Free educational sessions coming to an Apple retail store near you

Apple has announced that it’s expanding its “Today at Apple” educational sessions to all of its 495 retail stores around the world in May.

 

Which is pretty sweet, because not only are they free (score), they’re on topics that are incredibly interesting, and will be taught by  highly-trained ‘Creative Pros’, or as Apple calls them, the “liberal arts equivalent” to its technical Geniuses. In select cities, Apple has also said that world-class artists, photographers, and musicians will teach sessions from “basics and how-to lessons” to “professional-level programs.”

 

For the subjects themselves? You’re looking at  photography, videography, music, coding, art, and design.

 

From the Sauce, Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president, Retail:

 

“At the heart of every Apple Store is the desire to educate and inspire the communities we serve. ‘Today at Apple’ is one of the ways we’re evolving our experience to better serve local customers and entrepreneurs. We’re creating a modern-day town square, where everyone is welcome in a space where the best of Apple comes together to connect with one another, discover a new passion, or take their skill to the next level. We think it will be a fun and enlightening experience for everyone who joins.”

 

This is something everyone at all ages is encouraged to participate in.

 

There’ll be special programs such as Teacher Tuesday where educators can learn new ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms, Kids Hour is targeted towards families and will feature music awesomeness like making and robotics, and anyone who’s interested can learn about pro software such as Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X, or coding with the Swift Playgrounds app for iPad.

 

 

 

Everything we know (so far) about the 2017 iPhone

Here’s what we know about the next iteration of the iPhone. As always, lots of grains of salt all over this post – Mysterious Apple flavored grains of salt.

 

1. This will be the 11th release of an iPhone, but the 10 year anniversary of the original iPhone.

 

2. It’s predicted that Apple will be releasing 3 new iPhones. Two will be the iPhone 7S and the iPhone 7S Plus, and the third will be either the iPhone Edition, or the iPhone 8. We’re voting iPhone Edition.

 

3.The iPhone will probably be announced in September, and released 2-3 weeks later. There is a small possibility that Apple will announce the iPhone Edition/8 at WWDC in June, but this is pretty unlikely. There are also predictions that the ‘special’ iPhone will be released much closer to Christmas.

 

4.The iPhone Edition will have an edge to edge 5.8″ OLED screen, Faster A11 processor, and glass body. There will likely be no home button and yay for getting rid of wires because it’s said to have wireless charging. Sweet.

 

5. There have been rumors that the Touch ID will be integrated into the display, which is likely, however there have also been rumors that it will be on the back, about where the Apple logo is currently.

 

6.The iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus will both be upgraded from the iPhone 7, but much more along the lines of the incremental hardware upgrades that we’ve seen in the last couple of years, combined with the fresh new software goodness of  iOS 11 (which will be announced for sure at WWDC).

 

7. All three iPhones will be water resistant, the same as the iPhone 7, but their resistance level will be improved.

 

8. The front facing camera may include 3D sensing capabilities perhaps enabling facial and iris recognition. Rumors also suggest that Apple is exploring both a vertical rear camera for improved pictures and a dual-camera setup for the front-facing FaceTime camera.

 

9. The iPhone 8/Edition will be a little more expensive, possibly coming in at just under $1000 clams.

 

10. Supply will probably be pretty constrained at first, because, you know, it’s Apple n stuff. Also, OLED production might be a little harder to come by.

 

Are you excited about the new iPhones? Do you think there’ll be any surprises? C’moooooooon time travel?

 

 

Facebook releases it’s future on us all

At F8, Facebook’s developer conference, the social media company introduced the way that it wants you, the end user, to see the world.

 

How’s that? Well, augmented.

 

Facebook’s augmented reality camera, or camera platform as FB calls it, will place digital imagery on the world around you. Think Pokemon Go, except…useful, realistic, change the way we see the world type stuff.

 

From the Sauce, Mark Zuckerberg:

 

“Facebook is so much about marrying the physical world with online, when you can make it so that you can intermix digital and physical parts of the world, that’s going to make a lot of our experiences better and our lives richer. Facebook is so much about marrying the physical world with online.”

 

From now on (actually, for a while now, but here’s where the action really starts) the camera is no longer just a tool that you use to capture images.

 

Now, you can change the world with it, manipulate the images that you capture as well as the environment you see through it. You’ll be able to display and intake information, add digital objects, and enhance existing objects.

 

Again, from the Zuck:

 

“The camera needs to be more central than the text box in all of our apps,” he said. “We’re making the camera the first augmented reality platform.”

 

At F8, the demos were on an Oculus headset, but soon, the plan is that you’ll be able to create and interact with augmented reality right on your smartphone. Or whatever replaces the smartphone – which may well be lightweight glasses, according to Zuckerberg.

 

And so the race begins to see who wins on creating the end augmented reality platform. Will the end product be shaped more by  software, rather than hardware? What mix will we end up with?

 

Over the coming months Facebook plans to give developers a chance to use its tools to create their own filters and effects for Facebook’s cameras. Developers who want to build their own apps, games, and art will be able to do so, perhaps taking the Camera in unanticipated directions.

 

Hi Future! *Waves* We’re in you…almost!

 

 

 

 

Apple just made Garageband, iMovie and iWork apps completely free

 

iMovie, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, and GarageBand for both Mac and iOS devices are now listed as free in the App Store.

 

Since 2013 if you had purchased a new Mac or iOS device you could get these apps for free, but now they’re just free free. Which is the best kind of free.

 

The change also makes it much easier for schools and businesses to download these apps through the Volume Purchase program store.

 

Now, go make some sweet tunes, to accompany some sweet movies, and… work your butts off! #Wednesday Wisdom!

 

 

Happy April Fools…. Wait… Happy April NOT Fools Day? Um, here’s a promo code!

 

 

We ALWAYS GET THIS WRONG, but it’s kinda funny in a way this time, right?

 

…Right? You know, because it’s April Fools, but it’s a joke, because it’s not April Fools! Geddit?

 

Anyway, Here’s a Promo Code.

 

APRILNOTFOOLS2017

 

Use this to get an extra $10 when you sell your iPhone to us! The Promo code will expire 7PM PST.

 

Happy Friday!

 

P.S. Don’t forget Mothers day is coming up, you could turn that stinky old iPhone into a prettttty sweet Mothers day present…

 

 

 

 

YouTube TV launch!

YouTube TV has launched!  Ahead of a larger roll out, Youtube TV has launched today for users in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago.

 

Wait, so what does this mean?

 

YouTube TV, announced back in Feb of this year, is a standalone TV service that offers 4 big networks and other channels ( see below) on your iOS or Android mobile device or your desktop  through your browser, with unlimited DVR functionality. It’s a subscription based service that will cost you $35 a month.

 

The big 4 are: CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC and the others include:

 

CW, Telemundo, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, CSN, Fox Prime Ticket, FSI, NBCSN, USA, FX, Freeform, Disney, E, ESPN U, FS2, BTN, ESPN SEC, Bravo, Oxygen, FX, Syfy, Disney Junior, Disney XD, NBC Universo, CBS Sports Network, ESPN News, NBC Golf, National Geographic, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Fox Business, Local Now, FXM, Sprout, Universal, Nat Geo Wild, Chiller.

 

More networks coming soon include: AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv, and BBC World News.

 

You can watch on up to six devices simultaneously, however for now, in order to watch on the big screen you’ll be limited to Chromecast functionality. YouTube has confirmed that it’s planning apps for more connected TV devices to come later this year.

 

You can sign up and get a free trial where available at tv.youtube.com.

 

What do you think about YouTube TV? Yay or nay?