Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a rumor that Apple will release a new Mac mini this year. I hope it’s true. And I have an idea that might spur sales of the tiny Mac and the iPad Pro: let us use the tablet as a screen for the Mac mini. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have a newish Mac laptop — particularly the 12-inch MacBook Pro — you know there’s a dearth of slots. Kingston’s $79.99 <a href="https://www.kingstongo.com/us/hub/nucleum-usb-type-c-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nucleum</a> is a 7-in-1 USB hub that can help overcome this limitation.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Has this ever happened to you: you see the trailer for an insane new game. You know you want it, but you have this very important question to answer first: can my Mac run it?</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On a regular basis, <em>Apple World Today</em> posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are this week’s picks.</p>

<p>Storage space doesn’t come cheap on Apple devices. For example, a 64GB version of the upcoming iPhone X costs $999; a 256GB model is $1,149. Pricing for a 64GB iPad Pro (10.5 inches) starts at $649; the price of a 512GB model starts at $999.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has added banners to the iTunes Store, Mac App Store, and Apple App Store for iOS allowing you to donate to the American Red Cross to support those who have been affected by the fires raging in Northern California. You can can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200, 100% of which goes to the Red Cross. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted another patent (number 20180217639) for a “foldable for and display for an electronic device” that hints at a “foldable” or “bendable” iPhone in the future.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Celemony’s <a href="http://www.celemony.com/en/melodyne/what-is-melodyne" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Melodyne</a> a macOS compatible app that makes it easy to work with audio files in a variety of ways.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple’s HomePod now has an installed base of 6%, or about three million, according to the latest estimates by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP)— as noted by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/02/apples-homepod-seizes-small-but-meaningful-portion-of-us-smart-speaker-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The worldwide tablet market declined 13.5% during the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) as global shipments fell to 33 million, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) <a href="http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=81" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker</a>. Only Apple and China-based Huawei bucked the trend.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Feral Interactive has announced that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, a humorous brick-based adventure set in the Marvel Universe, is out now on macOS (10.13.5 or higher).</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for another patent (number 20180218859) for a “device having an integrated interface system” that hints at, among other things, a Mac laptop with a virtual keyboard. Another is patent number <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/5/25/apple-patent-filing-hints-at-a-a-mac-laptop-with-a-virtual-keyboard?rq=virtual%20keyboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">20170147087</a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180220542) for a “compact media player.” Even though it’s a continuation and update of patents going back to 2009, I’m not sure what the tech giant is working on here.</p>