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News bites – the stories you may have missed

Plenty of Apple, iPhone, and iPad news gets released every single day – but we know you’re busy, so we’ve got your back. Here, we’ve picked out some of the most important stories from the past week or so and summarized them for easy digestion. You’re welcome.

Let’s take a quickfire look at some of the most interesting recent headlines of late. As ever, click through to read the full stories if you want to know more!

Wall Street Journal profiles Tim Cook

In a month in which Apple CEO Tim Cook has become a billionaire thanks to Apple’s rising share prices, the WSJ took a deep dive into Cook’s approach to leadership since he took the reins from Steve Jobs in 2011. In particular, it looks at how he’s more cautious and detail-oriented than his predecessor – but takes a surprisingly hands-off approach to design.

Apple objects to fruit-based logo trademark

Apple protects its brand image and its trademarks tightly, even (allegedly) to the point of bullying small business out of using fruit for a logo. Meal-planning app Prepear sought to trademark a green pear-shaped logo but has hit opposition from Apple. The app intends to fight on the grounds that the logo is clearly distinct and in a completely different line of business to Apple.

New York asks Apple to ‘solve’ Face ID with masks

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants Apple to come up with a way to unlock iPhones while wearing a mask, to stop those on public transport from lowering their masks. Apple added a feature in iOS 13.5 that skips Face ID and offers the password prompt instead when it detects a mask, but the MTA thinks more can be done. Exactly what that would entail without massively degrading its facial recognition security is anyone’s guess.

watchOS 7 now available for public beta test

As Gizmodo rightly notes, the latest Apple Watch update is perfect for the “dystopia” of 2020. It offers hand-washing countdowns, sleep-tracking features, and tracking for indoor workouts. The update won’t be officially released for another month or two, but if you’re interested in trying it early you can sign up for Apple’s beta testing program.