Steve Sande

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<p>Just a note - we'll be taking a "sick day" tomorrow to go to a MLB game, so there will not be an Apple World Today News Update podcast tomorrow (April 6). Today we have a few stories about some of Apple's future directions:</p><ul><li>Apple's Pro Workflow Team could be one of the most important and useful groups for the near future, working on fine-tuning Mac hardware and software for the creative pro market</li><li>We take a look at MicroLED technology, where it's most likely to be used first at Apple, what companies Apple is partnering with, and talk about a product about two years out that could benefit from this display tech</li></ul>

<p>Apple Music keeps getting more popular, Scanbot turns 7, and macOS 10.13.4 breaks some apps and accessories:</p><ul><li>Apple Music now has 40 million paid subscribers, showing solid growth and a lot of potential</li><li>iOS paper scanning and storage app Scanbot has been great in the past, with the release of Scanbot 7 today it gets even better</li><li>Oops. macOS 10.13.4 may have added eGPU support, but it also broke screen extender apps like Duet Display and Air Display, as well as USB DisplayLink monitors and docks</li></ul>

<p>It's increasingly important to keep your private data...private! One of our favorite ways to do that is using a wonderful utility from MacPaw called Hider 2. It lets you hide and encrypt data on your Mac, making it impossible for anyone but you to access your files without your knowledge. Today's deal in the Apple World Today Deals Shop? <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/hider-2-1-mac?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hider-2-1-mac_040418&utm_term=scsf-283360&utm_content=a0x1a000003NBDp&scsonar=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get Hider 2 for $12.99</a></strong>, 34 percent off of the regular $19.95 price tag. </p>

<p>Today's Apple World Today News Update podcast has substantially more content than yesterday's "short edition". Stories today include a look at some of Intel's new Core processors that could be used in a 2018 MacBook Pro update, scheduling of the Q2 2018 earnings call, and some concern from the Wall Street Journal about a "nagging badge" for Apple Pay:</p><ul><li>The Intel Core i9-8950HK could be a powerhouse for a 15-inch MacBook Pro BTO option, but it doesn't support LPDDR4 RAM...</li><li>It's hard to believe, but we're already in Apple's third fiscal quarter of 2018. We'll find out how they did in Q2 on May 1st.</li><li>The WSJ seems to be concerned about a red badge that hounds users unmercifully about Apple Pay if they don't choose to "Setup later in Wallet"</li></ul>

<p>We have a rather short Apple World Today News Update podcast for you on this Slow News Monday™. </p><ul><li>Bloomberg's "educated rumor" that Apple might be moving to its own Mac CPUs in 2020 caused Intel's share price to take a sharp drop today</li><li>Want a smartphone that lasts longer than just about any other? Get an iPhone 8 Plus</li></ul>

<p>Just Mobile's ShutterGrip is an upcoming accessory that <a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2018/3/21/just-mobiles-shuttergrip-is-a-great-addition-to-an-iphone-graphers-toolkit" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple World Today's Dennis Sellers recently reviewed</a>, and it easily gained a 5-star rating. ShutterGrip has a contoured ergonomic non-slip hand grip that makes it easy to keep a steady hold on your iPhone, as well as an easy to push wireless shutter button. You can get a <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/shuttergrip-black?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shuttergrip-black_040218&utm_term=scsf-283359&utm_content=a0x1a000003NBDk&scsonar=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">ShutterGrip on sale this week for $29.99</a></strong> - 25% off the pre-order price of $40. </p>

<p>Each year on March 31st, <a target="_blank" href="https://worldbackupday.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Backup Day</a> is observed. This special day is designed to make you aware of the importance of backing up your data and what can happen if you don't do so on a regular, ongoing basis. Here's a video from the World Backup Day team that points out what can happen without a backup plan:</p>

<p>It's the last day of March, the day before a holiday weekend, and the first weekend of Major League Baseball for 2018. We'll end the week with three stories:</p><ul><li>Drones were used to help 26 smugglers move almost $80 million worth of refurbished iPhones from Hong Kong to Shenzhen</li><li>MyFitnessPal reported a huge data breach affecting 150 million users; if you've ever used MyFitnessPal, change your password immediately</li><li>macOS 10.13.4 brings external GPU support to the Mac platform for the first time, and we tell you which eGPU chassis are approved for use</li></ul>

<p>The best camera is the one that you always have with you...and in many cases, that's your iPhone. Some iPhones have two lenses and sensors to give you both normal and telephoto (2X) views of your subjects, but they still lack the flexibility of digital SLR (DSLR) cameras. Here's a brilliant solution: the <strong><a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/gloss-black-for-iphone-x-case-6-in-1-revolver-lens?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=gloss-black-for-iphone-x-case-6-in-1-revolver-lens_033018&utm_term=scsf-282302&utm_content=a0x1a000003N7s1&scsonar=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ztylus Revolver M Series iPhone Lens Kit ($49.99)</a></strong>, an innovative system that brings a selectable set of six lenses to your iPhone.</p>

<p>Today's Apple World Today News Update podcast features stories that will be of interest to people with big forearms, those who keep their iPads plugged in all the time, and potential murderers:</p><ul><li>Apple's coming out with a larger version of the Sport Loop Apple Watch Band, perfect for those with monstrous forearms</li><li>The iOS 11.3 update includes a new feature to help battery health on iPads that are plugged in all the time</li><li>Heart rate data from an Apple Watch is being used as key evidence in an Australian murder trial</li></ul>

<p>Just a few stories for you this afternoon on the Apple World Today News Update podcast:</p><ul><li>A Department of Justice investigation shows that the FBI misled Congress when it said that it had used all possible means to access the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers and wanted to force Apple to "open a back door"</li><li>Apple CEO Tim Cook was interviewed by MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Recode's Kara Swisher with topics ranging from education, creativity and technology to the Facebook controversy and freedom of speech</li></ul>

<p>Apple World Today readers are no doubt familiar with Pad & Quill, one of our early sponsors and the artisans that design and make a variety of classy leather Apple accessories. The latest from the Minnesota design shop is the <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://shrsl.com/uuaf" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heritage Leather iPad Pro 10.5" Case</a></strong> (US$139.95), a thin and lightweight folio leather case that's perfect for protecting the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.</p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://macintouch.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacInTouch</a> is an Apple website and discussion group that has been around for a long, long time. Ric Ford is the editor and publisher of the site, and on Monday he published a note that mirrors the current situation here at Apple World Today: </p>

<p>With each day that passes, some new threat to your internet security or personal privacy arises. That's why so many Apple users are getting subscriptions to virtual private networks (VPNs), which work by encrypting all of your internet traffic and add other tools to hide your location. Today's deal in the Apple World Today Deals Shop gives you <a target="_blank" href="https://deals.appleworld.today/sales/vpnsecure-lifetime-3?utm_source=appleworld.today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vpnsecure-lifetime-3_032818&utm_term=scsf-282303&utm_content=a0x1a000003N7s6&scsonar=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">a lifetime subscription to VPNSecure for $34.99</a>. </p>