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>A new study released by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.musicwatchinc.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MusicWatch</a>, a company providing consumer research for the music industry,  profiled the usage patterns, playlist preferences, discovery habits and creation habits of music streamers. The study, which is based on 500 online interviews with users of Apple Music or Spotify who participate in listening to or creating playlists. </p>

<p>Digital media is a wonderful thing, but it has limitations, including sound. Enter the $299 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meridian-audio.com/products/computer-audio/explorer2/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Merdian Explorer USB DAC.</a></p>

<p>If you need a high quality capsule microphone, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mxlmics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marshall Electronics' MXL AC-404 USB</a> provides excellent voice quality on conference calls at a reasonable price (about $90). If you take advantage of free or subscription Internet conferencing services such as FaceTime or Skype, it's worth a look.</p>

<p>Apple has released the seventh beta of macOS Sierra for developers and the six beta for public beta testers. The final version is due this fall.</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 will debut three new iPhone models next year, presumably the “iPhone 8” and “iPhone 8 Plus,” as well as a third model that will sport a curved OLED screen similar to the Edge versions of Samsung's Galaxy phones, claims the Japanese site, <em>Nikkei</em> (as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/08/22/apple-may-launch-three-new-iphones-in-2017-limiting-curved-oled-to-one-model---report" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>).</p>

<p>Apple has <a href="https://www.applemusicfestival.com/en-us">announced</a> its 2016 <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/apple-music/">Apple Music</a> Festival, a free annual concert series that will be held Sept. 18-30 at the London Roundhouse. The performing acts haven’t yet been named. Last year Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence + The Machine and Disclosure, Mumford & Sons, Carrie Underwood and Ellie Goulding, and others performed.</p>

<p>ZEISS has announced the official in-store launch of its $129 <a target="_blank" href="http://zeissvrone.tumblr.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">VR ONE Plus virtual reality headset</a> in select Best Buy stores nationwide, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.BestBuy.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">online</a>. The VR ONE Plus will be featured as part of an hands-on display, allowing general consumers to experience its quality hardware and lenses for the first time, according to the folks at ZEISS.</p>

<p>Apple hasn’t even confirmed that an “iPhone 7” is coming, but that hasn’t stopped <a target="_blank" href="http://vrdesign.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">VRS Design</a> from announcing their case line-up for the next gen smartphone. </p>

<p>A Barbra Streisand update may be coming to iPhones, iPads and even Macs soon. The singer and actress recently said she asked that Apple fix Siri, its personal digital assistant (which will debut on the Mac with macOS Sierra this fall) to pronounce her last name right, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7480218/barbra-streisand-apple-siri-update" rel="noopener noreferrer">Billboard</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has bought Gliimpse, a personal health data startup, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3062865/tim-cooks-apple/apple-acquires-personal-health-data-startup-gliimpse" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fast Company</a>. The acquisition apparently took place earlier this year.</p>

<p>According to a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/technology/lyft-is-said-to-fail-to-find-a-buyer-despite-talks-with-several-companies.html?_r=0">report</a> from the <em>New York Times</em>, the ride-sharing company <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lyft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lyft</a> recently held discussions with handful of companies — including Apple — to discuss a possible acquisition.</p>

<p>Hon Hai Precision Industry, which trades as Foxconn Technology Group and which assembles Apple products, said on Monday two workers at its manufacturing facilities in China died last week, even as the company made efforts to improve labor conditions that came under scrutiny after a spate of suicides in recent years, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-foxconn-deaths-idUSKCN10X0ZI?il=0" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p>Apple met with retail employees over the weekend to introduce “major new changes, including new and renamed positions, a new credo, and new store layouts,” reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/21/apple-new-retail-positions-credo-layout/" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>, quoting unnamed “multiple retail sources.”</p>