Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has filed for two patents involving the upcoming HomePod speaker system. Apple’s HomePod is expected to go on sale in December and cost $349. The device is just under seven inches tall and looks like a piece of furniture. It will be available in both space gray and white, and also acts as a hub for HomeKit devices to provide remote access to home automation.</p>

<p>With the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular), you can set up and use cellular, making the smartwatch a kind of “mini-iPhone.” You’ll be able to make calls, reply to messages, receive notifications, and more, with just your Apple Watch even when you aren't connected to your iPhone or Wi-Fi.</p>

<p>As Apple Pay gains popularity, and loyalty cards and receipts can be accessed from smartphones, it may be time to downsize the typical wallet. WaterField Designs’ <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/llzqge2" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spike Wallet </a>is an ultra-minimalist, all-leather case ideal for carrying the remaining bare essentials: driver’s license, transit card and a few bills.</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>Apple has issued <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/913497056374853634" rel="noopener noreferrer">a statement</a> to growing pressure to activate FM terrestrial radio features inside iPhones for <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/9/28/nab-wants-apple-to-implement-fm-radio-features-in-the-iphone-to-help-save-lives" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety reasons</a>. </p>

<p>Synology has launched the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.synology.com/products/DS418play" rel="noopener noreferrer">DiskStation DS418play</a>, a 4-bay NAS designed to server as a home multimedia center. It packs a dual-core 2GHz processor capable of “bursting” up to 2.5GHz. </p>

<p>Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, Irma swept across the Florida Keys and along the Gulf Coast, earthquakes struck Mexico and most recently in response to Hurricane Maria’s devastation throughout Puerto Rico, the Apple community has generated more than $13 million to help provide shelter, food, clean water and other emergency services in these communities.</p>

<p>Apple has released the first public betas iOS 11.1, macOS High Sierra 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1. The public betas are available on <a target="_blank" href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beta Software Program website</a>. Just remember that beta software, so proceed with care.</p>

<p>Tax cuts proposed by President Trump and the Republicans could be huge for tech companies such as Apple, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/27/trump-tax-cuts-could-be-big-for-apple-and-other-tech-companies/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Mercury News</em></a>.</p>

<p>Though the iPhone includes FM radio chips, Apple hasn’t activated the feature, which would allow the smartphones to listen to FM radio. According to some critics, this puts lives in danger.</p>

<p>Apple Music exec Jimmy Iovine tells <em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/7981590/apple-musics-long-game-why-jimmy-iovine-thinks-theyre-not-even-close-to-success" rel="noopener noreferrer">Billboard</a></em> that the streaming music service now has “well over” 30 million paid subscribers. That’s up from the 27 million announced at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June. </p>

<p>B-Eng has introduces Data Vault 1.0, a utility for automated encryption and decryption on any Mac. With its dual panel layout files can be dropped on the left panel to encrypt and on the right panel to decrypt. </p>

<p>Future iPhones and iPad could sport folded a folded lens system with three, four or five refractive lens as evidenced by new patent filings 20170276914, 20170276913, and 20170276912.</p>

<p>Toshiba has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/toshiba-signs-deal-to-sell-chip-unit-to-bain-apple-group-1506581351" rel="noopener noreferrer">signed</a> a $17.7 billion deal to sell its memory chip unit to a consortium led by Bain Capital. Apple is among the companies included in the group.</p>

<p>Vito Technology has launched Monster Park - Dino World, a fun augmented reality (AR) app for iOS 11. </p>