Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has admitted on its <a href="https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">System Status page</a> that there’s an issue with its Apple Maps app/service and says it’s "investigating" the problem.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple earned top honors at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) awards show Thursday evening. The annual awards show honors innovative marketing communications in motion image. Apple dominated, winning the top brand spot with nine total honors including six honors awarded to their agency partner, TBWAMedia Arts Lab. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Danalock, a provider of smart lock solutions for smart homes and businesses, says the HomeKit version of its Danalock V3 smart lock is now available for purchase in Apple retail and online stores in more than 20 countries across Europe. HomeKit is a framework that allows control of compatible home automation devices through iOS and Siri.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple expects LCD models to make up the majority of iPhone sales in its lineup to be released this fall, a greater proportion than analysts had anticipated, and plans to use the displays in 2019, as well, reports <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/iphone-x-pensive-apple-looks-to-keep-phones-with-cheaper-displays-1529051835?mod=rss_Technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a>, quoting unnamed “people involved in the Apple supply chain.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What the ….? Mac ads from Apple? Well, it’s about time. As noted by<em> </em><a href="https://www.imore.com/behind-the-mac" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>iMore</em></a>, Apple is debuting a new campaign called "Behind the Mac.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A newly granted Apple patent (number 20180164882) offers the possibility of upcoming Macs with “adjustable reflective displays” that could offer features such as detecting head movement and gestures. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re interested in entry-level robotics — or, let’s be honest, just plain ol’  tech fun — UBTECH Robotics’ <a href="http://www.ubtrobot.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MeeBot Kit and Animal Add-On Kit</a>, are both available at <a href="http://apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple.com</a> and at select Apple stores. The interconnecting pieces can be built into any design imaginable and programmed to move in realistic life-like motions by people aged 8 to 88.  </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday, June 17, is Father’s Day. <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebates.com&esheet=51573382&newsitemid=20170613005511&lan=en-US&anchor=Ebates&index=1&md5=c7f9b693cbf51519f408ab9924a37f63">Ebates</a>, which specializes in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global Internet services company Rakuten, has announced the results of its 2017 Father’s Day survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has updated Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for macOS and iOS. They’re available at, respectively, the Mac App Store and Apple App Store.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is teaming up with Ofo, a station-free bike share platform, for a new Apple Pay promo: use the company’s mobile payment service in the Ofo app — available at the Apple App Store — and get two free rides. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A deal is purportedly near for the rights to an animated movie as part of Apple’s upcoming slate of original video offerings. Quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter,” <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/apple-is-said-to-near-deal-for-animated-movie-in-hollywood-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg </em></a>reports that the tech giant is in talks with Cartoon Saloon.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=RwHMm766dwITaEu3qJngHp_LBUexQAeCCsZS3iBGOJ9pFP-ez4AxAJTJgyB126aP" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamf</a>, which specializes in Apple management solutions, is partnering with <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=D9IeEeeLt4ZWCAsr-fHSf75JsiExo76yUVW5FbaNh3sXM5Ef7OFBbmWiTBsO4fa_fJG4sePCeltIL7d6Q5Tfqw==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MATTER</a>, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to health around the world, to develop an Innovation Pod that will provide access to a variety of technologies, including iPads and digital curriculum – all within a completely customized shipping container. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Future iPhones could be “squeezable,” as Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180164166). In the patent filing, the tech giant says that input mechanisms  such as buttons, keys, and external input devices require a lot of space on an electronic device. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/technology/apple-bmw-mercedes-volkswagen-driverless-cars.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signed a deal with Volkswagen</a> to make self-driving cars after BMW and Mercedes-Benz reportedly rebuffed the tech giant's requests to hand over control of the data and design of the planned cars. A newly granted patent (number 20180164817) to Apple shows what <em>could</em> result from the collaboration.</p>