Apple unveiled features of its new product line Tuesday in a well-produced, fast-paced reveal on Tuesday, a different look for the annual announcement that usually features the tech giant's top brass revealing exciting new features in front of a live audience -- a tradition obviously curbed by this year's need for social distancing.
iPads and Apple Watches are both getting upgrades, although notably absent from the lineup was any word on the iPhone 12. Announcements about the next generation of the flagship phone are expected next month.
Apple kicked off its annual product showcase with a look at the new Apple Watch Series 6 and the less expensive Apple Watch SE.
The Series 6 maintains the basic design of the Series 4 and 5 while adding new features such as a blood oxygen sensor and better sleep tracking features.
The blood oxygen sensor shines infrared light onto the wrist and returns a measurement in 15 seconds.
The new models will also automatically connect with a new app called Fitness+ that includes video workouts and other health metrics.
But how will it look? Apple is also offering several new Watch interfaces and bands.
Apple Watch SE (Photo: Business Wire)
The company is also expanding the number of people who can use the Apple Watch by allowing multiple people to connect their Apple Watches to a single iPhone through Family Setup. That means, for example, that kids who don't have smartphones or family members who aren't on iOS, can now use the Apple Watch if someone in the family has an iPhone.
Both new Watch models can be ordered today and will be available for purchase Friday.
Apple's presentations on the new iPad and iPad Air models were less focused on flashy superficial changes than the new and improved hardware inside them.
"This year marks the 10th year since we shipped our very first iPad, and in that time it has become one of the most successful consumer electronics products ever," said CEO Tim Cook.
Cook emphasized the product's growth potential, adding that more than half of iPad customers are buying their first iPad.
Both the iPad 8th Generation and the new iPad Air feature new, more powerful chips.
The iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display, a touch ID button on the side, and a new chip that increases CPU power by 40 percent — all of it set within a 100 percent aluminum enclosure.
"This is by far the most advanced chip we've ever made," said Tim Millet, vice president of platform architecture at Apple.
The 8th Generation will start at $329 and be available this Friday, and the new Air will start at $599 and be available next month.
Apple also announced the long-anticipated Apple One, an all-in-one subscription plan including Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, iCloud, and the new Fitness+. The individual subscription will run for $14.95 per month, while the family plan is $19.95 per month.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
