Dennis Sellers

<p>I’ve long argued that the “cloud” is fine for storing and backing up data — as long as you also have a local copy. Sorry, Apple, but I’m simply not wiling to trust you — or any company with safeguarding all my valuable data. Which is why the newly introduced <a href="http://drobo.com/">Drobo 5C</a> with USB-C connectivity is a great product.</p>

<p>According to a <a href="http://www.uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/USP%20ShellGames%20Oct16%201.2_FINAL.pdf">new study</a> authored by researchers from Citizens for Tax Justice, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, 73% of U.S. Fortune 500 firms — more than 300 corporate giants — have money stashed in tax shelters abroad, including the Netherlands and Bermuda. Five of the top 10 biggest tax-avoiders — ranked by dollar amount held offshore — are big tech companies, with Apple ranked as No. 1 and Microsoft at No. 3.</p>

<p>Apple has brought its universal search feature for the fourth-generation Apple TV to five new countries and has added more supported services in the U.S. and Australia, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/10/04/apple-tvs-universal-search-comes-to-five-more-countries-expands-in-us-australia" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">There’s a security flaw in the iOS 10 backup protection mechanism, but Apple is working on it. Russian forensic company Elcomsoft says that cracking the logins for backups stored on a Mac or PC is considerably easier now</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 Pay <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-applepay-idUSKCN1240AX" rel="noopener noreferrer">has launched in Russia</a>, making it the 10th country to support Apple’s mobile payment service. It will initially operate in Russia with partners Sberbank and MasterCard.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted ye another patent (number 9,449,758) for a “three dimensional user interface session control using depth sensors” that hints at a Mac user interface that utilizes gesture controls in much the same manner its <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2016/8/11/leap-motion-control-is-intriguing-and-fun-but-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time?rq=Leap">Leap Motion’s Leap control device.</a></p>

<p>With the fall softball season here, I had high hopes that the $149.95 <a target="_blank" href="https://blastmotion.com/products/baseball/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%7CBMM&utm_term=%2BBlast%20%2BMotion&utm_content=Core" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blast Baseball 360</a> might help me improve my swing and up my on-base percentage. But so far the experience has been inconsistent. I’m not having a blast (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun). </p>

<p>It’s time for a Mac laptop with LTE support. Having 4G LTE in a laptop is nothing new and there's no obvious reason why at least some models of the MacBook Pro, MacBook, or MacBook Air (if it lives on past this month) shouldn’t offer this capability. </p>

<p>Apple has moved its earnings call for the fourth quarter of 2016 up two days from Thursday Oct. 27, to Tuesday, Oct. 25, citing an unannounced scheduling conflict.</p>

<p>Podcasts branded “Spoken Editions,” short-form programs that offer listeners an audio version of the publisher’s written content, are down available at iTunes. They allow you to “read” your favorite website or hear the news when you’re doing other things.</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 iPhone 7/7 Plus is already more popular than the iPhone SE, and is close to overtaking the iPhone 4 and 4s lineup, according to a new report from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.localytics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Localytics</a> as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/10/03/newly-launched-iphone-7-lineup-already-tracked-at-36-of-all-apple-handsets-in-use" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-sales-kgi-securities-ming-chi-kuo-2016-10" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a> — KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple could sell fewer Apple Watches in 2016 than it did in 2015. His projection for 2016 Apple Watch shipments have been cut 15-25%.</p>

<p>Apple's flagship U.K. store in London will reopen on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. The store (pictured prior to the renovation) is located at 235 Regent Street, London, W1B 2EL.</p>