Steve Sande

<p>Have you ever dreamed of designing a home that’s perfect for you? Perhaps you have an idea for an addition to your current home that you’d like to visualize. Whatever your home ideas are, you can bring them to life with <a href="https://www.livehome3d.com">Live Home 3D for Mac</a>  (US$29.99) and <a href="https://www.livehome3d.com/win/live-home-3d">Windows</a> from BeLight Software.</p>

<p>We like to keep Apple World Today readers safe, which is why we continually find great deals on virtual private network (VPN) services. VPNs encrypt all of your communications on the internet, can hide your IP address, and even make it appear as if you’re on the ‘net in another country. Today’s deal is for a <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/vpn-one-click-for-iphone-android-or-windows-mobile-lifetime-subscription" rel="noopener noreferrer">lifetime subscription to VPN One Click for Mac for $29.99</a></strong> — that’s 88 percent off the usual price of $250.00.</p>

<p>It may be Friday the 13th, but there's very little bad luck involved with today's Apple World Today News Update podcast, with the exception of a scarcity of news:</p><ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ar-tape-measure-air-measure/id1283029650?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">AR Tape Measure</a> has been our sponsor this week. Be sure to pick up this free app and see how augmented reality can help you in your daily life</li><li>Certain 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays from mid-2012 and early 2013 are eligible for free -- but extremely slow -- repairs if they need battery service</li><li>Hungry? Facebook now lets you order food for delivery or pickup from a variety of local restaurants in the USA</li></ul>

<p>Do you travel for work or pleasure? You probably know how hard it can be to find enough outlets to plug in all of your gear. Today we've got a deal on a <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/3-outlet-surge-protector-power-strip-with-4-smart-usb-charging-ports?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=3-outlet-surge-protector-power-strip-with-4-smart-usb-charging-ports_101317&utm_term=scsf-251742&utm_content=a0x1a000003DQnD" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kinkoo 3-Outlet Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip</a></strong> -- three surge-protected outlets, one USB-C charging port, and three USB-A ports. Usually Kinkoo charges $35 for this strip, but you can get it for $24.99.</p>

<p>Tablet drivers, Beats Academy, and the Tim Cook Euro tour are all topics today on the Apple World Today News Update Podcast:</p><ul><li>Interested in AR? Check out the free <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/10/9/ar-tape-measure-20-from-its-about-time-products-this-weeks-sponsor" rel="noopener noreferrer">AR Tape Measure app from this month's sponsor, It's About Time Products</a>. </li><li>Wacom releases High Sierra-compatible drivers for its broad line of graphics tablets</li><li>Apple executives Jimmy Iovine and Andre "Dr. Dre" Young break ground on a new USC academy that will bear their names</li><li>Tim Cook visits Sweden, says students should learn to code, and cuts down the tallest tree in the forest...with a herring (apologies to Monty Python)</li></ul>

<p>The devastating wildfires north of San Francisco are taking a heavy toll on life -- with 23 confirmed dead and hundreds reported missing -- and on property and businesses. Close to 3,500 homes and businesses are thought to have been destroyed so far. Apple is donating $1 million to relief efforts for the fire, and has also promised to match employee donations two for one. </p>

<p>Remember IKEA's promise to bring HomeKit and Amazon Alexa support to its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/lighting/36812/#" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trådfri Smart Lighting</a> line back in August? Well, the company started rolling out an update yesterday to add that support...only to pull it when many users reported technical difficulties in getting the automation connectivity to work.</p>

<p>Back on September 29, Nintendo released an update to the classic <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/super-mario-run/id1145275343?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Super Mario Run</a></strong> iOS game that brought support for playing as Daisy and a new world called World Star with nine new levels that appear after completing worlds one through six. At that time, the company also reduced the price of the in-app purchase to get all of the worlds from $9.99 down to $4.99 for a limited time. Today is the last day to take advantage of the sale, so be sure to get to the App Store ASAP to grab it.</p>

<p>On today's podcast, we discuss a slightly less pricey Oculus headset, an update to Twitter for Apple TV, and how you can take notes on your Apple Watch:</p><ul><li>But first, a note from our sponsor this week -- <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/10/9/ar-tape-measure-20-from-its-about-time-products-this-weeks-sponsor" rel="noopener noreferrer">AR Tape Measure from It's About Time Products</a>. </li><li>Facebook's Oculus today introduced a $199 VR Headset called Go that doesn't require a powerful PC to operate</li><li>Tweet and watch TV at the same time with the new Apple TV Twitter app</li><li>Popular cross-platform notes app Bear gets an Apple Watch client for creating and appending notes right from your wrist</li></ul>

<p>iPhones have only had decent water resistance in the past few years, and before then the recommended practice for trying to save phones that had taken a plunge was to use rice... Yes, putting the iPhone into a baggie full of rice was supposed to help soak up the water and dry out the phone, and it worked...sometimes. A better idea is to use silica gel, the stuff that usually comes in small packets put in boxes and pill bottles to keep water from damaging sensitive materials. <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074F1PBYN/appwortod01-20/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Absorbits</a></strong> ($9.99, Amazon Associates link) is a pouch/carrying case for the iPhone and any other small personal electronics that has "padding" that's actually silica gel made to soak up water in emergencies.</p>

<p>Welcome to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVONM6G3hHZgDRX7VgZDDJdqr6pyRPVdk" rel="noopener noreferrer">AWT TV</a>, a weekly show featuring Steve Sande, Dennis Sellers and Marty Edwards of Apple World Today. Each week we'll discuss what's happened in the world of Apple, talk about new apps and accessories, maybe even have a demonstration or two of the latest software.  </p><p>Tonight's show was rather fun, talking about the "Apple Tax" and why we're perfectly happy to pay it, demoing a macOS drone simulator, and more.</p>

<p>With companies, governments, and hackers all vying for unauthorized access to your private information, there's never been a better time to start securing your online life with a virtual private network (VPN). Today's deal gives you the opportunity to lock in a lifetime subscription to one of the biggest, best, and most-awarded VPNs for 5 devices for only $49.99. This <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/vpn-unlimited-lifetime-subscription?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vpn-unlimited-lifetime-subscription_101117&utm_term=scsf-251738&utm_content=a0x1a000003DQn9" rel="noopener noreferrer">VPN Unlimited Lifetime Subscription</a></strong> deal won't last long!</p>

<p>Steve's in a grumpy mood today, so we have a personal opinion piece wedged between two news items as a snarky sandwich:</p><ul><li>Measure almost anything with your iPhone or iPad with <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ar-tape-measure-air-measure/id1283029650?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8" rel="noopener noreferrer">AR Tape Measure</a> from this week's sponsor, It's About Time Products</li><li>The innovative SmartHalo bike accessory is showing up in Apple Stores</li><li>RANT: Why is Apple making deals for questionable TV shows that nobody is watching, while ignoring its key products and services?</li><li>Did you know that Google is buying Apple? It isn't, but if you had seen the Dow Jones Newswires this morning that's what you would have heard</li></ul>

<p>External battery packs are quite commonplace, as everybody seems to want a way to keep their devices charged when they’re away from power outlets. But there’s a dilemma with battery packs; they’re usually too large to be pocketable, ugly as sin, and may not have the amperage to quickly top off a tablet. <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.techarmor.com/tech-armor-power-bank-6000-mah-blue.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tech Armor’s ActivePower 6000 Mobile Power Bank</a></strong> (US$39.99) does away with all of the negatives and is an external battery pack worth looking at.</p>

<p>It's a slow news day in the Apple world today, but we have a few stories to educate and entertain you:</p><ul><li>Be sure to check out this week's sponsor, <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ar-tape-measure-air-measure/id1283029650?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">AR Tape Measure</a>, a free app for measuring distances, angles and areas from your iOS device. </li><li>iOS 11.1 developer beta 2 shipped today, adding a host of new emoji and returning 3D Touch gestures to the user interface</li><li>Intel is getting out of the augmented-reality eyewear business</li><li>Sightings of the new iPhone X in the wild are being reported</li><li>Face ID is likely to come to the iPad Pro line in 2018</li></ul>