Dennis Sellers

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/18/02/09/analyst-predicts-new-apple-pencil-low-end-200-homepod-this-fall" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang predicts that Apple will ship a "low-end" HomePod this fall costing between $150 and $200 instead of the current model's $349 and a new Apple Pencil.</p>

<p>Apple has updated its TV app for tvOS and iOS with a live news section. Available to users with devices running tvOS 11 or iOS 11, it now features live streaming access to <em>Bloomberg</em>, <em>CBS News</em>, <em>Cheddar</em>, <em>CNBC</em>, <em>CNN</em> and <em>Fox News</em>. You can find it under the “Watch Now’ header.</p>

<p>A California federal judge has lifted a $300,000 sanctions order against Apple Inc. for missing a document production deadline in the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against Qualcomm ruling that a magistrate judge cited unclear authority in issuing the order, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1010547/apple-sanctions-nixed-in-qualcomm-antitrust-battle?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 20180039395) for “interface scanning for disabled users” which the goal of making improved input devices and methods for physically-impaired users. </p>

<p>Epson’s <a target="_blank" href="https://epson.com/For-Home/Printers/Photo/Epson-PictureMate-PM-400-Personal-Photo-Lab/p/C11CE84201" rel="noopener noreferrer">PictureMate PM-400 Personal Photo Lab</a> delivers high quality, long-lasting photos in a compact, lightweight, wireless solution. And it’s been reduced in price from $249.99 to $199.99.</p>

<p>Yesterday we looked at how to send a text message by dictating with Siri. You can also use Apple’s personal digital assistant on your iPhone or iPad to send an email. Here’s how:</p>

<p>StarTech has released a new <a href="http://www.startech.com/SATERASER4">4-Bay Hard Drive Eraser for 2.5” or 3.5” SATA Drives</a> that erases four SATA drives simultaneously. It’s designed to offer an efficient way for users to securely erase sensitive data and information from hard drives in batches, ultimately saving time.</p>

<p>The AWT News Update is on hiatus while my compadre, Steve, deals with a death in the family. Prayers go out to the entire Sande family. In the place of the AWT News Update, 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>Apple says the <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/2/8/iphone-source-codes-gets-posted-online" rel="noopener noreferrer">apparent source code leak</a> for the iPhone’s “iBoot” bootloader that loads iOS isn’t as serious a problem as folks are making it out to be.</p>

<p>According to <a target="_blank" href="http://deadline.com/2018/02/apple-little-america-immigrant-anthology-series-the-big-sick-writers-lee-eisenberg-alan-yang-kumail-nanjiani-and-emily-v-gordon-1202281138/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Deadline</em></a>, Apple has picked up a new TV show called <em>Little America</em>, a half-hour anthology series written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon (pictured), the duo behind the hit movie, <em>The Big Sick</em>. Lee Eisenberg, who produced the comedy series <em>SMILF</em> will serve as showrunner. </p>

<p>Apple’s launch of HomePod has intensified the competition in smart speaker market. According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.trendforce.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">TrendForce</a>, Amazon Echo still tops the ranking of smart speaker products in 2018 with a market share in shipment of 50.8%, although down from 69.1% in 2017. </p>

<p>U-Play Online has released Train Crisis for Mac and PC systems today. The game's full price on the <a target="_blank" href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/542100/Train_Crisis/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Steam store </a>is $4.99, but you can get it for 15% off for a limited time.</p>

<p>Apple has applied for yet another patent for an augmented reality (AR) headset. Patent filing number 20180039052 is for an “optical system for head-mounted display.”</p>

<p>Hope you ordered your HomePod early, as shipping times for the wireless speaker have slipped a bit. The Apple online store shows that orders placed today should arrive by Feb. 12 at the earliest.</p>

<p>Yikes! Source code for “iBoot,” one of the most critical iOS programs, was anonymously posted on GitHub, which could pave the way for hackers and security researchers to find vulnerabilities in iOS and make iPhone jailbreaks easier to achieve, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/a34g9j/iphone-source-code-iboot-ios-leak" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Motherboard</em></a>.</p>