Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has launched its Back to School promotion in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/browse/campaigns/education_pricing" rel="noopener noreferrer">Europe</a>. The deal is the same there as it is in the U.S.</p>

<p>France is working with Germany and other partners to plug loopholes that have allowed U.S. tech giants like Apple to minimize taxes and grab market share in Europe at the expense of the continent’s own companies, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-07/france-and-germany-plan-crackdown-on-tax-loopholes-used-by-apple" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has created an official, followable <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/apple/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram account</a>. The account will exclusively feature curated and credited photos from iPhone users all over the world.</p>

<p>The HomeKit-enabled SYLVANIA SMART+ A19 Full Color Light Bulb from LEDVANCE is now available for <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB073S5LH41&esheet=51637433&newsitemid=20170807005029&lan=en-US&anchor=pre-order&index=1&md5=cd0edba3009693a8a1e12a01a12e3c8b" rel="noopener noreferrer">pre-order</a> at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $44.99. Delivery is expected in September.</p>

<p>Apple has added support for 438 cable and TV companies, including ones in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to its single-on feature in tvOS and iOS, as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/06/apples-single-sign-on-feature-gains-nearly-440-new-providers" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>AppleInsider</em></a>. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.erosintl.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Eros Group</a>, an Indian movie production house, may sell its entire content library to Apple, reports <em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eros-group-apple-deals-idUSKBN1AN0JN?il=0" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a></em> , quoting unnamed sources. The article adds that Amazon and Netflix are also considering a bid.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 20170221106) for “interaction-aware advertising for minimizing banner blindness.” The goal of the invention is to make digital ads more noticeable.</p>

<p>Consumers who have long been interested in portable digital media and streaming internet radio are now beginning to use these outlets regularly in the car, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://vuo.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kosada's Vuo</a> is designed as an alternative to Apple's Quartz Composer (a node-based visual programming language provided as part of the Xcode development environment in macOS for processing and rendering graphical data). Aimed at media producers, VJs, interactive artists, and media-making non-programmers, it enables users to interactively create and mix audio, video, and 2D + 3D effects.</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 beginning to work with Google-backed technologies known collectively as service workers reports <a target="_blank" href="http://fortune.com/2017/08/04/apple-progressive-web-apps/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fortune</a>. A service worker is a script that your browser runs in the background, separate from a web page, opening the door to features that don't need a web page or user interaction. Today, they include features like push notifications and background sync. </p>

<p>There’s a lot happening in the world of Apple news this week. Following are the hottest articles for the week of July 30-August 4.</p>

<p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>, Apple has updated its online store to indicate that AirPods are now estimated to ship in four weeks in the United States, Europe, and many other regions, down from a six-week estimate listed since launching in December. </p>

<p>The Apple Watch Series 3 — expected in September — will be able to connect directly to cellular networks, a move designed to reduce reliance on the iPhone, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/apple-said-to-ready-cellular-capable-watch-to-break-iphone-ties" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg,</a> quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter.”</p>

<p>Apple is experimenting with various types of augmented reality (AR) glasses, according to the <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/e0d19656-78f4-11e7-90c0-90a9d1bc9691" rel="noopener noreferrer">Financial Time</a>s</em> (which requires a subscription). Some use their own integrated display; others work with an iPhone.</p>