Dennis Sellers

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.smileonmymac.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">SmileOnMyMac</a> recently updated PDFPen, its PDF editing and form-filling tool for macOS, to version 8.3, adding Touch Bar support for certain models of the 2016 MacBook Pros. If you haven't used the software, PDFPen -- or its Pro sibling -- is certainly worth a look.</p>

<p>Apple has acquired Israel’s Realface, a cybertechnology startup whose facial recognition technology can be used to authenticate users, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/apple-buys-israels-facial-recognition-firm-realface-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Times of India</a>. The company developed facial recognition software that offers users a smart biometric login.</p>

<p>In a note to clients — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="//www.cnbc.com/2017/02/17/apple-broadcom-iphone-wireless-charging-jpmorgan.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a> — JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur says an upcoming iPhone will probably sportcustomized wireless charging system jointly designed by Apple and Broadcom. Work on the system has purportely been underway for two years.</p>

<p>Apple shipped 43.8 million units of iPhones throughout 2015, a year-on-year decrease of 18.2% as local smartphone makers dominated the market according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a>. The research group estimates that for the full year 2016, China reached 476.5 million unit shipments, growing year on year at 11.4%.</p>

<p>If you need to add subtitles to your finished movies in Final Cut Pro X, Motion, Adobe Premiere Pro or Adobe After Effect, you need the SUGARfx Subtitles plug-ins ($49) from <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/a6mu52g" rel="noopener noreferrer">Noise Industries</a>.</p>

<p>Carmel Majidi and Jonathan Malen of Carnegie Mellon University have developed a thermally conductive rubber material that represents a breakthrough for creating soft, stretchable machines and electronics. The findings were published in <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em> this week.</p>

<p>While <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/2/13/apple-becomes-a-member-of-the-wireless-power-consortium" rel="noopener noreferrer">this week's news</a> of Apple joining the Wireless Power Consortium doesn’t offer absolute clarity of Apple’s future plans (besides hinting that the next iPhone will support wireless charging), it does reveal some things to the wireless power industry as a whole. </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="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/02/17/supply-chain-expects-495m-iphone-sales-in-q2-profits-retained-by-high-asp-until-iphone-8" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a> — Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri says Apple will see a slight drop in iPhone sales from 2016 for the next two quarters, but profits will be relatively unaffected because of the continued consumer interest in the iPhone 7 Plus.</p>

<p>Investment bank Baird asked 3,000 U.S. respondents in an online poll what they would like to see Apple develop over the next five years. The largest percentage (21.6%) said they want Apple to make a car, according to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.investors.com/news/technology/click/apple-car-tops-consumer-wish-list-for-iphone-maker/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Investor’s Business Daily</a>.</p>

<p>Kicking off manufacturing in India, Apple will soon start assembling the 4-inch iPhone SE at its new Bengaluru plant, a facility that's being set up by contract manufacturer Wistron. </p>

<p>I’m selfish. Not only do I want Apple to get back into the <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/2/13/i-still-want-an-apple-thunderbolt-display-with-a-built-in-gpu" rel="noopener noreferrer">external computer display business</a> and want the <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/2/14/apple-should-make-its-own-mac-speakers-again" rel="noopener noreferrer">company make its own speakers</a> for the Mac again, I also want the tech giant to stay in the router business. All of these items make staying in the Apple ecosystem a more enjoyable, cohesive experience. </p>

<p>Apple has reportedly ceased development of new version of its AirPort Base Station and Tim Capsule. However, the routers remain popular, well-designed products, and you can beef ‘em up with <a href="http://www.quickertek.com">QuickerTek's</a> wireless antenna upgrades. They provide dual-band 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz WiFi and can triple the range of any version of the Base Station Extreme and/or Time Capsule. </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>Microsoft has upgraded Office for Mac, adding Touch Bar support for some models of the 2016 MacBook Pros. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will add “the most relevant commands to what you're working on are at your fingertips” via the Touch Bar.</p>