Dennis Sellers

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>The Banker</em> will finally arrive in March. Apple told Variety that it did its due diligence around the accusations and has announced theatrical and Apple TV+ release dates, reports <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/the-banker-release-apple-1203469575/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Variety. </a>Originally scheduled for January, the film was delayed after someone came forward with accusations of abuse at the hands of an executive producer of the film.  </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 10200022192) for “in-vehicle wireless communication" that hints at future features of CarPlay and how it interacts with an iPhone or Apple Watch.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple and Broadcom infringed several California Institute of Technology (Caltech) patents with Wi-Fi chips installed in roughly 1.5 billion iPhone, iPad, and MacBook devices sold over the last decade, the university's attorney told a California federal jury as the trial got underway Wednesday, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1234429/1-5b-apple-devices-infringed-caltech-patents-jury-told?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>(a subscription is required to read the entire article).</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20200019367) that shows the company is at least considering Mac laptops with touchscreens despite its constant denial that it plans such a device. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>Central Park</em>, a new animated Apple TV+ series will be showcased during the nine-day South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas from March 13-22, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sxsw-2020-judd-apatow-returns-king-staten-island-apple-tv-debuts-central-park-1269968" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Another day, another lawsuit. Apple and Servant director/executive producer M. Night Shyamalan have been hit with a lawsuit over claims that the Apple TV+ series <em>Servant </em>is a facsimile of Francesca Gergorini's 2013 film <em>The Truth About Emanuel,</em> <a href="https://www.cbr.com/servant-shyamalan-apple-copyright-infringement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports CBR</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has scooped up Xnor.ai, a Seattle startup specializing in low-power, edge-based artificial intelligence (AI) tools for $200 million, reports <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/exclusive-apple-acquires-xnor-ai-edge-ai-spin-paul-allens-ai2-price-200m-range/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GeekWire</a>. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has hired Lisa Ellman, a specialist in drone and aviation law and a partner at Hogen Lovells, as a Washington lobbyist, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-15/apple-taps-drone-specialist-to-lobby-washington-on-aviation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Here we go again. <em>The New York Times</em> reports that Apple CEO Cook has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/technology/apple-iphone-pensacola-shooting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">privately assembled</a> Apple is privately preparing for a legal fight with the Justice Department to defend encryption on its iPhones.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Element Case has released the <a href="https://www.elementcase.com/?s=Holster&post_type=product" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Holster case </a>, a $24.99 smartphone case that's compatible with several models of the iPhone.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">STM Goods has released the $99.96 <a href="https://www.stmgoods.com/product/dux-grip-ipad-7th-gen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dux Grip</a>, a case is designed for the seventh generation iPad.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,534,452) for a “highly portable media device,” which related to similar patents dating back to 2005. The idea seems to be an Apple-developed solid state drive gadget that holds photos, songs, movies, etc., and which can be used with Macs, iPads, and iPhones with limited storage. The patent also mentions an accompanying app for such a device.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,532,428) for “interlocking flexible segments formed from a rigid material” that hints at upcoming Mac laptops (and other Apple devices) with innovation unibody designs designed to reduce weight and manufacturing costs.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple is now selling the <a href="https://www.apple.com/mac-pro/?afid=p239%7C321564&cid=aos-us-aff-ir" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rack mountable Mac Pro</a> with pricing starting at $6499 (compared to $5,999 for the non-rackmountable model). </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients -- as noted by <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2020/01/14/iphone-12-lineup-up-to-6gb-ram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> -- BS analysts Timothy Arcuri and Munjal Shah say Apple plans to release one 5.4-inch, one 6.7-inch, and two 6.1-inch iPhone models this year. While the analysts expect all four iPhones to be equipped with OLED displays, they believe other features like camera specifications and RAM will vary by model. </p>