Dennis Sellers

<p>iDevices has released the $79 <a href="http://store.idevicesinc.com/idevices-socket/">Socket</a>, which allows you to turn any ordinary light bulb into a connected bulb. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.theinformation.com/apple-opening-siri-developing-echo-rival">The Information reports</a> that Apple is working on "an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and microphone that people can use to turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer.” The Echo (pictured) is Amazon’s voice-activated smart home speaker.</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 hired — no, make that rehired — Jon Callas, an expert in practical cryptography with the goal “to bring more powerful security features to a wide range of consumer products,” reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-callas-idUSKCN0YF2J1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.kanex.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kanex’s</a> new, $99.95 GoPower is a USB-C portable battery Apple’s 12-inchMacBook. The15,000 mAh portable rechargeable battery is capable of delivering one full charge to the USB-C laptop and multiple charges to tablets, smartphones, and other USB devices, all on the go, according to Andrew Truong of Kanex.</p>

<p>Apple continues to play a significant role in the Western Europe computer market, especially in the premium segment and the convertible/detachable segment, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.idc.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to IDC</a>.</p>

<p>olloclip is teaming up with OtterBox to offer olloclip’s 4-in-1 Lens as a module compatible with the new <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/j879mzg" rel="noopener noreferrer">OtterBox uniVERSE Case System</a>.</p>

<p>Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product, so here are today’s patent highlights: </p>

<p>The top five U.S. non-financial companies are Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco Systems and Oracle, according to a new report by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.moodys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moody’s Investors Service</a>. Apple held $215.7 billion in total cash for the period. The company has held the top spot as cash king since 2009, according to Moody’s.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/3977304-eye-tech-apple-reportedly-preps-pro-iphone-new-macbooks?auth_param=19ncqg:1bk8e2c:443c8b759099346a390b5ca9e3a55c9a&uprof=53&dr=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seeking Alpha</a> — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple plans to add a 13-inch MacBook to its laptop line-up, replacing the MacBook Air.</p>

<p>One of the cool things Apple did with last year’s release of Mac OS X El Capitan was to allow the application of third-party image editing extensions within Photos. One such extension is Picture++, which is available at the <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picture++/id1066413973?ls=1&mt=12#" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mac App Store</a> for $3.99.</p>

<p>While Steve Jobs hated the stylus and worked hard to make the iPhone completely usable without one, in some circumstances you simply need a more traditional way to interact with the iPhone — and the Apple Pencil only works (so far) with the iPad Pro.</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 style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">New data from the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thelsa.org/lsa/home.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer">Local Search Association</a> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276372/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mobile-marketing-daily+%28MediaPost+%7C+Mobile+Marketing+Daily%29" rel="noopener noreferrer">MediaPost</a> — says that about 56% of smartphone, mobile phone or tablet users who access the Internet don’t use voice-enabled assistants. The study is based on data from 2015.</p>

<p>Hold on! Perhaps Apple isn’t doomed after all. Taiwan’s <em>Economic Daily</em> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.barrons.com/asiastocks/2016/05/23/apple-asks-suppliers-to-produce-72-78-million-iphone7-this-year-taiwan-media/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barron’s</a> said Apple had asked its suppliers to produce 72 to 78 million new iPhones by the end of the year, the highest production target in about two years. The street had expected only 65 million iPhone 7s to be produced this year.</p>