Dennis Sellers

<p>According to the <a target="_blank" href="http://thinkwellgroup.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thinkwell Group</a>, an experience design company that integrates augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR ) into its work with Fortune 500 brands—Apple should tread carefully when entering the AR landscape. According to Thinkwell, there are five things Apple should do to be a relevant player in the AR space:</p>

<p>Mach Software Design has introduced Alien News 1.0 for macOS, a news reader app. Built from the ground up for tab and Touch Bar support, Alien News provides unlimited windows and Reddit accounts.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sonnettech.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sonnet Technologies</a> has announced that its $899 Echo Express III-D (desktop) and $999 Echo Express III-R (rackmount) Thunderbolt-to-PCI Express (PCIe) three-slot expansion chassis are now shipping with full support for Thunderbolt 3. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.lacie.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">LaCie</a> has previewed the next version of its 2big professional 2-bay RAID storage solution, which adds Thunderbolt 3 technology. Designed by Neil Poulton, it’s also a docking station that provides ports for connecting other devices.</p>

<p>Apple will probably pay graphics chip designer Imagination Technologies just one third of its current royalty rate as the smartphone giant wind downs their supply deal over the next two years, according to estimates by the UBS research group — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-imagntn-tchnlgs-apple-idUSKBN17L15Z?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p>First, <em>Condé Nast Traveler</em> <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/4/18/cond-nast-traveler-unveils-its-first-cover-shot-on-an-iphone-7-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> it had shot its first magazine cover with an iPhone 7 Plus. Now <em>Bon Appétit, </em>the publication where “food and culture meet,” says it’s done the same. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,626,720) for “linked user accounts” that would allow separate Apple ID user accounts to be linked into a group of linked user accounts so that content items assigned to each of the user accounts can be accessed by each user account in the group. </p>

<p>I take photos. Lots of photos. I snap most of 'em with my iPhone 7s Plus (a great digital camera, by the way). My Photos library has approximately a million images (well, okay, I’m exaggerating). A lot of them are duplicates, or very similar, and should be trashed. But I'm too lazy to undertake the process manually.</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>Apple will be introducing an Apple Music chat extension to Facebook Messenger, making it possible for folks to bring the music streaming app into conversations with friends and family members and share music, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/18/apple-music-is-coming-to-facebook-messenger/" rel="noopener noreferrer">VentureBeat.</a></p>

<p>Apple is removing the price tag from its Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie and GarageBand apps and making ‘em all free for macOS and iOS users.</p>

<p>Yesterday, <em>AWT</em> posted a <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/4/17/how-to-force-the-trash-to-empty-in-macos-sierra" rel="noopener noreferrer">“how-to”</a> on “how to force the Trash to empty in macOS Sierra.” My buddy and sometime-<em>AWT</em> contributor, Frank Petrie, has another suggestion.</p>

<p>Many of us were expecting updated iPad Pros last month, but they may be coming soon. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro stock situation appears to be dwindling, with nearly no stock of popular models in high-volume stores, and an expected refresh date across the board of May 16, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/04/18/availability-of-apples-129-ipad-pro-slips-to-may-as-rumored-update-looms" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has released the second public betas of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 and iOS 10.3.2 public beta number two. The former is a minor update that focuses on bug fixes and speed improvements.The latter offers under-the-hood bug fixes and security improvements.</p>

<p>CEO James Citron of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pledgeling.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pledgeling</a>, a “SaaS (software as a service) platform that powers purpose and social impact,” says it’s the first US-based social enterprise and third-party platform approved by Apple to accept donations via Apple Pay through its mobile-first technology, including donation forms, mobile messaging tools and corporate giving solutions.</p>