Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,936,342) that would allow your iPhone or Apple Watch to tell you which floor you’re on in a building. You’d think you would know that without electronic help, but the tech giant says there are other advantages.</p>

<p>Though it’s been awhile since it’s been updated, Ashlar-Vellum’s Graphite 10 is still a solid 2D/3D CAD wireframe drafting package for Mac and Windows systems. And a new version is due soon.</p>

<p>Did you know you can change Siri’s voice on your HomePod? You can. Here’s how:</p>

<p>Apple has reported that men earned 5% more on average than women at its UK operations, although the median pay gap was 2% in favor of women, notes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-pay-gender/apple-discloses-gender-pay-gap-at-uk-operations-idUSKCN1HA2GS" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>.</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>Apple has hired John Giannandrea, former head of Google's search and artificial intelligence unit, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/business/apple-hires-googles-ai-chief.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The New York Times</em></a>. He’ll run Apple's overall "machine learning and A.I. strategy," reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, the article adds. </p>

<p>Following <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/4/2/it-makes-sense-that-apple-would-begin-making-its-own-macs-processors-by-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer">t</a>hat Apple will replace Intel chips in Macs with its own custom-made chips in 2020, Bank of America Merrill Lynch <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/03/bank-of-america-says-apple-could-save-500-million-a-year-making-its-own-pc-chips.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimates</a> the company can save $500 million each year if it goes this route for even half its Macs.  </p>

<p>Apple has released the first public betas of iOS 11.4 and tvO 11.4, both of which add support for AirPlay 2.</p>

<p>Apple Music for Android <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.android.music" rel="noopener noreferrer">version 2.4.2</a> is available on the Google Play Store. It requires Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) or later. To check your Android version, go to Apps > Settings > About device.</p>

<p>The Weeknd’s latest project, <em>My Dear Melancholy, </em>pulled in over 26 million streams in its first 24 hours on Apple Music, with the lead song “Call Out My Name” pulling in 6 million of those streams, the company tells <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/3/17192342/apple-music-the-weeknd-my-dear-melancholy-spotify" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Verge</em></a>. </p>

<p>This will certainly add fuel to the rumor that Apple will build its own automobile (an Apple Car): the tech giant has filed for an assembly for an “energy absorbing assembly” for a vehicle.</p>

<p>The gang at iFixIt — which tears down electronic devices and looks at their innards so you don’t have to — has torn down Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad 6.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.intel.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Intel </a>has unveiled the Intel Core i9 processor for laptops. The chip manufacturer says the 8th Gen Intel Core i9 processor is the highest-performance laptop processor Intel has ever built to deliver the best gaming and content creation experience on the go. Sounds like a candidate for the MacBook Pro update that will probably be announced at June’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference.</p>

<p>Apple is working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) — a key supplier of mobile processors — to develop micro LED panels on silicon-based backplanes for use in the Apple Watch and an augmented reality (AR) wearable device, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes Research</a> senior analyst Luke Lin. </p>

<p>Last week Apple made its space grey accessories for the iMac Pro available to everyone. They look fantastic, but all of them aren’t for everyone. </p>