Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple’s HomePod wireless speaker arrives in stores beginning Friday, February 9 and is available to order online for $349 this Friday, January 26, in the US, UK and Australia. It will arrive in France and Germany this spring.</p>

<p>I’ve long wanted Apple to make its own NAS/personal cloud server device. Now the company has been granted a patent (number 9,876,830) that shows the company has at least considered the possibility.</p>

<p>Apple spent $7 million lobbying the Trump administration in 2017, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.recode.net/2018/1/23/16919424/apple-amazon-facebook-google-uber-trump-white-house-lobbying-immigration-russia" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Recode</em> repor</a>t. That’s the most the tech giant has ever spent lobbying. </p>

<p>Touch panel maker General Interface Solution (GIS) is expected to land more LCM (LCD module) orders from Apple, which reportedly plans to release an entry-level 13-inch MacBook in the second half of 2018, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20180123PD202.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>DigiTimes</em></a>, quoting unnamed “industry sources.”</p>

<p>TwelveSouth’s $29.99 <a href="https://twelvesouth.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2bf022ba0607d963e90d546c2&id=1ac0552895&e=4cec9fbb29">PencilSnap</a> is an Apple Pencil holster with hidden magnets that keep the iPad Pro tool connected to your Apple Smart Cover, Apple Smart Keyboard, or Twelve South SurfacePad. Well, kinda.</p>

<p>The Photos app in macOS High Sierra allows you to add a Memories feature, which is designed to help you “rediscover favorite and forgotten moments from deep in your photo library.” Memories automatically creates curated collections of your most meaningful photos and videos. </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>Another day, another lawsuit. China-based, material producer Hebei Hengbo Fine Ceramic Material is suing Apple for breach of contract and demands a jury trial for disagreement with the tech giant over terms of a contract for high purity alumina melt stock, a material used to produce sapphire glass, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/18/01/22/apples-sapphire-curse-strikes-again-as-glass-material-manufacturer-sues-over-breach-of-contract" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. Such glass is used in some Apple Watch screens, Touch ID fingerprint sensors, and protective covers for rear-facing cameras on iPhones.</p>

<p>Apple has rolled out Apple Music for Artists, a dashboard designed to provide acts with hundreds of data points that provide analytical insight into their fans’ listening and buying habits, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/8095359/apple-bows-apple-music-for-artists-to-provide-acts-with" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Billboard</em></a>.</p>

<p>German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-deutsche-boerse-index-tech/deutsche-boerse-creates-index-using-algorithm-to-track-ai-leaders-like-apple-idUSKBN1FB1WF?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29">has launched</a> the AI STOXX Global Artificial Intelligence Index, which uses an algorithm to select 200 companies that are early AI innovators. Not surprisingly, Apple is on the list. </p>

<p>The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X comprised about 61% of iPhone sales in the U.S. according to a new consumer study from CIRP — as noted by<a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2018/01/22/iphone-8-8-plus-x-sales-iphone/" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 9to5Mac</a>. That sounds good, but it’s lower than the 72% share iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus took in the same quarter in 2017.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="//appleinsider.com/articles/18/01/22/iphone-x-seen-as-strategic-success-for-apple-as-3d-sensing-cameras-remain-2-years-ahead-of-competitors" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a> — KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone X, though not selling as well as expected, has been a "strategic success" for Apple due to long-term competitive advantages such as Face ID and the TrueDepth cameras.</p>

<p>In 2014 Samsung announced the ATIV One 7 Curved (in the first image below), the first curved all-in-one computer. I don’t think the model sold particularly well. However, I’d love to see this idea incorporated into an iMac because I have no doubt that Apple could do a better implementation.</p>

<p>The Elbi philanthropy app now supports Apple Pay. The app “brings together people, brands and charities to make philanthropy simple and rewarding.” Now users can make $1 micro-donations with Apple’s mobile payment system.</p>

<p>The <em>VeeR VR Blog</em> has rounded up the <a target="_blank" href="https://veer.tv/blog/top-8-free-augmented-reality-apps-for-your-iphone-that-are-actually-useful/" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Top Free Augmented Reality Apple That Are Actually Useful"</a>. In this article, The VR bloggers include different kinds of AR apps that they’ve tried.</p>