Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What the ….? Mac ads from Apple? Well, it’s about time. As noted by<em> </em><a href="https://www.imore.com/behind-the-mac" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>iMore</em></a>, Apple is debuting a new campaign called "Behind the Mac.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A newly granted Apple patent (number 20180164882) offers the possibility of upcoming Macs with “adjustable reflective displays” that could offer features such as detecting head movement and gestures. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re interested in entry-level robotics — or, let’s be honest, just plain ol’  tech fun — UBTECH Robotics’ <a href="http://www.ubtrobot.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MeeBot Kit and Animal Add-On Kit</a>, are both available at <a href="http://apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple.com</a> and at select Apple stores. The interconnecting pieces can be built into any design imaginable and programmed to move in realistic life-like motions by people aged 8 to 88.  </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday, June 17, is Father’s Day. <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebates.com&esheet=51573382&newsitemid=20170613005511&lan=en-US&anchor=Ebates&index=1&md5=c7f9b693cbf51519f408ab9924a37f63">Ebates</a>, which specializes in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global Internet services company Rakuten, has announced the results of its 2017 Father’s Day survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults.</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 today's picks.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has updated Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for macOS and iOS. They’re available at, respectively, the Mac App Store and Apple App Store.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is teaming up with Ofo, a station-free bike share platform, for a new Apple Pay promo: use the company’s mobile payment service in the Ofo app — available at the Apple App Store — and get two free rides. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A deal is purportedly near for the rights to an animated movie as part of Apple’s upcoming slate of original video offerings. Quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter,” <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/apple-is-said-to-near-deal-for-animated-movie-in-hollywood-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg </em></a>reports that the tech giant is in talks with Cartoon Saloon.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=RwHMm766dwITaEu3qJngHp_LBUexQAeCCsZS3iBGOJ9pFP-ez4AxAJTJgyB126aP" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamf</a>, which specializes in Apple management solutions, is partnering with <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=D9IeEeeLt4ZWCAsr-fHSf75JsiExo76yUVW5FbaNh3sXM5Ef7OFBbmWiTBsO4fa_fJG4sePCeltIL7d6Q5Tfqw==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MATTER</a>, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to health around the world, to develop an Innovation Pod that will provide access to a variety of technologies, including iPads and digital curriculum – all within a completely customized shipping container. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Future iPhones could be “squeezable,” as Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180164166). In the patent filing, the tech giant says that input mechanisms  such as buttons, keys, and external input devices require a lot of space on an electronic device. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/technology/apple-bmw-mercedes-volkswagen-driverless-cars.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signed a deal with Volkswagen</a> to make self-driving cars after BMW and Mercedes-Benz reportedly rebuffed the tech giant's requests to hand over control of the data and design of the planned cars. A newly granted patent (number 20180164817) to Apple shows what <em>could</em> result from the collaboration.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is disabling an iPhone feature which has been used by law enforcement officials in pursuit of evidence to circumvent a phone’s security settings, the tech giant told <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1053573/apple-to-close-iphone-backdoor-used-by-law-enforcement?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has said it will once again make its own external monitors after having discontinuing its Thunderbolt Displays in 2016 (which was a bad idea). I wouldn’t consider making a MacBook Pro my main computer until this happens.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When <a href="http://fxhome.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FXHome's HitFilm</a> came to Final Cut Pro X and Motion, users rejoiced (well, at least I did). The all-in-one editing, 3D and VFX software is a handy tool to add to your video editing toolbox.</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 today's picks.</p>