Steve Sande

<p>It's Monday, and here are our top stories for this afternoon:</p><ul><li>Apple is sending mixed messages to developers of iMessage sticker packs</li><li>Several hospitals in the US are using iPads to give patients insights into their condition</li><li>olloclip and Incase team up for the new limited-edition Flimer's Kit, which includes lenses and a video grip mount.</li></ul>

<p>Mac consultants and IT pros know that there's one go-to app for troubleshooting and fixing Mac issues: TechTool Pro. It's been a staple in the toolkit of Mac pros for years, and now we're making it affordable to everyone. For just $39.95 (60% off the usual $99.95 price tag), you can get <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/techtool-pro-9-full-version?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=techtool-pro-9-full-version_071717&utm_term=scsf-240634" rel="noopener noreferrer">TechTool Pro 9.5 for Mac</a> -- but hurry because the deal won't last long.</p>

<p>Not everybody uses Apple's AirPods or Lightning EarPods. For example, Pioneer's Rayz and Rayz Plus earphones connect to iOS devices through the Lightning port, allow for charging from a Lightning adapter, and offer active noise cancellation, so they're a very popular model of smart earphones. Today, <a target="_blank" href="https://pioneerrayz.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pioneer announced that the Rayz line received an update that provides support for "Hey, Siri" and more</a>.</p>

<p>Emoji have become part of the way that humans communicate with each other, often expressing a lot more in one simple image than we could say in a dozen words. Today, in honor of World Emoji Day, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/07/apple-previews-new-emoji-coming-later-this-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple previewed a number of new emoji</a> that will be appearing with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra later this year.</p>

<p>The next time you go to a Subway sandwich shop, you might find yourself using your Apple products to pay for your meal. The company is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/subway-brings-fresh-forward-with-new-restaurant-design-customer-experience-300488781.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">testing a new "Fresh Forward" store design</a> in 12 locations in the US, Canada and UK that features self-service order and payment kiosks that accept Apple Pay and Samsung Pay for payment.</p>

<p>The downside of Apple's recent love affair with Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports on the MacBook and MacBook Pro is that users need to buy adapters and cables to interface with just about anything. For those who wish to connect a MacBook Pro to a HD or UHD (4K) TV, that usually means spending $69 on Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. Fortunately, Belkin is now offering a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.belkin.com/us/F2CU038-Belkin/p/P-F2CU038/" rel="noopener noreferrer">USB-C to HDMI Adapter</a> priced at $49.99 so you can save a bit of money on your dongle expenditures without sacrificing quality.</p>

<p>Ten bucks doesn't buy a lot these days, but if you have a spare Hamilton in your wallet you can get yourself prepared to develop intelligent apps. iOS 11 apps have the capability to add a machine learning layer with the CoreML framework, and today's deal is perfect if you want to know how to create apps that can "see", analyze text, and do speech and language recognition. <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/complete-ios-11-machine-learning-masterclass?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=complete-ios-11-machine-learning-masterclass_071417&utm_term=scsf-237267" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Complete iOS 11 Machine Learning Masterclass</a> is $10 for a limited time.  </p>

<p>We have a few short stories that add up to a long podcast today:</p><ul><li>Bloomberg reports that Apple's iOS will have a huge advantage in augmented reality over Android</li><li>Fast Company says that the upcoming iPhone 8 may use lasers for AR depth detection and faster autofocus</li><li>We tell you about a free photo filter app that's available to anyone with the Apple Store app loaded on their iOS device</li></ul><p>Create amazing websites with drag-and-drop ease with <a target="_blank" href="everwebapp.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">EverWeb</a> for Mac.</p>

<p>The latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrNk0Ymg6JeagiMSNAiBglg" rel="noopener noreferrer">4K drone footage from Matthew Roberts of Maverick Media</a> shows the state of Apple's new headquarters campus in July of 2017. Roberts did some close flyovers of the Steve Jobs Theater, which some are expecting to be used for the first time in September when the next generation of iPhones is unveiled.</p>

<p>Talking eyes for the blind, iPhone 8 hysteria, a new Google app for Mac, and texting art; that's what you'll find on the Apple World Today podcast today:</p><ul><li>Microsoft puts the Seeing AI app in the App Store, offering visually impaired iPhone users a way to have the world around them described accurately</li><li>Yet another pair of Wall Street analysts thinks the iPhone 8 will be late. Our question? Who cares?</li><li>Have a lot of photos or other files to back up? Google's Backup and Sync app for Mac has been updated</li><li>You're invited to look at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's collection through a new text message service</li></ul><p>Many thanks to our sponsor this week, <a target="_blank" href="https://everwebapp.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">EverWeb</a>!</p>

<p>A while back I did a review of an armband for an Apple Watch...and when I mean armband, I mean something that's meant to be strapped to your upper arm. I thought it was a little odd -- I mean, first there's the fact that Apple Watches have a wristband, and second, an Apple Watch is kind of worthless unless there's an iPhone nearby (at least until Apple adds a cellular modem to it). Belkin's <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.belkin.com/us/F8W741-APL-Belkin/p/P-F8W741-APL/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport-Fit Pro Armband</a></strong> (US$39.95) is a better idea, in theory giving sports-minded Apple fans a way to carry the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus while engaging in all sorts of athletic activity. As you'll find in this review, this accessory has a serious issue that makes use of your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus in a normal manner almost impossible.</p>

<p>There are a lot of bad guys on the internet. Don't you think it would be a more noble career to be an ethical "white hat" hacker? Today's deal provides a ton of training that can teach you the skills of ethical website hacking and penetration testing and prepare you for the CompTIA Security+ certification exam, all for just $43. <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/summer-ethical-hacking-bundle?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=summer-ethical-hacking-bundle_071217&utm_term=scsf-237263" rel="noopener noreferrer">It's the Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle!</a></p>

<p>Gary Katz is the proprietor of <a target="_blank" href="http://macmd.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacM.D., Inc.</a> and an Apple consultant out of Overland Park, KS. When he's not helping clients set up or fix Macs and iOS devices or playing in his band <a target="_blank" href="http://convictiontheband.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Conviction</a>, he's taking bits and pieces from old Apple gear and turning them into amazing furniture and toys. </p>

<p>Today's AWT News Update podcast is a bit longer than usual, with stories about both Apple and some of its competitors:</p><ul><li>Intel's "Purley" Xeon processors were announced today...and the chips that Apple intends to use for the iMac Pro didn't appear to be part of the announcements</li><li>The Toshiba memory unit sale continues to be a confusing mess, with the company now reportedly talking to two of the "losers" in earlier bidding, including a Foxconn/Apple consortium</li><li>Apple's retail plans for India include two huge stores in New Delhi and Mumbai</li><li>What's Amazon doing to try to stave off competition from Apple HomePod and its HomeKit integration? Hiring employees to do consultations and installation</li></ul><p>Create amazing websites with drag-and-drop ease with <a target="_blank" href="everwebapp.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">EverWeb for Mac</a>.</p>

<p>When most of us think of Apple's HomeKit home automation framework, we think about controlling devices inside the home. Sure, you may have some outdoor lights that are within range of your Wi-Fi network that you've added, but for the most part a lot of outdoor electric accessories are still controlled the old-fashioned way: with a manual switch. iDevices is shipping the new <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019IJNKCS/appwortod01-20/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Outdoor Switch</a></strong> (US$75.62 through Amazon Affiliate Link) to open the great outdoors to HomeKit automation.</p>