Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple ranks sixth in LinkedIn’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-companies-2018-where-us-wants-work-now-daniel-roth/" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Top Companies 2018”</a> list of the places where professionals most want to work in the U.S. LinkedIn is a business- and employment-oriented service.</p>

<p>Following <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/1/4/rumor-apple-musics-jimmy-iovine-is-leaving-apple?rq=Jimmy%20Iovine" rel="noopener noreferrer">rumors in January</a> that Apple Music exec Jimmy Iovine was leaving the company (which Apple denied), <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jimmy-iovines-planned-exit-from-apple-music-raises-leadership-questions-1521630001"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a> now claims that he will transition into a "consulting role" with Apple Music this August.</p>

<p>Analyst Luke Lin of Digitimes Research <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180321VL204.html">claims</a> Apple’s 5.8-inch follow-up to the iPhone X will cost 10% less to produce than the high end smartphone. </p>

<p>Apple has debuted a spring collection of bands that include Woven Nylon bands with a fresh stripe that alternates white with color, exclusive Nike bands that color-match with the latest Nike running shoes, and a new edge paint color for Apple Watch Hermès bands. </p>

<p>Some folks feel that Apple has neglected podcasting in recent software updates. That could change, as the tech giant has been granted a patent (number 9,923,962) for “techniques and systems for supporting podcasting.”</p>

<p>Just Mobile’s <a target="_blank" href="https://just-mobile.com/collections/hero-images/products/shuttergrip?variant=9787265220650" rel="noopener noreferrer">ShutterGrip </a>doesn’t ship until mid-April, but <em>AppleWorld.Today</em> got an advance copy. The bottom line: it’s a nifty accessory for smartphone owners who take lots of photos.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.azpeninnovation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Azpen Innovation</a> has announced four new Qi wireless chargers: the Azpen Qi Wireless Charging Pad (C100), the Azpen Dual-Power Wireless Charging Pad (C200), the Azpen Power Bank with Wireless Charging (C300), and the Azpen Car Vent Magnetic Wireless Charger (C400). </p>

<p>Twocanoes Software has introduced Certificate Request, a utility for the Mac that’s used to request and install digital X.509 certificates directly from Active Directory. </p>

<p>The landlord of Apple’s “ambitious” Chicago store has opened last fall has put the building <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ambitious-apple-store-put-up-for-sale-by-chicago-landlord-1521567268?mod=rss_Technology" rel="noopener noreferrer">up for sale</a>. Walton Street Capital paid $370 million for the store, which opened in October 2017.</p>

<p>Apple has added 25 U.S. card issuers to its Apple Pay roster. Also, folks in Italy and Spain can now use the mobile payment service with bunq, an online-only bank which provides a Mastercard for purchases.</p>

<p>Apple's fleet of self-driving vehicles has almost doubled over the past two months, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/2866ce9e-2bfd-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Financial Times</em></a> (which requires a subscription). The article says that, based on figures provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the tech giant now has permits for 45 autonomous vehicles, up from 27 in January.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.technogym.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Technogym</a> has announced that its cardio equipment is now compatible with the Apple Watch using Apple’s GymKit technology.</p>

<p>Future Macs, iPhones, and iPads could have wraparound, flexible displays if a newly granted Apple patent (number 9,921,608) ever reaches fruition. In the patent, the tech giant notes that an electronic device may have a front surface on which a display is mounted, but that conventional display configurations “such as these may be satisfactory in certain situations, but can be unnecessarily limiting.”</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,921,684) for an “intelligent stylus” that hints at features in a second generation Apple Pencil. (I know that Apple says the Pencil isn’t a stylus, but that’s how the tech giant has described it in more than one patent.)</p>

<p>Apple and IBM are expanding their partnership to allow customers to roll out advanced in-app machine learning capabilities through Apple's Core ML and IBM's Watson technology. <em>TechCrunch</em> reports that the project expansion <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/19/apple-ibm-extend-partnership-with-watson-core-ml-coupling/" rel="noopener noreferrer">lets clients develop</a> machine learning tools based on Watson technology, then deploy those assets in app form on Apple portable devices. </p>