Dennis Sellers

<p>A widely quoted <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/how-apple-alienated-mac-loyalists">Bloomberg report</a>, quoting unnamed “people familiar with Apple’s inner workings,” says the “Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company's software team.” I don’t know if this is true or not. For all I know, Apple’s design guru may spend 25 hours a day thinking of ways to make better Macs.</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. Nokia is <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/pr/16699635-nokia-sues-apple-europe-us-infringement-nokia-patents">suing Apple</a> in Germany and the U.S. for (what else?) patent infringement.</p>

<p>Pyle has introduced its <a href="https://www.pyleusa.com/wifi-bluetooth-soundbar-wireless-music-streaming-surround-sound-speaker-system-usb-sd-mp3-readers-fm-radio-300-watt.html">Wi-Fi Bluetooth Sound Bar</a>, which features one 5.25-inch woofer, two 3-inch full range speakers and two 1-inch tweeters. The built-in FM stereo features autosearch functionality and 20 presets for easy access to your favorite tunes.</p>

<p>Super Mario Run is already half way to projected first month download and revenue totals, according to Sensor Tower <a href="https://sensortower.com/solutions/store0intelligence">Store Intelligence</a> data. The game surpassed 25 million worldwide downloads in its four-day opening weekend of Dec. 15-18, while earning more than $21 million in global gross revenue during this same period. </p>

<p>Apple has released new versions of its router software: 7.6.8 for the 802.11n AirPort Extreme, and 7.7.8 for the 802.11ac AirPort Extreme. According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes an issue where the routers would not respond to the AirPort Utility when "Back to My Mac" is enabled. There are also security fixes.</p>

<p>River Design's Sparkle is a handy website builder for those who prefer to do things visually. The app translates any text and graphic layout to HTML and provides Mac users with a fun way to build websites visually. </p>

<p>If you’re looking for a rugged, wireless, portable (2.9 x 6.8 x 2.3 inches and weighing about a pound) speaker that packs good sound for its size, give a listen to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gosoundcast.com/products/vg1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Soundcast VG1</a>. It’s a Bluetooth speaker that’s shock absorbing and waterproof, so it’s ready to hit the road, sit by the pool, or provide audio in your home office.</p>

<p>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>The third quarter of 2016 reflected a solid performance for business smartphones, but the business tablet market continued to suffer, due to market saturation and lengthening product lifecycles, according to the Strategy Analytics research group.</p>

<p>FINsix has announced the DART-C, which it says is the world’s smallest charger for USB-C laptops such as the 12-inch MacBook and 2016 MacBook Pros. It’s a 65-watt laptop charger that’s up to four times smaller and lighter than a traditional A/C adapter. </p>

<p>The gang at iFixIt, which tears apart tech products and looks at their innards, has torn apart the new Apple AirPods. Here are the highlights:</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">The Mac has a great future. Apple is losing interest in the Mac. Jony Ive is bored with the Mac. A flurry of reports all claim differing states of the Mac.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKN62LL/A/lg-ultrafine-5k-display?fnode=8a">LG UltraFine 5K Display, </a>which Apple touts as the high-end external display to use with the new MacBook Pros, is finally available to order for US$974. Orders were initially estimated to ship in 3-5 business days, but that’s quickly slipping. </p>

<p>Apple is reportedly discussing with the Indian government the possibility of manufacturing its products in the country. In a November letter, the Cupertino, California-based comps y outlined its plans and sought financial incentives to move ahead, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-is-discussing-manufacturing-in-india-government-officials-say-1482217348?mod=wsj_nview_latest"><em>according to the Wall Street Journal</em></a>.</p>

<p>With the 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K seemingly on permanent delay, the most logical display available for owners of the 2016 MacBook Pros is the LG UltraFine 4K, which LG co-developed with Apple. It’s a decent monitor, but you’ll probably want to wait for the bigger display.</p>