Steve Sande

<p>According to <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/challenge-of-apple-watch-defining-its-purpose-1424133615">the Wall Street Journal</a>, Apple was forced to abandon some of the advanced health functions of its Watch wearable device.  The Watch originally was designed to "measure blood pressure, heart activity and stress levels, among other things." Those plans changed when sensor technology limitations made it difficult to implement these features in a watch form factor</p>

<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The expected launch of the Apple Watch isn't until April, but 9to5Mac is reporting today that a number of developers have been invited to Cupertino to test and finalize apps for the highly-anticipated device.   </span> </p>

<p><span>Today I'm taking a look at the </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASINB00NOHA2Y0/appwortod-20/ref=nosim/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Speck CandyShell INKED case for iPhone 6 Plus</a><span> (US$44.95 MSRP, $39.95 through Amazon - affiliate link). For those who have opted for the biggest iPhone around, the CandyShell INKED is a protective and stylish case with a price tag that won't scare you away. Speck is a long-time manufacturer with a great reputation for quality, so you're getting a product that's going to last.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:17px">One of the newsletters that I look forward to reading each week is the </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mondaynote.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Monday Note</a><span style="font-size:17px">, edited by Frédéric Filloux and ex-Apple executive </span><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Louis_Gassée" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jean-Louis Gassée</a><span style="font-size:17px">. Not only is the Monday Note fascinating to read, but it provides a level of insight and analysis that's much more reasoned and believable than most tech blogs. That's why I refused to write anything about the much-ballyhooed Apple Car last week when many of the other Apple sites were all over the "story" until I read what Gassée had to say about it. His take? "The fantastic Apple Car is a fantasy."</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:17px">Once a week, </span><a target="_blank" href="http://backerjack.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Backerjack</a><span style="font-size:17px"> founder Ross Rubin and I meet up to chat about the latest products that are attempting to get funding through Indiegogo, Kickstarter or other crowdfunding sources. This week, on Episode 6 of the Backerjack Podcast, Ross and I talk about:</span></p>

<p>New Yorker reporter Ian Parker spoke to <a href="https://www.apple.com/us/pr/bios/jonathan-ive.html">Jony Ive </a>and other ranking Apple employees about Ive's contribution to the company since he joined  in 1992. The <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/shape-things-come">lengthy profile</a> details Jony Ive's life at Apple and includes a rare trip into Apple's design studio on the company's Infinite Loop campus. Much of the profile focuses on the upcoming Apple Watch and the design considerations that went into creating the wristwatch device. </p><p> </p>

<p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">This week’s sponsor of Apple World Today is <a target="_blank" href="http://realmacsoftware.com/?utm_source=advert&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=appleworldtoday-article" rel="noopener noreferrer">Realmac Software</a>, the developers behind such amazing apps as <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear-tasks-reminders-to-do/id493136154?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clear</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://realmacsoftware.com/typed?utm_source=advert&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=appleworldtoday-article" rel="noopener noreferrer">Typed</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://realmacsoftware.com/rapidweaver?utm_source=advert&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=appleworldtoday-article" rel="noopener noreferrer">RapidWeaver</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://realmacsoftware.com/ember?utm_source=advert&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=appleworldtoday-article" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ember</a>.</p><p style="margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px">Realmac is making its incredible Mac Markdown editor Typed <a target="_blank" href="http://sites.fastspring.com/realmacsoftware/product/typed?utm_source=advert&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=appleworldtoday-article&coupon=APPLEWORLDTODAY" rel="noopener noreferrer">available to Apple World Today readers this week for 20% off</a> -- that's $4, £3, or €4 -- the regular price of the app. Typed presents writers with a minimal user interface that just gets out of the way and allows you to do the one thing you're good at -- writing.  </p>

<p><em>It's with a great deal of pride that we're introducing a new Apple World Today column along with a new columnist. The column is <span>Accessible Apple</span>, and as far as we know it's the first time that an Apple-centric website has featured a regular column about accessible computing. In his first post for AWT, Accessible Apple columnist <span>Alex Jurgensen</span> introduces himself:</em></p>

<p>It's time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/?tag=deals">Daily Deals</a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p><p> </p>

Our own Dave Caolo was recently interviewed for Noted Tech, where he talked about several aspects of Apple World Today....

<p>Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.</p>

<p>If you are looking for a capable photo editor that will spruce up your photos, look no further than <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-editor-by-aviary/id527445936?mt=8">Photo Editor by Aviary</a>.  Aviary Photo Editor is more than just a basic photo editor; the app includes a variety of artistic filters and other editing tools to transform a plain photo into something beautiful.</p>

<p><span>I'd like to welcome new Apple World Today readers who may not have been familiar with our old site (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) to a time-honored tradition: </span><span>Caturday</span><span>. Yes, it happens on Saturdays. Yes, it involves pictures of cats near Apple gear. And yes, it does go away for a while in the summer for something we'll call The Dog Days of Summer. Since AOL doesn't own the rights to Caturday in any way, shape or form - we actually got the idea from the #caturday hashtag on Twitter - we're giving you the kittehs and their Macs, iPads, iPhones, and iPods right here on Apple World Today.</span></p>

<p>It's time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/?tag=deals">Daily Deals</a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p>

<p><span>When Apple introduced introduced iOS 8, it also introduced Extensibility. In a nutshell, that means any app can hook into the share sheet that lets you share content with other people, apps and services. In this video, I show you how to customize those options. </span></p>