Steve Sande

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">On today's Apple World Today News Update, we talk about obsolete networks, smash and grabs, store renovations, and the idiots who keep using the recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones:</p><ul><li>AT&T's 2G network shut down on January 1; nobody seemed to notice, but you can't use your original iPhone anymore...</li><li>The Apple Store Palo Alto (CA) is currently undergoing renovations due to an early December smash-and-grab burglary</li><li>The "glass cube" 5th Avenue Apple Store in NYC will be closed starting on January 20th for renovations</li><li>Verizon is planning to take drastic measures to stop people who are still using their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones</li></ul>

<p>Since 2007, the iPhone has become the world's most popular camera, so it's not surprising that out of the billions of photos captured each year there are some that are visually stunning. Since 2008, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ippawards.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">IPPAWARDS</a> (iPhone Photography Awards) have been a showcase for the best of the best in iPhone photography. The IPPAWARDS have just opened for entries, and you have until March 31, 2017 to get your best iPhone photos into the competition.</p>

<p>Today the <a target="_blank" href="http://vine.co" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vine</a> video service shuts down, but there's still a bit of time left where you can grab your Vines that aren't already saved to your camera roll. Here's how to do it:</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">After missing the publication of last Friday's Apple World Today News Update, we're back with three stories from the world of Apple:</p><ul><li>The latest beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.3 adds a feature to save battery power on MacBooks with a new setting in the battery menu</li><li>Samsung's woes continue; this time, the person next in line to be head of the conglomerate is to be arrested on suspicion of involvement in a government corruption scandal</li><li>The Eastern Texas patent trolls are on a roll again, this time accusing Apple's iMessage of infringing on a 2002 patent for part of a point-of-sale system</li></ul>

<p>On Planet Earth, gravity is a force to be reckoned with. Fumble your expensive smartphone, and it's going to accelerate towards the Earth's center at 32.17 feet/second/second (9.8 m/s/s). If it hits face down and on an uneven surface, chances are good that the screen of your iPhone is going to scratched or shattered. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG7BSRQ/appwortod01-20/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inateck's PG5001/PG6001 Tempered Glass Screen Protectors</a> (affiliate link) not only provide an extra layer of protection to your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus screen, but are less costly at just US$9.99 ($8.99 for the iPhone 7 version) than many competitors.</p>

<p>Most iOS users are blissfully unaware of the fact that they can easily change the default search engine that's used by the Safari web browser on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. While the default engine is still Google, it's also possible to change to Bing, Yahoo, or even DuckDuckGo. Here's how to do it.</p>

<p>A recent report by the <em>Wall Street Journal</em> indicated that Apple is planning to begin expanding into original TV shows in 2017. Apple Music executive <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jimmy-iovine-apple-music-expansion-reports-964383" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jimmy Iovine talked to reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour this weekend</a> and explained why the company's plans include TV as part of its streaming music service.</p>

<p>Last year's issue with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fires and explosions was due to the lithium-ion batteries inside the smartphone undergoing a thermal runaway. The result? A total recall of the phones at a huge cost to the Korean electronics manufacturer. Researchers at Stanford University believe that they have a solution: <a target="_blank" href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/1/e1601978" rel="noopener noreferrer">lithium-ion batteries with a built-in "fire extinguisher". </a></p>

<p>The old saying goes "You can never be too rich or too good-looking", and we'll add a third adage to it: "You can never have enough Lightning cables." That seems to be the thought of a lot of Apple World Today readers, as our deal on a <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/10-ft-mfi-certified-lightning-cable-3-pack-i?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=10-ft-mfi-certified-lightning-cable-3-pack-i_011617&utm_term=scsf-212725" rel="noopener noreferrer">3-pack of 10-foot MFi (Made For iPhone) certified Lightning cables for just $22</a> is a perennial favorite.</p>

<p>Rather than buying a bucketful of dongles to give the 2016 MacBook Pro the same ports as the previous MacBook Pro models, almost 18,000 backers have pledged almost $1.6 million toward a Kickstarter campaign that does it all with one small hub. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hypershop/hyperdrivetm-compact-thunderbolt-3-usb-c-hub-for-m/" rel="noopener noreferrer">HyperDrive from Sanho Corporation</a> plugs into two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the new MacBook Pro and gives the user HDMI, USB 3.1 (two), microSD/SD, Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C ports in return.</p>

<p>So you want the convenience of Bluetooth earbuds but Apple's AirPods are a bit out of your price range? For what it would cost you to buy one pair of AirPods, you can buy FIVE pairs of <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_011317&utm_term=scsf-212732" rel="noopener noreferrer">FRESHeBUDS Pro Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds</a> ($29.95) and still have enough money left over for a Grande Mocha with whipped cream at Starbucks. </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">The world of Apple Inc was a bit more busy today, so we have some fascinating stories on today's podcast:</p><ul><li>Go to YouTube.com with Safari and you'll no longer see an option to watch video in 4K resolution</li><li>Studio Neat's Dan Provost figures out that the rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro could pack the same resolution as the 12.9-inch model with the higher pixel density of the iPad mini</li><li>Sometimes, the hackers get hacked...</li></ul>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">It was a rather slow Apple news day today, so we spend some time in today's podcast telling you about some new products and a survey that compares the cost of an iPhone around the world:</p><ul><li>A new tool for diabetic blood glucose monitoring is now available in the online Apple Store</li><li>The best drawing tablet for the Mac? An iPad Pro running Astropad</li><li>While the average iPhone is more expensive in the US than Japan or China, it's totally out of reach for Venezuelans</li></ul>

<p>It's 2017, and this is the year that Apple Campus 2 will be ready for employees to move in. We've been enjoying the videos from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrNk0Ymg6JeagiMSNAiBglg" rel="noopener noreferrer">Matthew Roberts</a> as the facility has gone from piles of dirt to almost complete, and today's video shows that solid progress is being made towards getting the facility open.</p>

<p>Have you ever seen an accessory for an Apple product that made you want to go out and buy the Apple tech just so you could get the accessory? That's the way you might feel when you take a look at the <a target="_blank" href="http://shrsl.com/?fy2b" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pad & Quill Cartella Slim Case for the 2016 MacBook Pro</a> (affiliate link). </p>