Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is almost assuredly working its own augmented reality/virtual reality headset, but it may have plenty of time to perfect the product. Consumers are becoming accustomed to AR technology on their smartphones through apps such as Snapchat and Pokémon GO. Yet AR headsets such as Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens remain a niche product with sales barely into the hundreds of thousands of units, according to new data from <a href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics.</a></p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is well known for its powerful advertising. Dating back to the 1984 Super Bowl ad, the Think Different campaign of the 1990s, and the Get a Mac campaign of the 2000s, the company’s ads have been hailed as revolutionary. But Apple’s most recent iPhone ads are a big departure in both tone and focus.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180225662) for “document importation into  secure element” that would allow you to use your iPhone in lieu of a traditional paper passport.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Verizon and Apple have announced an exclusive partnership, the first step of which brings Apple Music to Verizon’s wireless customers. Beginning Aug. 16, Verizon Unlimited customers can sign up for a special offer of six months of Apple Music free.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonnet Technologies has announced the Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock, the company's latest product in its line of Thunderbolt 3 expansion products. Compatible with both Mac and Windows systems, the slim desktop dock connects a user's multiple peripheral devices and links them to their computers through the included Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">At one point I thought that the perfect combination of Apple computing gear was a 5K iMac for most of my work and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro as my “back-up” Mac and laptop replacement for the few times I’m traveling. And, indeed, this does work most of the time, at least for me. But for a lot of folks the best set-up could easily be a new 15-inch MacBook Pro coupled with a 27-inch LG Ultrafine 5K display.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Imagine an iMac or a new Apple display with a base that provides inductive power charging for an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or AirPods. In other words, a Mac desktop with a built-in <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/6/21/apples-airpower-will-reportedly-debut-in-september-alongside-new-iphones?rq=AirPower" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AirPower.</a> Of course, the long-promised wireless charging pad has yet to see the light of day, but still….</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has scooped up the rights to create a new TV series based on Min Jin Lee's bestselling 2017 novel "Pachinko," according to <a href="https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/pachinko-min-jin-lee-apple-series-1202897821/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a>. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is taking a small step to make it easier for enterprises to move from Windows systems to Macs. As noted by <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3295858/apple-mac/apple-really-wants-your-next-pc-to-be-a-mac-and-the-timings-right.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Computerworld</em></a>, the challenge for Windows users upgrading to Macs has been in bringing all the data across to the new system. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Fantom Drives has announced the new G-Force 3.1 external flash storage suite for use with throughput intensive video and creative applications. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">WaterField Designs has introduced the <a href="https://www.sfbags.com/products/tech-folio-gear-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tech Folio</a>, a premium case to organize electronic accessories and a 10.5-inch iPad or similarly-sized tablet. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Current iMacs have really good speakers, but they could be better. A newly granted Apple patent (number 10,045,461) hints that the company is working on this by including built-in subwoofers with air cooling. </p>