Steve Sande

<p>Do you spend a lot of time on public Wi-Fi networks? Perhaps you do a lot of traveling and want to have access to streaming services at home that are blocked from the country you're visiting. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides an encrypted secure tunnel that keeps your data safe, and through a network of VPN servers around the world, your streaming requests can look like they're coming from a local address. We've got a great deal on <a href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/vpnsecure-lifetime-3?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vpnsecure-lifetime-3_011117&utm_term=scsf-212728"><strong>VPNSecure</strong></a>, with a lifetime subscription for $39 (normally $450). </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Happy Tuesday! We have a few stories for today's Apple World Today News Update:</p><ul><li>The ESPN and WatchESPN apps have adopted Apple's Single Sign-On feature, meaning you can sign in once to use the apps with your cable or satellite TV subscription</li><li>AT&T & Verizon are both making moves to make those grandfathered unlimited data plans a thing of the past</li><li>Three weeks to go until Apple's Q1 2017 Earnings Call. We look at Foxconn's results to see how Apple may fare for the year-end quarter</li></ul>

<p>The Apple Watch is a constant companion for a lot of people who are either fitness buffs or just trying to keep track of life in general without having to pull out an iPhone. There are times, however, where it's not a good idea to have that Watch strapped to your wrist. For example, when you're lifting weights it's possible to smack a weight right into your wrist and damage your Watch, and during kickboxing or cross-fit you might be using protective gear or need full wrist movement, so the Watch gets to wait in the locker while you have a workout. Twelve South has the answer in the new $29.99 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/actionsleeve" rel="noopener noreferrer">ActionSleeve Armband for Apple Watch</a>. </p>

<p>While there are a lot of apps that can be used to make your digital photos look better, most of them require a lot of work and have a steep learning curve. That's not the case with <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2016/10/12/photolemur-beta-for-mac-coming-next-week-ai-photo-enhancement-that-will-amaze-you?rq=photolemur" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photolemur, which Apple World Today reviewed back in October of 2016</a>. This Mac app (and Photos extension) uses artificial intelligence to analyze your photos and turn them from "good" to "breathtaking". <a target="_blank" href="https://a.paddle.com/click?said=91&aaid=516&link_id=151&chk=561b842a9a90427ddcc29ad3c47f5fc8&redir=aHR0cHM6Ly9waG90b2xlbXVyLmNvbQ==" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photolemur is on sale until January 15 for $29</a> (affiliate link) after which time the price goes back up to $49.</p>

<p>One new thing in iOS 10 that gets a lot of use is iMessage apps. <a target="_blank" href="http://dejal.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dejal Systems</a> is the developer of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dejal.com/simon/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Simon</a> and other tools for Mac, and the company has recently made a move into the world of iOS with two new iMessage apps -- <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/date-stamp-customizable-stickers/id1180861479?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Date Stamp</a> ($1.99) and <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chicken-gifs/id1186370093?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chicken GIFs</a> ($0.99). </p>

<p>Bloggers and other full-time writers are big fans of <a target="_blank" href="http://smile.7eer.net/c/143055/293992/2936" rel="noopener noreferrer">TextExpander</a> (affiliate link), a family of apps and a subscription service from Smile that allows creation of text snippets that can then be expanded by simply typing a shortcut. For example, typing the shortcut "mAS" on my iMac types the phrase "Mac App Store", saving me ten keystrokes every time I put those words into a document. Smile updated TextExpander to version 6.1.3 yesterday, bringing with it support for those lucky folks who own the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.</p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Happy 10th Birthday, iPhone! We have a few news stories that deal with things other than Apple's ubiquitous smartphone today, and one that looks at possible display technology for future iPhones:</p><ul><li>A rumor about a lack of repair capability for the 2016 MacBook Pro turns out to be just that; a rumor...</li><li>Remember the Finder for AirPods app? Apple has yanked it from the App Store (see image at top of post)</li><li>A charging stand for AirPods? Yep.</li><li>An OLED plant being built in "iPhone City" may point to future display tech for iPhones</li></ul>

<p>I think I have a new favorite Apple ad. "Take Mine" came out late last week and is notable for two things -- it's all in Greek with English subtitles and it shows off the amazing capabilities of the iPhone 7 Plus Portrait Mode. </p>

<p>For years, every time I've wanted to check my connection speed I've pointed my web browser to <a target="_blank" href="http://speedtest.net" rel="noopener noreferrer">speedtest.net</a>  to use the publicly available tool. A while back, Ookla (the Speedtest folks) came out with an iOS app that has been quite useful, and today the company sent out a note that the desktop apps for Mac and Windows are available. We frankly don't give a rip about the Windows announcement, but wanted you all to know that you can get <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedtest-by-ookla/id1153157709?mt=12" rel="noopener noreferrer">Speedtest</a> for free in the Mac App Store. </p>

<p>Do you remember where you were on January 9, 2007? I know exactly where I was and what I was doing, since I was attending Macworld Expo that year and was fortunate to be in the audience at the keynote when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone.  </p>

<p>Have an Apple Watch? The official Apple charging dock isn't all that useful, as it charges just one device at a time -- an Apple Watch. The <a href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/powertime-apple-watch-charging-dock-w-3-extra-usb-ports?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=powertime-apple-watch-charging-dock-w-3-extra-usb-ports_010917&utm_term=scsf-212724"><strong>PowerTime Apple Watch Charging Dock</strong></a> not only keeps your Apple Watch topped off, but it also comes with three USB ports, making it easy for you to keep up to three other devices fully charged up as well.  </p>

<p>One thing you can always say about the Consumer Electronics Show is "What will they think of next?" In today's video, Andrew shows an app-controlled smart breast milk pump, a home robot to keep your kids on schedule, and the Hover Camera Passport drone.</p>

<p>Today is the day Christmas is celebrated in Ukraine and several other countries around the world. In honour of Ukrainian Christmas, we have one final request to round out this year, making this the thirteenth and final post in our annual 12-part (usually!) series covering the accessibility features we would like to see Apple bring to its products in the coming year.<br><br>This series is being put together by Accessibility Editor Alex Jurgensen, with the help of several contributors.<br><br>For the thirteenth request of Christmas, we ask Apple to give to us:</p><p><strong>13. Ukrainian Text to Speech Voices for all Apple Devices</strong></p>

<p>This is the twelfth post in our annual 12-part series covering the accessibility features we would like to see Apple bring to its products in the coming year.<br><br>This series is being put together by Accessibility Editor Alex Jurgensen, with the help of several contributors.<br><br>Be sure to check back later today for a special edition post! For the twelfth request of Christmas, we ask Apple to give to us:<br><br></p><p><strong>12. Some Good Old Bug Fixes</strong></p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Today's news from the world of Apple:</p><ul><li>MacBook Pros may be announced later in 2017 that use a new display technology for significantly better battery life and resolution</li><li>An Apple supplier reports great earnings, all from sales of components for the iPhone 7</li><li>Canada's Competition Bureau quietly ends a 2-year anti-competition probe after finding insufficient evidence that Apple was engaging in anticompetitive conduct</li></ul>