Dennis Sellers

<p class="" 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 class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.counterpointresearch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint Research</a> estimates that 5G smartphone sales will exceed five million units in 2019 as carriers ramp their 5G networks and device portfolios. Global 5G smartphone sales will reach 22 million units, according to our estimates. Overall, the U.S. will lead the market in 5G smartphone sales, followed by China, adds the research group.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20190205028) for a “touch-based interactive learning environment” that involves <a href="http://www.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/">Swift Playgrounds</a>, a free iPad app to teach kids of any age basic coding skills in Swift.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">India’s plans to ease local sourcing rules in single brand retail to help companies such as Apple open their own retail stores in India, reports <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/budget-2019-india-to-ease-local-sourcing-norms-for-single-brand-retail-apple-benefits/articleshow/70087103.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Economic Times</em></a>, quoting various “analysts and sector watchers. The move is purportedly aimed at attracting higher foreign investment at a time when global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have slowed, but those coming into India have been robust. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Take this one with a grain of salt, but, according to <a href="https://udn.com/news/story/7240/3908557" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">China's</a> <em>Economic Daily News</em>, Jeff Lin, a researcher from <a href="https://technology.ihs.com/Biographies/527756/jeff-lin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IHS Markit</a>, says Apple is planning a foldable iPad with 5G that will debut in 2020.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients — as noted by <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/07/04/apple-may-switch-butterfly-keyboard-for-scissor-version-in-macbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em> </a>— analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will release a refreshed version of the MacBook Air later this year, switching out the controversial butterfly keyboard design for a more traditional scissor-based version.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to <a href="https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2019&no=487921" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pulse</a>, Apple Korea is offering remedial actions to the Korean antitrust authority regarding claims about dumping advertisement and marketing costs onto local mobile carriers.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has released the second macOS Catalina and tvOS 13 public betas for testing. The finished versions will arrive this fall, probably in September.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to <em>Vice</em>, China is forcing tourists to install text-stealing malware at its border. For iPhones, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7xgame/at-chinese-border-tourists-forced-to-install-a-text-stealing-piece-of-malware" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vice</a> reports that border officials appear to be using equipment to download data from iPhones.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Consumers spent an estimated $25.5 billion globally on Apple’s App Store during the first half of 2019, an increase of 13.2% year-over-year from $22.6 billion in the first and second quarters of 2018, according to a new report from <a href="http://www.sensortower.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sensor Tower</a>. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">A couple of years ago, elago released the W3 Stand, the first in the company’s “Classic Series” of Apple Watch cases. Now elgato has rolled out its fourth stand: the $13 <a href="http://bit.ly/W6-WH" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">W6 Stand</a>, which is designed to look like the classic iPod.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="http://email.maxborgesagency.com/c/eJwVTduugyAQ_Bp5JMttkQcemlb_Y5GlbUrVqI2nf39oMslkbpkcgwY1FfGMjQOgdsoAKJRK3sxlxOt1GG7D6IbRdBbe9JeW7c473XmevnJa3uIRtTUYABwBZzCE1iTtVTKlFCZOKGp8HMfamUunx4bzPOWL589v3qTYYuZ5fu5y51p529sRrWvlc9lqlseS6SuOSC4oj6l36HuwyQdnc0IEgpKVVrZVsprAW3S-L4kUtCz0pIktJ9P88A8x70W9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kenu</a>, a car mount brand for smartphones, has announced its first powerbank product: the $59.95 BingeBank, an all-in-one wireless charging powerbank complete with a kickstand and a nanosuction phone stand. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,341,553) for an “image capturing device with touch screen for adjusting camera settings.” The company continues to look for more ways to improve the photo/video abilities of its iPhone and iPad products.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/07/02/apple-switches-off-back-to-my-mac-remote-access-for-all-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider r</em>eports</a> that, as expected, Apple has not just removed Back to My Mac from the current Mojave and Catalina, it has disabled it for all versions of macOS.Currently, if you have an iCloud account, you can use Back to My Mac to connect to your other Macs over the Internet. You can use Screen Sharing to control the remote computer from anywhere you are connected to the Internet. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Nooo! <a href="https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/retail-real-estate/article/21075771/details-emerge-for-downtown-apple-store" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The NashvillePost</em> reports</a> that Apple plans to build a new retail store at Fifth + Broadway in downtown Nashville. But that’s not where a new store is needed most (at least in my selfish opinion).</p>