Dennis Sellers

<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 lured three high-level staffers from Amazon, further bolstering its ever-growing entertainment division team, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amazon-executives-apple-1202647482/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em>.</a></p>

<p>Whether or not you buy <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/20/apple-responds-to-reports-of-worn-battery-forcing-iphone-cpu-slowdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's response</a> that it doesn’t slow down older iPhone models to promote sales, but that the slowdown is actually due to worn batteries, the company’s lack of up-front transparency is coming back to bit ‘em in the butt.</p>

<p>Apple is working on an Apple Watch with an EKG heart monitor, to help detect arrhythmia and stroke risks, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-21/apple-is-said-to-develop-ekg-heart-monitor-for-future-watch" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/21/apple-said-to-be-working-on-new-large-capacity-battery-technology-for-2019-iphones" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a> — KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple is working on large-capacity battery technology for its smartphones.</p>

<p>Let the Apple Car rumors recommence. Apple has filed for a patent (number 20170353430) for an “autonomous navigation system,” which will doubtless review rumors of an Apple-branded vehicle (something I’m dubious about; more on that in a moment).</p>

<p>Forgot these puny 27-inch displays on an iMac and iMac Pro. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnet.com/news/lg-rolls-out-its-first-nano-ips-based-monitors-at-ces-2018/" rel="noopener noreferrer">LG has announced</a> the upcoming 34WK95U (pictured), a 34-inch, 5K (5,120x2,160), HDR 600, Nano IPS display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. </p>

<p>Apple is now shipping the iMac Pro to folks who’ve ordered one. Sadly, deliveries from China aren’t expected to arrive before Christmas, notes <em><a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/21/apple-begins-shipping-first-imac-pro-orders" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInside</a>r</em>.</p>

<p>Australia’s first ever Apple Global Flagship Store will open at Federation Square (pictured) in Melbourne, delivering more public space, visitors and events to Victoria, and creating hundreds of local jobs. However, not everyone is happy about it.</p>

<p>Apple is amending the App Store guideline that banned apps created using templates and other app generation services. When the company revised its policies earlier this year, the move was meant to reduce the number of low-quality apps and spam. </p>

<p>If you want better audio than most HDTVs speakers, and don’t have the room for a surround sound system, check out the Sony HT-XT2 2.1 Channel Sound system. It works great with the Sony XBR-X900E, which is the TV <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/12/15/sonys-xbr-x900e-series-tv-is-a-great-companion-for-the-apple-tv-4k" rel="noopener noreferrer">I recommend</a> for owners of the Apple TV 4K. </p>

<p>If you install the Mac operating system on an external hard drive, thumb drive, or other storage device, your Mac can start up from that device instead of your built-in startup disk. First, make sure that your storage device is properly formatted.</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<a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/20/apple-responds-to-reports-of-worn-battery-forcing-iphone-cpu-slowdown" rel="noopener noreferrer"> has responded</a> to claims that it purposefully slows down older iPhone models to promote sales. The company says that the slowdown is actually due to worn batteries, which are more likely to exist in older phones. In a statement to <em>AppleInsider,</em> the company said:</p>

<p>Yikes! Not only are <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/12/18/next-official-date-for-airpods-availability-jan-5" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple’s AirPods again in short supply</a>, but, as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/20/apple-tv-4k-sells-out-at-amazon-hours-after-launching" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em>,</a> the Apple TV 4K has already sold out at Amazon only hours after it began selling the set-top box.</p>