Strategy Analytics reports that Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are still the world's most popular smartphones as of the end of June, well ahead of the newer Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

In the April through June quarter, Apple shipped an estimated 16.9 million units of iPhone 7 and 15.1 million units of the iPhone 7 Plus. Juha Winter, a Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said that "iPhone 7 remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device."

By comparison, Strategy Analytics estimates that the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ shipped 10.2 million and 9 million units respectively. These phones were released in...

Rene Ritchie, iMore:

Apple hasn’t even announced Face ID, the rumored facial identity scanner that would join or replace Touch ID, the fingerprint identity scanner, on the next generation of iPhones 8, but already we’re seeing a great deal of concern and even fear over how it will and won’t work.

And:

One of the biggest areas of fear, uncertainty, and doubt surrounding a potential Face ID facial identity scanner is that it will make it easier to law enforcement and government agencies to gain access to our devices.

Rene digs into the concern itself (someone could grab my phone and point it at my face to unlock it) and explores the validity of that worry.

A solid read, all the way through. Rene is a smart cookie.

Personally, I see Face ID and Touch ID as roughly equivalent in terms of someone using me to break into my phone. Add to that, Apple has not yet announced such a product. I’d prefer to save my worry for something a bit more tangible...

B&H Photo has Apple's Late 2015 27" iMac 5K for $1,399 ($400 off) this week with no tax collected outside NY and NJ. Shoppers can also save $100 on 2017 13" MacBook Airs with prices starting at $899. Meanwhile, Apple's 128GB 9.7" iPad Pro is $529 while supplies last, and select tech is up to $50 off with coupon at eBay.

ESPN is on the cusp of rolling out a new update for its live streaming Apple TV app, allowing cable subscribers to catch four live feeds from the network at the same time, aimed at college football season.

Motherboard:

During its initial printing run, International Data Group printed just 7,500 copies of DOS for Dummies.

And:

By 1993, the series had sold 1.3 million copies on its own. Now there are 1,950 individual books in the series, covering a whole lot of things that have nothing to do with computing, and the books have sold upwards of 300 million titles.

And:

Recently, I bought a book—quaint, I know—and I’m probably the only person to have purchased this book or anything like it in more than 20 years.

It’s a reference book, the kind that you can still pick up at Barnes and Noble today. But it’s best described as what you’d get if you combined a phone book, a Matthew Lesko free money guide, and the internet.

That book is really the crux of the article. A fascinating look back at a time before Google, when the Internet was but a toddler.

...

Apple Music on iOS 10, with Senior VP Eddy Cue. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)

As the battle to create original content for online video services continues, we get a glimpse into Apple's plans for the coming year. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has a budget of $1 billion to spend in 2018 to "procure and produce" original content. The iPhone maker could acquire and produce up to 10 shows next year with this money, which will be largely left in the hands of new Apple hires Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg. Erlicht and Van Amburg are former presidents from Sony Pictures Television that moved to Apple in June to oversee video content strategy and production.

The $...

Matt Cherniss, the former president of WGN America, just joined Apple as the company’s head of U.S. programming for Apple Music.

Three Apple suppliers in Taiwan say that production was hit by a widespread power failure across many parts of the country. One of the companies, which assembles and tests radio and Touch ID chips for the iPhone, says that the outage did have a significant impact on production …

more…

Deadline:

In one of their first major moves since joining Apple as heads of worldwide video programming, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht have brought in Matt Cherniss to oversee development.

As a reminder, Van Amburg and Erlicht were hired away from Sony, where they shepherded hits like The Crown, Breaking Bad, and The Black List through production.

Cherniss, a respected veteran network development executive, had been in demand since he recently stepped down as president and general manager of WGN America and Tribune Studios.

Cherniss will be a lieutenant to Amburg and Erlicht. Apple is building a formidable team here. Now all they need is money.

∞ Read this on The...

Cypress Semiconductor Corp., which specializes in wireless connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced an updated version of its turnkey development platform for the IoT that simplifies the integration of wireless connectivity into smart home applications. 

The Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) Studio platform now adds iCloud remote access support for Wi-Fi-based accessories that support Apple HomeKit. Developers can leverage iCloud support in the WICED software development kit (SDK) and Cypress’ CYW43907 Wi-Fi MCU to create hub-independent platforms that connect directly to Siri voice control and the Apple Home app remotely. 

Developers can access the WICED Studio platform, ecosystem and community by clicking here. Using Cypress’ WICED development platform and ultra-low power CYW20719 Bluetooth/BLE MCU, developers can integrate HomeKit support into...

The decision of the popular writing app Ulysses to switch from a one-off purchase to a monthly or annual subscription has attracted a great deal of criticism. Here’s a sprinkling of views from the comments.

Subscribe to a text editor? I’m out.

I bought this on iOS last week. As far as I’m concerned, that was a total waste of money now they’re moving to this subscription model.

This “rent your software” crap needs to stop, and people need to stop defending it.

Ulysses is a great app and I wish the developers all the best, but I’m out, looking for alternatives.

Read: “Popular iOS and Mac writing app Ulysses Digs Its Own Grave and Gets In”

The company, of course, has its own rationale …

...

MacPlus Software has released Miya Notes for Google Keep 1.0, a Mac-client for Google Keep. 

Rather than utilize a web browser to access Google Keep notes, you can use Miya Notes. Features include a widget for the desktop, multi window mode, menu bar access, and a variety of hot keys. Additional shortcut functionality allows to instantly create notes just by pressing one hot key without opening the app.

Miya Notes for Google Keep requires macOS 10.10 or later. It’s normally priced at $2.99. However, it will be available for $0.99 through Aug. 18 at the Mac App Store.

Apple is reportedly budgeting about $1 billion to secure and produce original video over the course of the next year, a figure which may soon make it a competitive force in that arena.

It's been almost 10 years since Google and Xprize launched their lunar spacecraft challenge, and they're giving the final contenders more incentive to cross the finish line. The partners are fattening up their Milestone Prize purse with an extra $4.7...

Today in iLounge Deals we’re offering up a two-year subscription to Private Internet Access VPN for only $59.95 – 63% off the normal price. This industry-leading VPN solution allows you to surf the web securely and anonymously from your desktop or mobile device, allowing you to connect from coffee shop or airport Wi-Fi hotspots without worrying about exposing sensitive data. Encryption and IP cloaking allow you to also avoid digital advertising…

Feral Interactive has announced that BioShock Remastered, a version of the first-person shooter running in 1080p, will be released for macOS on Aug. 22 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the game’s original release. It was originally developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K for Windows and console.

Here’s how the game is described: “Set in an alternative 1960, BioShock Remastered plunges players into Rapture, an individualistic utopia gone badly wrong. To survive the onslaughts of the city’s deranged inhabitants, players must rewrite their own genetic codes, and find creative ways to combine their terrifying new powers with devastating weapons. With a thought-provoking storyline, BioShock is at once beautiful, thrilling and frightening, and explores profound ideas about science, politics and human nature.”

BioShock: Remastered will be available from the Feral Store and Steam for $19.99. The Mac App Store version of BioShock: Remastered will be released...

The next-gen iPhone could be a bit thicker than the current model.

A current rumor has it that one planned change for the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones expected next month is a material return from aluminum backs to glass, and now a new rumor claims that shift will result in a slightly thicker casing.

Giga Apple, a German web blog, has cited a case maker who claims to have contacts within iPhone maker Foxconn. The blog has reported at least a 0.1mm increase in thickness. The blog quoted a leaked spec document that stated that the upcoming iPhone 7s will have a slight increase on all dimensions.

Apple has increased the thickness of its iPhone models in the past, such as when the iPhone 6 went to the iPhone 6s and increased the thickness by 0.2mm due to 3D Touch and the pressure sensitive display. This year the change, if true, is expected to be due to the shift to glass from aluminum which serves as a pass through for rumored wireless (inductive) charging....

Apple has joined with Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Verizon and others in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that 4th Amendment protections apply to cellphone location data. This would mean that location data could not be accessed without a warrant or court order.

The issue is before the Supreme Court as a result of a 2011 conviction …

more…

Four photos have been posted to Chinese social media site Weibo claiming to show an ‘OLED Apple television’ of around 60 inches. There are, however, just a few problems with this claim …

more…

On a regular basis, Apple World Today posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are today's picks.

iOS Apps/Updates

Mobile Creators has debuted Pomodororo 1.0. Loosely based on the"Pomodoro Technique" method, the app is a minimal timer that can be used for a variety of tasks. Pomodororo is free, but does offer in-app purchases.

Selosoft has introduced Don't Hit! 1.0. In the free (but ad-supported) game, players control a triangle as it speeds through a course of chaotic twists and turns. Gravity will pull the triangle down relative to its orientation, and players must press their finger on the screen to counter the gravitational pull. Collecting cubes will...

In efforts to build out its video content production team, Apple has hired former president and general manager of WGN America and Tribune Studios Matt Cherniss, according to a report on Tuesday.

Facebook today has announced a host of updates for both mobile and desktop users. Most notably, the company is making changes to how users go about navigating the News Feed on desktop and mobile, while the Camera functionality is also gaining a handful of new features.

more…

Apple is looking to raise $2.5 billion Canadian dollars, worth $1.96 billion at current exchange rates, in its first Canadian debt offering, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.

We provide a public service announcement about our eclipse show from last night as well as counteracting the bad info from media sources about eclipse viewers, a change in Apple policy in Hong Kong, and slightly bigger iPhones:

• Check out our special eclipse episode of AWT TV, and also get the definitive word on those eclipse viewing glasses from the American Astronomical Society. 
• Apple changes its exchange policy in Hong Kong in an attempt to thwart scalpers prior to the release of the iPhone 8
• According to case manufacturer leaks, the iPhone 7s will be slightly larger than the previous model...

The text version of the podcast can be read below. To listen to the podcast here, click the play button on the player...

Apple Pay today has expanded to new banks and credit unions in the U.S., UK, Australia, Russia and China.

You can view the full list of banks and credit unions that support Apple’s mobile payment service on Apple’s website. Apple Pay is currently available in 15 countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and U.S.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has sold $1.96 billion in senior unsecured seven-year bonds in Canada. The funds will go towards stock buybacks and dividends.

The offering would serve as Apple’s first bond sale in Canada. It also would mark the largest of such deals from a foreign company.

This is Apple’s sixth bond offering this year. It issued $18 billion in three U.S. sale, sold $1 billion in Taiwan, and as well as euro-denominated notes. 

Intel today has announced early details of its future Ice Lake series of processors. Ice Lake is a successor to Intel’s Coffee Lake processors, which will be officially unveiled next week.

more…

USB-C is the future of computer connectivity, but there is a great deal of confusion over USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, and what any given cable with USB-C connectors is capable of. AppleInsider breaks it all down.

Advisors to Natural Cycles include Professor Kristina Gemzell Danielsson, Dr. Helena Kopp Kallner, and Dr. Jan Holte.

New banks and credit unions across the US, UK, Australia, Russia, and China have joined Apple’s list of participating partners as part of the second expansion of Apple Pay this month. Check out the latest Apple Pay banks below:

more…

Though sharing a 4.7-inch LCD, Apple's "iPhone 7s" will be slightly larger than the iPhone 7 in all respects, according to alleged design schematics, one exception being a thinner lens bump on the back.

John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at a new report saying the Apple Watch Series 3 will have LTE cellular connectivity, plus they have something to say about iOS 11’s redesigned App Store icon.

Reports have circulated that miscreants are sending unsolicited, inappropriate images to people in public venues. While Apple's default settings prevent this, AppleInsider shows you how to check the setting, and lock it down, if you've changed it for some reason.

I knew this stuff was complicated but I had no idea just how involved it was. Much respect to mechanics who do this well.

If you have a MacBook of any sort, you may find looking down at the screen to be uncomfortable. That's why MacBook stands that elevate the device above a desk or table are so popular, making it simple for anyone to have a MacBook screen at the proper ergonomic height while using an external keyboard and mouse/trackpad for data entry. Today, Twelve South announced the Curve, a US$49.99 matte black aluminum stand that is a new take on an old classic.

That's right -- if the design of the Curve looks somewhat familiar, it's because Twelve South Creative Director and co-founder Andrew Green designed the original "iCurve" stand back in 2003 for Griffin Technology. As Green notes in his blog entry, "I knew someday I wanted to refresh the classic design for the...

The new Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt Wi-Fi Adapter allows for remote control of the house lock from anywhere -- but does not extend Bluetooth range with HomeKit compatibility at all.

Several high-profile technology companies, including Apple, have submitted a amicus brief in a key case at the U.S. Supreme Court, expressing concerns about warrantless police access to cellphone location data.

Ubuntu Budgie is one of the few Linux distros to offer integration of a Budgie desktop-only edition, other than Solus OS, whose developers created it. Ubuntu Budgie is classy and user-friendly. It does not sacrifice performance for reliance on a simple design. It is maintained by a United Kingdom-based developer community. Previously called "Budgie-Remix," it is an Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the Budgie desktop. Although based on the Ubuntu Linux family, Ubuntu Budgie is not from Canonical, Ubuntu's parent company.

We have a deal for you on the Micro Drone 3.0 Combo Pack. It includes a drone, replacement blades, and a remote with a holder for your smartphone. That’s because this drone will stream video to your iPhone. Cool, eh? It’s $145 through us.

Apple Watch Series 3 will have LTE cellular support and is launching this fall along side the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8.

Apple Hong Kong has stopped accepting most returns and exchanges for online orders made on or after August 15, in what's likely a preeemptive measure against scalpers ahead of this fall's launch of the "iPhone 8," "iPhone 7s," and "iPhone 7s Plus."

Apple's international borrowing continues to expand to new countries, with the company revealing in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Tuesday that it will offer its first debt offering in Canadian dollars.

We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what developers are going to create with ARKit but even some of what we already can see is amazing.

∞ Read this on The Loop

NetBase, which specializes in enterprise social analytics, has released its “3rd Annual NetBase Brand Passion Report: Top 100 Global Brand Love List.” Not surprisingly, Apple is i the top 10 of the “most loved global brands.”

The tech giant places fourth on the list, trailing Facebook, Amazon, and eBay. The report leverages NetBase’s social analytics technology to examine more than 367 million social media mentions, ranking the most loved brands in technology, consumer goods, automotive, food and beverage, financial services and telecommunications. 

Consumers love their technology companies – although there are more retail, food and beverage brands in the Top 100. Facebook stays on top for another year, while Amazon, eBay and...

Samsung led the smartphone market in Central and Eastern Europe in Q2 2017, shipping 4.9 million units, a year-on-year increase of 14%, according to Canalys. This was due to strong demand for Galaxy A and J series products, which have been updated this year, adds the research group.

China-based Huawei retook the number two spot from Apple in Central and Eastern Europe in the second quarter (Q2) of 2017. It shipped 1.8 million smartphones to take a 12% market share, beating Apple by fewer than 50,000 units. Its strength was in low-to-mid-range products, with the P10 Lite becoming its best-seller in the region.

“Huawei slipped behind Apple briefly in Q1 2017,” says Canalys Analyst Ben Stanton. “Apple did an excellent job of upselling its installed base to the iPhone 7 Plus, whereas Huawei suffered the fallout from its extremely aggressive end to 2016. It built a great deal of channel...

Lakehorn AG has introduced Video File List 1.0 for macOS. The app is used to find out more about any collection of movies files. 

Video File List can help find poor quality content and will make it easier to clean up movie collections, according to the folks at Lakehorn AG. It displays all necessary information to decide what to do with a movie file, including video resolution or runtime, as well as calculates the compression ratio of the file. Video File List can parse folders of movie files.

Video File List 1.0 requires macOS 10.11 or higher and costs $3.99. It’s available at the Mac App Store.

Yikatong, the company handling payments for Beijing's public transit, this week enabled contactless payments for riders using Android -- but has reportedly skipped support for the iPhone.

[VIDEO] Thought you all would enjoy watching Jim go through his daily workout routines (video embedded in mail Loop post).