Retail

Free Apple Store workshops will help kids learn to code, program robots, edit video & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 20, 2017

Apple's retail stores will launch free workshops next month to help kids aged 8-12 learn how to code and program robots in the recently updated Swift Playground app, as well as draw, edit video and more. The sessions will be available from July as part of the company's “Today at Apple” classes which recently launched across Apple Stores globally.

Apple Camp, as it's called, will kick off on July 10 and run through July 28.

The three-day program was designed to help kids broaden their creative horizons by making movies with iMovie, creating interactive books and more using Apple products.

Macworld notes “Today at Apple” offers additional sessions for children, called “Kids Hour”.

This year's summer camps cover the following topics:

Creating characters and composing music—Kids ages 8-12 will create their own stories through drawings and sounds. Campers will start their session by sketching characters and scenes with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, then they’ll explore the basics for composing a track using GarageBand. They’ll bring their story to life by adding vocals and finishing touches. Stories in motion with iMovie—Future filmmakers ages 8-12 will explore the creative process of turning their ideas into real movies. In this three-day session, Campers will learn how to brainstorm and storyboard. Then they’ll get hands-on with movie-making techniques like learning camera angles and editing with iMovie. On the final day, they’ll present their masterpieces. Coding games and programming robots—In this three-day session for kids ages 8-12, we’ll introduce programming through interactive play. Kids will learn visual-based coding by solving puzzles with Tynker. Then they’ll learn how to program Sphero robots, and even create fun stories starring Sphero as the main character.

Each workshop offers three 90-minute classes.

To sign up for the upcoming workshops, visit Apple's website.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and other technology leaders met with Donald Trump earlier today, with Cook pushing the US President to make coding a requirement in schools.

Cook has long been a proponent for helping the youngsters learn coding.

“We believe coding should be a required language in all schools,” said Apple's chief executive when his company debuted the Swift Playgrounds app last year.

Canada’s largest sport retailer is now selling Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2017

In what may be the first sport chain retailer to sell Apple Watch, Canada's Sport Check stores are now selling Apple Watch. Sport Check files as the country's largest sport retailer.

As first noted by PatentlyApple, the Apple Watch listing over at the official Sport Check website now has the latest Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Nike+ models on sale, in addition to the previous-generation Apple Watch hardware.

The new Sport Chek ads for Apple Watch began hitting the market last week.

It would seem that selling Apple Watch through specialized sport retailers may be a new thing. At any rate, we'll keep you informed if the Cupertino company expands this latest initiative to sport retail chains elsewhere.

New iPads hit Apple retail stores around the world

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 13, 2017

If you're in the market for a shiny new tablet with an Apple logo on it, the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro model and a second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro are now available for purchase at company-owned retails stores around the world.

The tablets were announced at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose and feature Apple's in-house designed A10X Fusion chip, Apple's brightest display ever with True Tone technology, a whopping 120Hz refresh rate they're calling ProMotion and other features.

Along with the new tablets, Apple is also offering a leather case for Apple Pencil which prevents rolling and broken tips.

You can buy your iPad either at a nearby Apple Store or purchase it online, via the “Buy iPad Pro” webpage, and have it optionally delivered to a nearby Apple Store for pickup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOtaLAFngmg

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The new 10.5-incher is available from $649 and its bigger brother starts at $799.

Add an extra $130 if you'd like an LTE-enabled model. The devices come in 64/256/512GB capacities and in Gold, Silver and Space Gray color finishes. The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro also comes in Rose Gold, unlike the 12.9-incher.

It's worth keeping in mind that these new tablets ship with iOS 10.3. iOS 11, which really unlocks the full iPad potential, will release as a free update for everyone this fall.

Are you planning on upgrading your tablet computing to one of the latest iPads?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Apple Store goes offline ahead of possible new hardware at WWDC

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 5, 2017

Like clockwork, Apple takes its online store offline ahead of any major new production introductions. Today's live-streamed WWDC keynote is no exception: with just a few hours left until the keynote presentation begins, Apple Online Stores around the world have gone offline with a message saying “We'll be back. We're busy updating the Apple Store for you. Please check back soon”.

The rumor-mill, Apple analysts and pundits have been saying that the iPhone maker will unveil some new hardware products at WWDC, which is normally a software-centric event.

Some of the gadgets that could be formally introduced at WWDC include a dedicated Siri speaker, a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro model, as well as refreshed MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks with Intel's Kaby Lake chips and updated system architecture.

Though Apple's been criticized for its seeming inability to update store listings without taking the whole web store down, risking losing potential sales, this is now more of a marketing vehicle designed to drum up excitement ahead of major events than it is a technical issue.

“Today at Apple” classes launch at Apple retail stores globally

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 17, 2017

Announced last month, a series of revamped educational sessions, headlined as “Today at Apple”, launched on Wednesday at Apple's brick-and-mortar stores globally, with more than 4,000 classes being offered each day this week. The new sessions have been available at Apple Union Square since the store opened.

“Introducing Today at Apple—inspiring and educational free sessions happening every day at Apple,” said the iPhone maker, adding that “inspiration is now in session”. While content varies from one store to another, the 495 Apple Stores around the world are expected to offer "Photo Walks" and "Kids Hour" sessions by May 20.

Most sessions are an hour in length. In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the Cupertino giant is hosting a bunch of accessibility-related sessions at its stores as well.

The company shared this promo video to mark the launch of “Today at Apple”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-1GPznHrrM

As mentioned, these hands-on educational sessions are available starting today in all company-owned retail stores in the US and around the world. The classes range in topics from photo and video to music, coding, art and design and more.

In select cities, “Today at Apple” hands-on classes will be led by world-class artists, photographers and musicians, teaching sessions from basics and how-to lessons to professional-level programs.

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple shared this morning some inspiring videos showcasing how people with different disabilities are using assistive features built into iPhone, iPad and Mac to make their lives easier.

Apple’s upcoming Piazza Liberty store in Milan to feature waterfall entrance

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2017

Apple on Monday showed off its upcoming Italian retail store. Located at Piazza del Liberty in Milan, the forthcoming brick-and-mortar outlet will feature Apple's next-generation retail design, with the sales floor sitting beneath the cozy outdoor amphitheater and accessible by walking down the staircase situated between the middle of a pair of waterfalls that form part of a larger fountain.

The fountain itself is a tribute to the Italian squares, representing the close link between the city of Milan and its natives.

Developed in partnership with architecture firm Foster and Partners, known for its work on the Apple Park headquarters, the upcoming Apple Piazza Liberty outlet will be an open space for all to “have a break, be with friends, and discover new interests.”

“We are incredibly happy to be in the center of Milan, a city that for centuries has combined creativity and innovation,” reads the machine-translated text on Apple's Italian website.

There will also be an elevator available.

Last month, Apple announced that all-new “Today at Apple” educational sessions will be coming to its 495 retail outlets in the United States and around the world.

The Milan store will feature “Today at Apple” sessions at launch, from the children's programs to business sessions. The opening date has not yet been announced.

“Today at Apple” educational sessions coming to Apple Stores in May

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 25, 2017

Apple announced Tuesday that dozens of new educational sessions will be launching next month across the 495 retail outlets the company operates in the United States and around the world.

These hands-on sessions, collectively called “Today at Apple,” have been offered at Apple's flagship Union Square store in San Francisco since last year, with topics ranging from photo/video to music, coding, art, design and more. Apple says these sessions cater to all skill levels/ages and include how-to lessons, professional-level courses and more.

Apple may have removed limitations on its price matching program

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 7, 2017

Apple has a lesser-known program which lets would-be buyers get some of its latest products at a discount. The Cupertino firm used to match up to ten percent off a product's original list price from authorized retailers, under certain conditions, but that ceiling is reportedly no longer in effect, as per an Apple store employee on Reddit.

Steve Jobs originally thought Genius Bar would never work

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 6, 2017

When Apple's former retail chief Ron Johnson presented the idea for tech support stations—dubbed Genius Bar—that would be located inside the company's brick-and-mortar stores, Steve Jobs loathed the concept and thought it would never work.

“I remember the day I came in and told Steve about the Genius Bar idea and he says, ‘That’s so idiotic! It’ll never work!’”, Johnson told Recode.

Apple Watch popup store in Paris shuts down

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

From the onset, Apple was pushing Apple Watch as a fashion device and set up popup stores in high-profile department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Selfridges in London and Isetan in Tokyo. With the second-generation Apple Watch, fashion was de-emphasized in favor of the fitness and health aspects of the device.

As a result, Apple began shuttering these stores-within-stores which mostly promoted Apple Watch Edition models anyway. After closing the popup shop in London, the Parisian one has now closed due to poor sales. The Galeries Lafayette outlet is no longer listed on Apple's Retail website in France.

Apple planning to open first retail store on Samsung’s home turf

Cody Lee ∙ January 6, 2017

Apple is planning to open a retail store in Seoul, South Korea, reports Reuters. This will be the company's first official store in the country, which also plays home to the headquarters of Samsung, Apple's largest competitor in the smartphone space.

A spokesperson for Apple confirmed the plans with Reuters via email, saying "We're excited about opening our first Apple Store in Korea, one of the world's economic centers and a leader in telecommunication and technology, with a vibrant K-culture."

Apple starts accepting orders for LG’s 27″ UltraFine 5K Display, ships in 2-4 weeks

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 20, 2016

LG's UltraFine 5K Display, the external ultra high-resolution display Apple didn't want to make, is now available to order through Apple.com. The display can be ordered with Apple's in-store pickup option (availability of in-store pickup may vary from one store to another). First orders were scheduled to deliver on December 27 or 28, with in-store pickup availability on December 29. However, estimated delivery times quickly slipped to 2-4 weeks.