Dennis Sellers

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple is ramping up its audio accessory products for 2019, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod, and studio-quality over-ear headphones, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-25/apple-is-said-to-amplify-its-audio-device-strategy-in-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Bloomberg</em></a>, quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter.”</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s a prediction that’s not going to happen: declining music downloads and compact disc sales could possibly be offset by a new physical music medium called a USB Music Card.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">StarTech has released two new additions to its line of Sit-Stand Workstations: a monitor arm that attaches to a desk and a wall-mounted desk. I’ve had a chance to test drive the $520 <a href="https://www.startech.com/display-mounting-ergonomics/sit-stand-workstations/sit-stand-dual-monitor-arm~ARMSTSCP2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sit-Stand Dual-Monitor Arm</a>, which lets you swing a workstation from left to right, up or down. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netbase.com%2F&esheet=51826317&newsitemid=20180625005555&lan=en-US&anchor=NetBase&index=1&md5=86f2adabf00819994db705e1eaedba75" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NetBase</a>, which specializes in enterprise social analytics, has released its 4th Annual NetBase Brand Passion Report: Top 100 Global Brand Love List. Apple places sixth on the list.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A Los Angeles jury began deliberations Friday a to decide whether Beats Electronics co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine owe $109 million in headphone-sale royalties to a businessman who claims he handed them the now-iconic product "on a silver platter" over a decade ago, reports <a href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/1056580/beats-109m-headphone-royalties-row-goes-to-jury?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Law360</em></a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has announced a new 2018 Midterm Elections section in Apple News, offering a resource for midterm election information in the United States.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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 style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple says in a <a href="https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-macbook-and-macbook-pro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">support document</a> that it’s determined that certain late model MacBook and MacBook Pro units exhibit keyboard functionality issues including: letters or characters that repeat unexpectedly; letters or characters that don’t appear; and keys feeling “sticky” or which don’t respond in a consistent manner. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Another day, another lawsuit. Dean Lubacki, 21, <a href="http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/toronto-man-sue-apple-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has filed a small-claims court application</a> with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleging that in marketing the Apple Watch Series 3 as "brilliantly scratch-resistant" is not true, as evidenced by his Watch having been scratched. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has both great challenges, and great opportunities, with the HomePod and Apple TV. The worldwide smart home devices market — inclusive of smart speakers, digital media adapters, lighting, thermostats, and more — is forecast to ship 549.5 million devices in 2018, growing 26.8% over the prior year, according to the International Data Corporation (<a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.idc.com%2F&esheet=51825602&newsitemid=20180621005184&lan=en-US&anchor=IDC&index=1&md5=d4d0bdca9a94702c0dd25d9f14940fd5">IDC</a>) <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.idc.com%2Ftracker%2Fshowproductinfo.jsp%3Fprod_id%3D1781&esheet=51825602&newsitemid=20180621005184&lan=en-US&anchor=Worldwide+Quarterly+Smart+Home+Device+Tracker&index=2&md5=d9173b7c44fa3dd74960e2ffa787b420">Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker</a>.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you travel with one of the latest MacBook Pros or 12-inch MacBooks equipped with USB-C, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/LMP-USB-C-Mini-Dock-Ethernet/dp/B01LLGO08O" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">USB-C Compact Dock</a> from the Swiss-based company of LMP can make life a lot less complicated. </p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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 style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Now that my Apple World Today compadre, Steve Sande, is transforming his daily news update podcast into <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/6/20/apple-world-today-news-update-june-20-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Tangible Tech</em></a>, Yours Truly will offer an end-of-the-day text-and-graphics only update of various Apple news items. Because, hey, Steve and I can’t cover everything!</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has updated Final Cut Pro X and GarageBand for the Mac. Both are available at the Mac App Store.</p>

<p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apple has given a series order to “Calls,” an English-language adaptation of the French short-form series Canal+, reports <a href="https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/apple-orders-calls-1202853274/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Variety</em></a>. The tech giant will co-produce with Canal+.</p>