Dennis Sellers

<p>Former Apple India Managing Director Maneesh Dhir has joined <a target="_blank" href="http://www.metavision.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meta</a>, which specializes in augmented reality, as its new chief operating officer. Previously, at Apple India, he was responsible for expanding Apple’s retail presence, raising the customer experience, and growing the company’s India business.</p>

<p>Apple’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in early 2018, and some the company’s activist shareholders want the meeting to debate and vote on climate change and human rights issues. However, the tech giant has asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the authority to omit at least four such proposals.</p>

<p>As it looks to expand its iPhone manufacturing in the country, Apple has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-india/apple-india-wrangle-over-import-tax-on-mobile-parts-sources-idUSKBN1E50WK" rel="noopener noreferrer">asked</a> India to defer a planned increase in import taxes on mobile phone parts, but the government is unlikely to accede.</p>

<p>Months ago Google released a Chrome extension that enables always-on voice search from a desktop. When Google.com is open, just say "Ok Google" and then your search term. This always-on voice search is in the right direction for what we should expect from our computing devices. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/ozc2otk" rel="noopener noreferrer">iMobie's MacClean</a> is a cleaner app made to keep Macs running "right and light." It's designed to allow you to free up disk space, enhance your browsing experience, and more.</p>

<p>iOS 11 has a useful Do Not Disturb feature that you should really use when you’re behind the wheel. The operating system can “sense” when you might be driving and help keep you from being distracted by calls, texts, and notifications. </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>There’s a lot happening in the world of Apple news this week. Following are the hottest articles for the week of Dec. 4-8.</p>

<p>Apple is close to scooping up the popular music recognition app, Shazam, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/08/sources-apple-is-acquiring-music-recognition-app-shazam/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>TechCrunch</em></a>, quoting unnamed sources. It’s used by more than 100 million people each month to identify music, get song lyrics, more.</p>

<p>Jony Ive has reportedly resumed management of the company's design team, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/08/jony-ive-returns-to-hands-on-control-of-apple-design-team" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. This was <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/939229574512173056" rel="noopener noreferrer">mentioned</a> on Twitter by <em>Bloomberg</em>'s Mark Gurman after Apple removed Alan Dye and Richard Howarth from its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leadership profiles</a>.</p>

<p>It’s not for everyone, but Cisdem’s <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/pxctdms" rel="noopener noreferrer">BetterUnarchiver</a> archive manager app may be more useful for some folks than the regular archiver that comes with macOS.</p>

<p>The flashlight feature on an iPhone comes in very handy at times. And it’s easy to adjust the flashlight brightness on an iPhone X. </p>

<p>Apple fans around Southeast Asia can now get new iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks from an official store on Lazada, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.techinasia.com/apple-opens-store-lazada" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>TechInAsia</em></a>. That’s good news for those fans, as the tech giant only has one store in the region (it’s in Singapore).</p>

<p>Apple has been granted another patent (number 20170353713) that hints at an upcoming augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD). It involves methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for projecting a source image in a head-mounted display apparatus.</p>

<p>Finisar, Apple's second largest supplier of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays, <a target="_blank" href="http://loupventures.com/key-iphonex-supplier-receives-qualification-and-meaningfully-expands-capacity/" rel="noopener noreferrer">has announced</a> the acquisition of a 700,000-square foot . As noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/08/apple-supplier-finisar-to-scale-vcsel-production-suggests-face-id-coming-to-all-iphones-in-2018" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>, this suggests TrueDepth and FaceID are coming to all iPhones in 2018. </p>