Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product, so here are today’s patent highlights: </p>

<p>Apple will announce its quarterly earnings for its third fiscal quarter of 2016 on Tuesday, July 26, at 2 p.m. (Pacific). There will be a conference call with analysts and the press to discuss the financial results.  </p>

<p>South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating "some matters" relating to Apple, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-apple-idUSKCN0ZE07H" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>. Speaking at a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, FTC Chairman Jeong Jae-chan declined to comment on the specifics of the regulator's investigation when asked to do so by a South Korean lawmaker, the article adds.</p>

<p>There are rumors/hopes that Apple will replace its discontinued Thunderbolt Display with<a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2016/6/1/rumor-next-thunderbolt-display-could-pack-an-integrated-gpu?rq=Thunderbolt%20Display" rel="noopener noreferrer"> a monitor that packs a built-in graphics card</a>. I think the rumor has some validity. If not, perhaps Apple might consider releasing a GPU enclosure for its Mac line-up akin to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth" rel="noopener noreferrer">Razer Core</a>. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/surfacepad-for-ipad" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twelve South’s $69.99 SurfacePad</a> for the iPad mini 4 is a great product for those who are looking for a cover with features, if not necessarily a case for protection. </p>

<p>If ever there were a speaker system built for use in the summer, it's the $79.95 Turtle Shell wireless from Outdoor Tech. It's a water and dust resistant Bluetooth boom box designed for the great outdoors. </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><a href="http://www.pyleusa.com/">Pyle Audio</a> has announced the $49.99 Lite-Me Selfie Lighted Smart Case. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus case is designed to help users create better selfie images while protecting the smartphone in a slim fitting case.</p>

<p>You just decided to upgrade your MacBook hard drive to take advantage of the incredible storage space out there now or maybe you are adventuresome and switched to a Solid State Drive. What should you do with the old hard drive?</p>

<p>Somewhere out there, perhaps there's an on-ear headphone that beats the overall audio quality, design, comfort, and looks of the <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/RsobXG" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beyerdynamic T51,</a> but I've yet to run across it. Of course, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $299, this is a product for dedicated audiophiles.</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. Straight Path Group, a subsidiary of fixed wireless spectrum leasing firm Straight Path Communications, is suing Apple for patent violation, this one regarding VoIP, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/06/24/apples-facetime-subject-of-renewed-voip-patent-infringement-lawsuit" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>. </p>

<p><a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmobilelabsinc.com%2F&esheet=51368898&newsitemid=20160623006290&lan=en-US&anchor=Mobile+Labs&index=1&md5=97ce664c721c114605ce20ddd85a155a">Mobile Labs</a>, a provider of enterprise-grade mobile testing solutions, today announced comprehensive support for Apple’s iOS 10 on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Parking Panda, <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id550285323?mt=8)" rel="noopener noreferrer">a free app</a> for on-demand parking in over 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada, is adding Apple Pay support.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.learnquest.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">LearnQuest</a>, a provider of global IT and business skills, is now an official Apple Authorized Global Training Provider. It will offer new iOS developer and technical courses globally to Apple's enterprise partners and customers around the world over the coming months. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tixeo.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tixeo</a> has introduced a native Mac client designed to offer a real end-to-end encryption for group videoconferencing with Mac or PC. It provides an architecture enabling end-to-end encryption for group videoconferencing while maintaining a high adaptability to network fluctuations, according to its developers. </p>