Dennis Sellers

<p>You’ve probably noticed that <em>Apple World Today</em> hasn’t posted any articles on the “panic” over the upcoming iPhone 8. That’s because it’s a non-story. But let’s back up.</p>

<p>Apple has released the second public betas of macOS High Sierra and iOS 11 to public beta testers. The finished versions of the operating system updates are due this fall.</p>

<p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation has released its seventh EFF’s seventh annual <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>“Who Has Your Back”</em></a> report, which digs into the ways many technology companies are getting the message about user privacy in this era of unprecedented digital surveillance. Apple received four out of a possible five stars, but that’s down one star from the 2016 report.</p>

<p><em>TechCrunch</em> <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/12/apple-unveils-smart-home-experiences-in-its-retail-stores-worldwide/" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that Apple has launched HomeKit smart home experiences at its retail stores. HomeKit is a framework that allows control of compatible home automation devices through iOS and Siri.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://link.email.dynect.net/link.php?DynEngagement=true&H=WAA0HYy4enWklLGLVOCoftvRiKxkwcx7028A%2BNZlWSzSEaUD3cyAX%2B6Vxm5mIT%2BFU2vUseRr5Vdd8%2FzCPoAX6%2F%2B0CUvyGBDoIttzFTs3YHd9fxqwyvKTLQ2E8d9M2m5%2B&G=0&R=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quark.com&I=20170712120051.00000046e887%40mail6-33-usnbn1&X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU5NjU1MDgxN2I0YzI1ODVjOGFmZGJmNjs%3D&S=lsqy4eEIadmkpXLTE7ycdRpyYttvipTFcbPjvYQRIrc" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quark Software</a> has been acquired by Parallax Capital Partners (Parallax), a Southern California-based software-focused private equity firm.</p>

<p>Apple will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-12/apple-to-build-first-china-data-center-to-comply-with-local-law" rel="noopener noreferrer">establish</a> its first data center in China to speed up services such as iCloud for local users and abide by laws that require global companies to store information within the country, according to <em>Bloomberg</em>.</p>

<p>Starting today in Canada and Mexico, and rolling out in other countries including the U.S. soon, PayPal customers will be able to pay for App Store, Apple Music, iTunes and iBooks purchases across iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices using their PayPal account. </p>

<p>Future iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches (and perhaps Mac laptops) may tell you when their display gets tiny, perhaps imperceptible (to your eyes) cracks. And the device could also give Apple some info about the damage. The company has been granted a patent (number 9,703,325) for “coverglass fracture detection.”</p>

<p>If you’re a fan of classical music, check out AppGeneration Software’ myTuner Classical. It lets you listen to the best themes from Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Rossini, Bach, Strauss, Mozart and many others, anywhere and anytime you want from a Mac running macOS 10.9 or later. </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>Tanya Ridd, Apple's head of PR for the north and south regions of Europe, is leaving to become Snap's director of comms for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-comms-director-tanya-ridd-leaves-to-join-snap-2017-7" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a>.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.volvo.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Volvo Trucks North America </a>has announced the new Volvo VNL series, a “groundbreaking tractor that meets the needs of today's long-haul trucking customers and professional drivers.” Available in several configurations, including an all-new, 70-inch sleeper, the Volvo VNL series has CarPlay support.</p>

<p>A man who sued Apple, claiming his overheated iPhone 5 burned his arm badly, has to turn over the smartphone to the Cupertino, California-based company so they can examine it if he wants to pursue his damages claim against the company, reports the <a target="_blank" href="http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/apple-has-right-to-inspect-iphone-man-claims-burned-his-arm-court-says/wcm/26dd5cda-f456-4ec0-a8c9-dd577b20b1fc" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Post</a>.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.vertoanalytics.com/company/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Verto</a>, an app analytics company, saysthat while Apple’s Siri remains the most popular intelligent assistant, fewer people are using it.</p>

<p>If you have a first generation Apple Watch with a separated back cover, Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will repair it free of charge, according to an internal service policy obtained by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors. </a></p>