Dennis Sellers

<p>Google and Samsung smartphones are gaining on Apple’s iPhone in mobile gaming monetization, according to a new study of 1.4 million players across North America in June from DeltaDNA, as noted by <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/23/samsung-and-google-are-closing-the-gap-on-apples-monetization-of-mobile-games/">VentureBeat</a>.</p>

<p>Actor Dwayne Johnson — who seems to have found a way to work 25/8 — has teamed up with Apple for an ad promoting Siri, the tech giant’s personal digital assistant. The spot is called <em>The Rock X Siri: Dominate the Day</em> and you can watch it on Apple’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Apple" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube channel</a>. Johnson's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/DwayneJohnson/photos/a.448580834383.229946.406433779383/10155805186044384/?type=3&theater" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook post</a> about the movie says:</p>

<p>JCPenney, one of the largest apparel and home furnishings retailer in the U.S., has announced support for Apple Pay. Apple’s mobile payment system will be available in all stores nationwide.</p>

<p>Elemental Tools has released Firetask Pro, the next generation of Firetask, the project-oriented GTD(R) task management app for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices. It’s available at Apple’s various app stores.</p>

<p>Apple is investing in equipment to assist in supplying OLED screens to the "iPhone 8" and beyond according to <em>ET News</em> — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/07/24/apple-investing-in-chemical-deposition-gear-suitable-for-iphone-oled-screen-production" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. The tech giant has purchased chemical vapor deposition (CVD) machines from Sunic Systems in Korea, the article adds.  </p>

<p>If you need to convert from one graphics format to another, you need the aptly named GraphicConventer from Lemke Software. It's recently been revved to version 10.4.2, and supports image conversion from over 200 graphic file formats into almost 80 different file formats. </p>

<p>This is why I need to become a professional analyst: one analyst told <a target="_blank" href="http://cnb.cx/1tG37uA" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a> three years ago that Apple could be "obsolete" in three to 10 years, due to increasing competition and "make-believe" valuations in the technology sector. </p>

<p>Apple has filed for a patent (number 20170206055) for “realtime audio effects control.” Most likely involving future versions of GarageBand on macOS and iOS devices, it’s for music authoring software can provide features that allow users to store music tracks, samples, or other prerecorded music segments and combine the music segments to create an original musical product.</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 Irish government is establishing a fund to manage the estimated 13 billion euros (about $15.2 billion) it will collect from Apple in back taxes, nearly a year after the European Commission ruled the country had provided a “sweetheart deal” on tax to the U.S. firm, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-22/ireland-seeks-custodian-for-apple-cash-as-collection-nears" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>.</p>

<p>According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> Apple is introducing two all-new Apple Store positions dubbed “Lead” and “Schedule Planner.” Applications open Monday, July 24, although select stores started interviewing candidates as early as a few weeks ago, the article says. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,710,944) for “electronic document thinning” that involves is iBooks Author software. iBooks is a free ebook app that allows you to read publications purchased at the iBooks Store. iBooks Author lets you create iBooks textbooks (as well as other types of books) for the iPad and Mac.</p>

<p>The rise of mobile technology has transformed the world in many ways, including the way users interact with email. Mobile email opens have nearly doubled over the past five years and more than half of emails are now opened on mobile devices, according to a new research report from email solutions provider Return Path.</p>

<p>Ninety-four precent of NordVPN’s <a target="_blank" href="https://nationalprivacytest.org/reports" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Privacy Test</a> respondents said they would ignore an email request from a bank asking for personal information. Yet statistics show that up to 45% of Internet users keep clicking on dangerous links or providing personal information where they shouldn’t.</p>

<p>Apple spent $2.2 million lobbying the Donald Trump administration in Washington D.C. between April 1 and June 30, 2017, according to a <a target="_blank" href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2017/Q2/300897564.xml" rel="noopener noreferrer">disclosure form</a> filed by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.recode.net/2017/7/21/16008504/apple-amazon-google-record-lobby-trump-immigration-science-privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer">recode</a>. That’s almost double the moolah spent on lobbying from the same three month period in 2016.</p>