Dennis Sellers

<p>Maybe Apple is getting ready to show the Apple TV some love. The company has hired Timothy D. Twerdahl, the former head of Amazon’s Fire TV team, to fill a similar role at the Cupertino, California-based company, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-08/apple-hires-amazon-s-fire-tv-head-to-run-apple-tv-business" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>.</p>

<p>You can’t install apps directly from your Apple Watch. However, you can find apps designed to work with your smartwatch in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone:</p>

<p>Satechi’s USB-C Power Meter may only appeal to a certain niche of users, but those users should find it helpful. It lets you measure the volts, amps, and mAh output from accessories to ensure that they’re safe and compatible with new Type-C laptops, tablets and smartphones such as the 12-inch MacBook and 2016 MacBook Pros.</p>

<p>John Solomon, an Apple vice president responsible for government and enterprise sales, has left the company. Representatives for Apple <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/apple-moves-solomon-idUSL1N1FS1G7" rel="noopener noreferrer">confirmed the departure</a>, but didn't offer an explanation, <em>Reuters</em> reports. </p>

<p>Today a California Federal Circuit Court remanded the Apple v. Samsung patent design issue back down to district court.</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 set a new quarterly shipment record in in the fourth quarter of 2016, contributing to total smartwatch shipments exceeding nine million units, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.co" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a>. This global market figure was largely driven by Apple’s six million shipments, representing year-on-year growth of 12%. </p>

<p>Apple has released a second public beta of iOS 10.3. If you're not already signed up for the public beta program, <a href="https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/">you can do so here</a>. The public beta program is free, but remember: beta software is unfinished software so use with care.</p>

<p>Apple has released a second developer beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.4. It can be be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center — if you’re a registered developer, that is.</p>

<p>Apple Maps for macOS, iOS and watchOS now provides real-time traffic conditions to Argentina customers, according to Apple’s refreshed <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#maps-traffic" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS Feature Availability webpage</a>.</p>

<p>Apple Pay has the largest percentage of supporting U.S. merchants with 36% accepting Apple’s mobile payment service, according to new data from <a target="_blank" href="https://bostonretailpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Boston Retail Partners</a> (BRP) That’s up from 16% in 2016.</p>

<p>Apple blog <a href="https://pikeralpha.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/new-kaby-lake-based-hardware-models/"><em>Pike's Universum</em></a> hash uncovered three motherboard identifiers that hint at updated MacBook Pros with Kaby Lake processors. Since the latest version of the laptops only arrived, four months ago, I wouldn’t expect to see hardware updates for the line until September.</p>

<p>Steve (“Woz”) Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and Silicon Valley idol, will be speaking at the <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.startupworldcup.io%2Fgrand-finale&esheet=51505260&newsitemid=20170207005110&lan=en-US&anchor=Startup+World+Cup%C2%A0Grand+Finale&index=1&md5=75f12b6cba895ab2cada28fcc3494ea4" rel="noopener noreferrer">Startup World Cup Grand Finale</a> in San Francisco on March 24 at the Marriott Marquis. Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition organized by <a target="_blank" href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fenoxvc.com%2F&esheet=51505260&newsitemid=20170207005110&lan=en-US&anchor=Fenox+Venture+Capital&index=2&md5=ae9b80bec5d4823b5e18596015a02a71" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fenox Venture Capital</a> to bridge startup ecosystems worldwide.</p>

<p>Apple’s “spaceship campus” is a “futuristic campus built with astonishing attention to detail,” according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-campus-idUSKBN15M0CM?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=589971a204d30137b69d4f74&utm_medium=trueAnthem&t=9" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>. The price tag for the project is estimated at $5 billion with more than $1 billion allocated for the interior of the building alone (though Apple hasn’t confirmed these figures).</p>

<p>A future Apple headphone may double as a portable speaker, hints a new patent. That would be something from the Beats line, not a future AirPod (though, admittedly, that would be impressive).</p>