Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,184,586) for “self-energizing sealing mechanisms” with the goal of making iPhones and Apple Watches even more water-resistant.</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;">In an <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/01/share-your-best-photos-shot-on-iphone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration:underline">updated press release</span></a>, Apple says it will pay the photographers who win the “Shot on iPhone” contest <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/1/22/apple-launches-shot-on-iphone-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced earlier this week</a>. The contest celebrates “the most stunning photographs” captured on an Apple smartphone.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.addigy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Addigy </a>— which makes a management web app and platform for Macs and iOS devices — will hold its 2019 partner summit in Miami, Florida, from March 6-8. </p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple REALLY wants you to buy one of its new smartphones. It’s updated <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">its website</a> to promote a monthly payment option for iPhone Xr and iPhone Xs trade-ups in the U.S. </p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Russian certification agency Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has certified new iPad models. Some of these could be variants of the rumored iPad mini 5 and two entry-level iPads with a 9.7-inch display, according to a <a href="https://www.mysmartprice.com/gear/apple-new-ipads-eec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MySmartPrice report</em></a> .</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">According to the latest research from <a href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics,</a> China smartphone shipments tumbled 11% annually to reach 108 million units in the fourth quarter of 2018. Huawei was the star performer, while Apple and Xiaomi lost ground, per the research group.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Yesterday, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=dJi0dzqeFLbywCovojwS_0QMrDnMRrnSkbYcXpUvCz1K4js3l1ITu4KH-OjCqdCx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Jamf</span></a>, which specializes in Apple management solutions, <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2019/1/24/jamf-further-expands-into-identity-authentication-with-jamf-connect-integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that it’s further expanding into identity authentication and security with <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=FtzWrx6FL7qmK6dkwdTwkGheoeaOxzehhPtXmVQG3Sc6usvPMhMYcIpJ9pgtf7KSA9PsZPZsI7-Y0ulI4nN3UKZ-Yc2dOZWDLroIWUAa91w=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Jamf Connect</span></a>’s integrations with cloud-based identity providers such as Microsoft <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=yZgUBI1c0yGH4G8W-dpZkD6jMeXCO5ub1azLIcGtkRmayk4wfbnAOAzO_fxwI2gnQHs77B69B-AgPdllhmkyttDMJu6ct3ST0h4HOhWc9QA=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Azure Active Directory</span></a>. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">WaterField Designs has introduced the Sutter Slim Backpack, a backpack for professionals that provides padded MacBook Pro and iPad compartments and balanced pockets to carry office essentials.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has restocked its online clearance store with iPhone SE models. I’ll continue my prediction that this means we’ll see an iPhone SE 2 introduced this year.</p>

<p style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Another day, another lawsuit. Rembrandt Wireless Technologies, Pennsylvania-based business technology company, is suing Apple for patent infringement involving the underlying technology used for Bluetooth, reports <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/01/24/apple-sued-over-bluetooth-communications-in-devices-going-back-to-iphone-3gs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has released analysis of the results from its research on Apple for the fiscal quarter that ended Dec. 29, 2018. The research group found that the iPhone Xs and Xs Max models combined accounted for 26% of U.S. iPhone sales in Apple’s first fiscal quarter. The iPhone Xr, though not released until Oct. 26, 2018, accounted for 39% of sales for the entire quarter.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Tired of the irritating beeping noise when your carbon monoxide detector’s battery is low? Soon that could be a thing of the past with your iPhone and/or Apple Watch detecting and alerting you to dangerous gases.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-24/sonos-is-said-to-plan-headphones-in-move-outside-the-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>'s Mark Gurman has reiterated that Apple is planning its own over-ear headphones for as early as the second half of this year. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Personally, I prefer Apple’s iWork products (Pages, Numbers, Keynote), but  for those who feel otherwise, Office 365 is available for the first time on the Mac App Store, making it easy to download Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and other Microsoft apps. </p>