Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has turned down an invitation to an European Union lawmakers’ hearing, saying it doesn’t want to prejudice its challenge to an EU order to pay up to 13 billion euros (about $18 billion) in back taxes to Ireland, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-taxation/apple-declines-invite-to-eu-hearing-cites-appeal-against-eu-tax-order-idUSKCN1IX4JK" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>. A European Parliament committee is holding the hearing on tax evasion on June 21.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple <a href="https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=05312018a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has announced</a> that its Search Ads Advanced platform allows developers to create more ad variations using all of the screenshots and app previews from their App Store product page.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The general consensus is that the focus at the <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/5/22/apples-2018-wwdc-keynote-will-be-held-as-expected-on-june-4?rq=WWDC%20keynote" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Worldwide Developer Conference keynote</a> on Monday will be on software and that no new hardware will be introduced. However, I’m going out on a limb and saying that we’ll get a preview of the iMac, which celebrates its 20th birthday in August.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180152551) for electronic devices with convex displays. It’s still another filing that hints at upcoming iPhones with curved screens (you can read about more <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/5/29/apple-is-granted-another-patent-for-devices-with-wraparound-displays" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>).</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;">Apple has released new public betas of macOS 10.13.6, iOS 11.4.1, and tvOS 11.4.1. The public betas are available on <a href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beta Software Program website</a>. Just remember that beta software, so proceed with care.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The inaugural Management Top 250 from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-leaders-head-the-management-top-250-1527778857" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a> delivered a clear message: among big companies, the tech giants are the best managed.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Parks Associates has announced <a href="http://www.parksassociates.com/report/smarttv-v-smp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new research </a> showing that ownership of streaming media players has risen from about 6% of U.S. broadband households in 2010 to almost 40% at the beginning of 2018. </p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">According to data from <a href="http://www.counterpointresearch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint’s Channel Monitor service</a>, the best-selling phone bought online in China in April was the iPhone 8 Plus, with the iPhone X in third place, and the iPhone 8 in fourth. Apple now has 16% of the country’s mobile commerce market share.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Flying Meat has launched <a href="https://flyingmeat.com/retrobatch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Retrobatch 1.0</a>, a batch image processor for macOS. It sports a nodal interface for processing single images or thousands of images. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has hired multiple engineers and research staff from Intel and other local tech employees for a new facility in Washington County, Oregon, close to the chipmaker’s home base, according to <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2018/05/apple_quietly_opens_oregon_eng_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Oregon Live</em></a><em>. </em>This will certainly fuel speculation that Apple plans to make its own ARM processors for the Mac (which I think is true).</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.ecoxgear.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ECOXGEAR</a>’s $249.99 EcoBoulder is a modern day boom box that’s tough and ready for all sorts of summer fun. Equipped with 100 watts of power, an 8-inch full range speaker, 3-inch tweeter plus an 8-inch passive woofer, you can pump out some serious tunes at any outdoor outing.</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;">I’d say there’s little-to-no change of this happening, but a group known as the Digital Wellness Warriors have <a href="https://www.change.org/p/apple-allow-digital-wellness-developers-to-help-ios-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">launched a petition</a> requesting that Apple let third-party developers make changes to the iOS interface and user experience. The group says that “we are restricted in our ability to help the iOS user base, due to the nature of Apple’s operating systems.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is leasing a 62,000-square-foot, four-decades-old building in Santa Clara, California, and is renovating it, reports the <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/30/apple-leases-santa-clara-offices-launches-renovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Mercury News</em></a>. The article says that “extensive construction” is underway inside the offices located at 2845 Bowers and 2855 Bowers.</p>