Dennis Sellers

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has activated a "dormant software lock" on its latest iPhones to discourage battery replacements that aren't undertaken by Apple, according to a report last week by <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/apple-is-locking-batteries-to-iphones-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iFixit</a>. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,349,261) for a “networked media station,” which hints at an Apple NAS device/home server, something I’ve long wanted.</p>

<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;">Want a coffee/tea mug you can control with your iPhone? Then the <a href="https://ember.com/products/ember-ceramic-mug?variant=21637366284373" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ember Ceramic Mug</a> is for you.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Now that design guru Jony Ive is leaving Apple (though he’ll still be working with the company), I wonder if skeuomorphic design will return to the interfaces of Apple’s various operating systems.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Let the Apple car rumors roll on. The tech giant has been granted a second patent (number 10,343,634) for “extendable bumpers for vehicles.” The first was patent number 10,336,290.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has updated the MacBook Air, adding True Tone to its Retina display and lowering the price to $1,099 — or $999 for college students. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has reduced the price of SSD upgrades for all Macs. It’s about time as the company’s upgrade options have always been way overpriced.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2517838-1&h=1815655808&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instructure.com%2F&a=Instructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instructure</a> announced at its annual InstructureCon event that App Development with Swift curriculum is now available in <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2517838-1&h=1165400728&u=https%3A%2F%2Flor.instructure.com%2Fsearch&a=Canvas+Commons">Canvas Commons</a>. Swift is Apple's easy-to-learn programming language.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,347,050) for an “augmented reality device to warp images” that would help the visually impaired. It seems to involve a totally different device than the long-rumored augmented reality/virtual reality headset that’s dubbed “Apple Glasses.”</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for two new patents that hint at iPhones with wraparound displays. Patent number 10,345,860 is for, well, an “electronic device with wraparound display.” It involves a transparent housing and a flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a note to clients — as noted by<em> </em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/apples-2020-iphones-could-spark-sales-growth-jpmorgan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em></a>— JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee expects Apple’s 2020 iPhones to spur growth in unit sales, thanks to four new models, including a low-cost version and three models with 5G modems.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Production of a new iPad will begin in July, followed by mass production of a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the fourth quarter of this year, according to the <a href="https://money.udn.com/money/story/5607/3917786" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Economic Daily News</em></a>. </p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Other World Computing’s  <a href="https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/ENVPROC2N10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OWC Envoy Pro EX with USB-C</a> is one of the slickest  and sleekest solid state drive solutions around and a fine accessory for Macs with limited storage capacity. In other words, just about all of ‘em.</p>

<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Apple is celebrating the United States Women’s World Cup championship with a homepage takeover. Check it out at <a href="https://www.apple.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.apple.com</a>. But watch quickly; the tribute plays, then disappears.</p>