Dennis Sellers

<p>After six consecutive quarters of growth, Chinese smartphone shipments fell 3% to 113 million in the second quarter (Q2) 2017. China-based Huawei shipped over 23 million to lead the market for the second quarter in a row, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a> research firm. </p>

<p>Adobe <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2017/07/adobe-flash-update.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">has announced</a> that it will stop developing and and distributing Flash Player at the end of 2020 because “open standards like HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly have matured over the past several years, most now provide many of the capabilities and functionalities that plugins pioneered and have become a viable alternative for content on the web.”</p>

<p>In a note to investors — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/25/iphones-8-sales-outlook-ubs-buy.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a> — USB said it believes the upcoming “iPhone 8” (shown in a fanciful mock-up) has the potential for huge sales because of expected upgrades from phones sold in fiscal 2015.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thestreet.com/story/14241165/1/apple-to-double-services-revenue-by-2020-credit-suisse-says.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Street</a> -- Credit Suisse said Apple investors can expect the company to double revenue from its services segment by 2020. </p>

<p>LG Display plans to invest $13.5 billion to boost output of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens over the next three years, in order to, among other things, make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lg-display-results-investment-idUSKBN1AA0MT" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Reuters</em></a>. Apple is one of LG Display's main clients and is predicted to adopt OLED displays for the “iPhone 8” (shown in a fanciful mock-up).</p>

<p>A report from the Chinese language <em>Economic Daily </em><em>News</em>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170725VL205.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">cited</a> by DigiTimes, says the Apple Watch Series 3 will launch in September. Chance this rumors is true according to the Sellers Research Firm (that’s me): 99%.</p>

<p>WaterField Designs has announced the refined <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sfbags.com/products/zip-laptop-brief-tsa" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zip Brief</a>, an “ultra-slim” laptop bag with space for several tech and personal items.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,715,273) for a “motion tracking user interface,” which doubtless involves its efforts in augmented and virtual reality. The company is already building augmented reality tools for developers into the upcoming iOS 11, thought this invention could apply to Macs as well as iPhones and iPads.</p>

<p>New data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners— as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/25/iphone-7-cirp/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> — shows that, during the April to June quarter, Apple attracted more Android switchers than at any time in the past 12 months. CIRP IRP also reports that the iPhone 7/Plus accounted for 81% of all U.S. iPhone sales in the quarter, at 47% for the standard model and 34% for the Plus.</p>

<p>Universal search, which allows users to find content across multiple apps and services using text or Siri voice search, has expanded for the fourth generation Apple TV. </p>

<p>How would you like your iPhone 9 or iPhone 910 to pack 1TB of memory? That may be possible due to a form of resistive RAM (RRAM) that can purportedly be made using regular equipment at room temperatures. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://satechi.net/products/satechi-desk-mat-mate" rel="noopener noreferrer">Satechi’s Desk Mat & Mate</a> is a useful workspace accessory for adults and children. Available in eight colors, it protects any surface area from scratches and spills while also doubling as a comfortable resting surface for your hands while writing, typing, using the mouse or coloring.</p>

<p>Apple offers battery service free of charge with AppleCare+ coverage. For Mac laptops that are out of warranty, there’s a fee of U.S. $199 to have the battery replaced. </p>

<p>Google and Samsung smartphones are gaining on Apple’s iPhone in mobile gaming monetization, according to a new study of 1.4 million players across North America in June from DeltaDNA, as noted by <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/23/samsung-and-google-are-closing-the-gap-on-apples-monetization-of-mobile-games/">VentureBeat</a>.</p>

<p>Actor Dwayne Johnson — who seems to have found a way to work 25/8 — has teamed up with Apple for an ad promoting Siri, the tech giant’s personal digital assistant. The spot is called <em>The Rock X Siri: Dominate the Day</em> and you can watch it on Apple’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Apple" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube channel</a>. Johnson's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/DwayneJohnson/photos/a.448580834383.229946.406433779383/10155805186044384/?type=3&theater" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook post</a> about the movie says:</p>