Dennis Sellers

<p>The top five U.S. non-financial companies are Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco Systems and Oracle, according to a new report by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.moodys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moody’s Investors Service</a>. Apple held $215.7 billion in total cash for the period. The company has held the top spot as cash king since 2009, according to Moody’s.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/3977304-eye-tech-apple-reportedly-preps-pro-iphone-new-macbooks?auth_param=19ncqg:1bk8e2c:443c8b759099346a390b5ca9e3a55c9a&uprof=53&dr=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seeking Alpha</a> — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple plans to add a 13-inch MacBook to its laptop line-up, replacing the MacBook Air.</p>

<p>One of the cool things Apple did with last year’s release of Mac OS X El Capitan was to allow the application of third-party image editing extensions within Photos. One such extension is Picture++, which is available at the <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picture++/id1066413973?ls=1&mt=12#" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mac App Store</a> for $3.99.</p>

<p>While Steve Jobs hated the stylus and worked hard to make the iPhone completely usable without one, in some circumstances you simply need a more traditional way to interact with the iPhone — and the Apple Pencil only works (so far) with the iPad Pro.</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 style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">New data from the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thelsa.org/lsa/home.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer">Local Search Association</a> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276372/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mobile-marketing-daily+%28MediaPost+%7C+Mobile+Marketing+Daily%29" rel="noopener noreferrer">MediaPost</a> — says that about 56% of smartphone, mobile phone or tablet users who access the Internet don’t use voice-enabled assistants. The study is based on data from 2015.</p>

<p>Hold on! Perhaps Apple isn’t doomed after all. Taiwan’s <em>Economic Daily</em> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.barrons.com/asiastocks/2016/05/23/apple-asks-suppliers-to-produce-72-78-million-iphone7-this-year-taiwan-media/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barron’s</a> said Apple had asked its suppliers to produce 72 to 78 million new iPhones by the end of the year, the highest production target in about two years. The street had expected only 65 million iPhone 7s to be produced this year.</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. A Texas “patent troll” dubbed Corydoras Technologies that first sued Samsung in March is now suing Apple with a series of patents that they acquired from Japan which they claim are "presumed valid,” reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2016/05/apple-hit-with-six-count-lawsuit-over-ipad-and-iphone-functions.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patently Apple</a>. </p>

<p>Apple CEO Tim Cook placed in <em>Adweek</em>’s second annual <a target="_blank" href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/adweeks-power-list-2016-top-100-leaders-marketing-media-and-tech-171373?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+adweek%2Fall-news+%28All+News%29" rel="noopener noreferrer">“The Power List,”</a> trailing Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Larry Page, co-founder of Google’s Alphabet.</p>

<p>A lawsuit filed by pop artist Romero Britto against Apple and a design firm claiming misuse of his distinctive images and colorful style has been dismissed, report the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/article79148042.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Miami Herald</a>. Miami federal court documents show the 2015 lawsuit was dropped last week. No details were provided, but all parties will pay their own costs, notes the <em>Herald</em>.</p>

<p>After hearing students and teachers “overwhelmingly” say iPads are used to play games in class, while laptops are better for schoolwork, Auburn and other districts in Maine are offering to replace the Apple tablets with laptops such as MacBooks, reports the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2016/05/19/state-offering-schools-ipad-trade/1927446" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lewiston-Auburn Sun Journal</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://neatorobotics.com/robot-vacuum/botvac-d-series/botvac-connected/">Neato’s Wi-Fi enabled Botvac Connected robot vacuum</a> can be controlled with your Apple Watch. That’s cool, but it’s only one of the cool things about this robo-vacummer, which can be controlled from Apple and Android smartwatches. </p>

<p>WaterField Designs has yet to disappoint me with one of its products. This includes the elegant, leather <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sfbags.com/products/atelier-macbook-folio-sleeve" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atelier Folio </a>for the 2016 rev of the 12-inch MacBook (though it works just fine with the 2015 model).</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>Bracketron has announced the $29.99 <a href="http://www.bracketron.com/products/tekgrip-power-dock#.VzYTUuSUZ8s">TekGrip Power Dock</a>, a hands-free mounting option for drivers that includes dual charging capabilities. </p>