Steve Sande

<p>Videoconferencing apps are nothing new; in fact, the market seems to be filled with all sorts of entrants, old (like Skype) and new (like Zoom). Today, Amazon announced the availability of its new videoconferencing service <a target="_blank" href="http://chime.aws" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chime</a>, which is seemingly designed to eliminate all of the pain points of the other systems that have been in use up to this point.</p>

<p>Don't be blue because it's Monday; be happy because there's a new Apple World Today News Update podcast. </p><ul><li>Kanex announces a folding travel keyboard that's perfect for your favorite iOS device</li><li>Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario have their transit systems added to Apple Maps</li><li>Apple stock closes at a record high</li><li>It's a good time for Apple to consider hiring "escapees" from Waymo</li></ul>

<p>The MacBook Air is still an amazing device. The first Apple laptop to feature an ultra-thin profile, the Air is also Apple's most affordable laptop. Today we have a deal for all of you MacBook Air users: a <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/4-port-usb-hub-macbook-air-stand?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=4-port-usb-hub-macbook-air-stand_021317&utm_term=scsf-217072" rel="noopener noreferrer">4-port USB Hub MacBook Air Stand for just $31.99</a></strong>.</p>

<p>The rally for shares in Apple continues today, with the stock briefly touching an all-time record share price of $133.82 this morning. It's now hovering around $133.68 (yes, we are obsessively watching the Apple World Today stock ticker in the sidebar).</p>

<p>It's another Slow News Friday™, so we're looking at Tim Cook's recent comments in a newspaper interview about the topic of augmented reality (AR). Cook has brought up AR on numerous occasions in the past year, not only during interviews but on earnings calls as well. His interview this week with The Independent shows how passionate he is about what could be "as big as the smartphone" for Apple. </p>

<p>Case manufacturer X-Doria is back with more high-quality, low-cost iPhone cases. The newest entries are the Defense Lux case for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus ($39.99), now made with a military-grade machined metal case with a wood backing. </p>

<p>Smartphone mounts for cars are nothing new, but most of them have one of two failings. First, if they use some sort of suction cup or friction pad to hold onto the dashboard or window, chances of having the entire assembly -- smartphone and all -- come crashing down while you're driving are pretty good. Second, if they use a vent clip to hold the smartphone in place in front of a car air vent, the phone can either get too hot in the winter with the heat on or quite chilly in the summer with the A/C cranked up. Today we have a deal on the <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/eye-level-gps-in-car-stand-for-smart-phone?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=eye-level-gps-in-car-stand-for-smart-phone_021017&utm_term=scsf-217079" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sky Innovations Eye Level In-Car Smartphone Holder</a> ($23.95), which eliminates both of the shortcomings with a clever design.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">A rather sparse Apple news day today, but we have some stories that will make your day:</p><ul><li>That great Apple Pro Apps Bundle for Education is now available in over 30 more countries</li><li>Five Apple execs made Billboard's Power 100 list</li><li>The Facebook app for iOS has some fascinating new features; Weather and Find Wi-Fi</li></ul>

<p>One of the big surprises of the past few years has been the rise in popularity of Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant. Alexa resides in a number of Amazon and third-party products now like the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap, Fire TV, and Fire Tablet. Although it’s not an Apple product — in fact, Alexa is designed to compete directly on many fronts with Apple services — I thought it would be a good idea to introduce Alexa to Apple World Today readers…if they haven’t already introduced themselves to “her”. Let’s see how Alexa stacks up to Siri.</p>

<p>Today's deal in the Apple World Today Deals Shop is guaranteed to get you a lot of software for very little money. The <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/2017-pay-what-you-want-super-bundle?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=2017-pay-what-you-want-super-bundle_020817&utm_term=scsf-217075" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pay What You Want 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle</a> provides $387 worth of Mac utilities and apps, but <em>you</em> decide how much you want to pay. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">We have four stories today for you, covering the gamut from slowing Twitter abuse to impressive smartphone camera modules. Let's get started:</p><ul><li>Twitter begins making changes to slow abuse on the social network</li><li>It's the 20th anniversary of Apple acquiring NeXT Software, Inc., a pivotal decision for the development of Mac OS X</li><li>YouTube begins livestream broadcasts from iPhone and iPad apps...if you happen to have more than 10,000 followers</li><li>We look at a Sony smartphone camera module that not only features extremely high resolution, but can shoot video at up to 1,000 frames per second</li></ul>

<p>After being announced alongside the iPhone 7 last September, Apple subsidiary Beats will finally have the $149.95 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLYF2LL/A/beatsx-earphones-white" rel="noopener noreferrer">BeatsX wireless headphones</a> available for purchase in the USA this Friday, February 10. </p>

<p>A new Apple ad focused on the photographic capabilities of the iPhone 7 uses 16 photographers in 15 cities on 6 continents, all shooting photos and video on the same night. <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/0QKG4mRH_MY" rel="noopener noreferrer">One Night</a><a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/0QKG4mRH_MY" rel="noopener noreferrer"> on Earth</a> uses still photos, time-lapse photography, video, and the skill of the photographers to capture humanity with the outstanding optics and sensors of the iPhone 7:</p>

<p>One of the big issues with traveling internationally at this time is that it's often difficult and/or expensive to get data plans in other countries. Sure, you can buy a local SIM and slap it into your iPhone or iPad, provided that your device is carrier-unlocked. Now the Spanish subsidiary of UK-based Truphone has set up a roaming plan for its customers that allows them to use data contract-free in 40 countries.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Happy Monday! We're back for another week of podcast fun with three stories:</p><ul><li>Accessory manufacturer Jawbone is quitting the activity tracker biz and trying to reinvent itself for the fourth time</li><li>One research firm thinks Apple could start building the 2017 iPhones as early as June to get a head start on inventory and issue resolution</li><li>Apple has told accessory manufacturers about a new Ultra Accessory Connector it would like to see on headphones and headsets</li></ul>