Dennis Sellers

<p>Ireland has chosen the Bank of New York Mellon to administer an escrow fund of up to 15 billion euros (about $18.6 billion) in disputed taxes that the European Commission (EU) ordered the government to collect from Apple, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-taxavoidance/ireland-chooses-bny-mellon-to-manage-apple-escrow-fund-idUSKCN1GJ190?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</p>

<p>According to <a target="_blank" href="http://english.etnews.com/20180307200001" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>ET News</em></a>, Apple will ditch the “notch design” in 2019 iPhones. The design provides a concave spot at the top of the smartphone screen that’s home to the front-facing camera, separate infra-red camera for Face ID, dot projector, flood illuminator, speaker, microphone, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor.</p>

<p>On Feb. 16, I published an updated review for Default Folder X (<a href="https://tinyurl.com/ybm5au72">https://tinyurl.com/ybm5au72</a>), one of my favorite macOS utilities ever and one I’ve used for years. Recently, I interviewed St. Clair Software’s Jon Gotow, the man behind the app.</p>

<p>Sonnet Technologies’ 1TB version of its Fusion Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Flash Drive makes a great product even better. It’s a new model of the pocket-sized solid-state drive (SSD) storage device that packs a Thunderbolt 3 interface.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,911,123) for its Apple Pay interface. Apple Pay is the mobile payment and digital wallet service that lets users make payments using an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Mac. </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, takes a road trip. In its place, 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>Twelve South has announced an update to its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/bookarc-mod-for-macbook" rel="noopener noreferrer">BookArc mod MacBook stand</a> with a wood focused design. It works with most Mac laptops, including the MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 3. </p>

<p>More than 100 children living in poverty will soon have the opportunity to engage with technology – many for the first time in their lives. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.jamf.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamf </a>has unveiled an innovation pod that will give 150 kindergarten students at Hope School access to a variety of technologies, including iPads and digital curriculum.</p>

<p>Apple has sent out an email to people working in the music business announcing the end of iTunes LPs, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://metro.co.uk/2018/03/06/end-itunes-leaked-apple-email-sparks-fears-future-music-downloads-7365412/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Metro</em>.</a> The article says it’s beginning of the tech giant’s plans to stop selling downloads altogether, but the Sellers Research Group (that’s me) says that’s not the case.</p>

<p>The Magical Bridge Foundation has announced Apple, one of the area’s largest employers, will help fund the <a target="_blank" href="http://magicalbridge.org/release-magical-bridge-foundation-announces-apple-will-support-innovative-accessible-new-playground-sunnyvale-california/sunnyvale" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magical Bridge Playground housed in Sunnyvale’s Fair Oaks Park.</a></p>

<p>StarTech.com has released the $317<a target="_blank" href="http://www.startech.com/TB31PCIEX16" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis with DisplayPort</a>, a turnkey solution for those looking to extend their laptop expansion options. The chassis enables users to add their choice of external PCI Express (PCIe) card to their MacBook or Windows laptop, and features a dedicated port for connecting a DisplayPort monitor. For additional scalability, the chassis also supports Thunderbolt 3 daisy chaining.</p>

<p>Apple would really, really like you to own more than one Apple Watch. And the tech giant has been granted a patent (number 9,912,799) for “switching between watches or other accessories” that would make it easy to juggle (not literally) multiple smartwatches.</p>

<p>If you’re looking for a way to help manage your weight, consider the Polar Balance. It’s a weight management service that combines the Polar Balance Bluetooth Smart scale, a Polar activity tracker, and the Polar Flow app and web service. The Polar Balance scale <a target="_blank" href="http://www.polar.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">is available</a> in black or white for $99.95.</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>