Dennis Sellers

<p>Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has released analysis of the results of its research on mobile phone operating systems and brands for the calendar quarter that ended March 31, 2018. The research shows that, during this time period, Samsung accounted for 39% of US mobile phone activations in the third quarter. Apple had 31%, with LG next at 14%. All other brands accounted for 17% of activations.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youmail.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouMail</a>, a provider of free robocall blocking software and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.robocallindex.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouMail Robocall Index</a>, has released an analysis of the over 3.1 billion robocalls made in the U.S. in March, showing that iPhone users get more robocalls than Android users. </p>

<p>TD Ameritrade is launching Apple Business Chat support to deliver financial market updates, investor education, research and trading information to customers using the Messages app on iPhones and iPads. </p>

<p>People using their phones while driving is a major problem, but Apple’s “Do Not Disturb” iPhone feature is helping. With the feature, iOS 11 can “sense” when you might be driving and help keep you from being distracted by calls, texts, and notifications. </p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-faces-the-music-1524043801?mod=rss_Technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a> — Macquarie Capital analyst Ben Schahter estimates that Apple Music will average 40% annual growth over the next three years, making it the fastest-growing part of the company’s Services segment. </p>

<p>Apple may be close to announcing a follow-up to the iPhone SE, after the discovery of a regulatory filing by <a target="_blank" href="//consomac.fr/news-8433-presentation-imminente-pour-liphonese2.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Consomac</em></a> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/04/18/new-iphone-se-2-likely-exposed-by-european-regulatory-agency" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a> — that reveals details and images for unannounced mobile devices from the tech giant.</p>

<p>U.S. iPhone users spent 23% more on in-app purchases (IAP) and premium apps in 2017 than <a target="_blank" href="https://sensortower.com/blog/revenue-per-iphone-2016" rel="noopener noreferrer">the year before</a>, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data reveals. </p>

<p>Apple has filed for a patent (number 9,947,141) for a “method of image processing for an augmented reality application,” which hints at future plans for the company’s ARKit.</p>

<p>If you have both Apple and Samsung smartphones in your household, you’ll find a mophie’s <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mophie.com/shop/charge-stream-pad-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer">Charge Stream Pad+</a> handy. It’s a $59.95 wireless charging pad for Apple and Samsung Qi-enabled phones. </p>

<p>The Stacks feature of the Dock in macOS High Sierra can be a time-saver. The Dock is the bar of icons that sits at the bottom or side of your screen. It provides easy access to many of the apps that come with your Mac.</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>The EMEA [Europe, the Middle East, and Africa] mobile phone market saw smartphone volumes fall for a second year in 2017, but Apple gained ground, according to a new report from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.idc.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDC</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has removed Private Photos (Calculator%) from the the App Store, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pulls-private-photos-calculator-from-app-store-2018-4" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Business Insider</em></a>. It’s an app that poses as a calculator and allows users to hide secret photos and videos.</p>

<p>Some of us kept hoping that Apple wasn’t abandoning its AirPort line, but this seems to be the case. As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/04/17/airport-express-removed-from-home-app-in-latest-ios-114-beta" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>, AirPort Express is no longer showing up in the Home app for users on the latest iOS 11.4 beta, “casting doubt that it will be updated to use as an AirPlay 2 target.”</p>

<p>Apple has released a second public beta of iOS 11.4. Among other things, it includes AirPlay 2 support.</p>