Dennis Sellers

<p>In the latest <a target="_blank" href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer">Consumer Reports</a> survey of 83,000 readers, Apple was dubbed the most reliable company when it comes to laptops and desktops, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/apples-macbooks-still-the-most-reliable/" rel="noopener noreferrer">ZDNet</a>.</p>

<p>Apple is developing a chip made solely for artificial intelligence (AI), according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-26/apple-said-to-plan-dedicated-chip-to-power-ai-on-devices" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>, quoting an unnamed “person familiar with the matter.”</p>

<p>The “iPhone 8” — pictured in fanciful mock-ups — could ship after Sept. 17, according to a memo sent to AppleCare workers, as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/05/26/apple-staff-blackout-dates-hint-at-iphone-8-launch-post-sept-17" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p>Apple on Wednesday urged the Federal Circuit to keep its decision freeing the tech giant from a $533 million infringement verdict by invalidating Smartflash’s data storage patents, saying the patent holder hadn’t raised anything new in its rehearing bid, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/928248/apple-says-fed-circ-s-ruling-killing-533m-verdict-a-ok?nl_pk=ade0cf2b-ea3f-464b-bc93-d8e19277ac63&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=technology" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Law 360 website</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has updated iMovie, the (respectively) consumer and pro versions of its video editing software. Both upgrades are available via the Mac App Store.</p>

<p>Occasionally an Apple patent filing pops up at that hints at an Apple NAS device/home server, something I’ve long wanted. Another one (number 20170149923) has appeared, this one for “remote access of media items.”</p>

<p>Did you know that you can have Mail in macOS Sierra automatically selects the best email account for a new message based on who the email is addressed to and what mailbox you selected when our began composing your new email. Well, you can. Here's how:</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://akvis.com/en/charcoal/index.php" rel="noopener noreferrer">AKVIS Charcoal 1.0</a> is a fun standalone application and Photoshop plug-in for macOS that lets you create charcoal, chalk, and sanguine drawings from photos.</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>Lauren Kern, executive editor at <em>New York Magazine</em>, has been named as the first editor-in-chief of Apple News, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/new-york-playbook/2017/05/25/the-meaning-of-pellegrinos-victory-mmvs-parade-theory-trouble-at-trump-soho-220500" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Politico</em></a>. She's of New York magazine’s most high-ranking editors and a former deputy editor at <em>The New York Times Magazine</em>. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.wemo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wemo,</a> the smart home brand from Belkin International, plans to enable Apple HomeKit compatibility to more than two million Wemo solutions on the market. HomeKit is a framework that allows control of compatible home automation devices through iOS and Siri.</p>

<p>If accurate, this could be good news for Mac laptops and iPads, desktops not so much: notebooks and detachable tablets (which includes the iPad Pro) will drive a return to growth in the personal computing market in 2019, according to IDC.</p>

<p>Apple has filed for a patent (number 20170147087) for “housing as an I/O device" that hints at, among other things, a Mac laptop with a virtual keyboard.</p>

<p>The Royal College of Art (RCA) has appointed Apple's Chief Design Officer Jony Ive as its new chancellor. He will take up the role in July 2017.</p>

<p>A <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/7/2/3/htm" rel="noopener noreferrer">new study</a> by the <em>Journal of Personalized Medicine </em>— as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> — compared the accuracy of seven different fitness trackers. The Apple Watch was found to have the lowest margin of error when measuring heart rate, beating the Basis Peak, Fitbit Surge, Microsoft Band, Mio Alpha 2, PulseOn, and Samsung Gear S2. </p>