Steve Sande

<p>2017 almost looks like it's the year of HomeKit, with many new products appearing on the market that work with Apple's home automation framework. Today we're taking a look at the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XGVMKGK/appwortod01-20/" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Koogeek SK-1 Smart Socket</a> (US$39.99, affiliate link - AWT will receive compensation from any purchase), a HomeKit-compatible light socket that screws into any US-standard lightbulb socket. Check out our video for a look at the device, pairing the SK-1 with HomeKit, and setting up an easy automation.</p>

<p>Drobo has been on a roll over the past two years, adding 7 new products to its line of storage appliances in that time. Today, Drobo released the <a target="_blank" href="http://drobostore.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Drobo 5N2 NAS</a>, billed as the fastest 5-bay Drobo NAS yet. At $499 for an "empty" device that can be filled with a mixture of 3.5-inch HDDs or SSDs, the Drobo 5N2 offers a bump up in performance for connected home users, media professionals, and small businesses.</p>

<p>Today's news is seemingly all about competition:</p><ul><li>Apple's possibly announcing new products tomorrow morning, as the online store and some other services are shut down from 3 AM - 8:30 AM ET. Could it be new iPads or Macs? Or just maintenance?</li><li>Apple's buddy SoftBank apparently yanked a $100 million investment from Essential, the new smartphone startup created by Android creator Andy Rubin</li><li>Microsoft wants Mac users to switch to Surface so badly that it has created a migration tool to speed up the process</li><li>Siri is going to get even more competition in the AI realm, this time from Samsung's Bixby</li></ul>

<p>In today's video tip, we'll show you how to use the macOS Sierra Terminal app (found in Applications > Utilities) to password-protect zip files. Zip files can be easily created without password protection in macOS Sierra by simply right-clicking a file or folder, then selecting "Compress". However, if you want to make sure that only people with the correct password can open a zip file, follow the instructions in this video:</p>

<p>While "leaks" and pure speculation regarding Apple's newest iPhones, iPads and Macs abound, sometimes the same intensity of conjecture can be focused on other "products" that are discovered. That's the case with a wireless device with the product number A1844 that was the subject of intense scrutiny after being spotted in FCC filings by someone at Bloomberg last year. Well, it turns out that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-mystery-device-a1844-photos-user-manual-2017-3?r=UK&IR=T/#-1" rel="noopener noreferrer">A1844 is actually an electronic badge reader</a> possibly designed for use at Apple Park.</p>

<p>Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) has become the standard for transmitting documents, whether they're informational brochures, fillable forms, newsletters, or more. While you can view PDFs on the Mac easily, it's not easy to edit them. That's where <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/pdf-expert-2-0-for-mac-3?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pdf-expert-2-0-for-mac-3_032017&utm_term=scsf-221809" rel="noopener noreferrer">Readdle PDF Expert</a></strong> comes in, letting you edit text, images, links and outlines. This deal gets you PDF Expert at half price, only $29.99 instead of the regular $59.99 price tag. </p>

<p>Happy St. Patrick's Day. Today we look at ways that Apple is planning on staying "in the green" by expanding sales in two of the planet's most populous countries:</p><ul><li>Apple will restart sales of iPhones in Indonesia in about two weeks following promises to build an R&D center in Jakarta</li><li>Over 100 small franchised Apple Authorized Retailer locations are expected to open in India </li></ul>

<p>Visiting the iOS App Store this week was a joy for fans of indie games, those created by small-time developers who don't have the millions to invest in advertising campaigns and marketing blitzes. During the week, Apple highlighted indie games in a "<a target="_blank" href="https://t.co/M7fhi8kU4D" rel="noopener noreferrer">Celebrating Indie Games</a>" section, including wonderful games from independent developers such as <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monument-valley/id728293409?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Monument Valley</a> (one of my personal favorites), the hilariously gory <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/surgeon-simulator/id814977594?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Surgeon Simulator</a>, and the beautiful puzzler <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prune/id972319818?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prune</a>. It appears that the focus on indie game developers is set become a permanent fixture on the App Store.</p>

<p>It's always nice when one of our most popular deals comes back into the Apple World Today Deals Shop. Today, our incredible deal on a <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/10-ft-mfi-certified-lightning-cable-3-pack-3?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=10-ft-mfi-certified-lightning-cable-3-pack-3_031717&utm_term=scsf-221816" rel="noopener noreferrer">3-pack of 10-ft MFi-Certified Lightning Cables for $20</a></strong> is back for a limited time.</p>

<p>Steve was out making some tax accountants rich today, so we have a short version of the AWT News Update for your listening pleasure:</p><ul><li>Swatch announces plans to create its own open-source smartwatch OS</li><li>Get an iPhone 7 Plus "Retro Edition" for only $1,899! It looks surprisingly similar to many Apple products of the 1980s</li><li>Alexa has sneaked onto your iPhone, provided you're using the Amazon app</li></ul>

<p>The current 4th-generation Apple TV lacks one feature that could make it a "must buy" for a lot of Apple fans -- 4K video. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-16/apple-vowed-to-revolutionize-television-an-inside-look-at-why-it-hasn-t" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple is testing a new Apple TV codenamed J105 that would support 4K video</a> and could launch later this year. Now MacRumors has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/16/new-appletv-6-2-developer-logs" rel="noopener noreferrer">heard from developers who think they've spotted the new device in log files</a>. </p>

<p>Tired of those measly little battery powered Bluetooth speakers because they just don't produce enough sound to fill your parties with the beat? Pyle USA today introduced the <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.pyleusa.com/disco-jam-2-bluetooth-active-powered-pa-speaker-system-flashing-dj-lights-dual-10-inch-woofers-dual-3-inch-tweeters-usb-sd-memory-card-readers-aux-3-5mm-input-1200-watt-works-with-passive-speaker-model-psufm1065p.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disco Jam 2 Stereo System</a></strong> (US$227.99) to reverse that trend and keep everyone dancing all night long.</p>

<p>Kind of a slow news day today...but we've got three interesting little stories for you anyway:</p><ul><li>The battle between Apple and a cartel of Australian banks continues over control of the iPhone's NFC chip</li><li>McDonald's will be rolling out a new app to allow pre-ordering and pre-payment of food prior to arrival at a restaurant</li><li>First they thought the iPhone 8 would have a curved OLED screen, then a flat OLED screen. Now the rumor is that it will be curved, but not insanely so</li></ul>

<p>Apple has been sitting on its hands, literally doing nothing with most of the Mac desktop lineup. Sure, we've seen fairly recent updates to the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, and the iMac received a speed bump a few years ago, but the company has totally ignored both the Mac Pro (last updated 12/19/2013) and the Mac mini (10/6/2014). Now HP has released a new desktop box called the <a target="_blank" href="http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/elite-slice/overview.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">HP Elite Slice Desktop</a> that puts the Mac mini to shame in terms of size and expandability.</p>

<p>Some our most popular deals in the Apple World Today Deals Shop recently have been for lifetime licenses to various apps. The lifetime licenses give you free access to all major and minor upgrades...forever. Now we've taken ten top-rated Mac apps with lifetime licenses, rolled 'em into the <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/the-world-s-1st-lifetime-mac-bundle?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-world-s-1st-lifetime-mac-bundle_031517&utm_term=scsf-221812" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lifetime Mac Bundle</a></strong>, and we're selling them to you for just $49. </p>