Dennis Sellers

<p>According to the latest research from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>, global smartphone profits reached US$9 billion in total during the third quarter of 2016. Apple dominated and captured a record 91% share of all smartphone profits worldwide, note the research group.</p>

<p>Satechi has introduced the Smart Charging Stand, a multifunctional four-port USB charger. It sports one internal USB charging port and three USB ports on the base of the stand. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">At first glance, the US$99.95 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.harmanaudio.com/akg/Y+50.html?dwvar_Y%2050_color=Black#start=31" rel="noopener noreferrer">AKG Y50</a> looks like a Beats wannabe. However, place it on your ears for a listen and you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how good the on-ear headphone sounds. It Beats (pun intended) every headphone that I've tested in its price range.</p>

<p>When the <a target="_blank" href="http://apple.com/macbookpro" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacBook Pro with Touch Bar</a> were announced, I was intrigued by the prospect of replacing my 27-inch iMac AND 12-inch MacBook with one machine. I haven’t made the plunge just yet (I want to see how those LG UltraFine displays look and work); however, I sold my MacBook and purchased one of the new 15-inch MB Pros. </p>

<p>Apple is teaming up with Ola, India’s largest ride-hailing company, to make <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/apple-music/">Apple Music</a> available to customers who order a ride, according to <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-ola-20161122-story.html"><em>The Los Angeles Times</em></a>.</p>

<p>The AWT News Update is on hiatus while my compadre, Steve, takes a road trip. In its place, I’ll offer a text-only (no podcast) summary of breaking stories with a tip o’ my hat to my former website, <em>Apple Daily Report</em>.</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 2014 article for<a target="_blank" href="http://zd.net/1rk2OUc" rel="noopener noreferrer"> ZDNet</a>, Senior Technology Editor Jason Perlow said that, with consumer iPad growth tapping out, Apple needs to do the "unthinkable" to push into a line of business applications and vertical markets. The "unthinkable" is licensing iOS.</p>

<p>Apple's new MacBook Pros have gotten some negative feedback (see my review on Monday), but their hardware upgrades and new Touch Bar are expected to make them hot sellers. In fact, with the shipment growth, Apple is expected to return as the fourth largest vendor worldwide in the fourth quarter, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20161121PD204.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes Research Group</a>.</p>

<p>Apple will open a new Parisian store on Dec. 3, marking its third in the heart of the city, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/11/22/apple-to-open-third-parisian-store-on-dec-3" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider.</a> It will be located at <a href="http://www.apple.com/fr/retail/marchesaintgermain/">Marché Saint-Germain</a>, deep into downtown Paris and not far from major landmarks like the Pantheon and Notre-Dame Cathedral, the article adds.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2016/11/18/maybe-its-time-for-apple-to-bring-back-the-mac-clone-programs-at-least-for-desktops" rel="noopener noreferrer">It’s been suggested</a> that Apple needs to bring back the Mac clone program or else show its personal computer line some serious love. Here’s another good idea:</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.macsales.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">OWC</a> has introduced 10, 20, 30, and 40TB SSD models of its ThunderBay 4 mini RAID. The new high-capacity SSD configurations are powered by a SoftRAID engine, which delivers disk-health monitoring, RAID rebuilds, and transfer speeds up to 1,314MB/s via a Thunderbolt 2 connection.</p>

<p>Macubes has introduced <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gridsutra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gridsutra 1.0</a> for macOS. It’s a $2.99 tool that allows you to work in different windows at the same time. Gridsutra re-sizes and arranges windows using multiple layout options that can be predefined by users.</p>

<p>Protectstar has released Data Shredder for iOS 2017. By connecting their iPhone or iPad to any Mac and running the tool, you can delete and overwrite all used space on your iDevice, ensuring all personal data, including passwords, videos, photos, and more can never be recovered. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,504,170) for “flexible display devices” that hints at future “foldable” iPhones — and perhaps iPads, as well. In the patent filing, the company says that “it would be desirable to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices.”</p>