company still has big plans for ARKit, the rumored “Apple Glasses," and augmented reality/virtual reality on its iOS, iPadOS, and perhaps macOS devices.</p>