Dennis Sellers

<p>There are higher quality earphones and earbuds you can buy for use with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. However, Apple's own EarPods are ubiquitous as they come with every iDevice. </p>

<p>Remember when Apple rolled out its Apple Car? Me neither because it hasn’t happened yet. But that hasn’t stopped <a target="_blank" href="//www.thedrive.com/the-drive-50/3362/the-10-most-influential-people-in-automotive-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Drive</a>, a site devoted to automotive culture, from naming Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chief Design Officer Jony Ive to its list of“the 10 most influential people in automotive technology.” It’s a list of “people with serious crystal balls.”</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>Smartphone makers (including Apple and Google) and mobile carriers (including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile) are facing an inquiry by U.S. regulators as to how they review and release security updates to combat cyberthieves and Internet vandals, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-09/apple-google-and-wireless-carriers-asked-by-u-s-about-security" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to Bloomber</a>g.</p>

<p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/05/09/apple-launches-red-cross-donations-via-itunes-to-help-victims-of-fort-mcmurray-forest-fires" rel="noopener noreferrer">AppleInsider</a>, folks shopping on Apple's Canadian iTunes storefront can now donate to relief for victims of the forest fires in Fort McMurray, Alberta.</p>

<p>Mobile device users installed nearly 156 billion mobile applications worldwide in 2015, generating $34.2 billion in direct (non-advertising) revenue. A new forecast from International Data Corporation (<a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idc.com&esheet=51336701&newsitemid=20160509005043&lan=en-US&anchor=IDC&index=1&md5=86bb29acba40a1e3239af311b37cd48c">IDC</a>) estimates that these figures will grow to more than 210 billion installs and nearly $57 billion in direct revenue in 2020.</p>

<p>Worldwide shipments of PCs — as in personal computer, not just Windows systems — totaled 101 million units in quarter one (Q1) of 2016, as total volumes dipped by 13% year-on-year to their lowest point since Q2 2011, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.canalys.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canalys</a>.</p>

<p>Correct me if I’m wrong (and, dear reader, I know you’ll be glad to do so), but I think STM’s $59.95 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stmbags.com/ipad-cases/ipad-pro-cases/ipad-pro-case.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">dux</a> is the first iPad Pro case that provides storage for the Apple Pencil via a fitted channel. This feature alone gets the case a big thumbs-up from Yours Truly.</p>

<p>Miln's <a target="_blank" href="http://miln.eu/moviesplitter/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Movie Splitter</a> for Mac OS X (10.9 or later)is a $4.99 app that splits movie files into smaller pieces for easier editing and sharing. </p>

<p>May is National Burger Month. It’s a “commemorative holiday,” which means it's used by various groups to celebrate something. You can celebrate National Burger Month with these OS X and iOS apps.</p>

<p>According to the J.D. Power Tablet Satisfaction Study for 2016 Volume 1 concerning the US market, Apple is still topping the charts in tablet satisfaction with the iPad, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/apple-still-makes-users-happier-than-microsoft-when-it-comes-to-tablets-503798.shtml" rel="noopener noreferrer">Softpedia</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has promoted Sanjay Kaul to the position of country manager for Apple India, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/sanjay-kaul-is-the-new-country-head-for-apple-india/story/232269.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Today</a>.</p>

<p>Infinisys' <a target="_blank" href="http://en.infinisys.co.jp/product/screenstudio/index.shtml" rel="noopener noreferrer">Screen Studio</a> for Mac OS X (10.6 or higher) is a solid tool for creating your own screen savers. My big concern regarding the app is that it hasn't been updated in two years. Will the next major Mac OS X update "break" it?</p>

<p>If you're a road warrior who packs both a laptop and an iPad, Tenba's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tenba.com/products/roadie-executive-backpack.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer">Roadie Executive Backpack</a> should suit your traveling needs. It's great for photographers, filmmakers and anyone who hits the road with LOTS of tech gadgets.</p>

<p>Some folks don’t like OS X Mail, saying it doesn’t have enough “power” features. I’m a regular — and satisfied — user of the Apple app, but have found that you can beef it up with <a href="https://www.feingeist.io/mailbutler"><em>MailButler</em></a>, the Apple Mail assistant by Feingeist Software GmbH. It simplifies, optimizes and streamlines working with emails.</p>