Dennis Sellers

<p>The <a href="http://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKN62LL/A/lg-ultrafine-5k-display?fnode=8a">LG UltraFine 5K Display, </a>which Apple touts as the high-end external display to use with the new MacBook Pros, is “currently unavailable” for order at Apple’s online store. However, Jen Langione, a senior account exec at LG, tells <em>Apple World Today</em> that it will go on sale in early December at Apple Stores in the United States.</p>

<p>The latest smartphone OS sales data from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kantarworldpanel.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kantar Worldpanel ComTech</a> shows 5.2% percentage point U.S. market share increase for iOS during the third quarter of 2016 to 34.2%. Both iOS and Android made gains across most of the EU5 countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). </p>

<p>SwitchEasy’s GLASS is a new protective case designed specifically for the jet black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus. Many metal cases on the market require screws to be disassembled. However, GLASS’s patented lock-release mechanism lets you take the phone out of the case with the slide of the button.</p>

<p>Just over a month after launching Apple Pay on the web, new data from SimilarTech — as noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2016/11/09/apple-pay-web-fifth-most-popular-payment-platform/" rel="noopener noreferrer">9to5Mac</a> — shows Apple has already made it into the top five payment technologies online. </p>

<p>The new MacBook Pro may be controversial (and that’s an understatement), but <a target="_blank" href="http://intelligence.slice.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Slice Intelligence </a>reports that in the first five days of availability online, the latest model generated over seven times the revenue that the 12-inch MacBook did during its April 2015 launch. </p>

<p>Up to four million Australians will soon be able to use Apple Pay following a deal Cuscal has made with Apple, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://news.com.au" rel="noopener noreferrer">news.com.au</a>. Cuscal is an independent provider of payment solutions including card and acquiring products, mobile payments, fraud prevention, EFT switching and direct entry.</p>

<p>Here's some good news for Apple's iBookstore: the ebook market will more than double by 2020, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategy Analytics</a>. Increasing e-reading device penetration, more readily available content, new business models, and adoption in China will see the market's revenue top $16 billion in the next eight years, the research group adds.</p>

<p>If you need to completely erase data from a hard drive, you need to check out the <a href="http://www.wiebetech.com/products/Drive_eRazer_Ultra.php">Drive eRazer Ultra</a> from <a href="http://www.cru-dataport.com/products/RAX-Wizard.php">CRU-DataPort</a>. Let me rephrase that: it’s a great device if you regularly have to erase data. It’s overkill for those who only do this occasionally — say, such as when they’re selling a Mac.</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 now selling refurbished iPhones from its U.S. online store, which is a first for the company. The refurbished phones are available at the company’s <a target="_blank" href="//www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals" rel="noopener noreferrer">Certified Refurbished site</a> along with Macs, iPads, and iPods. </p>

<p>Apple <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/holiday/" rel="noopener noreferrer">has launched a website</a> with “exclusive holiday offers with Apple Pay on the web.” However, the offers regarding the mobile payment service are good in the U.S. only.</p>

<p>This week the Irish government will <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-taxavoidance-ireland-idUSKBN13320P">formally submit an appeal</a> against the <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/30/apple-repay-14-5-billion-back-taxes-ec-rules/">European Commission's ruling</a> that it must collect 13 billion euros in unpaid back taxes from Apple.</p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,488,488) for “augmented reality maps.” If the technology ever sees the light of day (and I’d bet that it will) look for augmented reality (AR) features in the Maps app on the iPhone.</p>

<p>Despite all the controversy surrounding them, Apple has been placing orders for lots of new MacBook Pros and strong shipments of the laptops are expected to last into 2017, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20161107PD201.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">DigiTimes</a>, quoting unnamed “sources from the upstream supply chain.”</p>

<p>Feral Interactive's LEGO Movie Videogame — an adaptation of the hit film, <em>The LEGO Movie</em> — is fun if too familiar and too faithful to the movie.</p>