Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has released a second public beta of iOS 11.4. Among other things, it includes AirPlay 2 support.</p>

<p>Apple is “significantly” expanding its downtown Seattle engineering center, giving itself enough capacity for potentially close to 500 people across five floors inside one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/apple-expands-seattle-aims-best-rival-tech-giants-fierce-battle-top-talent/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>GeekWire</em></a> reports.</p>

<p>Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state telecommunications regulator, has asked Apple and Google to remove the Telegram Messenger tool from their app stores, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-telegram-stores/russia-asks-google-and-apple-to-remove-telegram-from-stores-ifax-idUSKBN1HO0ZX" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>

<p>WaterField Designs is bringing back its iconic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sfbags.com/products/rough-rider-messenger-bag" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rough Rider Leather Messenger.</a> It’s been revamped with a padded laptop compartment, a pass-through to slide over wheeled suitcase handles, and new leather accent colors.</p>

<p>I’m a little dubious this will ever reach fruition, but Apple has filed for a patent (number 9,949,015) that would allow an AirPod case to plug into a wired speaker system — and play music through the speaker via the connection. The invention is dubbed “wireless headset carrying case with wireless transmitter.”</p>

<p>If the iPhone X is a “bomb” as some reports would have you believe, Apple needs more bombs like this. In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/telecom/iphone-x-pocketed-35-of-total-handset-industry-profits-in-q4-2017-37151.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em></a> — Counterpoint Research says the high-end smartphone captured 35% of the total handset industry profits in the fourth quarter of 2017.</p>

<p>Following Apple’s acquisition of Texture, the company is expected to launch a magazine and news subscription service within a year, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-17/apple-is-said-to-plan-apple-music-like-news-subscription-service" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>. </p>

<p>If you deal at all with EPUB (electronic publication documents), <a target="_blank" href="http://www.enolsoft.com/epub-viewer-for-mac.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">EPUB Viewer</a> for macOS (10.6 and later) from Enolsoft is a tool worth checking out — IF you need lots of bells and whistles.</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>Carl Chery, Apple Music’s head of artist curation overseeing hip-hop and R&B programming, is leaving the company for Spotify, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/apple-music-hip-hop-head-carl-chery-spotify-1202754200/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p>

<p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theapplepost.com/samsung-to-begin-iphone-x-plus-display-production-in-may/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Apple Post</em>,</a> Taiwan’s <a target="_blank" href="https://money.udn.com/money/story/5612/3088603" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Economic Daily News</em></a><em> </em>claims Samsung will begin production of new OLED displays for the next gen iPhone X, and the rumored “iPhone X Plus” in May, with plans to double its production in July.</p>

<p>Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones (pictured) top <em>Consumer Repor</em>t’s latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cell-phones-services.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer">smartphone ratings</a>, beating out Apple’s iPhones.</p>

<p>Is it too late to convince Apple to add mouse support in iOS 12? Let’s hope not. As <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/12/26/the-129-inch-ipad-proios-11-combo-has-replaced-my-12-inch-macbook#disqus_thread" rel="noopener noreferrer">I’ve written</a>, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro/iOS 11 combo has replaced my 12-inch MacBook.</p>

<p>While we’re waiting (and waiting and waiting) for Apple’s AirPower charger, the competition is heating up. Case (or Case-Mate) in point: the Power Pad from Case-Mate.</p>

<p>Apple will repair some Apple Watch Series 2 models that don’t power on or have a swollen battery free of charge as part of a new service policy. </p>