Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has cut the approval time for new submissions to its App Store from more than a week to less than two days, part of a broader push to increase revenue from services including mobile applications, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-12/apple-shortens-app-review-times-in-push-to-boost-service-sales" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a> — citing data from <a href="http://appreviewtimes.com/">AppReviewTimes.com</a>, which analyzes user-submitted data.</p>

<p>Android devices are no match for their iOS counterparts when it comes to device performance, according to the Q1 2016 State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report released by Blancco Technology Group. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.deviceatlas.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">DeviceAtla</a>s, a supplier of intelligence on mobile devices, has released its quarterly Mobile Web Intelligence Report for the first quarter of 2016, which analyzes mobile device traffic to hundreds of thousands of websites around the world. Not surprisingly, the report finds that Apple and Samsung devices are dominating mobile web browsing and that things look promising for the latest iPhone and for renewed growth of iOS.</p>

<p>According to a survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Feedzai (<a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.feedzai.com&esheet=51340932&newsitemid=20160512005364&lan=en-US&anchor=www.feedzai.com&index=1&md5=abbbd9c5c8986ad64db5cf967cd564a0">www.feedzai.com</a>), a data science company, 18% of Americans would rather have a broken bone than gettheir identity and payment information stolen. In the aftermath of the Apple controversy with the FBI, apparently more U.S. citizens would side with Apple when it comes to their data and whom it’s shared with, and when.</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>If a research team in Japan gets its wish, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140408121920.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer">Normally-Off computers</a> may one day soon be replacing present computers. Normally-Off is a way of computing which aggressively powers off components of computer systems when they need not to operate. </p>

<p>Henge-Docks' $89 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hengedocks.com/pages/gravitas" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lightning Gravitas</a> is one serious dock for iPhones and iPads. Sporting an all-metal construction and weight of about 2.5 pounds, this dock is going to stay on your desk like no other. </p>

<p>On a regular basis, Apple World Today 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 latest smartphone operating system data from <a target="_blank" href="http://kantarworldpanel.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kantar Worldpanel ComTech</a> for the three months ending March 2016 shows Android continuing to grow sales across the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom), the U.S., and Urban China. The growth came at the expense of iOS.</p>

<p>Apple has topped Forbes’ <a target="_blank" href="http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/#tab:rank" rel="noopener noreferrer">list of the most valuable global brands</a> for the sixth straight time. The company has a value of $154.1 billion, 87% more than second-ranked Google.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as reported by <a target="_blank" href="http://9to5mac.com/2016/05/11/kgi-apple-iphone-7-plus-5-5-inch-dual-camera-3gb-ram/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the next generation 5.5-inch iPhone, likely to be dubbed the iPhone 7 Plus, will have a dual back camera across the whole line. Previously, he thought that only the high end configurations of the iPhone would adopt the new camera technology.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.standzout.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Standzout</a>, a tablet and wearables accessory maker has released the $19.99 Helix Dock for Apple Watch, is now available for order. It’s a compact housing that stores the smartwatch’s charging cable and creates a charging platform for the Apple Watch. </p>

<p>How would you like a Mac with scent technology? I don’t actually expect it to happen, but some companies have looked into aromatherapy and connected media to interlace viewing experiences with interactive scent products. </p>

<p>You secure/encrypt your emails, our chats, and journals (or at least you should). If you need a secure word processing app for your articles and thoughts, <a target="_blank" href="http://createlivelove.com/623/" rel="noopener noreferrer">SecureWords</a> for Mac OS X is worth a look. </p>

<p>MBLM, a “brand intimacy agency focused on strategy, design, creative and technology,” says its <a target="_blank" href="http://mblm.com/apple" rel="noopener noreferrer">one-year study</a> shows that the Apple Watch is polarizing users.</p>