Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The tech industry dominated this year's <a href="http://brandfinance.com/images/upload/usa_500_2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brand Finance US 500</a>, an annual report on the world's most valuable American brands. Tech companies claimed five out of the top 10 spots and the industry accounts for $977 billion — about 30% — of the total brand value of the companies on the list.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has started commercial production of the iPhone 6s in India since last week at the Bengaluru facility of its Taiwan-based contract manufacturer Wistron, reports <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/after-se-made-in-india-iphone-6s-set-to-hit-a-store-near-you-soon/articleshow/64741606.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Economic Times</em></a>. The tech giant already makes iPhone SE models there.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple says its free Schoolwork app is now available for teachers, allowing them to  create assignments, collaborate one-on-one with students, tap into the power of apps for learning and view and understand student progress. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,009,852) for “cold temperature power throttling at a mobile computing device.” The goal is to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event on an iPhone in cold weather environments. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">iPhone users will soon be able to wirelessly charge their smartphones using an upcoming charging case for Apple's AirPods wireless earphones, according to <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Apple-to-unveil-iPhone-wireless-charging-with-AirPods" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Nikkei Asian Review</em></a>, quoting an unnamed “industry source familiar with the plan.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the folks at PITAKA, the $49.99 <a href="https://www.ipitaka.com/products/magcase-for-iphone-x?variant=900958912540" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MagCase for the iPhone X</a> is the world’s slimmest and strongest phone case ever made. It’s constructed of body armor material (aramid fiber), which is bullet-proof. Or so I’m told. Sorry, but I’m not going to test that feature.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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 style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Now that my Apple World Today compadre, Steve Sande, is transforming his daily news update podcast into <em>Tangible Tech</em>, Yours Truly will offer an end-of-the-day text-and-graphics only update of various Apple news items. Because, hey, Steve and I can’t cover everything!</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has released the first public beta versions of iOS 12, macOS Mojave, and tvOS 12, all of which it previewed at this month’s Worldwide Developer Conference.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is ramping up its audio accessory products for 2019, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod, and studio-quality over-ear headphones, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-25/apple-is-said-to-amplify-its-audio-device-strategy-in-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>, quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s a prediction that’s not going to happen: declining music downloads and compact disc sales could possibly be offset by a new physical music medium called a USB Music Card.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">StarTech has released two new additions to its line of Sit-Stand Workstations: a monitor arm that attaches to a desk and a wall-mounted desk. I’ve had a chance to test drive the $520 <a href="https://www.startech.com/display-mounting-ergonomics/sit-stand-workstations/sit-stand-dual-monitor-arm~ARMSTSCP2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sit-Stand Dual-Monitor Arm</a>, which lets you swing a workstation from left to right, up or down. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netbase.com%2F&esheet=51826317&newsitemid=20180625005555&lan=en-US&anchor=NetBase&index=1&md5=86f2adabf00819994db705e1eaedba75" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NetBase</a>, which specializes in enterprise social analytics, has released its 4th Annual NetBase Brand Passion Report: Top 100 Global Brand Love List. Apple places sixth on the list.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A Los Angeles jury began deliberations Friday a to decide whether Beats Electronics co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine owe $109 million in headphone-sale royalties to a businessman who claims he handed them the now-iconic product "on a silver platter" over a decade ago, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1056580/beats-109m-headphone-royalties-row-goes-to-jury?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has announced a new 2018 Midterm Elections section in Apple News, offering a resource for midterm election information in the United States.</p>