Dennis Sellers

<p>Uh, someone needs to tell Siri that John Travolta isn’t dead. If you ask Apple’s personal digital assistant Hey Siri, how old is John Travolta,” you’ll be told that “John Travolta died January 3, 2009 at age 54,” as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.newsweek.com/john-travolta-dead-siri-might-tell-you-he-739729" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Newsweek</em></a>.</p>

<p>Michelle Lee, who has served as head of development for Jason Katims’ True Jack Productions, to join Apple’s worldwide video unit as a senior creative executive, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://deadline.com/2017/12/apple-michelle-lee-creative-executive-in-worldwide-video-division-1202220954/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Deadline</em></a>. </p>

<p>Apple has released macOS High Sierra 10.13.2. Available at the Mac App Store via the Updates tab, it:</p>

<p>Apple’s iPhone X has been honored in the first annual <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tomsguide.com/us/innovation-awards-2017,review-4938.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Innovation Awards</a> by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tomsguide.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Tom's Guide</em></a>, as well as <em>Digital Trends</em>’ <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/best-products-of-2017/">Best Products of 2017</a> list. </p>

<p>Apple places second on Drucker Institute’s <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drucker.institute/rankings/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Best Managed Companies in America</a>, a model that ranks Fortune 500, S&P 500 and other large-cap companies according to their overall effectiveness.</p>

<p>Adding fuel to the rumors (which are almost certainly true) that Apple is working on an augmented reality (AR) headset, the company’s chassis supplier Catcher Technology has revealed it's working on a product line outside of its usual categories.</p>

<p>Apple came in at 84th place on Glassdoor's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 Best Places to Work</a> in the U.S. It’s the tech giant’s lowest finish ever.</p>

<p>Apple may see up to $47 billion removed from its tax bill if Republicans continue with their current (and very controversial) tax reform plan, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://fortune.com/2017/12/06/apple-could-see-nearly-47-billion-in-benefits-from-the-republican-tax-reform/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Fortune</em></a>. This would make the tech giant the biggest beneficiary of the legislation that’s currently before Congress.</p>

<p>As promised this summer, an Amazon Prime app is now available for the Apple TV and requires a third generation (or later) Apple TV. It's a free download available on the tvOS App Store.</p>

<p>CEO Tim Cook <a target="_blank" href="https://in.reuters.com/article/china-fortunteforum-apple/apples-cook-optimistic-that-apps-pulled-in-china-will-be-back-idINKBN1E00MS?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FINbusinessNews+%28News+%2F+IN+%2F+Business+News%29" rel="noopener noreferrer">says</a> he expects the apps removed from the China App Store earlier this year will be reinstated. The tech giant was criticised for pulling virtual private network and messaging apps from the Chinese store due to pressure from the country’s regulators.</p>

<p>Forget one Apple Watch. Apple wants you to use multiple versions of its smartwatch. The tech giant has been granted a patent (number 9,838,526) for switching between watches or other accessories. </p>

<p>Like gaming? Like robots? Like <em>Battlebots</em>?Then you’ll love the spider-like <a target="_blank" href="https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/22ebaf2241ac19aeca5a98fe165927e6d9949a72?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmekamon.com%2F&userId=1372064&signature=cd87de15f9cf56fa" rel="noopener noreferrer">MekaMon</a> from Reach Robotics — IF you’re willing to tackle a somewhat long learning curve.</p>

<p>The iPhone X takes great close-ups with its advanced cameras. But you can make ‘em even sharper.</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 AWT News Update is on hiatus while my compadre, Steve, deals with some family issues. In its place, 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>