Steve Sande

<p><a href="http://www.imore.com/ipod-nano-and-shuffle-wont-sync-apple-music-songs-putting-another-nail-new-ipod-coffin">Our friends at iMore have pointed</a> out that the new iPod shuffle and nano won't sync your Apple Music tracks. Only the latest iPod touch will do that. Why hider the nano and shuffle this way? iMore's Serenity Caldwell makes a very likely guess:</p>

<p>This week Apple World Today has reviews of three Apple Watch charging stands: the <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/7/12/week-of-apple-watch-stands-griffin-watchstand">Griffin WatchStand</a>, the <a href="http://www.hellonomad.com/products/stand-for-apple-watch">Nomad Stand for Apple Watch</a>, and <a href="http://www.fusechicken.com/products/bobinewatch">Fuse Chicken’s Bobine Watch</a>. Today I’m focusing on the US$69.95 <a href="http://www.hellonomad.com/products/stand-for-apple-watch">Nomad Stand for Apple Watch</a>.</p>

<p>Apple surprised nobody today by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipod/ipod-touch" rel="noopener noreferrer">updating the iPod touch line</a>. <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/7/10/awt-news-update-july-10-2015">As we reported late last week</a>, an iPod update was widely expected yesterday, but apparently the company chose to make fools of all Apple bloggers. While the changes to the iPod nano and iPod shuffle were strictly cosmetic -- they now match the revised colors for the iPod touch -- the internals of the iPod touch were definitely given an update.</p>

<p>Apple World Today is happy to provide its readers with notification of significant App Store updates and notable new apps each and every day.</p>

<p>This week I'm looking at some Apple Watch charging stands; this started yesterday with the <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/7/12/week-of-apple-watch-stands-griffin-watchstand" rel="noopener noreferrer">Griffin WatchStand</a> and I'll be reviewing the new Nomad Watch Stand tomorrow. Today I thought it would be fun to take a trip to Kickstarter, where a young French designer is looking for funding for a humorous and completely different take on the Watch charging stand: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vivienmuller/watchme" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCHme</a>. </p>

<p>Just nine months after Apple Pay shook up the mobile payments world in the US, another country has been added to the payment service. Starting today, users of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch can pay for goods and services at more than 250,000 locations in the United Kingdom.</p>

<p>Since Apple World Today launched in February, I’ve had the opportunity to check out some of the wide range of accessories from Inateck. This manufacturer, based in Germany, is making inroads into the accessory world for two reasons: first, their products are pretty solid, and second, the products are all very reasonably priced. Today I’m looking at <a href="http://www.inateck.com/inateck-mp1200-the-new-apple-macbook-sleeve-12-inch-case/">Inateck’s MP1200 Felt Sleeve for the 12-inch MacBook</a> (US$36.99 MSRP, but just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X9NBDVA/appwortod-20/">$12.99 from Amazon — affiliate link</a>). </p>

<p>Readers of the AWT Health Club column know that one of my pet peeves is entering data into health apps. Whether it’s trying to enter Weight Watchers Points into their app (I gave up), entering calories eaten into any number of other apps, or trying to figure out much activity I’ve engaged in, it’s a pain in the gluteus maximus and I don’t like it. Well, a new app called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lark-personal-weight-loss/id912530754?mt=8">Lark - Personal Weight Loss Coach and 24/7 Nutritionist</a> (free) wants to change all of that.</p>

<p>Apple may only sell two out of every ten smartphones sold worldwide, but the company captures the vast majority of operating income in the global smartphone industry. That’s the word from Cannacord Genuity, which showed that Apple grabbed 92 percent of the total operating income from the top eight smartphone makers in the first quarter of 2015. That’s up from 65 percent last year. </p>

<p>We tried. We really, really tried.</p><p>When Apple World Today was launched five months ago, we were confident that we’d be able to keep ads off of the site thanks to our sponsors and our backers. Sadly, we’re not making enough income from the sponsorships so we’re going to be experimenting with ads.</p>

<p>This week Apple World Today has reviews of three Apple Watch charging stands: the <a href="https://store.griffintechnology.com/watchstand">Griffin WatchStand</a>, the <a href="http://www.hellonomad.com/products/stand-for-apple-watch">Nomad Stand for Apple Watch</a>, and <a href="http://www.fusechicken.com/products/bobinewatch">Fuse Chicken’s Bobine Watch</a>. Today we’re getting started with a look at the US$29.99 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UIJ209M/appwortod-20/">Griffin WatchStand</a> (affiliate link).</p>

<p>As many of you may have noticed, I've been awfully quiet up here at Apple World Today. But, before we get down to talking about what I've been up to, I'd like to take the opportunity to reassure you, my readers, that the Accessible Apple and Think Different Thursday columns will be returning to Apple World Today on a normal schedule within the week.</p>

<p>You're a cat, your human has just finished watching a movie on a MacBook Pro, and it's chilly. So what better spot is there to lay your head than on that warm MBP? This week's Caturday cat is Bubbles, who lives with AWT reader Ryley Johnson. Ryley says:</p>

<p>Apple's latest ad campaign for the iPhone has a new sassy tagline and highlights two points that longtime Apple fans will appreciate: first, we all love our iPhones very much and second, Apple's control of both the hardware <em>and</em> operating system on its devices makes them capable of doing many things very efficiently.</p>

<p>Apple has been highlighting beautiful photos and videos in an ad campaign called "Shot on iPhone 6" that shows off the capabilities of the camera built into the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. This week, Apple has added five new videos that are stunning. </p>