Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple must be cooking up some interesting products in its secret labs. The company spending on research and development totaled $2.9 billion for the third fiscal quarter that ended on July 1, rising 15% year-over-year compared to a revenue gain of 7% for the same period, reports the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-expensive-game-of-catch-up-1502202741?mod=rss_Technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>. This brought the tech giant’s R&D spending to $11.2 billion for the previous 12 months — about 5% of the company’s revenue for the period.</p>

<p><em>Carpool Karaoke: The Series</em> is now available to Apple Music subscribers. It will welcome a different group of stars every Tuesday, with new episodes available exclusively to Apple Music subscribers in more than 100 countries. </p>

<p>Kantar <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/08/09/us-iphone-sales-ios-market-share-kantar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">says</a> the iPhone’s share of the U.S. smartphone market grew in the three months ending in May, but Apple still lags Samsung. Apple’s market share reached 34%, up 4.7 points from the same quarter in 2016. </p>

<p>I’ve long hoped for iMacs with even better speakers. Maybe I’ll get my wish as Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,729,992) for a “front loudspeaker directivity for surround sound systems.” The invention could also involve upcoming Apple stand-alone display that are expected in 2018.</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>Disney announced during its latest earnings report it intends to pull all its movies from Netflix and launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in 2019, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/08/disney-will-pull-its-movies-from-netflix-and-start-its-own-streaming-services.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a>. It also will launch an ESPN video streaming service in early 2018, including MLB, NHL and MLS content.</p>

<p>Along with the fourth public beta of <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/8/8/apple-releases-fourth-public-beta-of-ios-11" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS 11</a>, Apple has seeded the fourth macOS High Sierra and tvOS 11. The finished versions are due in the fall.</p>

<p>The U.S. International Trade Commission will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/08/us-to-review-qualcomms-complaints-about-apple-iphone-patents.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">investigate</a> Qualcomm’s patent infringement claims against Apple. The goal is to complete the investigation within 45 days.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/08/iphone-8-to-enter-mass-production-in-mid-sept-launch-alongside-iphone-7s-come-in-3-colors" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider </a>— KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the “iPhone” 8 will launch on the same day as the “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus,” though — as you could have guessed — quantities may be limited. The key points in his note:</p>

<p>Apple has released the fourth public beta of iOS 11. or iPhone and iPad users. The finished version is due this fall and will be a free software update. </p>

<p>Trai, an Indian telecom regulator, is accusing Apple of engaging in "data colonization" in India and being "anti-consumer" by not allowing customers to pass on details about pesky calls and unwanted messages to authorities as well as their mobile operators, reports the <a target="_blank" href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/trai-raps-apple-for-colonising-data-in-india-says-its-anti-customer/articleshow/59961674.cms" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Times of India</em></a>. </p>

<p>FileMaker, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, has launchedits <a target="_blank" href="http://www.filemaker.com/learning/custom-app-academy/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Custom App Academy</a> and FileMaker Developer Conference videos designed to help individuals learn to build custom apps using the FileMaker Platform. It includes video tutorials with step-by-step guidance tailored to the learner's level.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,729,596) for “content pods for streaming media services.” Per the patent info, a “content pod” would be assembled to contain personal content relevant to an end user (that’s you).</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,723,997) for an electronic device (that would almost certainly be the iPhone) — that “computes health data.”</p>

<p>Deadline’s looming. Breakfast at the desk. Lunch at the desk. Dinner at the desk. Coffee and a donut from the break room at the desk as you finish the proposal of whatever you’ve been working on all day long.</p>