Dennis Sellers

<p>According to a new IDC forecast, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.idc.com/tracker/showproductinfo.jsp?prod_id=1541" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker</em></a>, global shipments of personal computing devices (PCDs), comprised of traditional PCs (a combination of desktop, notebook, and workstations) and tablets (slates and detachables), are expected to continue a slight decline through 2021. </p>

<p>Apple has posted American Red Cross links to its official website and iTunes Store landing page asking customers <a target="_blank" href="https://buy.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/buyCharityGiftWizard" rel="noopener noreferrer">to assist</a> folks impacted by Hurricane Harvey. </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>There’s a lot happening in the world of Apple news this week. Following are the hottest articles for the week of August 21-26.</p>

<p>A mobile accessories maker has confirmed that the upcoming Apple iPhones (shown in fanciful mockups) — expected to debut next month — will feature wireless charging.</p>

<p>Some folks disagree -- including Apple CEO Tim Cook, but I think that in time, macOS and iOS will merge into one operating system. I’ve expressed this opinion in the past, but a new<em> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macworld.com/article/3219695/ios/future-of-ios-and-macos.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Macworld</a></em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.macworld.com/article/3219695/ios/future-of-ios-and-macos.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"> column</a> by Jason Snell, “iOS and macOS: What does the future hold?” inspired me to bring the subject up again.</p>

<p>The Rolling Stones told us that time was on our side (or at least Mick Jagger's side). That's not always true, but with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pandaware.com/timecache/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">TimeCache</a>, a Mac only tool from PandaWare, we can at least keep track of it.</p>

<p>In the event that you no longer want to use the passcode on your Apple Watch, it’s easy to disable it. On the smartwatch, go to Settings app → Passcode → Disable Passcode.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.feralinteractive.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Feral Interactive</a> says F1 2017, the official videogame of the current 2017 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, will be released for macOS on Aug. 25. System requirementshaven’t been announced.</p>

<p>Sonnet Technologies that launched the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sonnettech.com/product/sf3-sxs-pro-card-reader.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">SxS Pro Card Reader</a>, the second in a new family of professional media readers that feature a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface.  It will be available Aug. 28 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.</p>

<p>A California judge has tossed with prejudice a suit filed by the father of a college student who was killed by a texting driver that alleged Apple negligently designed iPhones to be operable while callers are driving, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/957324/apple-iphone-defect-suit-over-texting-death-gets-tossed?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a>.</p>

<p>Western Digital has unveiled the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wdc.com/products/external-storage/my-book-duo.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">My Book Duo storage system</a> that comes in a high end version with 20TB of storage. </p>

<p>Micromat has announced a new macOS drive utility called Drive Scope. The software utilizes Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (also known as S.M.A.R.T.) — which is built into most hard drives — to report on the health of internal and external hard drives connected to Macs.</p>

<p>Apple says the <a href="https://itunes.com/ecc/">App Development with Swift</a> curriculum will now be offered in more than 30 community college systems across the country in the 2017-2018 school year, providing opportunities to millions of students to build apps that will prepare them for careers in software development and information technology. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.jumsoft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jumsoft</a> has introduced Flat Icons Lab 1.0, a multipurpose productivity assistant app for macOS that features nearly 300 original icon designs, presented in 13 categories. </p>