Dennis Sellers

<p>Agile Tortoise has announced Interact Scratchpad 1.0 for the Mac. The menubar app brings the popular natural language contact creation tools of Interact for iOS to macOS.</p>

<p>If you have more than one Mac, you need to check out ChronoSync from Econ Technologies. The $40 utility offers a way to synchronize or backup files and folders. And if you use ChronoSync, you'll also want to check out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronoagent/overview.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">ChronoAgent</a>, a $15 utility that's recently been revved to version 1.5.</p>

<p>The global market for computer monitors is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.strategyr.com/MarketResearch/infographTemplate.asp?code=MCP-2262" rel="noopener noreferrer">projected to decline</a> to 121.8 million units by 2022 due to falling desktop sales and the rapid penetration of handheld computing devices. However, when consumers do buy a monitor, they’ll turn to larger screens (31-inches or more in size), according to IDC.</p>

<p>Apple has updated iTunes for iOS and tvOS to version 12.6, which lets you rent videos once and watch them on multiple screens. However, it requires iOS 10.3 and tvOS 10.2, both of which are in beta testing. I’d expect to see the finished versions arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.</p>

<p>Logitech has announced the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/ruggedcombo?wt.mc_id=global_news_ruggedcombo" rel="noopener noreferrer">Logitech Rugged Combo</a>, <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.logitech.com%2Fnews%2Fruggedcase&esheet=51529035&newsitemid=20170321005988&lan=en-US&anchor=Logitech%C2%AE+Rugged+Case&index=2&md5=7d315cad214f03aa65909b84dd58a9cd">Logitech Rugged Case</a> and <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.logitech.com%2Fnews%2Fruggedkb&esheet=51529035&newsitemid=20170321005988&lan=en-US&anchor=Logitech%C2%AE+Add-on+Keyboard+for+Rugged+Case&index=3&md5=8b1545036965cc8bea92318932810f2c">Logitech Add-on Keyboard for Rugged Case</a> for Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad.</p>

<p>Maybe I had my hopes too high, but today’s Apple announcements disappointed. A new 9.7-inch iPad. A (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. A new Clips app for iOS devices. All well and good — but underwhelming.</p>

<p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/03/21/apple-watch-nike-sport-band-now-sold-separately-for-49-joins-new-spring-lineup" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, new seasonal bands for the Apple Watch are available in a range of colors, including the Nike Sport Band. </p>

<p>Apple is offering the entry-level iPhone SE with 32GB of storage for $399 and 128GB for $499. That’s double the previous storage for the same prices.</p>

<p>Apple’s Swift Playgrounds for the iPad is now available in five new languages including Simplified Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Latin American Spanish. </p>

<p>Apple has debuted Clips, a new app that allows iPhone and iPad users to create “expressive videos.” It lets you combine video clips, photos and music into videos to share with friends through the Messages app, or on Instagram, Facebook and other social networks.</p>

<p>Apple has updated the 9.7-inch iPad, adding a brighter Retina display and improved performance with prices starting at $329. It’s apparently designed to replace the iPad Air 2.</p>

<p>Apple has announced an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition in red aluminum finish, in recognition of more than 10 years of partnership between Apple and (RED). Buy one and you contribute to the organization that seeks a cure for AIDS. The special edition  (PRODUCT)RED iPhone will be available to order online worldwide and in stores beginning Friday, March 24.</p>

<p>Future iPhones and iPads may have screens that can dynamically change their shape. Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,600,070) for an <strong>“user interface having changeable topography.”</strong></p>

<p>If you’re a fan of science fiction (good, bad, and somewhere in between), you should download the COMET TV app for the fourth generation Apple TV. Some of the content is good, while some is incredibly cheesy, in a it’s-so-bad-I-can’t-stop- watching way—but, hey, it’s free.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.jamf.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamf</a>, which specializes in Apple device management, has announced support for the latest Apple releases of iOS (10.3), macOS (10.12.4) and tvOS (10.2), which are expected soon.</p>