Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has acquired Akonia Holographics, a startup focused on making lenses for augmented reality glasses, the company confirmed to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-tech/apple-buys-startup-focused-on-lenses-for-ar-glasses-idUSKCN1LE2VS" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple will add 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models released in Mid 2012 to its <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vintage and obsolete products list</a> on Aug. 31, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers and obtained by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MacRumors</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">George Berry worked at Apple for almost six years, first as its senior manager of Video Operations and then of Global Media Services. He then jumped ship to Netflixand has now teamed up with producer Uri Singer to launch TaleFlick as its chief operating officer, reports <a href="https://www.cultofmac.com/572427/former-apple-video-exec-helps-connect-authors-with-filmmakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Cult of Mac</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A new <a href="https://loupventures.com/iphone-intent-to-upgrade-survey-suggests-slight-upside-to-street-numbers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">survey</a> of 530 U.S. consumers by Loup Ventures lineup found that 48% of current iPhone owners plan to upgrade in the next year. That compares to 25% when the survey was taken in June of 2017. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Some technologies, such as smartphone mirroring, are quickly adopted by new-vehicle owners, while other technologies can take decades to be fully embraced according to the J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">While the worldwide smartphone market is expected to decline again in 2018, IDC believes the market will experience low single-digit growth from 2019 through the end of its forecast in 2022. The International Data Corporation (<a href="http://www.idc.com/">IDC</a>) <a href="http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=37">Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker</a> forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments to decline 0.7% in 2018 to 1.455 billion units, down from 1.465 billion in 2017. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Let the Apple Car rumors continue. Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,059,179) for a vehicle sunroof dubbed “movable panels with nonlinear tracks.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Like convenience? Who doesn’t? And LEDVANCE’s HomeKit-enabled SYLVANIA Smart Multicolor A19 bulb is convenient because it can be easily controlled via Siri and Apple’s Home app without a separate hub.</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 released <a href="https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1974?locale=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update 2</a>. The company says it improves the stability and reliability of 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar computers, and is recommended for all users.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has released <a href="https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1975?locale=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">updated 7.8 firmware</a> for 2012 802.11n AirPort Express models. It adds adds AirPlay 2 support to 802.11n AirPort Express base stations even though the company is no longer building new models of the router.  </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/portable-solid-state-drives/s/_/n-10+11+hv22y+zq29n/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Samsung Electronics</a> has unveiled its first NVMe-based portable solid state drive (SSD): the Samsung Portable SSD X5 based on Thunderbolt 3 technology.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180828PD210.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes reports</a> that Apple suppliers are preparing to ship the most new smartphones ever in the fourth quarter of the year when new iPhones are released.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In the second quarter of 2018, Huawei surpassed Apple to secure the number two worldwide smartphone vendor position for the first time ever, according to <a href="http://www.gartner.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner, Inc</a>. Apple moved into the number three spot, adds the research group. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I know that Apple and design guru Jony Ive are obsessed with making products as thin as possible. I don’t think they’ll be satisfied until they make Macs, iPads, and iPhones as thin as a sheet of paper.</p>