Apple Watch Series 4 models set to be released this fall will feature a new design and a display that's 15 percent larger, according to predictions shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new note that was sent out to investors this morning (via 9to5Mac).
In addition to a new design with larger displays, the new fourth-generation Apple Watch models will feature a longer battery life enabled through more battery capacity and improved health monitoring capabilities. The display size of the watch could increase due to smaller bezels, and it's not quite clear what impact a larger display would have on physical device size.
The Apple Watch's design has remained unchanged since the first-generation Apple Watch was introduced in 2015, so a redesign three years later in 2018 would make sense.
Kuo also does not go into detail about what new health monitoring capabilities the fourth-generation Apple Watch might offer. Rumors have suggested Apple is exploring a sensor that would allow for continuous electrocardiograph monitoring to better detect serious heart conditions.
Apple is also pursuing a method for non-invasively monitoring blood glucose levels, but that technology seems to be a bit away and may not make it into a 2018 Apple Watch update.
Ming-Chi Kuo often shares accurate predictions about Apple's plans, so it's likely we can expect to see some kind of Apple Watch redesign this year. We'll be hearing more about Apple's plans as the watch's likely September release date gets closer.
The App Store appears to be experiencing issues at this time, with many customers unable to access the store to make purchases and install updates to apps. It appears the iTunes Store is also affected.
Affected customers are getting a popup message that reads: "The iTunes Store is unable to process purchases at this time. Please try again later."
The App Store issues have been ongoing for approximately a half hour now, but no outage is listed on Apple's System Status page.
We'll update this post when the issue is resolved. Problems like this are often fixed quickly, so apps shouldn't be unavailable for too long.
Update:Apple's System Status page now displays issues with the App Store, Apple TV, iTunes U, iTunes Store, Volume Purchase Program, and Mac App Store.
Back in early 2016, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to pursue all possible solutions to unlock the iPhone 5c owned by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook before demanding Apple's help accessing the device, reports Reuters.
The information was shared today in a report issued by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General.
According to the report, the FBI's in-house unit that handles breaking into mobile devices did not begin looking for outside help to unlock Farook's iPhone until the night before the FBI demanded Apple's help through a court filing.
The FBI was aware that one of the vendors contacted at that point in time had "almost 90 percent completed" a technical solution that would allow the FBI access to the phone. The FBI, though, in its court filing with Apple at the time, said there were no other options for accessing the device.
A judge ended up ordering Apple to help federal investigators access the data on Farook's iPhone by creating a tool that would bypass the auto-erase function and allow investigators to submit an unlimited number of passwords to attempt to unlock the iPhone.
Apple, of course, opposed the order and refused to build such a tool, leading to a long and drawn out legal battle with the FBI that only ended when the FBI admitted it had indeed found another way to access the device.
Communication failures at the FBI were to blame, causing some officials to "misunderstand the status" of the FBI's efforts to open the device. That led to delays seeking help from the FBI and the vendor that was ultimately able to unlock the iPhone.
The report from the Department of Justice comes as some law enforcement officials are again pushing for backdoor access into electronic devices to aid in criminal investigations.
Both DOJ and FBI officials have been quietly meeting with security researchers to explore technology that would allow "extraordinary access" to encrypted devices like the iPhone without weakening a device's defenses against hacking.
Earlier this week, Apple's Craig Federighi reiterated Apple's stance that such a backdoor would be dangerous. "Weakening security makes no sense when you consider that customers rely on our products to keep their personal information safe, run their businesses or even manage vital infrastructure like power grids and transportation systems," he said.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
At today's education-focused event in Chicago, Apple announced several new features for its suite of iWork apps for Mac and iOS devices, and those updates have now been pushed out in new versions of the apps that are available for download now.
All of the iWork apps for iOS, including Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, are compatible with the Apple Pencil both on iPad Pro models and the new sixth-generation iPad, which now supports Apple Pencil.
In all three apps, you can draw and write with the Apple Pencil and use it for navigational purposes instead of a finger. In Pages, there's also a new Smart Annotation beta that's designed to allow you to use the Apple Pencil to add comments and marks to a Pages document, and you can add Apple Pencil drawings.
Pages for iOS also includes a new digital books templates for creating books, donut charts, real-time collaboration for documents stored in Box, and more. Full release notes for Pages for iOS are below:
- Draw, write, and annotate using Apple Pencil on supported devices, or use your finger. - Easily add drawings with pen, pencil, crayon, and fill tools. - Use Smart Annotation Beta to add comments and marks that stay anchored to their associated text. - Make beautiful digital books using new book templates. - Collaborate in real time on documents stored in Box. - Add an image gallery to view a collection of photos on the same page. - Use presenter mode to easily read and auto scroll text while giving a speech. - Create and edit paragraph styles and character styles. - View pages side by side as you work. - Turn on facing pages to format your document as two-page spreads. - Create master pages to keep the design consistent across your page layout document. - Change your document orientation to landscape or portrait. - Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes. - Use donut charts to visualize data in an engaging new way. - Use conditional highlighting in tables to change the appearance of a cell when the value meets specified conditions. - New option to automatically format fractions as you type.
In Keynote for iOS, there's an option to animate your drawings during slideshows, and you can more easily change the theme of a presentation. Donut charts have been added for visualizing data in new ways, and there's an interactive image gallery for viewing collections of photos. Full release notes for Keynote for iOS are below:
- Draw and write with Apple Pencil on supported devices, or use your finger. - Animate drawings during slideshows. - Collaborate in real time on presentations stored in Box. - Easily change the theme of a presentation. - Adjust presentation slide size and aspect ratio. - Use donut charts to visualize data in an engaging new way. - Add an interactive image gallery to view a collection of photos. - Enhance presentations with a variety of new editable shapes.
Numbers for iOS offers new options for sorting and filtering tables, new donut charts, and interactive image gallery, editable shapes for spreadsheets, and more. Full release notes for Numbers for iOS are below:
- Draw and write with Apple Pencil on supported devices, or use your finger. - Collaborate in real time on spreadsheets stored in Box. - Use conditional highlighting in tables to change the appearance of a cell when the value meets specified conditions. - Powerful new options for sorting and filtering tables. - Improved, customizable import of CSV and text data, with support for custom delimiters and fixed-width files. - Use donut charts to visualize data in an engaging new way. - Add an interactive image gallery to view a collection of photos. - Enhance spreadsheets with a variety of new editable shapes. - Full bidirectional support for Arabic and Hebrew.
While Apple Pencil support in iWork for iOS was Apple's big announcement, all of the company's Mac apps have also gained new features in line with new features added to the iOS versions of the apps.
All Mac apps have been updated with support for real-time collaboration on spreadsheets stored in Box (macOS High Sierra required), and there are new donut charts for visualizing data in an "engaging new way." A new interactive image gallery is available in all three for viewing a collection of photos, and there's support for adding new editable shapes and reducing the file size of documents.
In Numbers for Mac, Apple has improved imports of CSV and text data with support for custom delimiters and fixed-width files, while in Pages, there are new book templates for creating digital books. You can also now view pages side by side as you work with two page spreads available, and master pages can be added to keep design consistent across your document. There's also a new Pages option for automatically formatting fractions while you type.
All of Apple's iWork apps are free downloads that can be obtained from the App Store and Mac App Store.
To go along with the new sixth-generation iPad, Apple announced two accessories designed by Logitech -- a $99 Rugged iPad Keyboard Case and a unique $49 Crayon Stylus that shares many characteristics with the Apple Pencil.
The Crayon Stylus looks similar to the Apple Pencil, with a slim aluminum body and an Apple Pencil-style tip. Interestingly, Logitech's website says that the Crayon has been designed for and is compatible with the 6th-generation iPad, suggesting it's not going to work with the iPad Pro.
iMore's Serenity Caldwell was able to get a bit more information on the Crayon from Logitech, and it turns out it's using the same technology as the Apple Pencil. It has the same latency, tilt, and palm rejection features as the Apple Pencil, but there is no pressure sensitivity.
The Crayon connects to the iPad via a single frequency and does not use Bluetooth, and it will last for up to 8 hours before needing to be recharged via an included Lightning port, much like the one on the Apple Pencil. Crayon works with all of the apps that support the Apple Pencil.
Just press the on button and start writing or drawing on iPad right away -- it's that easy. Logitech Crayon connects to iPad instantly with no complex device pairing or other delays.
There was speculation ahead of Apple's event that a lower-cost Apple Pencil might be in the works given the $99 price point of Apple's device, and it appears that we did indeed get that, but from a third-party manufacturer. Students who have a sixth-generation iPad will be able to use the Crayon or the Apple Pencil with the tablet.
Compared to the Apple Pencil, the Logitech Crayon has a more kid-friendly design with a pry-resistant smart tip that requires a special tool when the tip needs replacing. The rubber cap at the end that covers the Lightning connector is also tethered to the Crayon so it doesn't get lost.
It's not entirely clear why the Crayon is not backwards compatible with iPad Pro models, and we've asked Logitech for clarification.
Logitech does not plan to release the Crayon to the public at this time, with the accessory limited to teachers. Teachers will be able to purchase it for $49 starting this summer.
Apple didn't live stream today's education-focused event held at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, but the company has made a video available in the Events app of the Apple TV now that it's over.
The video spans an hour and seven minutes, and while Apple mainly focused on educational topics, it does include the unveiling of the new low-cost $329 sixth-generation iPad, which comes equipped with Apple Pencil support.
Apple has not yet made the event available to watch on its website, but a video should be uploaded and available soon, and a direct link to the video is available here. A YouTube version may also come later in the day.
In addition to its main event, Apple has shared several new iPad-focused YouTube videos that were shown during the Chicago event.
The first video, above, focuses on the Apple Pencil being used to draw the new iPad, highlighting Apple Pencil integration in the low-cost tablet. The other two videos focus on students using the new iPad for school work and Apple's commitment to education.
In addition to a new low-cost iPad with Apple Pencil support, Apple today also introduced new tools for teachers and students, including a Classwork app for assignments, a ClassKit API for creating educational apps with Classwork integration, new Apple Pencil capabilities for iWork, and an "Everyone Can Create" curriculum that's similar to "Everyone Can Code" but is more focused on creative pursuits like photography, video making, music, and art.
Don't want to watch Apple's full hour-long presentation? We'll have a recap coming soon that covers all of the interesting points of the event, so stay tuned for that.
Following its educational event in Chicago, Apple quietly introduced iPhone and iPad cases in new spring colors and officially launched the Apple Watch bands that were introduced last week.
The new iPhone cases, iPad Smart Covers, Apple Pencil covers, and more, are available in bright primary colors, perhaps a nod to the educational focus of today's event.
The $49 iPhone X Leather Case, iPhone 7/8 Leather Case, and iPhone 7/8 Plus Leather Case are available in new Bright Orange, Spring Yellow, Electric Blue, and Soft Pink colors. The $99 iPhone X Leather Folio is available in new Soft Pink and Electric Blue shades.
Apple last week introduced new Apple Watch bands in a variety of spring colors, and all of those bands are available for purchase starting today. The $49 Sport Band is now available in Lemonade, Red Raspberry, and Denim Blue, while the $49 Nike Sport Bands now come in Cargo Khaki/Black, Barely Rose/Pearl Pink, and Black/White.
Woven Nylon Bands ($49) are available in new striped shades including Pink Stripe, Blue Stripe, Gray Stripe, and Black Stripe, while the newer $49 Sport Loop bands now come in Hot Pink, Flash Light, Tahoe Blue, and Marine Green.
The Classic Buckle ($149) is available in Soft Pink, Spring Yellow, and Electric Blue, and there are several new Single Tour ($439) and Double Tour ($489) Hermès bands in fresh designs and colors.
All of the new Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, iPad cases, and other accessories are available for purchase from the online Apple Store starting today and should be in stores later this week.
AppleCare+ was previously $99 for any iPad, but that price now applies to iPad Pro models only. The lower $69 price for the iPad and iPad mini has been offered by select Best Buy stores for the past several months.
AppleCare+ is an optional warranty plan that extends an iPad's or iPad mini's warranty period to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $49 plus applicable taxes in the United States.
AppleCare+ for iPad also provides 24/7 priority access to support advisors via online chat or phone for up to two years after the device's original purchase date. Without the plan, iPad owners are covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty and an initial 90 days of complimentary telephone support.
AppleCare+ pricing for 9.7-inch iPad and iPad mini models has also been reduced in other countries, including Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Prices vary based on local currencies.
Following the announcement and launch of Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad, a few websites have gotten hands-on time with the tablet and shared their thoughts online this afternoon. The initial consensus appears to be that while the iPad isn't very surprising in terms of form factor and features, it's a solid entry-level model that benefits from added Apple Pencil support.
Engadget said the new iPad is "as fluid and fast as the iPad Pro," which it described as an "impressive feat." The site said the iPad has a great screen, although it isn't as sharp as the iPad Pro's display. Engadget also pointed out the air gap between the display and cover glass on the new tablet, and its lack of the higher-end iPad Pro's True Tone color correction feature and 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate.
Image via Engadget
Following today's education-focused presentation in Chicago, we got a chance to pick up the new tablet for ourselves and, well, it's just about the same as last year's model. That's not a bad thing -- it still feels as solid and well-built as ever. The biggest change is Apple Pencil support, and after a brief test it feels almost as fluid and fast as the iPad Pro, which is an impressive feat.
The Verge began its hands-on coverage by stating the new iPad is "very familiar," with all of the expected screen size, bezels, Touch ID sensor, button placement, and cameras users have come to expect from Apple's tablet line. The Verge said the display was "vibrant and responsive," and the site got to mess around with an AR demo, which was "as good as any AR demo" it has seen.
Image via The Verge
The Verge also pointed out that Apple's demo area was not really "focused on the hardware," but instead software demos that showed real-world use in the classroom, with Tim Cook walking around and discussing the new announcement with reporters.
We just spent some time with Apple’s new $329 iPad, announced here in Chicago at its education event. It’s... an iPad. Holding and using an iPad, it feels very much like an iPad! The air gap on the screen is the same as before — large by iPad Pro standards, but only iPad Pro people will really turn their nose up at it. Same goes for the screen overall, which doesn’t have all the True Tone magic of the Pro, but is nevertheless vibrant and responsive.
I checked out a quick demo of an AR classroom app and was as good as any AR demo I’ve seen. Not knock-your-socks-off good, but it didn’t lag and the baby elephant stayed put right on the table where it was placed. Obviously we’ll need to spend more time to say for sure, but the A10 Fusion processor certainly seems up to most tasks.
Besides the new iPad, Apple today announced that its Classroom app will be coming to Mac this June, revealed a new "Schoolwork" app, showed off iWork updates for iOS, and more. New accessories and devices have also emerged on Apple.com following the Field Trip keynote, including standalone Space Gray color options for the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2.
Apple today updated its Clips and GarageBand apps for iOS with several new educational features and other improvements.
GarageBand for iOS
Clips has received a wide range of new fonts, colors, layouts, animated labels and stickers, title cards with education-themed designs, and more, all of which provides students and teachers with more creative flexibility to prepare video presentations and lessons using the app on the new 9.7-inch iPad.
The full release notes for Clips version 2.0.3:
Four additional Live Title styles featuring new fonts, colors, and layouts
Four new animated labels with vibrant colors and editable text
Nine new animated stickers including hand-drawn arrows, scribbles, circles, and underlining
Eleven new Apple-designed posters for creating animated title cards, including education-themed blackboard and notebook designs
Two new Selfie Scenes on iPhone X from Disney-Pixar that put you in the "Finding Dory" reef and on the Scare Floor from "Monsters, Inc."
Drop shadows have been added to some labels to improve visibility against light backgrounds
Fixes an issue that could prevent photos stored in iCloud Photo Library from displaying correctly in Clips projects
Improved stability when deleting projects
Likewise, GarageBand has received new educational sound effects, including animals, vehicles, and counting to ten in different languages.
The full release notes for GarageBand for iOS version 2.3.3:
New downloadable "Toy Box" sound pack with free educational sound effects, including animals, vehicles, and counting to ten in different languages.
Use facial expressions and the TrueDepth camera for hands-free control over musical effects like guitar wah and synth parameters*
Adds Modern Wah guitar stompbox effect
Provides stability improvements and bug fixes
* Apple's fine print: "Requires iPhone X. GarageBand uses ARKit face tracking features to translate your facial expressions into instrument effect controls. Your face information is processed on device, and only music is captured during your performance."
The updates to Clips and GarageBand are rolling out on the App Store today. The apps are free to download on iPhone and iPad.
While iMac Pro owners still get a main machine that's available in an exclusive Space Gray color, the accessories, which had been selling on eBay for quite a bit of money, are no longer exclusives.
Orders placed today for the new Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 will ship out and deliver later this week.
Apple announced Everyone Can Create, a new free curriculum for teachers, during its "Let's Take a Field Trip" event at Chicago's Lane Technical High School today.
Everyone Can Create makes it fun and easy for teachers to integrate drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into their existing lesson plans for any subject. The new curriculum joins Apple’s successful Everyone Can Code initiative as one-of-a-kind programs for teachers that keep students excited and engaged.
Apple says the new curriculum is designed to take advantage of the new 9.7-inch iPad with Apple Pencil support, which was also unveiled on Tuesday, costing $299 for schools. The curriculum includes a range of free learning resources and teaching guides to help teachers include drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into lessons, topics, and assignments.
It also features teacher and student guides, lessons, ideas and examples to aid teachers in bringing more creativity and new communication skills into existing subjects like English, math, science and history, according to Apple. For instance, students can use the iPad's built-in camera to learn about fractals, or use Apple Pencil and apps like Tayasui Sketches to learn about symmetry. The curriculum feeds into Apple's other software announcements at Tuesday's event, including the new Schoolwork app that helps teachers create assignments and keep on top of student progress, and a new teaching assistant Mac application called Classroom, which helps teachers manage student iPads while guiding students through lessons.
Apple will begin teaching the Everyone Can Create curriculum as part of its regular Today at Apple sessions for educators.
As part of its new suite of educational apps and experiences for children, Apple today announced that it is increasing the amount of free iCloud storage available to kids and teachers.
Instead of providing each student and teacher with the standard 5GB of free storage, Apple is now offering 200GB of storage at no additional cost.
Every student that has an Apple ID managed by a school will have access to 200GB of storage space for storing assignments, resources, and other documents in the cloud. The new storage space goes hand-in-hand with ClassKit and the Classwork app, which stores assignments in the cloud so students and teachers can access them anywhere.
This is not a program that's available to any student -- it is limited to students who have Apple IDs that were provided by their school.
Regular students and standard users of Apple devices will continue to be limited to 5GB of free storage space.
Logitech today revealed two new accessories for the sixth-generation iPad: the Logitech Crayon and Logitech Rugged Combo 2, both designed to help students become "more creative and productive" in the classroom. The accessories were announced during Apple's "Field Trip" event in Chicago earlier today.
The Logitech Crayon is a digital pencil, similar to Apple Pencil, but comes in at a cheaper price of $49, roughly half the price of the Apple Pencil (Apple is selling its first-party Pencil to schools for $89). Logitech said that its alternative leverages Apple Pencil technology to deliver sub-pixel precision, low latency, and tilt support.
The Crayon works with a wide variety of apps and software already found in classrooms, including Apple's newly updated iWork suite. The physical build of the Crayon allows for easy gripping that also prevents rolling to reduce the potential for accidental drops. The device has an 8-hour battery life, and includes other kid-friendly features like a pry-resistant tip and tethered rubber cap.
“iPad opens up new opportunities for learning, both inside the classroom and beyond,” said Michele Hermann, vice president of mobility at Logitech. “We’ve brought years of design expertise into the classroom with Logitech Crayon and Rugged Combo 2, which take advantage of the new iPad's capabilities. Together, these products give students more opportunities to be creative and all new ways to complete their school work, taking learning to new heights.”
Secondly, Logitech's updated $99.99 Rugged Combo 2 case for the new iPad was announced, created with input from educators so that it can survive "daily wear and tear" in classrooms. The case integrates a protective screen covering that doubles as a keyboard, and also includes a slot for the Logitech Crayon.
The keyboard section is detachable and its keycaps are pry-resistant as well as silent while students type on them. Powered by the iPad, the case as a whole is spill-resistant and can protect the iPad from a drop of up to four feet. Logitech launched the first Rugged Combo iPad case one year ago, following Apple's early 2017 9.7-inch iPad update.
The keyboard physically connects to the Rugged Combo 2 case using a proprietary connector to deliver a secure keyboard connection, making iPad an approved device for testing.
In addition to being durable, the Rugged Combo 2 case offers an adjustable kickstand for a wide range of viewing angles and four use modes: Typing mode, for taking notes; Viewing mode, to watch educational apps and videos; Notebook mode, for writing with digital pencils and reading; and Travel mode, which protects the iPad screen during transport. It also features a pencil holder that’s a perfect fit for Logitech Crayon or Apple Pencil, so students always have the tools they need at hand.
Logitech's new accessories will be available for schools to buy in the United States beginning this summer, found on Apple's education website.
Apple today announced it is working on a new version of its iWork productivity suite for iOS during its "Let's Take a Field Trip" event at Chicago's Lane Technical High School, where it also introduced a refreshed low-cost 9.7-inch iPad with Apple Pencil support.
Integrated Apple Pencil support in the new upcoming versions of Pages and Keynote will enable users to add drawings directly to reports and take advantage of smart annotation features, while students in particular will benefit from using the input device in Numbers to add to their "lab reports", said Apple.
Teachers on the other hand will be able to mark up students' Pages reports directly using an iPad and Apple Pencil, thanks to the suite's enhanced markup functions. When users annotate, for example, the markup anchors to the word or image. So as edits are made, the pencil annotations move.
"iWork is a powerful suite of apps designed for iPhone, iPad and Mac that is used in classrooms around the world," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Apps Product Marketing. "With Apple Pencil support on iPad, the new Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps now let students bring a whole new level of creativity to their documents, spreadsheets and presentations, while the innovative new Smart Annotation feature gives students the ability to give, receive and incorporate feedback easier than ever before. Students can also use the built-in, real-time collaboration tools available in iWork to explore and learn together."
Apple also announced that it is building digital book creation into the new version of Pages, which will come pre-installed on the new $329 9.7-inch iPad. Books generated within Pages can include photos, videos, Apple Pencil illustrations, and more.
Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on iOS and Mac are free and come preloaded onto most devices, including the new 9.7-inch iPad. Today's updates will be available to download "soon" on the App Store and Mac App Store.
Apple today announced an all-new 9.7-inch iPad, describing the tablet as its "most affordable iPad" yet and confirming it will work with the Apple Pencil. Apple said that the device was designed for powerful AR apps.
The tablet has a 9.7-inch Retina display that features a higher-resolution touch sensor to enable support for Apple Pencil, previously only compatible with iPad Pro. Apple Pencil provides a "fluid and natural" drawing experience with sensors that measure pressure and tilt so that users can take notes or illustrate in various apps.
The new iPad has an A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, providing 40 percent faster CPU and 50 percent faster graphics performance when compared to the previous generation 9.7-inch iPad. Apple said that both front and rear cameras provide HD video recording for everything from document scanning to FaceTime calls.
One of the main applications aimed at the new iPad is augmented reality, fueled by the device's Retina display, powerful chip, enhanced cameras, and advanced sensors with a gyroscope and accelerometer. The tablet was built for mobility and durability for students, sporting an aluminum unibody construction.
The 32GB iPad with Wi-Fi is priced at $329 in the U.S. and $459 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and Apple Pencil can be purchased separately for $99. Schools will be able to buy iPad for $299 and Apple Pencil for $89. The new iPad is available to order beginning today and will arrive in stores later this week in more than 25 countries, listed below:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK, the US, India, Russia, Thailand, and Turkey. More countries and regions will follow in April, with South Korea and others coming in May.
Apple during its education-focused event in Chicago today announced that its existing iOS "Classroom" app will be making the move to Mac, beginning with a beta this June.
Classroom is a "teaching assistant" that helps teachers manage their students' iPads, as well as guide kids through lessons, keep them on track, and share their work. Using the app, teachers can launch apps, books, and websites on all student devices simultaneously, and send or receive documents. Classroom also allows teachers to view their students' screens so that they "stay focused," and other administrative options like password resets.
At the same time, the company revealed a new cloud-based app called "Schoolwork" that lets teachers assign handouts and track the progress of their students. Apple said that Schoolwork "builds on the success" of the Classroom app and both apps will be combined to help educators "get the most out of integrating Apple technology into schools."
“Creativity sparks a deeper level of engagement in students, and we’re excited to help teachers bring out that creativity in the classroom,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“When you combine the power of iPad, the creativity of Apple Pencil, over a million iPad apps in the App Store, the rich curriculum in Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create, and unique Classroom and Schoolwork apps that support students and help schools manage technology in the classroom, we believe we can amplify learning and creativity in a way that only Apple can.”
Using Schoolwork, teachers will be able to make handouts that include PDFs, links, and other documents, as well as check in on the progress of every student for a specific assignment. Schoolwork will integrate with third-party apps using Apple's ClassKit API, acting as a hub of sorts for a classroom's projects and assignments. Schoolwork will be available for teachers in June.
There will also be a new "Apple Teacher" professional learning program available online, aimed at helping teachers build skills, chart their progress, and get inspired to launch new lesson plans. The program will allow teachers to earn badges shaped like gold stars, encouraging them to continue using the program and evolve their classroom.
Apple's "Let's Take a Field Trip" event in Chicago begins at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (8:00 a.m Pacific), where the company is widely expected to unveil a lower-cost iPad, new education-focused initiatives, and perhaps make some other announcements.
Apple is not providing a live video stream of today's event, but will post the video on its website and the Apple Events app on Apple TV following the event. We will be updating this article with live blog coverage—no need to refresh—and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds.
Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
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Apple's education event has concluded. Our live coverage of the announcements is available in chronological order ahead…
As part of its new suite of educational apps and experiences for children, Apple today announced that it is increasing the amount of free iCloud storage available to kids and teachers.
