Dennis Sellers

<p>WitsView, a division of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.trendforce.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">TrendForce</a>, reports that increasing screen-to-body ratio and narrow bezel are two major trends in smartphone design for this year and are expected to drive changes in specifications of smartphone panels. The goal: spur lagging sales.</p>

<p>Sunday, June 18, is Father’s Day. <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebates.com&esheet=51573382&newsitemid=20170613005511&lan=en-US&anchor=Ebates&index=1&md5=c7f9b693cbf51519f408ab9924a37f63" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ebates</a>, which specializes in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global internet services company Rakuten, has announced the results of its 2017 Father’s Day survey. </p>

<p>Apple wants to make it even easier for your various devices to “talk” to each other, as well as accessories such as headsets. The company has been granted a patent (number 9,680,980) for an “electronic device accessory” that would facilitate this.</p>

<p>My Apple World Today compadre, Steve, is dealing with some family matters, so the usual AWT News Update (and podcast) won’t appear today. In its place, I’ll offer a text-only (no podcast) summary of breaking stories with a tip o’ my hat to my former website, <em>Apple Daily Report</em>.</p>

<p>Bob Seger's iconic music catalog makes its streaming debut today. The debut includes 12 platinum/multi-platinum albums as well as Seger's debut album, <em>Ramblin' Gamblin' Man.</em> </p>

<p>Apple is ramping up its efforts to create original TV programming. Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two successful TV execs, are joining the company in newly created positions overseeing all aspects of video programming. </p>

<p>According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/06/16/homepod-survey-morning-consult/" rel="noopener noreferrer">new survey</a>, 19% of those who already own Apple products want a HomePod as their smart home speaker. The $349 system is just under seven inches tall and looks like a piece of furniture. </p>

<p>The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is the current darling of the Apple tablet line-up and my <em>Apple World Today</em> compadre, Steve Sande, <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/6/14/105-inch-ipad-pro-beautiful-display-and-blazing-speed-make-it-a-winner" rel="noopener noreferrer">loves it</a>. However, I’ve gone with the revamped 12.9-inch version.</p>

<p>If you need a sleek stand for <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/6/14/new-imac-is-the-best-all-in-one-yet-and-the-best-mac-ever" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple’s revamped iMac</a>, Satechi’s $39.99 <a href="http://www.satechi.net/index.php/metallic-series/aluminum-monitor-stand-gold?___SID=U">Aluminum Monitor Stand</a> is a fine choice. This accessory is both functional and good-looking and is also great for using with laptops or monitors. </p>

<p>At MacGamer HQ, we’ve a detailed post on the best Mac games of 2017. Here at Mac Gamer HQ, we spend a lot of time talking about how great the gaming situation is on the 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>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/06/15/apple-forecast-to-sell-415m-iphones-in-solid-june-quarter" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri forecasts shipments of 41.5 million iPhone units in the current June 2017 quarter. This would be an increase from the 40.4 million smartphones the tech giant sold in the June quarter of 2016.</p>

<p>Ex-Apple exec Scott Forstall, the leader of the iPhone software team Scott Forstall, will sit down with Computer History Museum historian John Markoff on June 20 to share his experience working with the late Steve Jobs on the secretive Apple iPhone project, codenamed “Project Purple.”</p>

<p>IBM has announced an expansion of its mobile portfolio for enterprises as it continues to create analytics-driven and cognitive enabled enterprise iOS apps that enable organizations to accelerate digital reinvention and transform how businesses engage across industries.</p>

<p>Apple iPads are the most widely used tablet computing devices in U.S. K-12 schools and are the educational tablets schools rank highest in terms of future tablet purchasing plans, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.simbainformation.com/Deployment-Tablets-Mobile-Devices-Schools-10912522/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong><em>Deployment of Tablets/Mobile Devices in K-12 Schools 2017</em></strong></a><em>, </em>a new report from Simba Information, which specializes in market intelligence in the media and publishing industry. </p>