Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Growth continued in the global wearables market during the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) as shipment volume reached 27.9 million units, up 5.5% from the previous year according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) <a href="http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=962" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker</a>. Apple maintained its position atop the wearables market with "market-beating growth and continued demand for its LTE-enabled Watch," adds the research group. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Nearly 28 million folks think that getting one of the new iPhones — expected to debut next week — is worth going into debt, according to the <a href="https://wallethub.com/free-credit-score/#survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 Credit Score & iPhone Survey</a> from WalletHub, a personal finance website.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://us.macally.com/products/xkeyled" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Macally XKEYLED</a> is a backlit, full-size USB keyboard designed specifically for a Mac running macOS 10.6 or higher. It doesn’t require any software; just plug it into a USB port (more on that in a moment) and you’re good to go.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the latest market share survey from <a href="http://netmarkeshare.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NetMarketShare,</a> the market share for Apple's macOS was up, in August but iOS was down last month.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">One of Apple’s vehicle testing self-driving hardware/software was involved in a fender bender on Aug. 24. According to the accident details — as noted by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MacRumors</em></a> — the vehicle in question was in autonomous mode at the time, and sustained moderate damage in the crash.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has announced an iPhone 8 Logic Board Replacement Program. The company says it’s determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 8 devices contain logic boards with a manufacturing defect. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,063,977) for “liquid expulsion from an orifice” that hints at more water resistant iPhones, though they wouldn’t be waterproof. </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;">A federal judge <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/30/apple-loses-bid-for-new-trial-in-virnetx-case-appeal-still-be-possible" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has denied</a> Apple’s motion for a new trial in a long-running patent case leveled by non-practicing entity VirnetX, a suit that left the tech giant owing $502.6 million. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Online privacy solutions company, eBlocker, has debuted the eBlocker 2, a next generation device that anonymizes a user’s online identity, blocks data collectors and tracking ads and helps prevent children from accessing inappropriate content by connecting it to the home router. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">tado°, which specializes in home climate management, launched its V3+ product generation, including the tado° Smart Thermostats, at at IFA Berlin, a trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. today.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As of Oct. 3, all new apps and app updates will require a privacy policy in order to be submitted for distribution on the Apple App Store or through TestFlight for beta testing purposes. <a href="https://developer.apple.com/testflight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TestFlight</a> is a free iOS app testing platform that’s part of iTunes Connect. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market with a 41% share. According to the latest research from <a href="http://www.counterpointresearch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint Research</a>, global smartwatch shipments grew 37% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2018.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The $99.99 <a href="https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-duo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HDHomeRun Connect Duo</a> is a good-if-not-quite great gadget for folks planning to cut that cable TV cord.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has applied for a patent (number 2018024296) for a “venue data framework.” It’s designed to help iPhone and Apple Watch users navigate venus such as theaters, stadiums, and other indoor locations.</p>