Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Maxim Group <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/30/apple-gets-downgraded-on-concern-services-focus-wont-deliver-big-profits.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has downgraded</a> Apple from “buy” to “hold” and lowered the price target from $204 to $200, a 6% upside to yesterday’s close. Nehal Chokshi — an analyst at at the investment banking firm, cites concerns about the services business and subscriptions.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.tune.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TUNE</a>, which specializes in marketing measurement, has unveiled new measurement capabilities based on a new integration with the Apple Search Ads Attribution API (application programming interface). The update enables marketers to accurately measure the difference between a new and returning app customer, according to TUNE CEO Peter Hamilton.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">iPhone volumes are expected to grow 2.6% in 2018 to 221 million in total, according to <a href="http://www.idc.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDC</a>. The research group is predicting that Apple smartphones will grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate of 2.4%, reaching volumes of 242 million by 2022. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has issued a warning to Apple after it "likely" misled customers over their replacement rights, according to <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12061162" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The New Zealand Herald</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In a note to clients GBH Insights says it <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/05/30/2018-iphone-sales-forecast-gbh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expects</a> Apple’s 2018 iPhones to sell up to 350 million units in the next 12 to 18 months.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,986,419) for “social reminders.” It involves techniques for providing reminders based on social interactions between users of devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Kensington’s SmartFit Laptop Risers can help improve user productivity and comfort levels for users of MacBook Pros, 12-inch MacBooks, or MacBook Airs who often use the laptops as “desktops.” </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The last Total War game released on macOS was Total War: Warhammer, an exquisite game with impressive real-time battles and deep turn-based campaigns. So exquisite, it easily earned a spot among the <a href="https://www.macgamerhq.com/guides/best-mac-strategy-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Best Strategy games for Mac</a>.</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 today's picks.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has updated iTunes for macOS and Windows to version 12.7.5. According to the company’s note, the upgrade offers “app and performance improvements.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has released watchOS 4.3.1 for the Apple Watch, and tvOS 11.4 for the Apple TV. </p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bingeing on Netflix boxsets, sharing stories on Facebook and downloading content from Apple's iTunes have contributed to a record year of brand value growth in the 2018 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking released today by <a href="http://www.wpp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WPP</a> and <a href="http://www.millwardbrown.com/brandz/top-global-brands" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kantar Millward Brown</a>. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Elgato’s portable LED lamp Eve Flare and the smart water controller Eve Aqua will be available beginning Monday, June 25, with pre-orders starting immediately. They’re HomeKit enabled, wireless, water-resistant, and accessible from an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Siri.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple’s HomePod wireless speaker now delivers an even more immersive listening experience throughout the home with support for HomePod stereo pairs and a new multi-room audio system in iOS 11.4. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted another patent (number 9,983630) for an electronic device with a wraparound display. The most likely candidate for such a device is, of course, the iPhone, but it could also apply, at least in part, to Macs and iPads.</p>