Dennis Sellers

<p>As noted by <em><a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/04/apple-debuts-new-apple-watch-sport-band-and-iphone-x-silicone-case-colors" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a></em>, Apple’s online store is offering Apple Watch Sport Bands and iPhone X silicone cases in new colors.</p>

<p>Apple is now selling SIM-free models of the iPhone X, so you can buy the smartphone and add a carrier at your convenience.</p>

<p>The European Union General Court <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-court-apple-xiaomi/apple-wins-eu-trademark-case-against-xiaomi-idUSKBN1DZ1IO?il=0" rel="noopener noreferrer">has ruled</a> that Xiaomi, privately owned Chinese electronics and software company headquartered in Beijing, can’t trademark the name of its “Mi Pad” tablet (pictured) because the name is too similar to Apple’s iPad.</p>

<p>If you’re a 12-inch MacBook owner like me, you realize that the lack of ports (as in only USB Type-C one) can be an inconvenience. <a target="_blank" href="https://landingzone.net/products/macbook-docks/for-the-12-inch-macbook/" rel="noopener noreferrer">LandingZone</a>’s $229 docking station makes life more convenient, and can turn the tiny laptop into a moderately powered “desktop.”</p>

<p>With the iPhone X you can shoot selfies in Portrait Mode. Portrait Mode is a software feature that uses the two lenses of the Apple smartphone to create the look and feel of an image shot with portrait settings on a camera with a telephoto lens.</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>Quanta Computer, one of Apple’s main manufacturing partners, has made a licensing agreement with Lumuns, an augmented-reality component maker, for manufacturing lenses for smart glasses. This doesn’t necessarily mean Apple AR (augmented reality) glasses are coming, but it does add fuel to the rumors.</p>

<p>Apple has released tvOS 11.2 for the fourth generation Apple TV and Apple TV with 4K. It adds a Sports section to the interface, joining the “Watch Now,” Library,” “Store” and “Search” options.</p>

<p>Folks like to complain about Siri, but it delivered the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3239670/apple-ios/sometimes-it-s-hard-to-be-apple-s-siri.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">highest percentage</a> of perfectly completed device responses in both quiet and noisy environments, according to a survey of 500 folks by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbtnuggets.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBT Nuggets</a>, which specializes in online IT training videos and IT certification.  </p>

<p>Level Up Gamer is open, but for this week only. It’s for Mac gamers who want free games, gaming deals, a digital magazine, and access to an exclusive community.</p>

<p>Ireland expects Apple to start paying up to 13 billion euros (about $15.4 billion) in back taxes into an escrow account in the first quarter of 2018, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-ireland-taxavoidance/ireland-expects-apple-back-tax-in-escrow-account-in-first-quarter-2018-minister-idUSKBN1DY1M3" rel="noopener noreferrer">told reporters</a> before a meeting with European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.</p>

<p>VeprIT has launched SlideFlow, a Mac app for generating animated photo slideshows with background music and playing it on a TV screen. </p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <em><a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/04/apples-airpods-a-smash-hit-shipments-could-reach-28m-in-2018" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a></em> — KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo calls the AirPods the "the most important accessory in Apple's wireless ecosystem” and predicts Apple could ship between 26 million and 28 million units of the wireless headphones in 2018.</p>

<p>The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invalidated numerous claims in a patent related to LTE wireless technology that the owner, Evolved Wireless, has accused Apple, Samsung and other smartphone makers of infringing, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/990484/apple-samsung-and-others-prevail-in-lte-patent-row?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has never released an armband for use with its iPhones, but a newly granted patent (number 20170340095) for an “armband holding an electronic device” show the company has considered it.</p>