Dennis Sellers

<p>If you need to completely erase data from a hard drive, you need to check out the <a href="http://www.wiebetech.com/products/Drive_eRazer_Ultra.php">Drive eRazer Ultra</a> from <a href="http://www.cru-dataport.com/products/RAX-Wizard.php">CRU-DataPort</a>. Let me rephrase that: it’s a great device if you regularly have to erase data. It’s overkill for those who only do this occasionally — say, such as when they’re selling a Mac.</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 is now selling refurbished iPhones from its U.S. online store, which is a first for the company. The refurbished phones are available at the company’s <a target="_blank" href="//www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals" rel="noopener noreferrer">Certified Refurbished site</a> along with Macs, iPads, and iPods. </p>

<p>Apple <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/holiday/" rel="noopener noreferrer">has launched a website</a> with “exclusive holiday offers with Apple Pay on the web.” However, the offers regarding the mobile payment service are good in the U.S. only.</p>

<p>This week the Irish government will <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-taxavoidance-ireland-idUSKBN13320P">formally submit an appeal</a> against the <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/30/apple-repay-14-5-billion-back-taxes-ec-rules/">European Commission's ruling</a> that it must collect 13 billion euros in unpaid back taxes from Apple.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,488,488) for “augmented reality maps.” If the technology ever sees the light of day (and I’d bet that it will) look for augmented reality (AR) features in the Maps app on the iPhone.</p>

<p>Despite all the controversy surrounding them, Apple has been placing orders for lots of new MacBook Pros and strong shipments of the laptops are expected to last into 2017, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20161107PD201.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes</a>, quoting unnamed “sources from the upstream supply chain.”</p>

<p>Feral Interactive's LEGO Movie Videogame — an adaptation of the hit film, <em>The LEGO Movie</em> — is fun if too familiar and too faithful to the movie.</p>

<p>If you launch the Maps app on the Apple Watch, you can search for a location. To do so, follow these steps:</p>

<p>Apple has hired at “least 16” employees and purchased select technology from Omnifone, an early player in streaming music services that filed for bankruptcy this summer, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/07/apple-picked-up-talent-tech-from-defunct-music-startup-omnifone-in-august/?ncid=rss" rel="noopener noreferrer">TechCrunch</a>. Omnifone is the company behind MusicStation, a cloud-based global media platform that provides back-end solutions for digital music services.</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 will turn over ad sales for its Apple News app to Comcast’s NBCUniversal in an exclusive deal that starts in January, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.recode.net/2016/11/7/13547014/apple-news-nbcuniversal-sales" rel="noopener noreferrer">recode</a>. The new deal means that NBCUniversal, instead of Apple, will sell any remaining ad inventory.</p>

<p>AT&T plans to give away Apple TV and Fire TV Stick devices to consumers who sign up for DirecTV Now, its TV streaming service, according to customer-support documents obtained by <a target="_blank" href="http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/directv-now-channel-list-leak-1201909846/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p>

<p>China has adopted a controversial cyber security law to counter what Beijing says are growing threats such as hacking and terrorism, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-parliament-cyber-idUSKBN132049" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters.</a> The legislation,  set to take effect in June 2017, says "Ccritical information infrastructure operators" must now store both personal and business data on Chinese servers.</p>

<p>The Irish High Court has agreed to put Apple on its commercial list, fast-tracking the resolution of legal objections over its planned €850 million (£756 million) datacenter near Athenry, County Galway, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/high-court-decides-to-fast-track-apple-850-million-data-centre-2016-11" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a>. </p>