Steve Sande

<p><span>For this week's Apple World Today Health Club column I thought I'd take a close look at how useful -- or not -- the Apple Watch has been as an activity tracker over the past week. The short answer? It's great!</span></p>

<p><span>One thing that we've enjoyed so far here at Apple World Today is that many of our sponsors are companies that we have had a long-time relationship with. That's the case with Rage Software, the developers of </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.everwebapp.com/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">EverWeb</a><span> (US$79.95). </span></p>

<p><span>Kids React is  a popular YouTube series from </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0v-tlzsn0QZwJnkiaUSJVQ" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Fine Bros.</a><span> that showcases kid's reactions to old technology. In </span><a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/4jLgKd0V77Q" rel="noopener noreferrer">the latest episode</a><span>, the crew of young reactionaries ditch the traditional technology and examine the Apple Watch. The results are predictably hilarious. </span></p>

<p><span>Within the first few days of having my Apple Watch, two things became apparent. First, my cats find the device to be an attractive toy, and second, if the Watch isn't securely placed on the charging puck, it's not going to charge properly. Fortunately, the designers at Element 13 have come up with a dock called the </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343524485/night-stand" rel="noopener noreferrer">Night Stand</a><span> (US$69 - 79) that anchors both my iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch on a curvaceous circular platform for charging. The designers sent Apple World Today a prototype of Night Stand to check out, and I found a lot to love.</span></p>

<p><span>Do you shoot HD or Ultra HD video? Have a GoPro camera? If the answer to either or both of those questions is yes and you're the happy owner of an Apple Watch, then you owe it to yourself to get the latest version of </span><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vizzywig-8hd-video-editor/id913424818?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">i4software's Vizzywig 8HD</a><span> (US$99.99, universal).</span></p>

<p><span>It's May, and the thoughts of a lot of people in the Northern Hemisphere are turning towards gardening. Whether you're a fan of fresh vegetables during the spring, summer and fall, love to see flowers at their peak through the seasons, or you're just planting a few pots for the balcony of your apartment building, there are a lot of apps -- and some accessories -- that can help you enjoy your greenery a lot more.</span></p>

<p>Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. Today’s notable apps include a discount on Terminology 3, the new Money Pro from iBear and a significant update to Scout GPS Navigation. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.</p>

<p><span>This week, we're taking the time machine back to 1989 and a $249 scanner. What?! An inexpensive scanner in the 1980s? Well, the ThunderS</span><span>can had a few limitations, but it made a fairly workable scanner provided that you owned an ImageWriter or ImageWriter II dot matrix printer.</span></p>

<p><span>Tim Cook recently appeared in Japan with </span><a href="http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/">Japan Post</a><span> CEO Taizo Nishimuro and </span><span>IBM CEO Ginni Rometty to discuss a collaboration that will benefit Japan's growing aging population.</span></p>

<p><span>Even before the Apple Watch started shipping last week, a number of products aimed at charging your iPhone and Watch at the same time were touted from several different accessory manufacturers. The </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2015098713/duet-charging-simplified-iphone-and-apple-watch-do?ref=nav_search" rel="noopener noreferrer">Duet Dock</a><span> currently on Kickstarter won't be here until August, but looks like a solid competitor to other products we're seeing. </span></p>

<p><span>You've probably never heard of </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.doblet.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Doblet</a><span>, but if you live in San Francisco the name is going to become very important to you. The company is starting the first network of batteries on demand for recharging your smartphone, placing doblets (quick-charge battery packs) where you recharge -- in restaurants, bars and cafes.</span></p>

<p>Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. Today’s notable apps include a discount on Flick Kick Football, the new Stella’s Journey game and a major update to Pixelmator for OS X. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.</p>

<p><span>Today we’re going to focus a bit on how to set up notifications for your various apps on the Apple Watch. Properly setting notifications can make or break your Apple Watch experience, since getting too many of them can be even more annoying than having to dig an iPhone out of your pocket every time something dings or buzzes. </span></p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px"><a href="http://appcamp4girls.com">App Camp for Girls</a> (AGC) a great project that fosters an interest in coding and apps among young women and girls, has released its first app for iOS, the student-driven <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/app-camp-quiz-compendium/id942207154?mt=8">App Camp Quiz Compendium</a> ($0.99)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.pixelmator.com">Pixelmator 3.3.2</a><span> has been released with support for Apple's new Force Touch trackpad on the MacBook, as well as an improved repair tool. </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/pixelmator/review/125250569/518717367c">Based on the demo video</a><span>, the repair tool looks extremely impressive. The folks at Pixelmator note they spent two years on getting this feature to where it is now. </span></p>