Dennis Sellers

<p>Shipments of smartphones in the Taiwan market totaled 663,000 units in August, an increase of 44,000 units or 7% from the previous month, according to data compiled by local retail channels — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20160930PD208.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20160930PD211.html"><em>Digitimes</em></a> reports that Taiwan is one of the next countries in line to get Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile payment service, possibly by the end of the year. The country’s CTBC Bank, Cathay United Commercial Bank, E.SUN Commercial Bank and Taishin International Bank are expected to support the service.</p>

<p>Cord-cutters, take note: the CW network has released <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-cw/id491730359?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">a free app</a> that allows all fourth-generation Apple TV owners to watch new episodes of shows on the network for free with no cable authentication or login required. It accompanies the free app for the iPhone and iPad.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.zerodium.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zerodium</a>, a broker of security exploits, is offering $1.5 million for attacks that work against fully patched iPhones and iPads, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/09/1-5-million-bounty-for-iphone-exploits-is-sure-to-bolster-supply-of-0days/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ars Technica</a>. That's triple the size of its previous offer.</p>

<p>Apple is negotiating with Sharp to secure organic LED displays for the next generation of iPhones and iPads, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-30/sharp-to-invest-57-4-billion-yen-in-organic-led-production" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>, quoting an unnamed “person familiar with the matter.” Any OLED supply agreement would depend on the Osaka-based company’s output capacity.</p>

<p>A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that fitness trackers — a category that certainly includes the Apple Watch Series 2 — could hamper your ability to meet your weight loss goals.</p>

<p>You can change the watch faces in watchOS 3 right from your Apple Watch — although it’s easier to do it on your iPhone (but we’ll cover that on Monday).</p>

<p>You can give your iPhone or iPad its own elegant perch with Twelve South's classy HiRise, which is available in a $39.99 standard model and a $59.9 deluxe edition. It's a stylish pedestal of silver brushed metal that works exclusively with the Apple Lightning cable and is small enough to sit anywhere in your home or office. </p>

<p>We're still not able to merge Apple IDs. Is it really that hard forApple to make this happen?</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’s AirPods don't go on sale until late October, but 12% of U.S. consumers surveyed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch say they intend to purchase ‘em, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-airpods-12-of-consumers-intend-to-purchase-2016-9?r=UK&IR=T" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has set up its first R&D center in China in Beijing's Zhongguancun Science Park, according to a statement issued by the Zhongguancun Park Management Committee — and as noted by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20160929PD204.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes</a>.</p>

<p>Apple is looking into ways for your Mac and iPad and/or iPhone to work together in new, exciting ways. The company has filed for a patent (number 20160283063) for “content presentation and interaction across multiple devices.”</p>

<p>Consumers have been able to charge their iPhones and iPads away from a wall outlet for years thanks to car adapters and battery banks as small as credit cards. Now we laptop owners can join this club thanks to the $99.99 <a target="_blank" href="http://mycharge.com/products/razorplatinum" rel="noopener noreferrer">myCharge Razor Platinum</a>.</p>

<p>Apple is preparing to update several of its Mac lines in late October, led by a redesigned MacBook Pro, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.macrumors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacRumors</a>. I think that’s about right and here’s the prediction of the Sellers Research Firm (that’s me): new MacBook Pros and new iMacs will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 25. (I hope I’m wrong, and that it’s sooner, but that’s what my crystal ball shows.)</p>