Suffice it to say that the first quarter of 2018 has proven to be a bit of a bore for those seeking new hardware from Apple.
The tech giant this week unveiled its first new hardware release of the year with an updated iPad. The device has the same design as its predecessor and comes with the identical 9.7-inch screen size you’d find in the previous model. Its biggest update is compatibility with the company’s Apple Pencil stylus, allowing users to digitally write and draw on the screen.
After the iPad update was announced, the rumor mill tried to pick up the slack with news of a possible Apple Watch release for later this year. And in a strange twist, the Internet found an old clip of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs teaching Faebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg a thing or two about privacy in the wake of the social network’s Cambridge Analytica scandal
- Apple held its education event in Chicago this week. The show centered on the new iPad, featuring an improved processor and Apple Pencil compatibility, so users could interact in new ways with powerful apps. Chief among those interactions is the option to digitally write and draw on the screen with Apple’s stylus. The device costs $329 for the public, but $299 for students. Those who want to use the Apple Pencil can get one for $99. Students can buy Apple Pencil for $89.
- Aside from new hardware, Apple spent considerable time at its show talking about the many apps and services schools could use to enhance the education experience. Apple showcased a service called Everyone Can Create to encourage kids to deepen their interest in music and art. A new iPad app called Schoolwork was announced that will help teachers create assignments and track how students are performing. Apple also said that there are now 200,000 education-focused apps in its App Store.
- Back in 2010 and just a year before his death, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs spoke about his company’s philosophy on privacy and the duty companies have to safeguard data. Interestingly, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in the audience and listened to Jobs talk privacy. Now, Zuckerberg is facing an international scandal after it was revealed that Facebook user data was employed by political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to help several candidates, including President Donald Trump, win elections.
- Apple is planning to release a new Apple Watch Series 4 smartwatch later this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors in a research note this week. Kuo, who claims to have spoken to people who know Apple’s plans, said that the new Apple Watch will have a larger screen, more powerful processing power to handle sophisticated apps, and a new design. He didn’t say, however, when the new Apple Watch could be released.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook this week shared some concern with Amazon’s search for a city to host its HQ2 headquarters. Cook said that the process, which includes municipalities across the U.S. and Canada offering tax breaks and other perks to woo the tech giant, is little more than a “beauty contest.” Apple is looking to build another headquarters itself, but said that it wouldn’t go about it in the same way as Amazon. “That’s not Apple,” he told MSNBC in an interview.