MacRumors

Back in October, the developers behind email app BlueMail sued Apple, alleging that the "Hide My Email" feature of "Sign in with Apple" infringes on its patented technology. The complaint also accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior, including removing BlueMail from the Mac App Store.

Last week, after months of making little to no progress with Apple towards having its Mac app reinstated, BlueMail co-founders Ben Volach and Dan Volach penned an open letter to the developer community that encouraged any developers who feel that Apple has kicked them out of the App Store or otherwise treated them unfairly to reach out to them and share their stories.

Just days later, the BlueMail app has returned to the Mac App Store. In a press release, BlueMail parent company Blix said it has no intention of dropping its legal case against Apple, which it believes extends beyond the removal of BlueMail on the Mac App Store to the "suppression of its iOS app and the infringement of Blix's patented technology through 'Sign in with Apple.'"

"We're happy that users can once again get BlueMail through the Mac App Store, but we know this isn't the end. Our experience has shown that until the app review process includes effective checks and balances, Apple holds too much power over small developers." said Ben Volach, co-founder at Blix. "One solution could be to include external independent members and observers in Apple's App Review Board, just as a public company's Board of Directors represents its shareholders."

"When we wrote to Tim Cook in November, we heard back in hours. When we wrote to Apple's developer community, BlueMail was back on the App Store within a week," said Dan Volach, co-founder at Blix. "If you're out there too scared to come forward, let this be your proof that speaking out works. To Apple, we want to reiterate that all we want for developers is an opportunity to be treated fairly."

Update: Apple has shared the following statement with MacRumors, noting that BlueMail had "refused" its help and that the App Store Review Guidelines apply evenly to all developers:

Blix's mail app is currently available on the iOS App Store and they have a brand new communications app available on the Mac App Store. We have attempted on multiple occasions to assist them in getting their BlueMail app back on the Mac App Store. They have refused our help. The App Store has a uniform set of guidelines, equally applicable to all developers, that are meant to protect users. Blix is proposing to override basic data security protections which can expose users’ computers to malware that can harm their Macs and threaten their privacy.

Apple says Blix submitted a revised version of the BlueMail app late last week with an updated binary respecting Gatekeeper, leading to the app being reinstated on the Mac App Store on Monday. Apple says revised app submitted for review was different than what they previously submitted.

Apple Card users are now able to export their transaction data in an OFX file format for use with third-party financial apps such as Quicken and Mint, as noted by Kyle Seth Gray. The option shows up when a monthly statement is available.

The exporting feature first rolled out last month, but only with CSV file support.

How to Export and Download Apple Card Transactions

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap on Apple Card.
2. Tap on Card Balance.
3. Under Statements, tap on the statement you want to export.
4. Tap on Export Transactions and choose CSV or OFX.

Apple launched its credit card in the United States in August. Key features include color-coded spending summaries in the Wallet app, no fees beyond any applicable interest, and up to three percent cashback on purchases paid out daily.

To apply for an ‌Apple Card‌, simply open the Wallet app on an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen steps. The process takes just a few minutes, and if approved, your digital ‌Apple Card‌ will be ready for purchases immediately. A physical titanium-based Apple Card is also available for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.

Amazon and Best Buy have a collection of solid discounts across Apple's iPad lineup this week, including numerous lowest-ever prices on the iPad mini 5, iPad Pro, and 10.2-inch iPad. The deepest discounts can be found on the iPad Pro, with as much as $199 off Wi-Fi and cellular models.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Standouts in the sale include the 1TB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro for $1,349.99 ($199 off), the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi iPad at $249.00 ($80 off), and the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 5 at $349.99 ($49 off). While the majority of the sales below will be found at Amazon, Best Buy is also offering discounts to its customers not found on Amazon.

iPad mini 5

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $349.99, down from $399.00 ($49 off, lowest ever)
• 256GB, Wi-Fi - $499.99, down from $549.00 ($49 off, lowest ever)
• 64GB, Cellular - $509.00, down from $529.00 ($20 off, lowest ever)
• 256GB, Cellular - $638.00, down from $679.00 ($41 off, lowest ever)

iPad Air

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $459.00, down from $499.00 ($40 off)
• 64GB, Cellular - $579.00, down from $629.00 ($50 off)

10.2-Inch iPad

• 32GB, Wi-Fi - $249.00, down from $329.00 ($80 off, lowest ever)
• 128GB, Wi-Fi - $329.00, down from $429.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
• 32GB, Cellular - $379.99, down from $459.00 ($79 off, lowest ever)
• 128GB, Cellular - $459.99, down from $559.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)

iPad Pro

11-Inch

• 512GB, Wi-Fi - $999.99, down from $1,149.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Wi-Fi - $1,149.99, down from $1,349.00 ($199 off)
• 64GB, Cellular - $824.99, down from $949.00 ($124 off)
• 256GB, Cellular - $949.99, down from $1,099.00 ($149 off)
• 512GB, Cellular - $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Cellular - $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00 ($199 off)

12.9-Inch

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $874.99, down from $999.00 ($124 off)
• 512GB, Wi-Fi - $1,199.99, down from $1,349.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Wi-Fi - $1,349.99, down from $1,549.00 ($199 off, lowest ever)
• 512GB, Cellular - $1,349.99, down from $1,499.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Cellular - $1,499.99, down from $1,699.00 ($199 off, lowest ever)

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

As expected, U.S. federal judge Victor Marrero today approved T-Mobile's proposed $26 billion acquisition of Sprint, which would create a dominant third-largest carrier alongside AT&T and Verizon in the United States.

The FCC formally approved the merger in November 2019, but a group of state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit aiming to block it. The states argued that combining the two companies was not in the public's interest, claiming that it would reduce competition and lead to higher smartphone bills.

In his decision, however, Marrero concluded that "T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes," referring to AT&T and Verizon, and expressed optimism that the merged company would be able to continue this successful business strategy for the foreseeable future.

Following the decision, T-Mobile has announced that it is now working with Sprint on the final steps to complete their merger to create the "New T-Mobile," noting that the deal could close as early as April 2020.

T-Mobile added that it is committed to delivering the same or better rate plans at the same or better prices for at least three years, including 5G.

Apple is predicted to sell more than 100 million true wireless hearables in 2020 as it continues to dominate the global market, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.

In a report published today, Counterpoint said the global market size for true wireless hearables had beat expectations, growing 53 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to the same quarter the year previous.

In total, 51 million units were sold in the quarter, while 130 million were sold for the full year. The U.S. was the main driver for the quarter, growing 76 percent year on year and accounting for 35 percent of the global market. Seasonal promotions and Apple's launch of AirPods Pro at the end of October.

The launch of Apple's new AirPods Pro model in late October helped the company record steady 44% growth in 4Q19, with 6m units sold despite supply shortages. Apple's market share fell slightly to 41% QoQ as it attempted to keep up with swift overall market growth; market share for the full year reached 47%.

Looking at the year ahead for the true wireless hearables market, Counterpoint senior analyst Liz Lee said:

"We expect Apple to sell more than 100m true wireless hearables in 2020, including AirPods Pros, to maintain their comfortable lead in the market. The real competition will be for second place, especially in the premium market; Samsung, which sold 8m Galaxy Buds last year, will need further upgrades to those expected in the Galaxy Buds Plus, including noise cancellation and other advanced features and designs, in order to beat its rivals."

The upbeat figures come despite concerns that AirPods and ‌AirPods Pro‌ manufacturing could be impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, leading to greater supply shortages.

In a January investor note, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects Chinese company Goertek to begin assembly of ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the first half of the year. The addition of a second supplier alongside Luxshare Precision should help improve supply of the popular earphones, which continue to face multi-week shipping estimates on Apple.com.

Apple is rumored to be considering bundling AirPods with future iPhone models coming in 2020. Given the high price of AirPods, though, and their popularity as a standalone product, it seems unlikely that will happen.

Rumors suggest Apple plans to round out its audio wearable lineup with a set of high-end over-ear headphones, which, according to Kuo, are under development at Apple's Cupertino headquarters. Kuo did not provide any details about these headphones beyond claiming that they will support Bluetooth. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple-branded over-ear headphones were under development, but it is unclear if they were canceled, became the Beats Solo Pro, or otherwise.

Apple has joined the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, an open industry association whose mission is to develop and promote stronger authentication standards and help reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords.

Apple joins existing members Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and others in a common goal to secure online connections and support the adoption of the U2F authentication standard, which the alliance hosts.

Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) is an open standard that strengthens and simplifies two-factor authentication (2FA) using specialized USB or near-field communication (NFC) devices based on similar security technology found in smart cards. U2F security keys can be used as an additional method of two-step verification in online services that support the U2F protocol, such as Google, Dropbox, and Facebook.

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera browsers natively support U2F. With iOS 13.3, Apple's Safari also supports FIDO2-compliant physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey.

With Safari support, the YubiKey 5Ci is a useful tool that can be more convenient than software-based two-factor authentication because there's no need to enter a security code -- you simply plug it in to an iPhone or Mac (there's also a USB-C connector) to authenticate. Support for FIDO2-compliant USB security keys using WebAuthn was previously added to Safari 13 in macOS.

FIDO was founded in 2013 by a group including Lenovo and Paypal to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication. MacGeneration was first to spot Apple's logo added to the list of board members.

A judge overseeing a lawsuit aiming to stop the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is planning to rule in favor of allowing the deal to go forward, reports The New York Times.

The FCC formally approved the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint in November 2019, but attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit aiming to block it. The states argued that combining the two companies was not in the public's interest as it would reduce competition and lead to higher smartphone bills.

Final arguments in the antitrust suit took place last month, and sources that spoke to The New York Times said that none of the parties involved have read the judge's ruling yet, so there could be conditions or restrictions attached.

Both Sprint and T-Mobile are planning to make announcements related to the merger on Tuesday, as the lawsuit was the final roadblock preventing it from moving forward. If the judge does indeed rule in favor of Sprint and T-Mobile, the newly combined company will be known as T-Mobile and it will have 100 million customers.

The two companies have committed to building a nationwide 5G network covering 97 percent of the U.S. population in three years and 99 percent within six years. They have also promised not to raise their prices for three years following the merger's completion.

Under the terms of the deal, both T-Mobile and Sprint were required to sell some of their assets to Dish, as the FCC wants to see Dish become the fourth nationwide facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States.

Apple is rumored to be working on a low-cost iPhone that could launch within the next few months, and as with any new imminent ‌iPhone‌ launch, case makers are already scrambling to get cases ready for the new devices.

Case manufacturers often pre-design cases for new iPhones well in advance of when the devices launch, basing designs on rumors, leaked schematics, renders, and other details. Most often this information is accurate enough that these pre-designed cases fit well, and there's a lot of money in being one of the first companies to have a case available for a freshly released ‌iPhone‌.

With the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ rumored to be identical in design to the 4.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ ‌iPhone‌ 8, it's not much of a stretch for case makers to take advantage of this fact and offer cases for sale early.

Totallee, for example, has already launched pre-orders for an "iPhone SE 2" case, and sites like Alibaba and Amazon also have similar case listings. We can expect pre-sales of cases for the low-cost ‌iPhone‌ to pick up its launch date approaches.

Totallee and other case manufacturers do not have specific information on the new ‌iPhone‌ direct from Apple, and these early case designs (and the March release date details) are based on circulating rumors. Totallee says the cases will be available on March 24, but that's just the date that iPhone SE preorders began back in 2017 and a decent guess as to when an event could potentially be held.

The low-cost ‌iPhone‌, which has been referred to as the "‌iPhone SE‌ 2" due to its prospective $399 price point, is not expected to resemble the 2016 ‌iPhone SE‌ at all. Instead, rumors suggest it will be an updated ‌iPhone‌ 8.

The new ‌iPhone‌ will feature a 4.7-inch display, a single-lens rear camera, thick top and bottom bezels, and a Touch ID Home button. It is expected to come in space gray, silver, and red color options, and we're expecting 64 and 128GB storage capacities.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple could unveil the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ early in the year, perhaps in March. Apple does often hold an event in March, and if there are going to be new product announcements coming at a specific event, we could be hearing details soon.

YouTube is considering offering a feature that would let people sign up for subscription services from third-party entertainment companies through YouTube, reports The Information.

Such a feature would be similar to Apple TV Channels and the Amazon Channels option from Amazon, both of which allow users to sign up for paid video services through their Apple ID and Amazon accounts, respectively.

Apple in March 2019 unveiled a revamped Apple TV app with the ‌Apple TV‌ Channels option, which lets ‌Apple TV‌ owners sign up for services like CBS All Access, Starz, Showtime, Comedy Central Now, HBO, and more right in the TV app without having to open up another app. Amazon has offered a similar feature since 2015.

YouTube is said to be in talks with "several entertainment companies" about adding their services to YouTube, but the status of the talks is unknown at this time.

A subscription channel offering would add value to YouTube TV, YouTube's current streaming television service. YouTube TV, priced at $50 per month, offers live and on-demand cable access and has attracted two million subscribers.

It's unclear if the new subscription channel offering would be linked to YouTube TV specifically or would be a separate endeavor available to a broader range of YouTube users.

According to The Information, offering stand-alone subscriptions could help YouTube improve profit margins on YouTube TV as it would get a cut of sales on its platform. Apple and Amazon, for example, take a cut of 30 to 50 percent of subscription fees from their channel partners, a lucrative addition to their own streaming services.

Amazon's Echo speakers continue to be the most popular smart speakers in the United States, and will remain in the dominant spot through at least 2021, according to new smart speaker user estimates shared today by eMarketer (via TechCrunch).

An estimated 69.7 percent of U.S. smart speaker users will use an Amazon Echo product in 2020, a number that's down slightly from the estimated 72.9 percent of smart speaker owners who used an Echo in 2019. In 2021, Amazon is estimated to see another small drop in usage, with eMarketer suggesting 68.2 percent of smart speaker owners will use an Echo.

An estimated 31.7 percent of smart speaker owners will use a Google device in 2020, while 18.4 percent will use speakers in the Other category. In 2021, that number is expected to grow to 32 percent for Google and 18.8 percent for the Other category.

Since Amazon first introduced the Echo, it has built a convincing lead in the U.S. and continues to beat back challenges from top competitors," said Victoria Petrock, a principal analyst at eMarketer. "We had previously expected Google and Apple to make more inroads in this market, but Amazon has remained aggressive. By offering affordable devices and building out the number of Alexa skills, the company has maintained Echo's appeal," she added.

eMarketer expects the number of U.S. smart speaker owners to grow over the next several years, but ownership numbers will rise slowly. 28.9 percent of internet users also have a smart speaker, a number that will grow to 30.5 percent next year.

Though Apple's ‌HomePod‌ recently turned two, Apple has had some difficulty securing a foothold in the smart speaker market. Apple's ‌HomePod‌ was priced at $349 when it launched in February 2018, but Apple dropped the price to $299 in April 2019. Even at $299, the ‌HomePod‌ is significantly more expensive than Amazon's Echo lineup, which includes smart speakers at multiple price points. Amazon's lowest priced device, the Echo Dot, sells for $30 and sometimes dips even lower.

Apple was hoping that the superior sound of the ‌HomePod‌ would draw customers to pay extra for sound quality, but the more affordable prices of the Amazon Echo and Google Home have been more appealing to most consumers. Amazon doesn't have quite the same advantage in non-U.S. markets because it supports fewer non-English languages than other speakers like the Google Home, so that is an area where Apple could make inroads into the smart speaker market.

‌HomePod‌ rollout has been slow, though, with the device limited to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan

Apple is rumored to be working on a new, more affordable version of the ‌HomePod‌ with reduced tweeters, which could be released at some point in 2020. A lower price point will help the ‌HomePod‌ better compete with the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, but it will likely be difficult for Apple to catch up given the lead Amazon and Google have in the smart speaker market.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update to its public beta testing group, with the new public beta coming five days after the release of the first developer beta.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will be able to download the new ‌macOS Catalina‌ beta through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.

The macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update introduces Screen Time Communication Limits, a feature that was brought to the iPhone in the iOS 13.3 update. Screen Time Communication Limits allow parents to limit who their children contact and when communication apps are available.

The update also includes a new Head Pointer Accessibility option that allows the mouse cursor to be controlled with head movements using the Mac's built-in camera.

References to new AMD processors were discovered in the macOS 10.15.4 beta, leading to speculation that Apple is working on AMD-based Macs, but it's not clear if these references are simply for internal testing rather than evidence of an AMD Mac.

Though not directly related to ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.4, Apple is adding a new universal purchase option for macOS and iOS apps, which will allow Apple device users to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.

Now that we're close to Valentine's Day on February 14, many third-party Apple resellers and accessory companies have opened up notable discounts on Apple products and accessories this month. To keep track of all the sales and offers, we've accumulated each retailer's offer in this article, ranging on sales from useful portable battery packs to Bluetooth trackers and much more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Most of the sales tracked below will last through February 14, unless otherwise noted.

Tile

Tile has a few "Sweetheart Deals" this week, offering a 4-pack of Tile Mate or 4-pack of Tile Sticker Bluetooth trackers that you can share with your significant other. You can save up to $20 in this sale, with both tracker packs priced at $49.99.

• Tile Mate 4-pack - $49.99, down from $69.99
• Tile Sticker 4-pack - $49.99, down from $59.99

Twelve South

Twelve South is joining in on the Valentine's Day sales, offering special bundles that include two complimentary products at a discounted price. Be sure to visit Twelve South's website to shop for every bundle, and you can check the prices for each listed below.

• BookBook for iPhone + HiRise Wireless Charging Stand - $109.99, down from $149.99
• AirFly Duo + AirSnap - $63.99-$74.99, down from $84.99-$99.99
• TimePorter + PlugBug Duo - $79.99, down from $109.99
• PowerPic BOGO Free - $79.99, down from $159.99
• Journal products - 20 percent off

Pad & Quill

Pad & Quill's Valentine's Day sale is discounting a variety of iPhone cases, MacBook cases, iPad cases, Apple Watch bands, and more. These products have their discounts automatically applied, but you can add the code "Valentine" to get an additional 15 percent off during the event.

You can also use the code "BAGS20" for 20 percent off any leather bag.

HomePod

OWC has a solid sale going on for the HomePod this week, discounting the White speaker to $204.99, from $299.00. This is a brand-new HomePod in non-retail packaging, and with OWC's own 1-Year Fulfilled Limited Warranty.

You can also get the Space Gray HomePod for $207.99 during this sale.

Apple Watch Series 5

eBay has the current best price on the 40mm GPS Apple Watch Series 5, priced at $379.99, down from $399.00. While this isn't the lowest price we've ever seen this model of the Apple Watch, it is one of the best sales happening online right now for the new wearable.

You can get the Apple Watch in Space Gray Aluminum with a Black Sport Band or Gold Aluminum with a Pink Sand Sport Band. As of writing, Silver Aluminum options are out of stock, so visit eBay soon if you're interested.

Official iPhone 11 Cases

On Amazon this week, you can save on Apple's own official leather and silicone iPhone cases. Silicone cases start at around $30 for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, which is around $10 in savings.

Similarly, you can save about $10 on the leather cases for the latest iPhones, with many of these models priced around $40. Not every color option is on sale, and the new Smart Battery Case options are also not being discounted, but for everything else we've provided links below to find the case for your iPhone 11 model.

• iPhone 11 - silicone / clear
• iPhone 11 Pro - silicone / leather / clear
• iPhone 11 Pro Max - silicone / leather / clear

However, if you have an older model iPhone, you do have a chance to get a Smart Battery Case at a discount. Amazon has this accessory for the iPhone XR and iPhone XS at $99.99, down from $129.00. That's a lowest-ever price, and the best sale currently available online. The iPhone XS Max Smart Battery Case is on sale for $102.

Anker

On its own website, Anker is offering up to 30 percent off multi-colored 10,000 mAh capacity portable chargers. You can get the PowerCore Slim (classic finish) for $31.99, down from $41.99 in Arctic White, Terracotta Rose, Deep Sea Indigo, and Dark Olive.

Additionally, the PowerCore III (fabric finish) is available for $34.99, down from $49.99 in Sun Kissed Coral, Venetian Red, and Winter Sage. Anker noted that this sale has limited quantities and it will expire this Friday, February 14.

On Amazon, Anker also has a few solid power bank discounts happening this week, which we've listed below.

• PowerCore 10,000 mAh - $21.24, down from $25.99
• PowerCore 20,100 mAh - $38.24, down from $49.99
• PowerCore+ 26,800 mAh - $79.99, down from $99.99

Casetify

Casetify has its usual range of colorful iPhone cases on sale this Valentine's week. If you buy two cases, you'll get 20 percent off your order and free shipping by using the code "WITHLOVE". This sale only lasts today.

Beyond iPhone cases, Casetify also offers Apple Watch Bands, AirPods cases, Lightning cables, and wireless charging pads in its Valentine's sale.

Nimble

Nimble is selling a few limited edition 5-Day Portable Chargers for Valentine's Day, and they come with free engravings related to the holiday. You can get these for $89.95, down from $99.95. You can also get 20 percent off any two products with the promo code "VDAY".

Otherwise, Nimble also has a sale going on for its Upgrade Kits, which include portable chargers, cables, car chargers, and wall chargers, and start at $94.95, with savings reaching up to $54.80 off original prices.

Mophie

Mophie this week is discounting older models of the Juice Pack Air, including for the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, and XS Max. All of these models are on sale for $59.95, down from $99.95. If you use our exclusive promo code "MACRUMORS25", you can take an additional 25 percent off one item.

You can also get the 7.5W Wireless Charging Base for $19.95, down from $59.95, and the 10W Charge Stream Desk Stand is on sale for $29.95, down from $69.95. More accessories are marked down on Mophie's sale page, including screen protectors and power banks.

Harber London

Harber London is offering our readers a chance to take 15 percent off all Nomad organizers with the code "MACRNOMAD". These accessories offer space for you iPad, Apple Pencil, notebooks, cables, chargers, and more.

You can also save on Harber London with the retailer's sitewide Valentine's Day sale, which takes 20 percent off your order when you buy two items.

Other Valentine's Day Sales

• Adorama - Save on DualShock 4 controllers, Bose speakers, Fitbits, and more
• Bose - Save on headphones and speakers, with free shipping and free returns
• Harman Audio/JBL - Save on Bluetooth speakers, headphones, sound bars, and more
• Newegg - Save on laptops, gaming mice, and more

Head to our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more discounts on Apple products and related accessories.

Apple will not be able to get a rehearing in its ongoing patent battle with VirnetX to argue that the patents it is accused of infringing are invalid, reports Bloomberg.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today rejected Apple's request to reconsider a November ruling that confirmed Apple infringed on two VirnetX patents.

The patent dispute between VirnetX and Apple dates back to 2010 when VirnetX accused Apple's FaceTime feature of infringing on its intellectual property, and there are multiple lawsuits involved.

In this particular case, VirnetX was awarded $502.6 million in April 2018 after a court ruled that Apple's ‌FaceTime‌, iMessage, and VPN on Demand features infringed on four VirnetX patents related to communications security.

An appeals court later reexamined the ruling and determined that Apple had infringed on two VirnetX patents, but the other two counts were reversed in November 2019 and the $502.6 million award was vacated. The case was sent back to a lower court to determine whether revised damages can be calculated or if there will be a new damages trial, but the ruling was ultimately in favor of VirnetX.

At this time, with Apple's request for a rehearing on patent validity denied, Apple and VirnetX are awaiting details on the new damages Apple will be required to pay.

In a separate case, Apple was ordered to pay $440 million to VirnetX for similar patent infringement issues. Apple appealed that ruling multiple times as well, but an appeals court in January 2019 ruled in VirnetX's favor, leaving Apple responsible for a $440 million patent infringement fee.

Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.4 updates to its public beta testing group, a few days after releasing the updates for developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will be able to download the iOS/iPadOS 13.4 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

iOS and iPadOS 13.4 introduce some useful and notable new features and changes. There's a new Mail toolbar that separates the reply button from the delete button to make it harder to accidentally delete emails, there's a new "Shazam It" shortcut in the Shortcuts app for identifying songs, and some tweaks have been made to CarPlay controls for calls and third-party navigation apps.

The update includes support for iCloud Folder Sharing, a long-awaited iOS 13 feature. ‌iCloud‌ Folder Sharing allows iCloud Drive files to be shared with other people, making the folders accessible to multiple users.

There are a total of nine new Memoji/Animoji stickers that can be used wherever emoji can be used, and Apple has made minor changes to Location Services to appease app developers who want to encourage customers to turn on the "Always" option for Location Services for apps that need it.

Apple has added support for universal app purchases, which means developers can sell a single app across iOS, tvOS, and macOS. For apps that enable this feature, customers will be able to make one purchase and then download an app across all applicable platforms.

There are hints of a new "CarKey" API, which is designed to allow the iPhone or the Apple Watch to be used in lieu of a traditional car key in vehicles that support NFC.

For the iPad specifically, Apple has introduced new keyboard shortcuts for the Photos app for navigating between tabs, search, creating albums, deleting photos, and entering Edit mode, plus there's a new feature for hardware key remapping in iPadOS.

For a full rundown of everything that's new in iOS and iPadOS 13.4, make sure to check out our complete feature list.

Update: Apple has also seeded a new public beta of tvOS 13.4 for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 13.4 brings Family Sharing integration to the ‌Apple TV‌ app.

A report today from Motherboard highlights several email apps that sell anonymized or pseudonymised data collected from users' inboxes, including Edison Mail, Cleanfox, and Slice, adding that many users are unaware of this practice.

An excerpt from the report:

The popular Edison email app, which is in the top 100 productivity apps on the Apple app store, scrapes users' email inboxes and sells products based off that information to clients in the finance, travel, and e-Commerce sectors. The contents of Edison users' inboxes are of particular interest to companies who can buy the data to make better investment decisions, according to a J.P. Morgan document obtained by Motherboard.

Data obtained by Motherboard reveals what some of the information scraped from emails can look like, using Slice as an example:

A spreadsheet containing data from Rakuten's Slice, an app that scrapes a user's inbox so they can better track packages or get their money back once a product goes down in price, contains the item that an app user bought from a specific brand, what they paid, and an unique identification code for each buyer.

The report serves as a good reminder to review the privacy policies of apps that you use. Edison Mail is transparent about its data collection in its privacy policy, for example, noting that it uses "non-personal data such as seller, product and price extracted from information we collect" to help its Edison Trends business partners "aggregate and understand commerce trends."

Edison's privacy policy and support website also indicate that users can opt out of having their anonymized data shared with Edison Trends partners by navigating to Account > Settings > Manage Privacy in the app.

Most importantly, Edison Mail requires users to accept or decline Edison Trends data collection during initial setup of the app.

Edison emphasizes its transparency in its response to the report:

To keep our Edison Mail app free, and to protect your privacy by rejecting an advertising-based business model, our company Edison Software, measures e-commerce through a technology that automatically recognizes commercial emails and extracts anonymous purchase information from them. Our technology is designed to ignore personal and work email, which does not help us measure market trends.

Edison puts privacy first in everything we do as a company and that includes making our users aware of how we use their data in our products. You have complete control over how your information is used and we allow you to opt-out of data sharing in our research product, without impacting your app experience. We strive to be as transparent as possible about our business practices in our press communications, Edison Mail website, Edison Trends website, privacy policy, blog posts, on our app store pages, on social media, and of course, in our app itself. We do not participate in any ad targeting of our users and do not allow others to do ad targeting of our users.

To learn more, read Edison's lengthy blog post on its business model from last year.

Update: Cleanfox parent company Foxintelligence has also responded to the report:

Since the very creation of Foxintelligence, we have chosen to be even more demanding than what is required by the General Regulations on the Protection of Personal Data (GDPR):

- We have always been completely transparent on the business model of Cleanfox and Foxintelligence. Nothing is hidden in illegible pages like Privacy Policy or Terms of Use. On the contrary, the business model is clearly and simply indicated when the user gives us his consent.

- We are also committed to never resell the personal data of our users, not to participate in any advertising targeting device and not to cause any harm to our users. Foxintelligence creates and resells anonymized and aggregated statistics, like any survey institute does.

- We believe in a model in which the service is free and the user is not the product.