Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple has applied for a patent (number 2017006892) for an <strong>“integrated component cap and spacer for a battery pack,” </strong>which hints at battery packs that could attach to Mac laptops, iPads and iPhones, something already provided by some third parties.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.weberhaus.de" rel="noopener noreferrer">WeberHaus</a>, which specializes in pre-fabricated connected homes, will feature Apple HomeKit — a framework that allows control of compatible home automation devices through iOS and Siri — in its smart homes this year. The company is based in Germany.</p>

<p>Apple’s Swift is now among the 10 most popular programming languages, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tiobe.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tiobe Index</a>, which measures the popularity of programming languages on a monthly basis. This is the first time it’s made the list.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/source-apple-will-fight-right-to-repair-legislation)" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple is planning to fight</a> proposed electronics "Right to Repair" legislation being considered by the Nebraska state legislature,  “according to a source within the legislature who is familiar with the bill's path through the statehouse.”</p>

<p>It’s easy to manage windows on macOS Sierra’s Desktop and the Finder. The Desktop is the space where you see file, folder, and application windows. It’s not to be confused with the Finder, the default file manager and graphical user interface on your Mac. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://macpaw.com/store/cleanmymac" rel="noopener noreferrer">CleanMyMac</a> from MacPaw is an all-in-one macOS (10.8 and higher) solution designed to keep your Mac clean and to secure space from your Mac’s hard drive. It was a solid app with versions 1.x and 2.x; version 3.0 is even better.</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>The 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar was a — to say the least — controversial upgrade, but if you want the best possible tech support for a laptop, buy a MacBook. For the third consecutive year, Apple has topped <em>Laptop Mag</em>'s<a target="_blank" href="http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/tech-support-showdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tech Support Showdown report</a>, nabbing honors for its strong combination of phone and web-based assistance. </p>

<p>MBLM, a “brand intimacy agency,” has revealed that 10 out of the 15 industries studied in its <em>Brand Intimacy 2017 Report </em>are more successful in creating and maintaining intimacy with men than women. </p>

<p>Apple is beginning to “more uniformly” enforce a restriction in place since the debut of the Apple App Store in 2008, and is notifying developers that it will refuse approval to new apps or updates that include mechanisms to update or alter pre-approved app behavior outside the App Store, notes <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/03/09/apple-begins-strictly-enforcing-rule-that-prohibits-ios-app-updates-outside-of-app-store" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has updated its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro" rel="noopener noreferrer">refurbished products online store</a> to add the 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar. It was originally released in October of 2016. </p>

<p>The Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing — in which Apple is an investor — is opening an artificial intelligence lab in Mountain View, California, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.recode.net/2017/3/8/14845892/didi-self-driving-lab-mountain-view-uber-charlie-miller" rel="noopener noreferrer">re/code.</a> This is one of the first times it has expanded its physical footprint outside of China.</p>

<p>The founder of WiFiSLAM, which Apple scooped up three years ago — is leaving the tech giant for another job.  Joseph Huang will become the CEO of StartX, the startup accelerator that initially helped launch WiFiSLAM, <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/08/startx-new-ceo/" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to</a> <em>TechCrunch</em>. He will replace Cameron Teitelman, who is shifting into a chairman position.</p>

<p>You can open documents and downloads from “stacks” in macOS Sierra. A stack is a folder shortcut in the Dock that provides fast, direct access to files in a folder. </p>

<p>Western Digital has increased the capacity of its line of iOS mobile flash drives with the introduction of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sandisk.com/home/mobile-device-storage/connect-wireless-stick" rel="noopener noreferrer">256GB SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick</a>, a plastic USB flash drive that measures 3.08 x 0.82 x 0.48 inches and weighs 0.8 ounces. It’s a nice accessory for iPhones and iPads, though it has drawbacks.</p>