Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-apple/apple-brings-alibaba-linked-payment-system-into-china-stores-amid-market-push-idUSKBN1FR0FH" rel="noopener noreferrer">begin</a> accepting Alipay, a third-party mobile and online payment platform, at its local Chinese stores. The tech giant will accept Alipay payment across its 41 brick-and-mortar retail stores in China.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9885501) for an in-vehicle wireless communication system that involves CarPlay and an iOS device.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fotojet.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">FotoJet</a> is a useful, free web app that lets you quickly create good-looking photo cards, collages and social media arts without any downloading or installing. And free is always good.</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>The AWT News Update is on hiatus while my compadre, Steve, deals with a death in the family. Prayers go out to the entire Sande family. In the place of the AWT News Update, I’ll offer a text-only (no podcast) summary of breaking stories with a tip o’ my hat to my former website, <em>Apple Daily Report</em>.</p>

<p>ZAGG has announced the $129.99 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.zagg.com/us/en_us/keyboards/rugged-book-apple-ipad" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rugged Book</a>, a wireless keyboard and detachable case for the Apple iPad, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. </p>

<p>Apple is exploring whether to offer rebates to customers who previously purchased fresh iPhone batteries in the wake of <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/1/10/us-government-questions-apple-about-its-handling-of-batterygate-1?rq=Batterygate" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Batterygate,”</a> the controversy about the company’s practice of slowing down older devices, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.recode.net/2018/2/6/16979200/apple-iphone-battery-replacement-discount-rebate-congress-senate-letter" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Recode</em></a>.</p>

<p>The European Commission — an institution of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU — says it’s accepted a request from Austria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden to assess under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Shazam by Apple. </p>

<p>On Saturday, reports said that Apple plans to open its first China data center in 2020. Now it looks like Apple will have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-datacenter/apple-to-build-a-second-data-center-in-china-xinhua-idUSKBN1FQ2E6" rel="noopener noreferrer">two centers</a> operable by that date. </p>

<p>Apple Watch shipments beat expectations, topping 18 million in 2017, up by more than 54% from 2016, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a>. </p>

<p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MacRumors</em></a>, the HomePod supply is beginning to shorten ahead of the speaker's launch this Friday across the U.S. United Kingdom, and Australia. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted another patent (number 9885459) for a Mac user interface that utilizes gesture recognition. The invention involves “pattern projection using micro-lenses.”</p>

<p>The New York Police Department has begun scrapping 36,000 smartphones it gave police officers over the past two years because they’re already obsolete and can’t be upgraded, and are turning to iPhones reports <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/8/28/nypd-to-replace-nokia-smartphones-with-iphones?rq=New%20York" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The New York Post</em></a>.</p>

<p>Stephen Friend, a health researcher and co-founder of Sage Bionetworks, has left Apple after serving less than two years on the job to become an “independent entrepreneur,” reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/05/stephen-friend-leaves-apple-health.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>CNBC</em></a>. No reason was given for the departure.</p>

<p>A couple of years ago, Apple posted a listing to its Jobs at Apple page describing an engineering project manager position for "Apple Search." Could the company could be working on a full-fledged search engine for use on macOS and iOS platforms?</p>