Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has added 25 U.S. card issuers to its Apple Pay roster. Also, folks in Italy and Spain can now use the mobile payment service with bunq, an online-only bank which provides a Mastercard for purchases.</p>

<p>Apple's fleet of self-driving vehicles has almost doubled over the past two months, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/2866ce9e-2bfd-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Financial Times</em></a> (which requires a subscription). The article says that, based on figures provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the tech giant now has permits for 45 autonomous vehicles, up from 27 in January.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.technogym.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Technogym</a> has announced that its cardio equipment is now compatible with the Apple Watch using Apple’s GymKit technology.</p>

<p>Future Macs, iPhones, and iPads could have wraparound, flexible displays if a newly granted Apple patent (number 9,921,608) ever reaches fruition. In the patent, the tech giant notes that an electronic device may have a front surface on which a display is mounted, but that conventional display configurations “such as these may be satisfactory in certain situations, but can be unnecessarily limiting.”</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,921,684) for an “intelligent stylus” that hints at features in a second generation Apple Pencil. (I know that Apple says the Pencil isn’t a stylus, but that’s how the tech giant has described it in more than one patent.)</p>

<p>Apple and IBM are expanding their partnership to allow customers to roll out advanced in-app machine learning capabilities through Apple's Core ML and IBM's Watson technology. <em>TechCrunch</em> reports that the project expansion <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/apple-ibm-extend-partnership-with-watson-core-ml-coupling/" rel="noopener noreferrer">lets clients develop</a> machine learning tools based on Watson technology, then deploy those assets in app form on Apple portable devices. </p>

<p>Apple has told developers that there’s a new policy regarding iTunes Connect. Starting next month, the “What’s New In This Version” text and the support URLs in App Store listings will no longer be able to changed at will, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/20/change-whats-new-text-app-review/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>9to5Mac</em></a>.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/03/20/iphone-x-production-has-met-expectations-iphone-se-2-not-guaranteed-to-launch-says-analyst" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a> — Cowen and Company analyst Karl Ackerman says production for the iPhone X has met expectations but may drop lower than anticipated. He adds that a revamped iPhone SE is likely, but not guaranteed.</p>

<p>Most Android phones will have to wait until next year to duplicate the 3D sensing feature behind Apple's Face ID security, three major parts producers — Viavi Solutions Inc, Finisar Corp and Ams AG — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-android-suppliers-analysis/apple-grabs-two-year-lead-in-3d-sensing-race-idUSKBN1GW0GA" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> <em>Reuters</em>.</p>

<p>StarTech’s $316.99 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.startech.com/TB31PCIEX16" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis with DisplayPort</a> is a useful turnkey solution for those wanting to beef up the expansion options on their Mac laptop (or, okay, Windows laptops), though its video options are slightly limited. The chassis lets you add your choice of external PCI Express (PCIe) card to a laptop.</p>

<p>You can allow other folks to control your Home accessories if you wish. You and the people you invite need to be signed into iCloud and have iOS 11.2.5 or later. You also need to be at your home or have a home hub set up in your home.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/03/19/apples-services-business-booms-amid-continued-reports-of-weak-iphone-x-demand" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em> </a>— RBC analyst Amit Daryanani, Apple is projected to see around 20% growth in services revenue this year thanks to "increased monetiziation [sic] of install base" and "growth in the aggregate iOS install base." </p>

<p>Abine, the online privacy company, has integrated Face ID into its privacy-focused <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blur-protect-your-passwords/id828387649?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blur password manager and digital wallet</a>. This means free or premium Blur users can auto-fill account logins at any web site <em>by looking at their phone</em>. </p>

<p>Apple will launch a new store in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo on Saturday, April 7, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/19/apple-grand-opening-shinjuku-retail-store-tokyo-april-7th/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>9to5 Mac</em></a>. It will be the company’s eighth retail outlet in the country.</p>

<p>Apple is expected to procure a total of 250-270 million flat panels for the production of iPhones this year, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes Research, q</a>uoting unnamed “sources from Taiwan's panel industry.”</p>