Dennis Sellers

<p>Oh, that’s gotta hurt: <a target="_blank" href="//www.consumerreports.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Consumer Reports</em></a> is removing its “recommended” designation from four Microsoft laptops and cannot recommend any other Microsoft laptops or tablets because of “poor predicted reliability in comparison with most other brands.”</p>

<p>Citing the always popular “unnamed sources from the supply chain,” <em>the Korea Herald</em> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20170810000573" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports </a>that the “iPhone 8” is being pushed back to November, though the “iPhone 7 Plus” and “iPhone 7s Plus’ will arrive in September.</p>

<p>Twenty-eight Chinese app developers have reported Apple to the country’s antitrust regulators accusing the tech giant of monopolistic behavior, reports the <em>Wall Street Journal</em>.</p>

<p>The total worldwide wearable band market grew 8% year on year in the second quarter (Q2) 2017, led by China’s Xiaomi with shipments of 3.5 million units, closely followed by Fitbit, which shipped 3.3 million units, a 34% year-on-year decline, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a>. </p>

<p>Improving audio is obviously on the collective mind at Apple. Following the granting of <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/8/9/apple-patent-hints-at-imacs-and-thunderbolt-displays-with-surround-sound" rel="noopener noreferrer">a patent</a> that hints at iMacs and Thunderbolt Displays with surround sound, the tech giant has filed for a patent (number 20170230772) regarding a method for “creating a virtual acoustic system with an undistorted acoustic center.”</p>

<p>The European Emergency Number Association (EENA), the organization behind implementing AML for emergency services, has released <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eena.org/press-releases/apple-aml" rel="noopener noreferrer">a statement</a> asking Apple to to enable a feature called Advanced Mobile Location (AML) iOS. </p>

<p>Between online work, church work and family activities (I have lots of siblings, nieces and nephews), it’s nice to be able to brainstorm with folks. However, that’s not practical using Messages on my iPhone or iPad.</p>

<p>Tech companies are standing in the way of stronger green electronics standards in the U.S., according to a new report by Repair.org. It finds that device manufacturers have systematically blocked attempts to promote longer-lasting devices.</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 usual AWT News Update won’t arrive today as my compadre, Steve, is dealing with some family matters. 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>Password manager <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dashlane.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dashlane</a> has released its 2017 Password Power Rankings, the results of a deep dive into the password practices of over 40 popular consumer and enterprise websites. Apple did well, scoring 4/5 (5/5 is a perfect score).</p>

<p>Sonnet Technologies has announced a new addition to its expanding Thunderbolt 3 product line: the Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort Adapter. The compact, bus-powered device enables users to connect up to two 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) DisplayPort (DP) monitors or one 5K DP monitor to a single Thunderbolt 3 port on Mac and Windows systems.</p>

<p>Apple must be cooking up some interesting products in its secret labs. The company spending on research and development totaled $2.9 billion for the third fiscal quarter that ended on July 1, rising 15% year-over-year compared to a revenue gain of 7% for the same period, reports the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-expensive-game-of-catch-up-1502202741?mod=rss_Technology" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>. This brought the tech giant’s R&D spending to $11.2 billion for the previous 12 months — about 5% of the company’s revenue for the period.</p>

<p><em>Carpool Karaoke: The Series</em> is now available to Apple Music subscribers. It will welcome a different group of stars every Tuesday, with new episodes available exclusively to Apple Music subscribers in more than 100 countries. </p>

<p>Kantar <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/08/09/us-iphone-sales-ios-market-share-kantar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">says</a> the iPhone’s share of the U.S. smartphone market grew in the three months ending in May, but Apple still lags Samsung. Apple’s market share reached 34%, up 4.7 points from the same quarter in 2016. </p>