Dennis Sellers

<p>iPad sales continued to shrink in Apple's fiscal 2017 second quarter that ended April 1, 2017 (approximately 8.9 million tablets compared to 10 million in fiscal quarter 2016), but it’s not just Apple that’s seeing tablet sales decline. And there's a glimmer of good news for the iPad Pro.</p>

<p>WaterField Designs has debuted the Bolt Crossbody, a slim-profile vertical laptop bag designed for commuters, professionals and adventure seekers. Available in three sizes to fit MacBooks, iPads and other devices, each Bolt includes a built-in, padded laptop-tablet sleeve, an Apple Pencil slot and several pockets.</p>

<p>B-Eng has launched <a target="_blank" href="http://www.b-eng.ch/app/system-bar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">System Bar</a>, a low impact system monitoring utility for macOS. It shows the main system information at a glance in a single bar, that can be freely customized and positioned anywhere on the screen.</p>

<p>Apple wants to make it easier for content producers to combine dialogue, music and special effects and, especially, improve the intelligibility of dialog on TV sets. The company has been granted a patent (number 20170126343) for “audio stem delivery and control.”</p>

<p>During a Wednesday evening interview with <em>CNBC's</em> Jim Cramer, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company has created a $1 billion manufacturing fund to help stimulate job growth in the U.S. </p>

<p>Alfons Schmid's macOS version of Notebooks is a time-saving productivity app that combines text processing with task management and file organization to complement the iPad and iPhone versions of the tool. It allows you to create as many books as you need to write, store and structure.</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 has updated its Clips app for iOS devices with improvements to its Live Title feature and more. According to Apple, version 1.0.1:</p>

<p>I see no chance of this happening, but Qualcomm, hacked off over Apple’s decision to stop paying it billions of dollars in licensing fees for smartphone chips, will ask a U.S. trade agency to ban the imports of iPhones, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-03/qualcomm-said-to-seek-u-s-import-ban-for-iphones" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>, quoting an unnamed “person familiar with the company’s strategy.</p>

<p>According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strategyanalytics.com%2Faccess-services%2Fdevices%2Fmobile-phones%2Fsmartphone%2Fsmartphones%2Freports%2Freport-detail%2Foppo-soars-as-global-smartphone-shipments-hit-353-million-in-q1-2017%23.WQnIpPkrKUk&esheet=51552448&newsitemid=20170503005976&lan=en-US&anchor=global+smartphone+shipments+grew+6+percent+annually&index=1&md5=eb77d7ef828b066d80afe1c104940fd7" rel="noopener noreferrer">global smartphone shipments grew 6% annually</a> to reach 353 million units in quarter one (Q1) of 2017. Samsung recaptured first position with 23% global smartphone marketshare, while Apple dipped to 14% share, adds the research group.</p>

<p>iOS 11 and macOS 10.3 — which will be previewed at next month’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference — will offer a new Automator app that integrates the functionality from the recently-acquired Workflow app, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.redmondpie.com/rumor-ios-11-and-macos-10.13-to-feature-new-automator-app-based-on-recently-acquired-workflow/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Redmond Pie</em> site,</a> citing an unnamed “individual posting about Apple’s upcoming plans.”</p>

<p>At the 2016 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, it was announced that Brookfield Residential would be offering Apple HomeKit connected packages to new homebuyers. Now the North American land developer and homebuilder with operations in strategic major markets has announced that it’s the first national homebuilder to offer connected home products as standard features, starting with every home at <a target="_blank" href="http://brookfieldsocal.com/neighborhood/delano-eastwood-village/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delano at Eastwood Village</a> in Irvine, California.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/03/jpmorgan-analyst-makes-outlandish-claim-that-apple-will-preview-iphone-8-at-wwdc-in-june/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> — analysts at J.P. Morgan, a financial services firm, says Apple will likely announce the “iPhone 8” at the 28th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will be held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, June 5-9.</p>

<p>IBM has announced that Lufthansa Group, the largest German airline, is introducing a new mobile offering for employees, powered by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/mobile/mobilefirst-for-ios/" rel="noopener noreferrer">MobileFirst for iOS</a> to transform the airline's ground operations and boost customer service. </p>

<p>Apple's cash reserve reaches over $256 billion, making it larger then the market capitalization of General Electric, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.efsecurities.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Excon Fuji Securities</a>, a private international investment brokerage. In the previous fiscal quarter, the company was at $233 billion.</p>