Apple Daily: Apple Watch Specialty Stores; Tim Cook Opposes Indiana's New Law; Apple Hasn't Talked with NBC

In today's Apple Daily, Apple CEO Tim Cook expresses his opposition to Indiana's controversial new law. In other news, NBCUniversal's absence from the "known" roster of channels for Apple's rumored online streaming TV service has nothing to do with negotiations gone wrong. Apparently there haven't been any negotiations to begin with. Also, Apple has officially announced when the three dedicated Apple Watch stores-within-stores will open.

Apple Announces Dedicated Apple Watch Store Openings for April 10

Apple Watch isn't just coming to Apple retail stores; depending on where you are, you can also find it in Apple specialty shops that focus exclusively on the device at high-end department store locations around the world. Apple has announced that the first three of these shops will open on April 10, just in time for the Cupertino company's official hands-on previews ahead of the device's official launch on April 24.

Specifically, the locations in questions are at Selfridges in London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris, and Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo. (Noticeably, an American location is absent from the list.) If customers wish to purchase another Apple product in addition to an Apple Watch, they'll have to get it from elsewhere.

While the design of these shops still largely remains a mystery, they'll almost certainly have dedicating viewing and presentation areas for buyers interested in the gold Apple Watch Edition, which is priced between $10,000 and $17,000.

Tim Cook Expresses Opposition to Indiana's 'Religious Freedom' Law

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a bill into law yesterday that will allow Indiana businesses to deny service to gay and lesbian customers for reasons of "religious freedom." Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced his opposition to the law in a series of tweets. The law itself will take effect on July 1.

"Apple is open for everyone," Cook said in a tweet this afternoon. "We are deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228."

In another tweet, Apple noted that "Around the world, we strive to treat every customer the same — regardless of where they come from, how they worship or who they love."

Cook, who came out as gay last October, has long been a vocal support of equal rights. In 2013 alone, for instance, he publicly expressed Apple's support for the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and a delivered a lecture on the subject to his alma mater Auburn University in Alabama.

Report: Apple Hasn't Even Contacted NBC About Rumored TV Service

When news of Apple's online TV streaming service first dropped, commentators assumed that NBCUniversal wasn't included in the initial channel lineup owing to complications surrounding Apple's long feud with Comcast. But according to a letter Comcast sent to the Federal Communications Commission (via Re/code), NBC Universal's currently not part of the deal because Apple hasn't contacted them. As in, at all.

The letter in question concerns another letter from "Stop Mega Comcast," which (as its name implies), is opposed to the merger of Comcast and Time-Warner that's been in talks for some time now. In response, Comcast attorney Francis Buono told the FCC: "Not only has NBCUniversal not 'withheld' programming from Apple's new venture, Apple has not even approached NBCUniversal with such a request."

According to Re/code, a clause in the contract for the merger of Comcast and NBC may allow Apple to force NBC to license content to Apple if Apple manages to get multiple contracts with the company's competitors. If that's true, Apple might just be biding its time before approaching NBC.

Follow this article's writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.