Dennis Sellers

<p>BSides -- a two-day, open forum for discussion and debate for security engineers and their affiliates -- has received a public contributing sponsorship from Apple, “underlining the increasing efforts of the company to participate in academic research and publishing related to security, privacy and other research goals,” according to <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/02/13/apple-sponsors-san-francisco-bsides-security-conference" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p>According to a customer service tweet from Target — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/12/target-apple-pay-support" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> — thesecond-largest discount store retailer in the U.S. is investigating Apple Pay and is working on getting the technology in its stores. Specifics are unclear, but the tweet said that it would happen “soon.”</p>

<p>Apple is touting LG’s UltraFine 4K and 5K displays as the perfect monitors for usewith the 2016 MacBook Pros. They’re fine (pun intended), but not as elegant as an Apple-made monitor would be. That’s why I still hope for a Thunderbolt Display with an integrated GPU that has been rumored in the past.</p>

<p>According to a new <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macotakara.jp/blog/rumor/entry-31892.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> from Macotakara — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/11/apple-5-inch-iphone-wireless-charging/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> -- Apple will introduce a new 5-inch iPhone model this year. The report, citing unnamed “reliable sources in Taiwan,” claims that only the all-glass model of the iPhone will support wireless charging this year.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 20170041712) for “evacuation of liquid from acoustic space” that shows the company is working to make iPhones and Apple Watches truly waterproof.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,563,177) for a “context-aware world clock.” It would allow time information for various locations to be automatically generated for display on a portable electronic device such as an iPhone or Apple Watch. </p>

<p>Pyle USA has introduced the $58.99 <a href="https://www.pyleusa.com/bluetooth-digital-weight-and-personal-health-scale-with-wireless-iphone-android-smartphone-data-transfer-and-pyle-health-app-fitness-tracker-gray.html">Bluetooth Fitness Scale </a>, a scale and integrated app — available free at the Apple App Store — designed to provide the most critical data points for any workout regimen including body fat, hydration levels, muscle level and bone level percentages. The scale allows users to set fitness goals and monitor their progress.</p>

<p>Personally, I’m not expecting new iPhones until S<strong>e</strong>ptember, but <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170210PD205.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes Research</a> says the next gen smartphones will enter production early. Quoting unnamed “industry sources,” the article says Apple has requested its chip and component suppliers start trial production, inspection and prepare inventories for the new iPhone series sooner than usual. </p>

<p>Think you’re clever for using Apple products? You’re right! A new study says we have higher credit scores, loan amounts and better rates than Android and Windows users.</p>

<p>Macquarie Group and ING Direct plan to start using Apple Pay in Australia this month, “hoping to snatch market share from the major retail banks through digital technology,” reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-australia-banks-idUSKBN15P02M?utm_source=applenews" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>.</p>

<p>Mac users should download <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pipifier-pip-for-nearly-every/id1160374471?mt=12&uo=4&at=10l69J">PiPifier</a>, a free app for macOS 10.12 or later that’s found in the Mac App Store. It’s a handy extension that lets you play any HTML 5 video in Picture-in-Picture mode. Sweet!</p>

<p>Apple has delayed shipments for LG UltraFine 5K, a 27-inch model touted as the perfect display for 2016 MacBook Pros, and removed in store pickup options, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>. New orders for the LG UltraFine 5K Display will now ship out in five to six weeks with fixes to a reported issue with router.</p>

<p>Apple subsidiary Beats will have the $149.95 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLYF2LL/A/beatsx-earphones-white" rel="noopener noreferrer">BeatsX wireless headphones</a> available for purchase in the U.S. on Feb.10. Scoop one up and you’ll get three free months of Apple Music, which costs $9.99 per month (or $4.99 for students).</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>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a> — KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo analyst says that all three new iPhones that will launch this year will support wireless charging.</p>