Dennis Sellers

<p>I have to start this review with a confession: I hate buying headphones. If you are anything like me, when the time comes to replace the short-lived ear buds that you paid $12 for at Target, it hurts. You know they are not going to last long, they will probably hurt your ears — if you don’t lose them first. </p>

<p>Some inventions are so innovative and well thought out that you simply can't imagine life without them. Somebody had to invent the wheel after all. While the $29.95 <a target="_blank" href="http://flygrip.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flygrip</a> isn't quite as groundbreaking, I can't imagine using my iPhone without it.</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 href="http://t.ymlp50.com/ueheataejuyyaiamejaxawjuqw/click.php">Grovemade</a>, a designer of handcrafted wooden and leather accessories, has introduced newly redesigned trays for Apple’s latest versions of the Magic Keyboard and Trackpad. (We'll have a review soon). </p>

<p>Parks Associates has announced <a href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe37167577660479771271&ls=fdeb11747c6d027b75157673&m=fefc1271766d04&l=fe8e167276630d7c7c&s=fe23127276650075711379&jb=ffcf14&t=">new research</a> showing Roku is still the most popular brand of streaming media players, accounting for 30% of the players purchased from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016. Amazon moved into a virtual tie with Google at 22% of sales. Along with Apple TV (20%), the four major players account for 94% of the streaming media players purchased, up from 86% in 2014.</p>

<p>Two former uBeam engineers with expertise in wireless charging and ultrasonic technology had been hired by Apple, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/17/11671230/apple-hiring-wireless-charging-experts-iphone-ubeam" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports The Verge</a>. uBeam is a wireless charging start-up. In the last two years Apple has hired more than a dozen staffers with expertise in wireless charging, the article adds.</p>

<p>Apple CEO Tim Cook will be visiting India on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Cook is expected to utilize this trip to announce several of company's plans for the nation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-ceo-tim-cook-to-visit-india-may-announce-startup-accelerator-and-more/" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to CNET</a>.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a> predicts that the worldwide market for 3D printers, and associated materials and services will reach a value of $4.9 billion by the end of 2016, so you have to wonder if Apple has any interest in the technology.</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>According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20160517PD201.html?mod=3&q=APPLE" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digitimes</a>, the next generation of iPhones — probably to be dubbed the iPhone 7 — will ship at the end of September. (The fanciful iPhone mock-up in this article are courtesy of <a href="http://tinyurl.com/p7qdhls">Web Design Co.</a>)</p>

<p>Would you like a Mac that could change color? Probably won't happen, but Apple has considered the idea. In 2003, Apple filed a patent (number 20020190975) for just such technology.</p>

<p>On a regular basis, Apple World Today 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>It was <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.today/blog/2016/5/16/berkshire-hathaway-takes-a-new-1-billion-position-in-apple" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced earlier</a> that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway took a new $1 billion position in Apple in the first quarter. Now <a target="_blank" href="http://fortune.com/2016/05/16/leon-cooperman-apple/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fortune reports</a> that hedge funder Leon Cooperman, CEO of Omega Advisors is buying in as well.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Apple will open three retail stores in India before the end of 2027, <a target="_blank" href="http://factordaily.com/apple-store-open-delhi-bengaluru-delhi-end-2017/" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports FactorDaily</a>, quoting an unnamed “source familiar with the decision.” The retail stores will reportedly open in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai within the the next 18 months.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Apple has released a plethora of software updates for iTunes, OS X, iOS, watchOS and tvOS.</p>