Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple’s HomePod sales rose 45% in the fourth quarter, but its market share fell back to 4.1%, according to <a href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>. The firm’s latest research shows that quarter four (Q4) shipments grew 95% to 38.5 million units. </p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Future Apple Watches may be flexible and/or sport a magnetic wristband, according to two recently granted Apple patents.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">With services like Amazon, UPS, USPS ,and FedEx delivering thousands of products to front doors every day in this age of online shopping, lots of folks are getting ripped off by “porch pirates” — thieves who snatch and run with goodies they didn’t pay for.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">iOS 12 has some very useful keyboard shortcuts yet. They’re especially useful for iPad users who have a keyboard attached. </p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">A new report from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-executive-shake-up-readies-it-for-life-after-iphone-11550503767?mod=e2twd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a> notes that Apple is shaking up leadership and reordering priorities across its services, artificial intelligence, hardware and retail divisions as it works to reduce the company’s reliance on iPhone sales. If today’s <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/2/18/heres-my-take-on-todays-plethora-of-apple-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rumors are true</a>, it seems there could be a renewed focus on the Mac.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple says it will partner with Oakland, California-based non-profit organization Dream Corps to bring educational and workforce development opportunities to young adults with a goal of career placement in the tech sector.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">On Feb. 7, Apple released iOS 12.1.4, which offers a fix for the Group FaceTime glitch. However, there’s still a problem.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients — as noted by …. well, pretty much every website that covers Apple — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has made a plethora of predictions for products to be released this year. Here’s a round-up of them and the chances the Sellers Research Firm (that’s me) thinks they have of coming true.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">You can use your Apple Watch and watchOS 5 to control music on your iPhone, or you can enjoy music on your Apple Watch without the smartphone.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has hired Sam Jadallah, a former Microsoft vice president who previously ran a smart lock company that shut down about a year ago, reports <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/16/sam-jadallah-to-join-apple-as-its-new-head-of-home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em></a>. He’ll be leading the home initiates at the tech giant, the article — quoting unnamed “sources familiar with the matter — adds.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I’m an Apple Music subscriber and haven’t received one, but several sites are reporting that Apple has sent out an iOS push notification offering subscribers of the music streaming service the ability to give away one month of  to a friend or family member.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,206,024) for “remotely controlling a hearing device.” The goal is to be able to apply settings on a hearing aid device before placing it on your ear.</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 style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has announced the availability of NBA models of its <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUQ72LL/A/beats-studio3-wireless-headphones-nba-collection-lakers-purple" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones</a>. They’re available in six versions/colors and cost $349.95.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has agreed to acquire Pullstring, a San Francisco-based startup that enables the design and publishing of voice apps with the goal of helping Siri better compete with Siri, reports <a href="https://www.axios.com/apple-voice-app-pullstring-080b45b6-bbb4-466f-b60a-b87c932e2f57.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Axios</em></a>, quoting unnamed “multiple sources.”</p>