Steve Sande

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/03/raising-the-bar-apples-11th-annual-supplier-responsibility-progress-report-released.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple today released its annual Supplier Responsibility report</a>, publishing insights into how well its manufacturing partners treat workers and the environment. For 2016, the report shows that compliance with the 60-hour maximum work week for employees is up to 98 percent -- the highest level ever. </p>

<p>One of the more popular providers of iOS game and app development online training is iOS Online Courses, and we've teamed with them to bring you one heck of a deal. <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/lifetime-all-access-pass-to-ios-online-courses?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=lifetime-all-access-pass-to-ios-online-courses_032717&utm_term=scsf-221810" rel="noopener noreferrer">For just $69, you'll get lifetime access to the iOS Online Courses library of tutorials</a></strong>, which is continually growing and upgrading.</p>

<p>We're going into the weekend with a bit of news; some of it is upbeat, while some should be taken seriously:</p><ul><li>Apple has added over 30 more financial institutions to its list of Apple Pay providers</li><li>A second update of iTunes 12.6 was released this week after a non-functional control was spied by a number of users. That control could be pointing to a future profiles functionality for Apple Music</li><li>ZDNet confirms that at least some of the iCloud credentials being held for ransom by the so-called "Turkish Crime Family" hacker group are valid -- it's time to change your iCloud password if you haven't lately</li></ul>

<p>Those of us who do a lot of audio recording usually have big "studio mics" to work with, but those rigs -- usually attached to a flexible arm with a pop filter attached -- aren't exactly portable. Recording away from the office or studio doesn't mean you have to give up a quality microphone, though. Today I'm looking at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TY2X18S/appwortod01-20/" rel="noopener noreferrer">IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio</a> (US$179, as low as $144.06 through affiliate link. Apple World Today will receive remuneration from affiliate purchases), a small microphone with big sound.</p>

<p>What's the world's most popular content management system? We'll give you a hint -- it's been around for since 2003, it runs many websites small and big, and it's incredibly powerful and flexible. The answer? WordPress. Whether you've been itching to start up your own website or want to improve your skills as a WordPress consultant, today's deal is perfect for you. It's our <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/pwyw-2017-wordpress-bundle?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pwyw-2017-wordpress-bundle_032417&utm_term=scsf-221817" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pay What You Want 2017 WordPress Hero Bundle</a></strong>, and YOU name the price!</p>

<p>Another short news update today, with word of a scary (but hopefully no longer extant) CIA hack and good news about the iPhone that's expected to be released this fall:</p><ul><li>WikiLeaks details Mac and iPhone hacks. The Mac hacks are enough to give you nightmares...</li><li>Barclay's analysts agree that the new iPhone with the 5.8-inch OLED display will come out in September, but in limited quantities</li></ul>

<p>Starting on Monday night, March 27 at 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, we'll be going live with our newest effort -- <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://youtube.com/c/appleworldtoday" rel="noopener noreferrer">AWT TV</a></strong>. For those of you who may remember the old TUAW TV Live show that I hosted, this will be similar in format...except without Doc Rock (at least for the first show!). Remember the theme music in the intro? It's back for the new show!</p>

<p>Siri is an AI with a lot of talents, and it teamed up with Roman, a 4-year-old boy in the UK, to help him get help for his mother. While kids in the UK are taught to dial 999 to summon emergency services, Roman used a different method to call: he unlocked his mother's iPhone by pressing her thumb to her iPhone's Touch ID home button, then asked Siri for help. Here's a recording of <a target="_blank" href="http://news.met.police.uk/news/four-year-olds-999-call-saves-mums-life-229816" rel="noopener noreferrer">the complete conversation between Roman and an emergency services operator on March 7</a>:</p>

<p>Due to a test video broadcast that was going on earlier this afternoon, this is an abbreviated news update:</p><ul><li>On Monday night, March 27, we'll start our live streaming video show -- AWT TV. Details are forthcoming regarding where you'll be able to watch and chat</li><li>Google updated its Photos app today, putting emphasis on backup and sharing over slow connections</li><li>Google also announced that its iOS Maps app will soon have a real-time location sharing function similar to Apple's Find My Friends</li></ul>

<p>Bacchus Stuart sent us a link to a well-thought-out article he wrote in which he makes a case for one very large corporation that Apple should consider purchasing -- Sony. Click the post title for a direct link to his article. </p>

<p>It's a dangerous world out there. You can be enjoying yourself in a hotel, visiting a tourist site somewhere, maybe just picking up your bags at an airport or attending a meeting in an office building. The next thing you know, bullets are flying or bombs are going off. The <a href="https://forcetraining.com/products/mts">MTS Multi-Threat Shield</a> from Force Training Institute ($899, law enforcement discounts available) is an instantly deployed bulletproof shield that can also carry a laptop or tablet. </p>

<p>Have a minute? In today's 60-second video tip we'll show you an iOS 10 trick that's available on the iPhone 6s and 7 models. With a 3D Touch of a folder icon, you can see exactly which apps inside a folder are vying for your attention with notification badges. This tip also works for fast renaming of iOS folders:</p>

<p>One of our hit deals last year was for <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/freshebuds-pro-magnetic-bluetooth-headphones?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshebuds-pro-magnetic-bluetooth-headphones_032217&utm_term=scsf-221813" rel="noopener noreferrer">FRESHeBUDS Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds</a></strong>, and with special pricing this week, we're getting you the new Pro model of the classic 'buds for just $23.95. What's new and improved about this model? They have better water and sweat resistance than last year's model, better battery life, and when you pull the magnetically linked earbuds apart to put 'em in your ears, they automatically pair to your iPhone. </p>

<p>Other than the rather mundane updates made by Apple early this morning, there wasn't a lot of Apple news for today:</p><ul><li>Apple's announcements were...underwhelming to say the least</li><li>We have a story about Apple and AT&T cracking a case in which a tweet was used to induce a seizure in an epileptic journalist</li><li>Tim Cook's in China, having attended an economic forum over the weekend and visiting companies this week</li></ul>

<p>One thing I love about Apple developers is that they're often everyday people who decide to write some outstanding apps. That's the case with Stephen M Moraco and his son Steve A Moraco of nearby Monument, Colorado, who collaborated on an iOS game called <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/9cardgolf/id481892107?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">9 Card Golf</a></strong> ($0.99) five years ago. While many iOS apps are built and then forgotten by their developers, 9 Card Golf is still going strong in the App Store and the father-son team has recently updated the card game to version 2.</p>