Dennis Sellers

<p>In a note to clients — as reported by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/16/apple-watch-with-lte-may-not-support-cellular-voice-calls-at-launch-instead-focus-on-data" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the Apple Watch with LTE, expected to debut next month, won’t support traditional cellular voice calls this year.</p>

<p>iDevices has released the $99.95 <a target="_blank" href="http://store.idevicesinc.com/idevices-dimmer-switch/" rel="noopener noreferrer">iDevices Dimmer Switch,</a> the brand’s first major product release since it was acquired by Hubbell Inc. earlier this year. The new device is a hub-less smart switch that’s compatible with Siri on iOS devices, Alexa and the Google Assistant.</p>

<p>Sonnet Technologies is shipping its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sonnettech.com/product/egfx-breakaway-box.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">eGFX Breakaway Box</a> with 350W power supply, the first in the company’s new series of Thunderbolt 3 to PCI Express (PCIe) expansion chassis for professional graphics and gaming applications.</p>

<p>Cypress Semiconductor Corp., which specializes in wireless connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced an updated version of its turnkey development platform for the IoT that simplifies the integration of wireless connectivity into smart home applications. </p>

<p>MacPlus Software has released Miya Notes for Google Keep 1.0, a Mac-client for Google Keep. </p>

<p>Apple has set a budget of roughly $1 billion to procure and produce original content over the next year, according to<em> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-readies-1-billion-war-chest-for-hollywood-programming-1502874004" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Wall Street Journal</a></em>, and could acquire and produce as many as 10 television shows. The company has also hired Matt Cherniss, former president and general manager of WGN America, an American basic cable and satellite television channel owned by Tribune Broadcasting.</p>

<p>Feral Interactive has announced that BioShock Remastered, a version of the first-person shooter running in 1080p, will be released for macOS on Aug. 22 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the game’s original release. It was originally developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K for Windows and console.</p>

<p>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.romoss.com/products/power-banks/romoss-upower-10000mah-power-bank/" rel="noopener noreferrer">ROMOSS UPower 10000mAh Power Bank</a> — which retails for $49.99 but can be obtained at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/ROMOSS-10000mAh-Output-2-Port-Universal/dp/B00DY2IMBK) for $15.99 (at least as I wrote this review" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a> for less — is a two-in-one hybrid power supply that comes in handy if you need a home or travel charger for just two gadgets.</p>

<p>Siri, Apple’s personal digital assistant, may one day help you determine why you’re having problems with the accessibility features on an iOS, watchOS, tvOS and perhaps even a macOS device. The company has been granted a patent (number 9,733,821) for “voice control to diagnose inadvertent activation of accessibility features.”</p>

<p>Card payments account for the largest share of e-commerce revenues in Europe, followed by e-wallets like PayPal and Apple Pay. However, research cited in a new report from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.researchandmarkets.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research and Markets</a> reveals how online consumers' preferred payment methods vary dramatically across different countries.</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 today has expanded to new banks and credit unions in the U.S., UK, Australia, Russia and China.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-15/apple-plans-first-canadian-dollar-bond-to-reward-shareholders" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a> reports that Apple has sold $1.96 billion in senior unsecured seven-year bonds in Canada. The funds will go towards stock buybacks and dividends.</p>

<p>Apple and other tech firms have submitted a amicus brief in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, expressing concerns about warrantless police access to cellphone location data, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/15/apple-facebook-google-others-sign-brief-concerned-about-warrantless-location-tracking" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netbase.com&esheet=51669363&newsitemid=20170815005415&lan=en-US&anchor=NetBase&index=1&md5=ad1eb8216f1534ed94f758e5c69d44bd" rel="noopener noreferrer">NetBase</a>, which specializes in enterprise social analytics, has released its “3rd Annual NetBase Brand Passion Report: Top 100 Global Brand Love List.” Not surprisingly, Apple is i the top 10 of the “most loved global brands.”</p>