Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20190012072) for “character recognition on a computing device” that shows the company is working on further improvements to the handwriting tech on iOS devices — and is even considering bringing it to macOS.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), LG was showcasing its  <a href="https://www.lg.com/us/laptops/lg-17Z990-RAAS8U1-ultra-slim-laptop"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ultralight $1700 17-inch Gram laptop</span></a> that, as I’ve noted previously, makes me long for a new 17-inch MacBook Pro. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As noted by <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/10/apple-maps-turn-by-turn-directions-now-available-in-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>9to5 Mac</em></a>, Apple has launched support for turn-by-turn directions in Apple Maps for India. Indian iPhone customers or tourists can now get precise routing throughout the country. Apple also launched support for ride-hailing apps Uber and Ola, so you can request rides from inside of Maps using the two biggest taxi app in India.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Globally, Gartner says Apple sold 18 million Macs during 2018. That’s down from 18.9 million in. That gives the Mac 6.9% share of the worldwide PC market compared to 7.2% in the year-ago period. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CompuCom, a subsidiary of Office Depot, has launched <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.compucom.com%2Fdaas-for-apple&esheet=51924128&newsitemid=20190110005442&lan=en-US&anchor=Device+as+a+Service+for+Apple&index=2&md5=e8cfd1761ad005f7a10b693633a15f89" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Device as a Service for Apple</a>, providing customers with managed services, consulting services and end-user support with Apple hardware for one fixed monthly fee.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for two more patents related to fabric, which makes me thing the tech giant is at least considering “smart” clothing and even “smart” furniture. iWear, anyone?</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m still dubious that Apple will release an automobile it makes itself. But if it does how about a Transformer-type vehicle. After all, Hyundai <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46794087" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">just debuted</span></a> a small model of a car, the Elevate, that can activate robotic legs to climb walls, jump over gaps and navigate rough terrain.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you travel a lot and need to power up a lot of gadgets, the Nekteck USB-IF Wall Charger is convenient. With 90W of power delivery, it offers fast charging and comes with a handy six-foot Type-C integrated cable with a new design that’s fully reversible. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Elgato has released the $150 <a href="https://www.elgato.com/thunderbolt-3-mini-dock" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock</a>, which features HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.1 Gen 1, and Gigabit Ethernet ports in a compact body.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Satechi has launched two Type-C PD Travel Chargers; the $69.99 <a href="https://satechi.net/products/75w-dual-type-c-pd-travel-charger" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger</span></a> (available now) and $29.99 <a href="https://satechi.net/products/30w-type-c-pd-travel-charger" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">30W Dual-Port Wall Charger</span></a> (due before the end of the month) are compatible with the latest USB-C tablets and smartphones.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Brilliant, maker of the Brilliant Home Control, a smart home controller that you swap out a light switch for, has announced integration with Apple’s HomeKit, allowing users to find and control any light connected to the Brilliant Control by voice using Siri or with the Apple Home app on any Apple device.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">OtterBox and PopSockets have announced the Otter + Pop Symmetry Series for the iPhone. OtterBox CEO Jim Parke says it combines the streamlined design of Symmetry Series with the versatility of a PopGrip to make iPhone easier to use than ever before. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The iPhone Xr has taken over the iPhone Xs in usage, according to <a href="https://mixpanel.com/trends/#report/iphone_Xs/from_date:-130,report_unit:day,to_date:0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">data from Mixpanel</a>. As of Tuesday, the iPhone Xs had 2.89% usage share, followed by 3.02% for the iPhone Xr and 3.65% for the iPhone Xs Max.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.scosche.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SCOSCHE Industries</a> has announced the BaseLynx system for keeping multiple and diverse devices charged and organized. It combines wireless charging expertise with a multi-device organizer. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In an interview with Jim Cramer at <a href="https://www.cnbc.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em>,</a> Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company is putting a “ton” of investment in Siri, which is being used on more than 500 million devices worldwide.</p>