Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple places number five on Ten Partners’ “<a target="_blank" href="https://tenetpartners.com/top100/most-powerful-brands-list.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">100 Most Powerful Brands of 2016.”</a> Ut’s proceeded by Coca-Cola, Hershey, Bayer, and Walt Disney. It’s the same spot the company held in 2015.</p>

<p>There’s a new scam that attempts to get people to pay back taxes by purchasing iTunes gift cards and sharing the code on the back of the card. AARP Fraud Watch Network is alerting consumers about this new scam and providing tips to help consumers protect themselves and their money against fraudsters.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.spotcrime.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">SpotCrime</a> – an online source for crime data – is introducing a new app that will make near real-time crime data available on Apple TV.</p>

<p>Swiss bank UBS has issued a research note that projects Apple Watch sales totaled 1.7 million units in the June quarter, an increase of 100,000 units compared to its estimate of 1.6 million sales in the March quarter, reports <a href="http://macrumors.com">MacRumors.com</a>.</p>

<p>Kia Motors America (KMA) says free Apple CarPlay<span style="font-size:11px"> </span>and Android Auto software updates will be available for eligible vehicles when equipped with a compatible navigation system or UVO, short for Your Voice.</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 <a target="_blank" href="http://iphoneaddict.fr/post/news-184272-apple-pay-disponible-france-voici-comment-lactiver-lutiliser" rel="noopener noreferrer">debuted Apple Pay in France</a>. This makes the country the eighth one to get Apple’s mobile payment service — after the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, and Switzerland.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">In an ultimatum, Iranian officials asked iPhone manufacturer Apple Inc. to either officially register in Iran or have its products banned, according to <em>Tasnim News</em>, a local news agency — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/19/business/tehran-threatens-ban-iphones-unless-apple-officially-registers-iran/#.V44dJWWMBBw" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Japan Times</a>.</p>

<p>Siri has proven to be extremely useful for iPhone users. I’m not as certain Apple Watch users are taking full advantage of it. But they should. Apple’s personal assistant can send your messages, place calls, get directions, and more using Apple’s smartwatch.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tlight.cc" rel="noopener noreferrer">TLight's</a> tLight S3 and S3x LED desk lights are good desk accessories for iPhone and iPad users. They offer true-color light output and charging dock for recharging iPhones and iPads with a Lightning connector. With the additional USB port the tLights can also recharge other tablets and most smartphones.</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 is rolling out iTunes Match audio fingerprints to address an Apple Music bug that could cause pre-existing music libraries to be improperly matched with Apple Music songs, reports <a href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2016/07/18/apple-begins-rolling-out-itunes-match-with-audio-fingerprint-to-apple-music-subscribers/"><em>The Loop</em></a>. </p>

<p>Apple has released finished (that is, non-beta) versions of OS X 10.11.6, iOS 9.3.3, tvOS 9.2.2, and watchOS 2.2.2. All are basically maintenance releases with bug fixes and performance tweaks.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">U.S. Army Special Operations Command is dumping its Android tactical smartphone for an iPhone model, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/07/15/army-sof-to-trade-in-its-androids-for-iphones/" rel="noopener noreferrer">DoD Buzz</a>.</p>

<p>The Japanese firm, SoftBank, plans to scoop up British chip designer and major Apple partner ARM Holding, for $31.4 billion, reports the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36822806" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC News.</a> ARM employs more than 3,000 people and designs microchips used in most smartphones (including the iPhone).</p>