Dennis Sellers

<p>This is a totally selfish column, so feel free to move on if you wish. But I want Apple to open a retail store in my end of Nashville, TN (that would be the north side).</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>A group of ex-Apple networking engineers, led by Jason Forrester, who had worked on a secret internal project to free the company’s reliance on cloud services from outside vendors has left to start a new networking startup called SnapRoute (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.snaproute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.snaproute.com</a>, reports <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/6/21/11981416/apple-snaproute-project-mcqueen">recode</a>). Apple isn’t involved.</p>

<p>This may be wishful thinking, but whenever Apple updates its Mac lines this year (I’m expecting August and September announcements), the Mac Pro might finally be among the revamped systems. A clue in an El Capitan info-list file MAY hint at just that, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.portableone.com/Tech-News/Clue-found-in-El-Capitan-hints-at-a-Mac-Pro-update" rel="noopener noreferrer">PortableOne.</a></p>

<p>About 50 former Apple employees are working at a start-up called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pearlauto.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pearl,</a> which is making smart accessories for vehicles, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/21/11982104/pearl-rearvision-rearview-camera-apple-veterans" rel="noopener noreferrer">Verge</a>. The company was co-founded by three former Apple engineers, a crew that helped lead the design and development on several generations of iPods and iPhones.</p>

<p>If you have a child ages 8 to 12, you can sign ‘em up for Apple Camp <a target="_blank" href="https://concierge.apple.com/camp/choosestore/en_US" rel="noopener noreferrer">by clicking here</a>. Apple Camp is a three-day program held at your local Apple retail store.</p>

<p>GigSky, an international wireless carrier and mobile technology company, will offer cellular data plans for iPad travelers with Apple SIM in over 140 countries, including “all top travel destinations,” as well as Ecuador, Argentina, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Isle of Man, and The Virgin Islands — up from more than 90 countries and territories.</p>

<p>Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product, so here are today’s patent highlights:</p>

<p>Apple has released firmware updates for its wireless AirPort Base Stations. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206849" rel="noopener noreferrer">release notes</a> it fixes a vulnerability in which a remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution.</p>

<p>I like the 12-inch MacBook as a “secondary” Mac — but I don't like the fact that it ditches the MagSafe adapter. Yes, I know that the single USB-C port is vital in keeping the laptop’s eye-popping svelte design, but the MagSafe connector on other Mac laptops disengages with the slightest amount of pressure. This has saved many a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro from a disastrous plummet when someone accidentally snagged the power cable. </p>

<p>If you own one of Apple's teeny MacBooks (<a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.today/blog/2016/5/19/2016-macbook-a-good-secondary-mac-gets-even-better?rq=MacBook)" rel="noopener noreferrer">check out my review here</a>) you probably have a love/hate relationship with the single USB-C port.</p>

<p>Apple may have <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/apple-wont-aid-gop-convention-over-trump-224513" rel="noopener noreferrer">refused to offer tech support</a> for this year’s Republican national convention due to a dislike for Donald Trump, but <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/tim-cook-apple-paul-ryan-fundraiser-224554" rel="noopener noreferrer">a new report </a>claims CEO Tim Cook next week will host a fundraiser for sitting U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (pictured) and other House Republicans.</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 style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Beginning June 21, millions of e-book purchasers will receive credits and checks for twice their losses following an antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple Inc. and five of the nation’s largest publishing companies for their roles in an alleged e-book price-fixing scheme, according to Hagens Berman, a law firm that litigated the case jointly with the United States Department of Justice and attorneys general from 33 U.S. states and territories.</p>

<p><a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2F&esheet=51365435&newsitemid=20160620005838&lan=en-US&anchor=LinkedIn&index=1&md5=3180d076ad654a662df224e8a9488f33">LinkedIn</a> Corp. the world’s largest professional network on the Internet, has launched its first-ever <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.linkedin.com%2F2016%2Ftop-attractors%2Fen%2Fus&esheet=51365435&newsitemid=20160620005838&lan=en-US&anchor=Top+Attractors&index=2&md5=cd6061e0d2836585dc5af067608c5d3f">Top Attractors</a> list, using exclusive LinkedIn data and examining the billions of actions of LinkedIn’s 433+ million members, to rank the top companies where people want to work now. Apple is number four on the list.</p>