Dennis Sellers

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.trendforce.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">TrendForce </a>reports that the global notebook shipments for 2017 registered 164.7 million units, a year-on-year increase of 2.1%, higher than previous expectation of 0.7%. And Apple has overtaken ASUS in global laptop marketshare.</p>

<p>My HomePod arrived around noon on Friday, Feb. 9, and I’ve spent much of the weekend test driving it. Here’s my opinion in a nutshell:</p>

<p>The gang at iFixIt, which tears apart tech gadgets and look at their innards so you don’t have to, have offered a teardown of Apple’s HomePod. They find that the wireless speaker is “the world device ever to open,” but is bulletproof, meant to withstand intense vibration and minimize buzzing components.</p>

<p>Apple, LG, and Valve are making a $10 million investment in eMagin, a small company that makes OLED microdisplays, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-lg-invest-10m-in-oled-microdisplay-maker-emagin/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNET</em></a>, which found the info in documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. </p>

<p>Apple is revamping its development program to focus more on key features for its operating systems and push others back to 2019, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/how-apple-plans-to-root-out-bugs-revamp-iphone-software" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 20180039376) for an “input device having a dimensionally configurable input area.” It involves touch interfaces such as those on iOS devices, illuminated keyboards, and perhaps input devices we haven’t seen yet from the tech giant (as shown by the graphic).</p>

<p>Do you often forget where your parked your car in the mall parking lot? If you’ve got an iPhone running iOS 11, no problem. Here’s how:</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>There’s a lot happening in the world of Apple news this week. Following are the hottest articles for the week of Feb. 5-10.</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>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>