Dennis Sellers

<p>Apple is predicted to close out 2015 with 32 percent share of the ultraportable PC segment, specifically due to its MacBook Air models, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.abiresearch.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">ABI Research</a>. </p>

<p>Along with Mac OS X 10.11.2 and iOS 9.2, Apple has released tvOS 9.1, an update to the operating system of the fourth get Apple TV. It introduces support for Siri search for Apple Music, which lets Apple TV owners ask Siri to play content from Apple Music. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9207833) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a “collaboration system” that hints at future users for <a href="http://www.apple.com/apple-pencil/">the Apple Pencil</a> introduced for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/" rel="noopener noreferrer">the iPad Pro</a>. Or perhaps an “offspring” of the pen.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9207729) for the design of the latest Mac Pro. It can’t really be called new, as it was introduced in 2009 and hasn’t been updated since, which has led to the not-infrequent accusation that Apple is ignoring its pro users. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.paloaltonetworks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Palo Alto Networks</a>, a cybersecurity company, has revealed details of a new "BackStab" attack that it says is used to steal private information from mobile device backup files stored on a victim's computer. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.rippletraining.com/plugin/timelines/">Timelines from Ripple Training</a> -- a $59 plug-in set designed exclusively for Final Cut Pro X -- is a cool collection of eight transition effects that create graphical timelines for videos. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Apple has been granted a patent (number 20150342307) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a “woven display’ that could result in future Apple Watch bands that display information such as medical information and which could even alert you if the watch band isn’t fastened securely (hey, those Apple Watches are expensive).</p>

<p>Wristly — the “the independent voice of Apple Watch” — has published its first annual “State of the Apple Watch” report — <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/h2ewpqh" rel="noopener noreferrer">which you can download her</a>e —  of Apple Watch users. The report, based on 2,000-plus Wristly panelists — find a 97 percent satisfaction rating for the Apple smartwatch.</p>

<p>For the fourth year in a row, Walmart ranked No.1 in the Solar Means Business report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which identifies major commercial solar projects and ranks top corporate solar users. Apple, Kohl’s, Macy's, Walgreens, Target, IKEA, Prologis, FedEx, Intel, General Motors, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Bed Bath & Beyond, Safeway, Hartz Mountain, Staples, L'Oreal, Kaiser Permanente and Toyota are also among the companies recognized for their amount of solar capacity and number of solar installations.</p>

<p>Apple apparently registered the strongest Friday sales in its entire history on Black Friday (Nov. 27), <a href="http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2015/11/30/this-black-friday-was-strongest-in-apples-history-global-equities/?mod=BOL_hp_blog_tt">says Global Equities' Trip Chowdhry</a>. He attributes this to the company's "strategic shift in selling."</p>

<p>Another day, another lawsuit. Deric White, 68, is suing Apple for “wiping away his life” when he took his iPhone 5 to an Apple Store for repair — and didn’t back up his data. If I’m counting correctly, this is the ninth lawsuit (two involving Wi-Fi Assist and two involving Shanda Games) filed against Apple this year.</p>

<p>Adobe has released its 2015 online shopping data for Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day. A record $4.45 billion is expected to have been spent online, including $2.72 billion on Black Friday, 14 percent more than in 2014 and $1.73 billion on Thanksgiving Day, a 25 percent increase year-over-year (YoY).</p>

<p>If you want to really improve the audio on your Mac's speakers or headphones, plug in the $149.99 <a target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/px5y6b2" rel="noopener noreferrer">D3 Premium 24-bit DAC (digital-to-analog converter)</a> from Audioengine. It bypasses your computer’s headphone jack and sends music directly through USB. The result: a noticeable improvement in the sound coming from your music, movies and games.</p>

<p>While not making them waterproof (although rumors claim the upcoming iPhone 7 will indeed be waterproof), Apple wants to make its iOS devices, and perhaps Mac laptops more resistant to spills. The company has filed for a patent (number 20150340795) with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for “electronic devices with housing port shutters.”</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 for Mac OS X and iOS.</p>