Steve Sande

<p>Apple would like to get HomeKit into as many homes as possible, and the company is now partnering with some US-based homebuilders to get HomeKit-ready tech installed in new homes. Apple's VP of product marketing, Greg Joswiak, spoke to Bloomberg and noted that "We want to bring home automation to the mainstream. The best place to start is at the beginning, when a house is just being created." </p>

<p>A month ago, Dennis speculated that Apple would hold an event on October 25 to announce new MacBooks. When Apple rescheduled its 4Q earnings call from October 25 to October 27, his guess moved to that date. Now that speculation appears to be gaining a grain of truth, with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.recode.net/2016/10/18/13323264/apple-new-macs-october-27" rel="noopener noreferrer">Re/code reporting that Apple will hold an event on that date "at or near" Apple's Cupertino, CA headquarters</a>. </p>

<p>Last week's rumor that Apple was working with Australian startup Sonder Design to produce a totally customizable E Ink keyboard appears to have gained a bit of "truth" today, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/its-goodbye-qwerty-hello-emojis-as-apple-redesigns-the-keyboard-1476869408" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple is looking at adding the keyboards to MacBooks sometime in 2018</a>. Those keyboards will be able to display multiple alphabet characters, emojis and commands on keys based on what app is currently in use.</p>

<p>Caveat Emptor -- buyer beware! <a target="_blank" href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2016/10/apple-sues-mobile-star-for-selling-counterfeit-power-adapters-and-charging-cables-through-amazon.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patently Apple</a> reported yesterday that Apple filed a trademark infringement case against a company called Mobile Star LLC, which was producing counterfeit Apple chargers and cables for sale on Amazon. Not only was the company using the Apple trademark, but the chargers hadn't passed safety testing and could very well pose a risk to consumers.</p>

<p>Our bundles are some of the most popular items in the Apple World Today Deals Shop, and it's no wonder why -- you get a bunch of the best apps for Mac or iOS for an unbelievably low price. Today's AWT Deals Shop bargain is <a href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/mini-mac-productivity-power-bundle?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mini-mac-productivity-power-bundle_101916"><strong>The Mac Power Organizer Bundle</strong></a> ($14.99), bringing you four powerful tools for quickly organizing your downloads, cloud services and local files. </p>

Apple's plans to dominate contactless payment through Apple Pay continue, as two dozen new banks and credit unions have been...

<p>Siri may not be the brightest AI in the world, but it certainly has a sense of humor. Longtime AWT reader and Team AWT member <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/halsherman" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hal Sherman</a> passed along some results from a friend -- <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/jujycakes" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julie B.</a> --who was asking Siri the question "What should I be (or wear) for Halloween?". The responses are typically nerdy and funny!</p>

<p>What a great time to be alive! Our smartphones have gone beyond just being communications devices and are rapidly morphing into "medical tricorders" that can provide insights into our health. For heart patients, getting an EKG meant one of two things -- going to a doctor's office and getting hooked up, or wearing a Holter monitor to capture heart activity data during normal life activities. AliveCor created the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=877806&U=1170474&M=66320&urllink=" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kardia Mobile</a>, a $99 FDA-approved device for taking instant medical-grade EKGs in 30 seconds using a small sensor pad and a smartphone.</p>

<p>Developers who sell apps on Apple's App Store are dependent on the cut that they get from Apple for their income. <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/10/17/apple-app-store-compensation-changes-coming-to-south-africa-new-zealand" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple sent emails to developers in both South Africa and New Zealand</a> to let them know that what they earn each time an app is sold will be changing in the next few days.</p>

<p>One of the most anticipated announcements from Apple this fall is the arrival of new Macs, and a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20161018PD201.html?mod=3&q=APPLE" rel="noopener noreferrer">report from DigiTimes Research</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/10/18/supply-chain-reaffirms-only-three-new-apple-notebooks-this-fall-likely-no-11-macbook-air" rel="noopener noreferrer">discovered by AppleInsider</a> shows that Apple is likely to ship only three new MacBook models. The big surprise? That Apple might very well drop the 11-inch model of the MacBook Air.</p>

<p>I'm a sucker for any new camera gizmos, and there's one on Indiegogo right now that is almost worth pulling the trigger on. It's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/blincam-taking-a-picture-with-a-wink-camera-photo#/" rel="noopener noreferrer">BLINCAM</a>, a tiny wearable camera that can be mounted on glasses or sunglasses to take pictures with a wink. </p>

<p>iOS 10.0.3 has been released today for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Some users had been experiencing a loss of cellular connectivity on the two newest iPhones, and this update includes a bug fix for that issue. </p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.beatsbydre.com/WirelessRemastered.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple's Beats brand</a> is getting close to shipping its entire new wireless headphone line, and a fun new ad jam-packed with celebrities wants to make sure that you're aware of the "no strings attached" design of the new sound gear.</p>

<p>Apple's retail group is smart, and it knows that the best way to get someone to buy a product is to give them unfettered access to a device. Up until recently, that really wasn't possible as each and every device was tethered to a table with a security cable. If you wanted to try picking up an iPhone 7 Plus to see what it really felt like in your hand or pocket, you couldn't do it without that cable dangling from the back. Apple has removed those tethers now and <a target="_blank" href="https://9to5mac.com/2016/10/17/apple-store-security-tethers-demo-devices/#more-450372" rel="noopener noreferrer">replaced them with other security measure to insure that devices won't be walking out the doors of the stores</a>.</p>

<p>For those interested in home automation, the Ecobee3 has been an attractive HomeKit-compatible smart thermostat alternative to the non-compatible Nest Thermostat. But there's been one barrier to entry -- the price. Today, Ecobee launched the <a target="_blank" href="https://shop.ecobee.com/products/ecobee3lite" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ecobee3 Lite</a> for just $169, an $80 cut on the price of the "full-fledged" model.</p>