Dennis Sellers

<p class="">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 class="">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, we’ll frequently offer a wrap-up of news items you should check out. First up: as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>, Apple’s <a href="https://machinelearning.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Machine Learning Reseach</a> group has launched a new residency program inviting experts in various fields to apply their expertise to build new ML and AI-powered products and experiences.</p>

<p class="">According to <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/28/apple-to-pay-975m-to-settle-powerbeats2-class-action-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, Apple has settled a class action lawsuit claiming the company's Powerbeats2 wireless earphones contain a design defect that causes the device to stop retaining a charge. </p>

<p class="">Apple has filed for another patent (number 20200272240) for “motion and gesture input from a wearable device” that suggest future Apple Watches could respond to motions and gestures.</p>

<p class="">Prism Designs’ <a href="https://prismdesigns.com/#floatshelf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FLOAT Shelf </a>provides a wide platform on the back of Apple’s iMac for storing accessories or displaying collectibles, mementos, and other items.</p>

<p class="">The Wallet app in iOS 12 and 13 (and, presumably, the upcoming iOS 14) and watch OS allows you to store data from rewards cards, passes, and more, along with your Apple Pay info. Some passes automatically appear at the right time or place because they include information based on time or location.</p>

<p class=""><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-last-campfire/id973039644"><span style="text-decoration:underline">The Last Campfire </span></a>is this week's addition to <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Apple Arcade</span></a>, Apple’s US$4.99/month or $49.99/year game streaming service that has over 120 games,. It's available for the the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.</p>

<p class="">Production has resumed on Invasion, an upcoming science fiction series created and co-written by Simon Kinberg and David Well, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/08/simon-kinberg-david-weils-apple-series-invasion-return-to-production-sam-neill-shamier-anderson-among-5-cast-1203024701/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>.</p>

<p class="">Apple has released the third public beta of watchOS 7. It’s available on <a href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beta Software Program website</a>. Just remember that beta software, so proceed with care.</p>

<p class="">Future Apple Watches may be able to change the watchOS interface based on which “smart band” is attached.</p>

<p class="">Apple’s rumored “Apple Glasses” — an augmented reality (AR)/mixed reality (MR) head-mounted display — may have an adjustable lens systems, per a new patent filing (number 202000272022).</p>

<p class="">Changes in Spotlight Search on iOS and iPadOS 14 beta, a significant update to its Applebot support page, and an increase in crawling from AppleBot signify that Apple may be launching a search engine soon, according to <a href="https://www.coywolf.news/seo/apple-search-engine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coywolf and Jon Henshaw</a>, a site that covers new technologies, product updates, and more.</p>

<p class="">Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell, and Tesla have urged a federal judge to toss a proposed class action seeking to hold them accountable for using cobalt mined by young Congolese children in their lithium-ion batteries, telling the court they have no control over the mines, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1304511/apple-google-fight-blame-for-child-labor-in-cobalt-mines?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360 </a>(a subscription is required to read the entire article).</p>

<p class="">Apple looks to increase sales of its AirPods range this year by a third, but will still lose some market share, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-27/apple-ceding-wireless-earbuds-market-share-even-as-airpods-grow?sref=MRDu5QV3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p class="">If you want or need a palm rest for working with your Mac, the US$25 <a href="https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k2-walnut-wood-palm-rest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keychron K2 Walnut Wood Palm Rest</a> is an attractive one, though I wouldn’t mind if it were a bit slimmer (it’s 12.48 x 3.15 x 0.59 inches and weights 8.82 ounces.</p>