Dennis Sellers

<p>When it comes to universal stands for cell phones and small tablets, they don't get more sturdy, durable or manly (think the "Ford tough" commercials), than the $80 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.iomounts.com/products/iomini" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOmini</a>. However, it does have some drawbacks. For example, it doesn’t work well at all with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.</p>

<p>iTunes S.à r.l., Apple’s Luxembourg holding company,  will complete its merger with Apple Distribution International in Cork, Ireland, on Sept. 25, and will relocate its business from Luxembourg to Cork in early 2017. The distribution center facilitates operations for the call center, sales, manufacturing, service and OEM management for products sold in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160920006782/en/">IHS Makit estimates</a> that a 32GB iPhone 7 requires $219.80 in bill of materials costs. The firm's preliminary analysis further reasons an additional $5 basic manufacturing cost, bringing the total cost to produce the above-mentioned configuration to $224.80 (that’s an unsubsidized retail price of $649). </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>Another day, another lawsuit. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.andreaelectronics.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrea Electronics</a>, which sells PureAudio Pro Recorder and Live Recorder apps for iOS devices is suing Apple on five counts of patent infringement relating to noise cancellation technology, reports <a href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2016/09/andrea-electronics-who-sells-audio-related-apps-for-ios-devices-is-suing-apple-over-noise-cancellation-technologies.html">Patently Apple</a>.</p>

<p>Apple has released a finished version of macOS X Sierra. It’s a free download at the Mac App Store. Sierra requires a 2009 iMac, 2009 MacBook, 2010 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or Mac Pro.</p>

<p>After almost two decades of decline caused by piracy and falling prices, the music business is enjoying a fragile recovery thanks to the growth of paid streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify.</p>

<p><em>Reader’s Digest</em> has announced the results of its second annual Trusted Brands Survey, published in the October issue (on newsstands today). Apple was the “most trusted brand” in the “mobile phone” category, though Dell was the “most trusted brand” in the “computer” category (say what?).</p>

<p>As the music streaming market reacts to the introduction of Pandora Plus, as well as new on-demand services anticipated from Pandora and Amazon, research shows Pandora with the leading share of weekly music streaming hours in the United States in the second quarter of 2016. </p>

<p>Apple has been granted a patent (number 9,448,683) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a “network media device,” which hints at an Apple NAS device/home server, something I’ve long wanted. </p>

<p>With iOS 10, you can draw or type on any photo you take when using the Photos app.</p>

<p>A six-and-a-half-year battle over claims that ring-alert and quieting features on some iPhones violate a MobileMedia Ideas patent headed to a federal jury in Delaware for a second time late Monday, with an estimated $18 million in damages on the line. MobileMedia sued Apple in 2010, claiming it infringed 14 patents for electronics. </p>

<p>Apple has hired Dr. Mike Evans (also known as “DocMikeEvans"), a Canadian doctor from a Toronto teaching hospital for an unspecified role involving worldwide health innovation, reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-doctor-apple-health-care-messaging-whiteboards-youtube-videos-1.3769194" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBC News</a>.  He’s a former staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto,</p>

<p>Apple has added the <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-se/">iPhone SE</a>, <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-6s/">iPhone 6s</a>, and iPhone 6s Plus to its <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/trade-up/">trade-up program</a> in the United States, offering estimated trade-in values of $160, $275, and $315 respectively towards the purchase of a new iPhone. </p>

<p>I've now spent a weekend with an Apple Watch Series 2 (42mm black aluminum with a black Sports band). It takes some great steps forward, but isn’t yet the perfect watch for this runner. But it’s a software feature I’m looking for, not a hardware problem. </p>