Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Netflix’s Layne Eskridge is joining Apple as as creative executive, reports <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/06/layne-eskridge-apple-creative-executive-1202408913/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Deadline Hollywood</em></a>. At the streaming service, she was a development executive.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As the World Cup draws near, Apple has announced that Siri, its personal digital assistant, is adding support for football (it’s “football” in most of the world, but Americans know it as “soccer”) in Brazil, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Israel. This is in addition to 26 other countries that already support Siri sports. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.StarTech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">StarTech</a> has released two new additions to its line of Sit-Stand Workstations: a monitor arm that attaches to a desk and a wall-mounted desk.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://macappware.com/software/candy-apple/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacAppware's Candy Apple</a> is a sweet, vector based graphic design and illustration app designed for macOS 10.7 and higher. It helps you create drawings, logos, banners, buttons, icons and more and allows you to export in the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has identified a limited hardware issue affecting the latest (non-Touch Bar) 13-inch MacBook Pro models with function keys, according to an internal memo distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers late last week obtained by <a href="http://www.macrumors.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MacRumors</em></a>. Per the memo:</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The majority of third-party security products for Apple products have long been susceptible to being tricked into thinking malicious code is approved by the tech giant, according to new research from security researchers at software company Okta.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has released more info on the upcoming Apple Books app (formerly iBooks) for iOS that’s coming this fall. Previewed at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference last week, it’s been entirely redesigned and will arrive with the launch of iOS 12 this fall.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has filed for a patent (number 9,998,88) for “easy location sharing” via the Messages app on its macOS, iOS, and watchOS devices. Per the invention, an Apple device detects a location-sharing request from a first participant of a message conversation to share first participant location information with a second participant. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the latest research from <a href="http://www.counterpointresearch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse</a>, Samsung’s Galaxy S9 series became the best seller globally last quarter, pushing the iPhone X to the third spot.  However, Apples' smartphone line-up continues to dominate the top 10 list.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple may replace Lightning ports in its 2019 iPhone line-up for USB-C ports, according to <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180608PD215.html?mod=3&q=apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>DigiTimes</em></a>, quoting unnamed “sources at analog IC vendors.” Chances this rumor is true, according to the Sellers Research Group (that’s me): 90%.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Since I work with tech gadgets and help run a website (this one, of course!), some folks would describe me as a geek. Those who play ball with me and/or know I’m an avid runner would call me an athlete. I’m both; in other words I’m a “geek-alete,” and WaterField Designs offers a perfect briefcase-workout hybrid bag for folks like me in the <a href="https://www.sfbags.com/products/atlas-executive-athletic-holdall-briefcase">Atlas Executive Athletic Holdall</a>, a briefcase-workout hybrid bag. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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 style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In February Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, which added support for external graphics processors (eGPUs). Now Feral Interactive has announced that eGPUs are officially supported in <a href="http://www.feralinteractive.com/en/games/riseofthetombraider/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration</a>, the latest entry in the Lara Croft line of games.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, this is no surprise: two weeks after a California federal jury ruled that Samsung must pay Apple $539 million for infringing its smartphone patents, Samsung asked the court on Thursday to grant it judgment as a matter of law or hold a new trial, and reimburse it $145 million, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1051975/samsung-wants-539m-apple-verdict-tossed-145m-refund?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Apple Watch will be getting solid state buttons that don’t move up and down but rather sense the touch of a finger, according to <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40583301/apple-watch-will-soon-get-touch-sensitive-solid-state-buttons" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Fast Company</em></a>, quoting “a source with direct knowledge of Apple’s plans.”</p>