Last updated on April 22nd, 2021 at 02:23 am
It may surprise you, but Apple does so much more than just put out cool tech. Yes, the first thing you think of when you hear “Apple” might be “iPhone”, but that’s not where their story stops. Between interactive in-store experiences, seamless mash-ups with other brands, and continually pushing the boundaries of what they can do with the many properties they own, there’s plenty you can explore from the gang who made black turtlenecks cool again!
Carpool Karaoke: The Series: Apple Comes out Swinging with Some Musical Fun on Apple Music!
Let’s start with Carpool Karaoke: The Series!
Did you know Apple has their own shows on Apple Music? I didn’t!
But Carpool Karaoke: The Series is the brainchild of James Corden and Ben Winston—the gents who first brought Carpool Karaoke to life on The Late Late Show with James Corden—and Eric Pankowski, CBS’ former Senior Vice President of Programming and Development. It pairs musicians with celebrities who’d usually find themselves talented otherwise, challenging them with karaoke adventures that involve all sorts of antics! With big names like Alicia Keys, Shaquille O’Neal and Maisie Williams, you get a very different experience each episode!
Today at Apple—Taking Your Skills Farther Than You Thought They’d Ever Go!
And what about in-store? If you haven’t hit up an Apple Store in a while (and shame on you if that’s the case), let me tell you about a program called Today at Apple! Today at Apple’s a collection of free educational in-store programs that cover a myriad of topics! Photos. Video. Coding, art and design. Highly-trained Apple team members lead the hands-on sessions, and in some cases, world-class artists, photographers and musicians as well! With sessions ranging from basics and how-tos to professional-level material for more expert Apple fans, there’s a lot you can get from the experience!
You have Studio Hours where Creative Pros host 90-minute sessions on their areas of expertise—you can even bring personal projects in for expert advice, or use the space to work alongside others! Photo and Sketch Walks that go into local communities and teach new techniques like framing architecture, capturing action on video, and developing observational drawings. Kids Hour with fun, hands-on projects. Coding sessions using Swift Playgrounds to introduce others to the digital art form. Photo Labs. Pro Series. And Perspectives and Performances at select stores to educate others on how creatives pursue their processes! If you’ve yet to check it out since its worldwide launch in May, perhaps it’s time you visit your nearest Apple Store and see what they have to offer!
But yes, Apple Does Tech, and iOS 11 is an Amazing Reminder of That!
But yes, ultimately Apple is a tech company, and we shouldn’t make light of everything they’ll have for us shortly! I mean, unless you’re living under one mammoth-sized rock, you’ll know that they just announced a whole gaggle of new devices this past week, with new Apple Watches, a new Apple TV, and the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the show-stopped iPhone X! The cool cats at Cupertino learn a lot from all the devices and software they put out, and the upcoming iOS 11 is no exception.
Coming out today, Apple iOS 11 offers new and exciting ways to interact with your devices, like indoor maps that help illustrate what’s inside major malls and airports, or powerful Drag and Drop that lets you move text, images and files between apps and screens! As a long-time iPad user, I could tell you all about the workarounds I’ve needed to figure out to fit them in my life, so it’s great to see new functionality added that does away with the need for it! In time, maybe we’ll reach the point where heavier laptops become a thing of the past!
What’s Up With Apple? So Much Already, and So Much Yet to Come!
As I said, much goes on with Apple beyond everything you see at the regular Apple Events—enough to keep you well-satisfied in the months between them! Whether it’s Star Wars-themed Today at Apple sessions for Force Friday II; adding animated Disney and Pixar overlays to Clips so that iOS users can create fun videos; or even playing around with global events like World Emoji Day, there’s always something afoot at Apple!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey into some of the things from Apple you won’t find in the palm of your hand, and that you continue exploring everything they have up their sleeves for ages to come!
Until the next, I remain,
Disclaimer: I wrote this post as a long-time Apple user, with support from Apple for editorial content. Please expect more Apple and iPad Pro-related content from me sooner than later!
