Dennis Sellers

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/21/2018-iphones-upgraded-antenna-design/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>MacRumors</em></a> — KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says 2018 iPhones will feature upgraded liquid crystal polymer (LCP) antenna modules that will result in faster LTE transmission speeds. His note says:</p>

<p>Apple has posted research on how self-driving cars can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-autos/apple-scientists-disclose-self-driving-car-research-idUSKBN1DM08H" rel="noopener noreferrer">better</a> spot objects while using fewer sensors. It appears to be the company's first publicly disclosed paper on autonomous vehicles</p>

<p>Apple will launch a cheaper smartphone — a second generation iPhone SE — in the first half of 2018, according to the Chinese publication, <em>Economic Daily News, </em>as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://seekingalpha.com/news/3314092-apple-release-lower-cost-iphone-se-2-1h18?uprof=53&dr=1#email_link" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Seeking Alpha</em><em>.</em></a></p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,826,301) for an AirPod case with an inductive charging system that includes a rechargeable battery and a first and a second charging system. It involves Apple’s upcoming AirPower wireless charging mat that’s due in 2018.</p>

<p>Apple’s $149.99 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQG12ZM/A/leather-sleeve-for-12%E2%80%91inch-macbook-saddle-brown" rel="noopener noreferrer">leather sleeve for MacBook</a> is, as far as I can tell, the first case the tech giant has ever released for one of its laptops. And it’s as classy, and pricey, as you’d expect. </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 <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/apple-acquires-mixed-reality-headset-startup-vrvana-for-30m/" rel="noopener noreferrer">acquired a Montreal start-up</a> along its reported route toward building an augmented reality headset. The tech giant bought <a target="_blank" href="https://vrvana.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vrvana</a>, makers of a headset called Totem (pictured), for around $30 million, <em>TechCrunch</em> reports.</p>

<p>Ireland is closer to collecting €15B (about $15 billion) in Apple taxes following European Commission criticism that the country was dragging its feet.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,824,719) for an automatic recording and authoring tool. It involves GarageBand for macOS and iOS and Logic Pro X for macOS.</p>

<p>Apple expects to ship 4M HomePods next year, according to a<em> </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-21/why-apple-s-homepod-is-three-years-behind-amazon-s-echo" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a> report. Last week Apple said the smart speaker launch will now happen in “early 2018” instead of in December, as expected. <em>Buzzfeed</em>’s John Paczkowski <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JohnPaczkowski/status/931556183806132224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F9to5mac.com%2F2017%2F11%2F17%2Fhomepad-delay%2F" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweets</a> the full statement from the tech giant: </p>

<p>Apple, Samsung Electronics and Amazon will be the top three tablet vendors worldwide in 2017, while Huawei will move to fourth place, surpassing Lenovo thanks to a strategy to push product differentiation, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes Research. </a></p>

<p>The <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/7cb56786-cda1-11e7-b781-794ce08b24dc" rel="noopener noreferrer">Financial Times</a></em> reports that supplier Foxconn illegally employed and overworked students due to the production delays with the iPhone X.  Six of the students told the publication that they regularly work 11-hour days at a factory in Zhengzhou.</p>

<p>Apple has pulled Microsoft’s Skype from its China App Store. Regarding the matter, the tech giant tells<em> </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/skype-app-china.html?_r=1" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The New York Times</em></a>: </p>

<p>Along with the iPhone X, Apple released the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQRW2/iphone-x-leather-folio-cosmos-blue?fnode=42" rel="noopener noreferrer">iPhone X Leather Folio</a>. It’s as gorgeous as you’d expect, but, with a price tag of $99, it’s hard to recommend it over <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/11/16/nomads-leather-cases-for-the-iphone-x-offer-something-for-everyone?rq=Leather%20Folio" rel="noopener noreferrer">similar leather cases</a> from companies such as Nomad.</p>

<p>You can easily take a screenshot on your iPhone X, though the procedure is a bit different from previous Apple smartphones. Here’s how:</p>