Dennis Sellers

<p>The Apple App Store shrank for the first time in 2017, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.appfigures.com/ios-developers-ship-less-apps-for-first-time/" rel="noopener noreferrer">new report from Appfigures</a>, a reporting platform for mobile app developers. Google Play grew 30% last year to more than 3.6 million apps.</p>

<p>Apple Shinjuku in Tokyo will open for business this Saturday, delivering the tech giant’s latest retail design to the country where Apple opened its first international store. Since opening in Tokyo’s Ginza neighborhood in 2003, Apple has welcomed 70 million visitors to its stores across the country, according to Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.</p>

<p>iFlicks for the Mac is a handy tool for importing video. It's easy to use -- and useful if you want to put all your multimedia eggs in one basket. You can import video files into iTunes to play in iTunes, Front Row, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV. However, note that iFlicks can modify or trash video files, so you should back 'em up first before using the software for the first time.</p>

<p>Did you know you can change Siri’s voice in iOS 11? You can. Here’s how:</p>

<p>Analyzing early adopter reviews of the  iPhone X from major online retailers, a new report from the Consumer Sentiment Analysis (CSA) service at <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.strategyanalytics.com&esheet=51783274&newsitemid=20180404005788&lan=en-US&anchor=Strategy+Analytics&index=1&md5=9d00403b86a7ec8502791de3d9150c1c" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>. The report found that more than four out of five iPhone X buyers who were previously Samsung owners were satisfied with making the switch. However, the price of the iPhone X was an issue for many, with some questioning whether it’s a premium worth paying.</p>

<p>Apple Pay is now available in Brazil. For now support for the mobile payment service is available only through one local bank, Itau Unibanco, according to Apple's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/br/apple-pay/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brazilian website</a>. Compatible merchants include Taco Bell, Starbucks, iPlace, Drogaria Iguatemi, and Livraria Cultura/Fnac.</p>

<p>Sonnet Technologies has announced the Mac compatible <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sonnettech.com/product/egfx-breakaway-box.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">eGFX Breakaway Box 650</a>, the latest in the company's series of Thunderbolt 3 to PCI Express (PCIe) eGPU expansion chassis for professional graphics and gaming applications. Last month Apple released <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/3/29/apple-launches-macos-high-sierra-10134-with-business-chat-egpu-support-more?rq=eGPU" rel="noopener noreferrer">macOS High Sierra 10.13.4</a>, which added support for external graphics processors (eGPUs).</p>

<p>Apple is working on touchless gesture control and curved screens for 2020 (or later) iPhones, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-04/apple-is-said-to-work-on-touchless-control-curved-iphone-screen" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>, quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter.”</p>

<p>Apple’s upcoming TV show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon is expected to get a new showrunner after creator Jay Carson left the project due to "creative differences,” according to <a target="_blank" href="http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/apple-morning-show-jennifer-aniston-reese-witherspoon-kerry-ehrin-1202743257/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p>

<p>Tech stocks are down premarket after the U.S. and China <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/03/chinese-ambassador-to-us-we-will-take-measures-to-fight-back-very-soon.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">detailed plans</a> to levy tariffs on imported products. Apple is down 2.1%.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,936,342) that would allow your iPhone or Apple Watch to tell you which floor you’re on in a building. You’d think you would know that without electronic help, but the tech giant says there are other advantages.</p>

<p>Though it’s been awhile since it’s been updated, Ashlar-Vellum’s Graphite 10 is still a solid 2D/3D CAD wireframe drafting package for Mac and Windows systems. And a new version is due soon.</p>

<p>Did you know you can change Siri’s voice on your HomePod? You can. Here’s how:</p>

<p>Apple has reported that men earned 5% more on average than women at its UK operations, although the median pay gap was 2% in favor of women, notes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-pay-gender/apple-discloses-gender-pay-gap-at-uk-operations-idUSKCN1HA2GS" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</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>