[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwHCGAr_OE] Google has put together its annual inspirational Year in Search video, and shared some of the trending searches across the year – with Apple making the charts for both the right and wrong reasons. On the plus side, Apple took the #1 slot in consumer electronics searches, with the iPhone 6 ahead of rival smartphones from Samsung, Google, Motorola, LG and Nokia. Apple was also the only company to make three of the top-ten searches, with the Apple Watch at #8 and iPad Air at #10 … The news was rather less encouraging in the top YouTube video searches, with #bendgate making ‘iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test’ the fifth most popular search....

Dobberpuhl isn’t alone. Other key PA Semi team members have left Apple, including one of PA Semi’s leading members, Mark Hayter…[Dobberpuhl] was the CEO at PA Semi and leader of the team, and one of the guys that was driving the whole thing…those guys are start-up kind of people, and within the structure of Apple, they may [have been] chafing.” Chafing. Ouch. On the hiring side, Apple picked up former Google product Manager RJ Pittman according to TechCrunch....

Apple is taking a page out of Spotify’s book and adding a new year-in-review feature to Apple Music. Starting today, you can access your Apple Music “Replay” playlist through Apple Music on the web and in the Music apps on iOS, iPadOS, and Mac. As first reported by TechCrunch, the new Replay feature provides users a playlist of their most listened to songs from 2019, as well as prior years dating all the way back to 2015....

It wasn’t long ago that the long-running dispute between Apple and wireless chipmaker Qualcomm looked like it might be settled out of court. Qualcomm had been using much softer language, and when the company asked a court for more time to reach a settlement, Apple backed the motion. Things got a little testier when Qualcomm accused Apple of stealing its source code, and then complained about the company’s mounting unpaid bill....

The Information is reporting that Apple is actively scouting out partnerships to increase the utility of the NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Right now, the chip can only be used for payments through Apple Pay as the API is not available to third-party developers. The Information says that the company is talking to potential partners about using the technology for things like building security, public transit tickets and more....

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple is actively in talks to launch a new person-to-person mobile payments service, like Apple Pay but for sending money between friends and family. Apple is in discussions with US banks to negotiate terms for the new service, which could launch next year. The publication says it is unclear if any deals have been struck to date and technical implementation details remain in flux....

Apple Legal plans legal action against Australia retailer, Woolworths, over use of a logo the computer company thinks is too similar to its own. Woolworths insists its logo is no more than a stylised W, but Apple plans a legal challenge all the same. How similar do the two logos appear to you? As part of the action, Apple Inc. will have to convince IP Australia, the Australian Federal Government agency that governs trademarks, to reject Woolworths’ trademark application, filed in August last year....

It’s been discovered today the OnePlus 8 Pro camera has a really neat (unintended?) trick up its sleeve: pseudo X-ray powers with its camera through certain types of plastic. And it turns out one of the coolest looks yet at the hidden feature is with the Apple TV. Ben Geskin shared some short videos on Twitter today showing off what the OnePlus 8 Pro camera with the Photochrom filter can do....

Apple has sent an email to app developers notifying them that over the next 36 hours several countries will see App Store prices change. Four markets will see price increases: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey. Developers will also now be able to choose from two new pricing tiers in some countries. Developers selling their apps in the South Korean App Store will see price increases to add a 10% value-added tax....

Bloomberg reports this evening that Apple’s manufacturing partner TSMC has started production of processors for the iPhones launching later this year. The chip will likely be called the A12… The report explains that the A12 will use a 7-nanometer design that is faster, smaller, and more efficient than the 10-nanometer chips Apple currently uses in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. The switch to a 7-nanometer processor will allow for improved performance, while also increasing efficiency and conserving internal space....

Warning: SPOILERS for Ant-Man #1 Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) has always been a down-on-his-luck superhero. He’s been to jail, his business ventures have failed, and both he and his daughter Cassie have watched each other die (fortunately, they got better). So, it’s not really surprising that his latest comic book finds Ant-Man basically homeless and living as a guest in an anthill with some six-legged friends. Only… Scott doesn’t have to live like a pauper....

If Apple does indeed report iPhone sales in line with analyst expectations of 66.5M units, the company could be closing in on the market share lead Samsung has held in the smartphone market since 2011, reports the WSJ. Research company Canalys notes that Apple’s anticipated growth in iPhone sales coincides with a dramatic drop in sales of Samsung smartphones. While that still leaves Samsung well ahead for now, it’s a trendline which could see Apple regain the lead it once held … Samsung’s share has been falling, hurt by lackluster sales of its flagship models and the rise of homegrown brands in fast-growing emerging markets....

Sponsored by DEVONthink 3: Manage documents the smart way on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple @ Work listeners get 10% off with this link. In this episode of the Apple @ Work podcast, Bradley is joined by Greg Keller from JumpCloud to discuss their new Zero-Touch implementation and why it’s a key part of the IT security strategy for remote and in-office employees. Links Apple’s Zero-Touch deployment technology is now available on JumpCloud’s MDM solution The Directory-Driven Magic Behind JumpCloud’s Zero-Touch Enrollment Connect with Bradley Twitter LinkedIn Listen and Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS

Today marked the beginning of the highly-anticipated Apple vs. Epic trial, and things kicked off with both companies presenting their opening statements. While Epic argued that Apple has built a monopolistic ecosystem surrounding the App Store and iPhone, Apple said that Epic fails to support its claims with any evidence. Epic’s Opening Statement Epic kicked things off today with its opening statement, focusing on painting Apple and the App Store as a monopolistic and anti-competitive ecosystem that fails to offer the benefits to consumers that Apple touts....

Apple this weekend has shared a new video as part of its Shot on iPhone “Experiments” series. This video, called “Fire & Ice,” was shot entirely with iPhone 11 Pro, and Apple has shared a short behind the scenes video to go along with it. The “Fire & Ice” video was shot on iPhone 11 Pro by Donghoon Jun and James Thornton of Incite and was commissioned by Apple. The video offers incredibly close-up looks at fire and ice in different forms and environments....

Mark Papermaster, who was released from Apple following the ‘Antennagate’ non-issue, has scooped up one of Apple’s chief CPU architects, Jim Keller. Keller is a pretty big deal at Apple, where his job is listed as the A4/A5 Designer & K8 Lead Architect. Keller, picture right in 2005 at PA Semi, came to Apple as part of the PA Semi acquisition in 2008, and he would have worked under Mark Papermaster during his tenure at Apple until Papermaster’s release in 2010....

Apple informed customers in Germany that push email on both MobileMe and iCloud services were disabled due to the company’s patent fight with handset maker Motorola Mobility. According to a support document Apple quietly published today, “Due to recent patent litigation by Motorola Mobility, iCloud and MobileMe users are currently unable to have iCloud and MobileMe email pushed to their iOS devices while located within the borders of Germany.” Push still works for Contacts, Calendars and other items and it is unaffected on OS X....

The new iPhone SE is available in a special PRODUCT(RED) variant, in addition to black and white. In conjunction with that, Apple says it will donate a portion of proceeds for iPhone SE (PRODUCT)RED purchases to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 response fund. Typically Apple donates a portion of PRODUCT(RED) proceeds to Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants. Tim Cook said last December that Apple has donated more than $220 million to the initiative since the inception of (RED) in 2006....

Apple announced on Thursday that it will broadcast this year’s iPhone event live for Safari and Apple TV users, and today Apple TV has revived the dedicated Apple Events channel for viewing the announcement live during the event. The channel usually remains for a short time after the event for on-demand viewing. As always, we’ll be sharing major announcements from Apple’s event for those who cannot view the live stream throughout the event....

Apple is the world’s most valuable brand in the post-recession world, says the latest 2011 Top 100 ranking of global brands by BrandZ, a Millward Brown subsidiary of advertising company WPP. The iPhone maker, which last year ranked third, knocked Google, the world’s most valuable brand in 2010. Apple emerged ahead other top brands from a variety of industries such as computers, automotive, telcos, banks and clothing, to name just a few....