Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has been granted another patent (number 20170076077) involving facial recognition. This one is dubbed “locking and unlocking a mobile device using facial recognition.”</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fantag.live" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fantag</a>, a company that specializes in mobile video technology, has hired John Stone as its chief operating officer (COO). Among his many posts in the tech world, he served as a vice president at Apple, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, after the company acquired PowerSchool, a startup Stone co-founded in 1999 and which today serves 100 million users in 70 countries. </p>

<p>If you buy an iPhone you now have up to one year to purchase AppleCare+ for the device, compared to 60 days previously, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>. This means you can now add AppleCare+ to an Apple smartphone as long as it remains within its standard one-year limited warranty period. </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>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/17/apple-music-ambassador-program-details/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a>, Apple has launched an Apple Music “Ambassador” marketing campaign, recruiting students and offering them perks in exchange for promoting its music streaming service and recruiting others in a <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MusicForEveryMinute?src=hash" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Music For Every Minute” promo.</a></p>

<p>Soverain Software, a “patent troll,” <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/03/16/infamous-patent-troll-soverain-software-targets-apple-products-and-services-in-new-lawsuit" rel="noopener noreferrer">has filed a complaint</a> against Apple in the Eastern District Court of Texas for alleged infringement of IP relating to Internet-based services. The company claims Apple infringes its data extraction and network management patent portfolio. </p>

<p>Apple shares hit a record closing high in Nasdaq trading Thursday, reaching $140.69. That beats the company’s previous all-time closing high of $140.46 — which was accomplished earlier this week.</p>

<p>Apple has announced plans to set up two new R&D centers in China. The hubs will be located in Shanghai and Suzhou, following previous plans to open two centers in Beijing and Shenzhen.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 20170074675) for augmented reality maps, which hints at changes in a future version of its Maps app on the iPhone and iPad. </p>

<p>Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Hopefully, you’re wearing something green and checking out some macOS and iOS apps to celebrate.</p>

<p>Apple News has become the most effective third-party platform at driving readers to <em>The Telegraph’s</em> own sites and app, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://digiday.com/media/apple-news-the-telegraph/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digiday</a>. Available on iOS devices (and, hopefully, on macOS at some point), </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>New data from <a target="_blank" href="https://sensortower.com/blog/imessage-app-store-six-months-later" rel="noopener noreferrer">SensorTower</a> says that the iMessage App Store has almost 5,000 apps six months after Apple opened the store; however, growth is slowing.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.wepay.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">WePay </a>— a provider of integrated payments for online platforms including Constant Contact, GoFundMe, and Zoho — has announced that its customers can now use Apple Pay on the Web and Google's Android Pay on the Web to generate more revenue on their sites.</p>

<p>President Trump is right that China is flouting global trade rules to the detriment of the U.S., says the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), which includes Cynthia Hogan (pictured), Apple’s vice president for public policy for the Americas on its board. However, economic nationalism is not the right response, the tech-policy think tank argues in a <a target="_blank" href="https://itif.org/publications/2017/03/16/stopping-chinas-mercantilism-doctrine-constructive-alliance-backed" rel="noopener noreferrer">new report</a> out today. </p>