Tangible Tech

It's a quiet day for Apple news, so we've gathered up some stories that might make your day!

• Virgin Mobile is selling "pre-loved" iPhone 7/7 Plus models at a significant discount, and you may be able to get a $1 per month trial plan for six months as a new user
• A pair of Apple stores, one in Nashville and one near Seattle, will be closing next month for renovations and possible expansion
• We have a list of the Apple Music services that will be supported by the HomePod once it's available on February 9
• Apple's share price dropped today on rumors that the iPhone X isn't selling well and that the company might cut production of the high-end phone

For this last Friday of January 2018, we have a series of fun and informative stories for you:

• Apple has created clever animoji ads for Sunday night's Grammy awards featuring the music of several of the nominees
• Revenues from the iOS App Store are almost double that of Google's Play Store, even with fewer downloads for iOS apps
• Apple's HomePod is now available for pre-order; we talk about some of the first review comments
• TSMC broke ground on a new plant today that will build 5nm process chips for Apple
• The iPhone SE 2 may roll out as soon as May or June of 2018, according to sketchy rumors from DigiTimes

Hang in there - it's almost Friday again. Today we look at some additional changes in the world of Apple that may be included in the upcoming iOS 11.3 update:

• iOS 11.3's enabling of Advanced Mobile Location on iPhone is expected to save an additional 7,500 lives in Europe alone in the next 10 years
• The unbundling of iTunes continues with the possible move of audiobooks to the new Books app that will arrive with iOS 11.3
• A close look at iOS 11.3 code makes reference to a "Modern" iPad, which many are taking as a clue that Face ID will soon make it to the iPad Pro line

A short edition of the Apple World Today News Update podcast today:

• Siri - a half-billion devices now use Apple's intelligent assistant, up almost 125 million from June of 2017
• We look in detail at some of the new features expected in iOS 11.3 later this spring

Tuesday's been a relatively quiet day in the Apple world, but there's always something new to tell our listeners about:

• We tell you about the main features of the new OS updates out today
• Wacom announces a new stylus called the Bamboo Tip that's targeted at iOS devices and is half the price of the Apple Pencil
• iPhone X sales were actually quite good in Apple's Q1 2018, countering idiotic rumors from last week that Apple might cancel the product
• There's a "Double Feature" promotion going on in the iTunes movie store

Beat the Monday blues with a few upbeat stories on today's Apple World Today News Update podcast!

• The new Apple Park campus is so large that the company is making 1,000 bicycles available for employees to get from place to place
• Drone manufacturer DJI has the same problems Apple does in terms of having new products leaked
• A developer beta of iOS 11.2.5 shows that HomePod owners will be able to disable Siri when desired
• A glitch with Movies Anywhere made it possible for some iTunes users to get the movie "Thor:Ragnarok" one month before it's due to be released

Sorry we missed you yesterday (Wednesday)! We're back today with a quartet of short news stories from the world of Apple:

• A researcher/developer had his app -- used to gather data on ISP throttling of video streams -- rejected by the App Store
• Some Facebook Messenger users are reporting a bug that crashes the app after typing just a few words in a single line
• Use SpotHero to pre-pay parking? Apple has a deal for you if you use Apple Pay as your SpotHero payment option
• The GOP tax bill signed into law a few weeks ago is resulting in Apple adding almost $350 billion to the US economy, and employees are also getting a stock bonus

A smaller sensor notch in 2019, poor working conditions in a supplier's factory (or not), and the folks from Cupertino are pretty darned helpful to law enforcement:

• A rumor has it that 2019 iOS devices may use a much more compact sensor for Face ID
• Apple's own investigation seems to contradict a Bloomberg/China Labor Watch report that found bad working conditions at an Apple supplier's factory
• The head of the California Division of the FBI loves Apple, as the company provides training to FBI and local law enforcement officials
• Apple's Health app is being used as evidence in a German murder trial (hint: your heart rate climbs when you're trying to dispose of a body)

Can you believe we're already half way through January? We have some stories today to warm your heart during the cold weather:

• The Apple App Store has a huge economic impact and will be larger than worldwide movie ticket sales later this year
• A change in India's complex sourcing and taxation requirements today might make it easier for Apple and other multinational firms to open stores in the country
• Holdout Toyota announced that starting with the 2019 Avalon, it will start support Apple CarPlay

Friday at last! Today we have stories about how "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson kept the screenplay safe, why you won't need to sign for Apple Pay purchases after April, and an interesting CarPlay app.

• Rian Johnson ("The Last Jedi") used a remarkably low-tech method to keep the screenplay for the blockbuster movie safe from leaks
• Visa joins the other major credit card companies in making signatures for chip card and contactless payments unnecessary after April
• Gracenote's CarPlay app makes listening to radio stations easier, but it won't be in the App Store anytime soon