Dennis Sellers

<p>Netflix and Spotify deliver the best customer experience in the streaming media industry, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.TemkinRatings.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>2017 Temkin Experience Ratings</em></a>, an annual customer experience ranking of companies based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers. iTunes comes in seventh place, and Apple Music in 10th.</p>

<p>I could go for this: Apple has filed for a patent (number 2017003048) dubbed “electronic accessory device” that would turn an iPhone or iPad into a full-fledged laptop. It involves systems and methods for “providing internal components for portable computing devices having a thin profile.”</p>

<p>Apple will reportedly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Apple+%28AAPL%29+Set+to+Start+Assembling+iPhones+in+India+Over+Next+Two+Months+-+DJ/12698906.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">start assembling iPhones in India</a> over next two months. The tech giant is said to be in talks with the Indian government for import-tax exemptions on components.</p>

<p>Yesterday, <em><a target="_blank" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/hackers-we-will-remotely-wipe-iphones-unless-apple-pays-ransom" rel="noopener noreferrer">MotherBoard</a></em> reported that a hacker or group of hackers is trying to extort Apple over alleged access to a large cache of iCloud and other Apple email accounts. However, in a statement to <a target="_blank" href="http://fortune.com/2017/03/22/apple-iphone-hacker-ransom/" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Fortune</em></a>, Apple said that there have not been any breaches to its systems and that its user data is safe.</p>

<p>The annual <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/interactive/innovation_growth_most_innovative_companies_interactive_guide/" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 Most Innovative Companies survey report</a> by the management consulting firm BCG (Boston Consulting Group) puts Apple in the top position for 2016. The Cupertino, California-based company has topped the list since 2014.</p>

<p>Apple is acquiring <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/workflow-powerful-automation/id915249334?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noopener noreferrer">Workflow</a>, an iOS tool that lets you hook together apps and functions within apps in strings of commands to automate tasks, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/22/apple-has-acquired-workflow-a-powerful-automation-tool-for-ipad-and-iphone/" rel="noopener noreferrer">TechCrunch.</a> Terms of the deal haven't been announced but the team behind the app — Ari Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, Ayaka Nonaka and Nick Frey — are coming to work for the Cupertino, California-based company.</p>

<p>Digital Anarchy's $149 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digitalanarchy.com/Flicker/tutes.html#t12" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flicker Free plug-in</a> for Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Apple's Final Cut Pro X gives video editors and visual effects artists a useful tool that fixes a wide range of footage affected with flicker or strobing. </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>A hacker or group of hackers is apparently trying to extort Apple over alleged access to a large cache of iCloud and other Apple email accounts, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/hackers-we-will-remotely-wipe-iphones-unless-apple-pays-ransom" rel="noopener noreferrer">MotherBoard</a>. Good luck with that, you hacks.</p>

<p>Marriott International Inc., the world’s biggest lodging company, is pitting Amazon’s Alexa against Apple’s Siri to be the voice-controlled platform of choice in its hotels, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-22/amazon-s-alexa-takes-its-fight-with-siri-to-marriott-hotel-rooms" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p>In terms of shipments, the iPhone 6s from Apple bested all competitors for sales in 2016, according to new analysis from IHS Markit, a “critical information, analytics and solutions” firm.</p>

<p>The Apple Market Forum (AMF) — a conference for users, administrators, and managers in charge of running organizations based on Apple's devices and ecosystems — will take place in Silicon Valley this summer. </p>

<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>