Dennis Sellers

<p> Apple’s China woes continue. App stores operators such as the Cupertino, California-based company must establish the identity of users, while monitoring and reporting postings that contain banned content, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-28/china-orders-mobile-app-stores-providers-to-monitor-users" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg.</a> The legitimacy of developers who post apps for download must also be verified, according to new rules posted on the Cyberspace Administration of China’s website.</p>

<p>Facebook and Apple took the top two spots in the second annual <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpages.netbase.com%2FAR-2016-Top100GlobalLoveList.html&esheet=51370543&newsitemid=20160628005280&lan=en-US&anchor=NetBase+Brand+Passion+Report+2016%3A+Top+100+Global+Brand+Love+List&index=1&md5=807b00d232da7ec42a4a9a1511f3c79b">NetBase Brand Passion Report 2016: Top 100 Global Brand Love List</a>, which reveals the brands consumers expressed the most love for on social media. The report leveraged the social analytics technology of NetBase a company that specializes in enterprise social analytics, to examine more than 265 million posts, ranking the most loved brands in technology, consumer goods, automotive, food and beverage, financial services and energy companies globally.</p>

<p>Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product, so here are today’s patent highlights: </p>

<p>Apple will announce its quarterly earnings for its third fiscal quarter of 2016 on Tuesday, July 26, at 2 p.m. (Pacific). There will be a conference call with analysts and the press to discuss the financial results.  </p>

<p>South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating "some matters" relating to Apple, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-apple-idUSKCN0ZE07H" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>. Speaking at a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, FTC Chairman Jeong Jae-chan declined to comment on the specifics of the regulator's investigation when asked to do so by a South Korean lawmaker, the article adds.</p>

<p>There are rumors/hopes that Apple will replace its discontinued Thunderbolt Display with<a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2016/6/1/rumor-next-thunderbolt-display-could-pack-an-integrated-gpu?rq=Thunderbolt%20Display" rel="noopener noreferrer"> a monitor that packs a built-in graphics card</a>. I think the rumor has some validity. If not, perhaps Apple might consider releasing a GPU enclosure for its Mac line-up akin to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth" rel="noopener noreferrer">Razer Core</a>. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/surfacepad-for-ipad" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twelve South’s $69.99 SurfacePad</a> for the iPad mini 4 is a great product for those who are looking for a cover with features, if not necessarily a case for protection. </p>

<p>If ever there were a speaker system built for use in the summer, it's the $79.95 Turtle Shell wireless from Outdoor Tech. It's a water and dust resistant Bluetooth boom box designed for the great outdoors. </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><a href="http://www.pyleusa.com/">Pyle Audio</a> has announced the $49.99 Lite-Me Selfie Lighted Smart Case. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus case is designed to help users create better selfie images while protecting the smartphone in a slim fitting case.</p>

<p>You just decided to upgrade your MacBook hard drive to take advantage of the incredible storage space out there now or maybe you are adventuresome and switched to a Solid State Drive. What should you do with the old hard drive?</p>

<p>Somewhere out there, perhaps there's an on-ear headphone that beats the overall audio quality, design, comfort, and looks of the <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/RsobXG" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beyerdynamic T51,</a> but I've yet to run across it. Of course, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $299, this is a product for dedicated audiophiles.</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. Straight Path Group, a subsidiary of fixed wireless spectrum leasing firm Straight Path Communications, is suing Apple for patent violation, this one regarding VoIP, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/06/24/apples-facetime-subject-of-renewed-voip-patent-infringement-lawsuit" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>. </p>

<p><a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmobilelabsinc.com%2F&esheet=51368898&newsitemid=20160623006290&lan=en-US&anchor=Mobile+Labs&index=1&md5=97ce664c721c114605ce20ddd85a155a">Mobile Labs</a>, a provider of enterprise-grade mobile testing solutions, today announced comprehensive support for Apple’s iOS 10 on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Parking Panda, <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id550285323?mt=8)" rel="noopener noreferrer">a free app</a> for on-demand parking in over 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada, is adding Apple Pay support.</p>