Dennis Sellers

<p>The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a Federal Circuit finding that it is jurisdictionally barred under the high court’s Cuozzo decision from considering if the Patent Trial and Appeal Board erred when it invalidated two SightSound Technology patents challenged by Apple on grounds Apple didn't explicitly raise, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.law360.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Law360</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.liftmaster.com/?&gclid=CJqiyYzlpMoCFQymaQodUDoOgA">LiftMaster</a>, which makes installed garage door openers and access solutions, is bringing the promise of Apple HomeKit compatibility to the company's MyQ-enabled garage door openers. HomeKit is a framework that allows control of compatible home automation devices through iOS and Siri.</p>

<p>I recommend iBooks Storytime, a free app for the Apple TV (<a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/1/18/ibooks-storytime-is-a-fine-apple-tv-app-for-those-who-have-children-or-grandchildren">see my separate review</a>). Here’s how to set it up.</p>

<p>I read many books to my kiddos when they were young, and I love reading to my granddaughter. If you’re a parent or grandparent, I hope you do, too. However, if there are times when that’s inconvenient, you can have the Apple TV handle the job thanks to <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks-storytime/id1116818988?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">iBooks StoryTime.</a></p>

<p>The Federal Trade Commission has filed a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/170117qualcomm_redacted_complaint.pdf">complaint in federal district court charging Qualcomm Inc. with using anticompetitive tactics</a> to maintain its monopoly in the supply of a key semiconductor device used in cell phones and other consumer products.</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>Apple has released a supplemental security update for Mac OS X El Capitan (the predecessor to macOS Sierra. <a href="https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1908?locale=en_US">According to Apple</a>, it “fixes a kernel issue that may cause your Mac to occasionally become unresponsive.”</p>

<p>Well, this just makes you wonder about the the old cliche that 99% of all statistics are made up. Earlier this month <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/1/11/apples-airpods-on-their-way-to-dominating-the-wireless-headphone-market?rq=Slice%20Intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer">Slice Intelligence</a> said that Apple’s AirPods captured a 26% share of the wireless headphone market within a short time of going on sale. Together with a Beats share of around 15%, that put Apple at a combined total of 40%.</p>

<p>Future iOS devices such as iPhone and iPads may have knobs on their screens. Not physical knobs, but virtual ones. Apple has been granted a patent (number 9547,428) for a “system and method for touchscreen knob control.”</p>

<p>Apple is rising the prices for apps and in-app purchases at its app stores in some countries following changes to exchange rates and taxation policy. <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/01/17/app-store-app-prices-to-rise-in-the-uk-by-25-following-brexit-exchange-rate-fluctuations/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> reports that customers in India, Turkey and the United Kingdom will see price increases.</p>

<p>Yesterday <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/1/16/analyst-apple-will-product-a-macbook-pro-with-32gb-of-memory-in-the-third-quarter" rel="noopener noreferrer">KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted</a> that Apple will offer a high-end MacBook Pro model this year with up to 32GB of —potentially desktop-class —RAM, while bumping 12-inch MacBook to 16GB of RAM. Now analysts from the supply chain are predicting that sales of Mac laptops will exceed 15 million in 2017.</p>

<p>Stellar Data Recovery's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stellarinfo.com/mac-software/speed-up-mac.php" rel="noopener noreferrer">SpeedUp Mac</a> is a recommended performance optimization tool for macOS 10.11 and higher.</p>

<p>When you open a folder in the Finder (the default application for browsing your Mac’s files), the folder’s contents usually replace the current contents of the window. However, you can open a folder in a new tab or window, if you wish. To set folders to open in tabs or windows:</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/01/16/apple-to-offer-32gb-of-desktop-ram-in-top-end-2017-macbook-pro-16gb-for-12-macbook" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will offer a high-end MacBook Pro model this year with up to 32GB of —potentially desktop-class —RAM, while bumping 12-inch MacBook to 16GB of RAM.</p>

<p>Element Case has debuted Katana, an iPhone case that’s the latest addition to the company’s Machine Series of cases that are precision-machined and hand-finished.</p>