Search Results for shops

Target to open mini Apple shops inside 17 stores in latest move to woo customers

Written by

Melissa Repko, CNBC:

Target wants to give shoppers another reason to skip trips to the mall: It’s adding mini Apple stores to some locations, with more space devoted to iPhones and other popular gadgets.

The retailer said Thursday that the shops will open in 17 Target stores this month, and it plans to expand to more locations in the fall. Target already sells Apple merchandise, but the shops will double the tech company’s footprint inside of each store, include more accessories and have staff with specialized training from Apple.

Interesting experiment, reminiscent of Apple’s BestBuy partnership.

Also, take a look at Apple’s new Target web site presence.

Apple assisting Authorized Repair Shops with COVID-related expenses

Written by

Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:

In an internal memo last week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple has indicated that it will assist its third-party repair partners around the world with COVID-19-related expenses, such as cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.

And:

All eligible Apple Authorized Service Providers will receive a subsidy from Apple by way of increased payouts for each completed repair. The subsidy is retroactive and the length it is offered will depend on stay-at-home guidelines in each country. Service providers are encouraged to contact their Apple representatives for more details.

Seems a smart investment on Apple’s part, some long term thinking.

Free Hour of Code workshops December 5 through 11 at every Apple Store

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Apple today opened registration for Hour of Code workshops at all 487 Apple retail stores worldwide, from December 5 through 11 in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. Among the most popular events at the Apple Store, Hour of Code workshops teach the basics of computer science with Code.org’s programming tutorials. Apple and Code.org share the goal of giving every student the opportunity to learn computer science.

This is such a great program.

Apple stores to offer free 1-hour photo workshops

Written by

Petapixel:

Guess who’s getting into the world of photography workshops? Apple.

That’s right: the company wants people to be more adept at shooting photos with their iPhones and editing photos on their Macs, so it’s now launching free 1-hour workshops on those subjects (and more) in its sleek Apple Stores.

The workshops will be available at every single Apple Store around the world, so starting in January 2016, check your local store’s website for its workshop schedule if you’re interested in attending one.

As a teacher of workshops and classes myself, I love the idea of Apple getting into this. Anything that encourages people to learn more about how to take better pictures is a good thing.

Louis Rossman, the face of Right to Repair, on Apple’s Self Service Repair program

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If you follow the Right to Repair movement, you are certainly familiar with Louis Rossman. He’s made passing Right to Repair legislation his life’s work.

As you are no doubt aware, yesterday Apple announced their Self Service Repair program. Louis Rossman’s take on the program, laced with a healthy dose of skepticism, is embedded below.

In a nutshell, Louis lays out his issues with Apple’s existing Independent Repair Provider program, and expresses concern that this new Self Service Repair program will suffer from those same issues. If you care about Right to Repair, take the time to watch the video. Louis does make his case about the IRP program pretty clearly.

And he does make this statement:

Do this right, and we can start from scratch, let bygones be bygones, and I will give you all the credit in the world. No shade. I am serious. I have no problem giving Apple credit. Do this right. If they do this right, I will buy and use a Macbook as my daily driver. Not even meming.

I do not see the same downsides in this new program, which is focused on individuals and not shops. No inventory issues (repair shops need to stock parts which, according to Louis, Apple prevents), since individuals will just order what they need. And waiting for a part is no different than waiting for Apple to ship out your device, and does not require a trip to the Apple Store.

One question that Louis does raise, that we won’t know for some time, is how granular a repair Apple’s new program will allow. Can I order just the part I need (say, a $100 MacBook LED display vs a $900 display assembly)? If so, that would be a home run for do-it-yourselfers.

Google Maps adds “busyness”, other features

Written by

Google Maps blog:

Whether you’re heading to your hometown or exploring a new city, you can use Area Busyness, a new feature that combines live busyness trends to help you instantly spot when a neighborhood or part of town is near or at its busiest.

And:

Want more info? Tap on a neighborhood to see how busy it is at different times of day, along with the restaurants, shops and recreational places (like a museum) within it, so you can decide if you want to visit.

And for malls, airports, train stations, etc.:

To help you find your way around large buildings fast, we’re expanding the Directory tab globally on Android and iOS for all airports, malls and transit stations around the world. Now, when we have this data available, you can quickly see what types of stores are in a building (like toy stores or jewelry boutiques), airport lounges, car rentals, parking lots and more. And within each category, you can see a list of the relevant businesses, in addition to helpful information about whether it’s open, its rating and what floor it’s on.

And “pickup with Google Maps”:

Once you place your order from the retailer, pickup with Google Maps lets you track your order status, share your ETA and let the store know you’ve arrived, all from the app.

And:

As of today, it’s now available in over 2,000 store locations in more than 30 states across the U.S. People who use pickup with Google Maps typically wait less than five minutes for their groceries, meaning you can grab exactly what you need and get right back to your day.

This all feels like a challenge for Apple Maps, especially the funneling of store order pickup relationships to Google Maps.

Apple backs off of breaking Face ID after DIY iPhone 13 screen replacements

Written by

Jay Peters, The Verge:

Soon after the iPhone 13 launched, repair experts found that swapping out iPhone 13 screens would break Face ID unless you also moved over a tiny control chip from the original screen. It’s a complex process that makes one of the most common types of repairs prohibitively difficult for independent repair shops.

More to the point:

Apple-authorized repair shops, on the other hand, have access to a software tool that can make a phone accept a new screen.

So what’s changed?

Apple tells The Verge it will release a software update that doesn’t require you to transfer the microcontroller to keep Face ID working after a screen swap.

Perfect.

Toys “R” Us is coming back

Written by

CNBC:

Macy’s is joining forces with the owner of Toys R Us to bring an assortment of toys, games and other gadgets for kids to more than 400 of the department store chain’s locations and online.

The Toys R Us shop-in-shops in Macy’s will roll out next year, the companies announced Thursday.

Are you a Toys “R” Us kid? Did you ever go to Toys “R” Us to buy Lego sets, video games, or a new bike?

Glad to see this brand survive, even if only for nostalgia’s sake. Strikes me as good for Macy’s, a way to keep their stores relevant, or at least make better use of their space, adding a draw for parents and kids.

President Joe Biden will direct Federal Trade Commission to draft new “right to repair” rules

Written by

Justin Sink, Bloomberg:

President Joe Biden will direct the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to draft new rules aimed at stopping manufacturers from limiting consumers’ ability to repair products at independent shops or on their own, a person familiar with the plan said.

The executive order leaves the specifics to the FTC, so it’s not clear how big an impact this will have. One particular aim here:

The order is also expected to benefit farmers, who face expensive repair costs from tractor manufacturers who use proprietary repair tools, software, and diagnostics to prevent third-parties from working on the equipment.

As to Apple and control over repair of Macs, iPhones, iPads, and the like, there are a wide range of possibilities here. Might Apple be forced to allow non-Apple approved parts into their warranty programs? In other words, might I be able to get a non-Apple replacement display for my iPhone without voiding my warranty?

Or, deeper still, might the new rules force a design change to Apple’s manufacturing, making it simpler for me to, say, swap out RAM or an SSD on my Apple device to give me more storage, without paying the Apple RAM/SSD premium price?

UPS places package pickup limits on Gap, Nike, others to manage E-Commerce surge

Written by

Wall Street Journal:

United Parcel Service Inc. imposed shipping restrictions on some large retailers such as Gap Inc. and Nike Inc. this week, an early sign that the pandemic-fueled online shopping season is stretching delivery networks to their limits.

The delivery giant on Cyber Monday notified drivers across the U.S. to stop picking up packages at six retailers, including L.L. Bean Inc., Hot Topic Inc., Newegg Inc. and Macy’s Inc., according to an internal message viewed by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by UPS workers in different regions.

And, most importantly:

“No exceptions,” the message said.

To me, this news shows a canary in the coal mine.

We are growing ever more dependent on our delivery services, dramatically more so in these pandemic times. And, clearly, these systems are showing the strain.

One question I have: Will we go back to “normal” when the pandemic ends? Or have we permanently changed our habits, ordering food and groceries rather than leaving the house, eliminating visits to malls and other shopping centers? Brick and mortar shops have clearly been damaged in 2020. Many will not return. What will emerge in their place?

Apple expands its independent repair program to cover Mac

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Apple Inc said on Monday it had expanded a program that provides parts and training to independent repair shops to cover its Mac computers.

Apple initially launched the program last year, but it only covered iPhones, the company’s biggest-selling product. Mac users previously either had to use Apple or an authorized warranty service provider to get fixes with parts directly from Apple.

This is going to make a lot of independent repair shops very happy.

More than half of all Apple Stores worldwide have reopened

Written by

Michael Steeber, 9to5Mac:

256 of 510 Apple Stores across the globe are now open, including Thursday morning’s reopening of three locations in North Carolina and two in Virginia.

Amazing. Feels like a whole different universe, the before COVID-19 and this new reopening. Can’t help but wonder what social distancing habits will be with us for the long haul, what long term changes will come to brick and mortar shops and restaurants.

Jeff Bezos coronavirus memo to all employees

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Over the weekend, Jeff Bezos sent out a memo to all employees. Follow the headline link to read the whole thing, but here are a few excerpts: Across the world, people are feeling the economic effects of this crisis, and … Continued

Ricky Gervais roasts Apple at last night’s Golden Globes [VIDEO]

Written by

Last night’s Golden Globes felt unmoored, Ricky Gervais in full, uncontrolled roast mode. Tim Cook was there, along with Apple TV+ stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Jason Momoa.

Take a look at the video (quick, before the video is DMCA’d) in the embedded tweet for the double-edged take on The Morning Show and “sweat-shops in China”.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1213998800852795392

Ouch.

Apple ramps up big push in China to train new app developers

Written by

Reuters:

Apple Inc has started a program in Shanghai to help Chinese developers create apps as part of the iPhone maker’s efforts to build out its services business in one of its most critical overseas markets.

The program, or accelerator, will hold lectures, workshops and networking sessions for developers regularly, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. More than 2.5 million developers for Apple’s platforms are from greater China, a region that includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.

Apple has two main problems to solve in China to bolster revenues: Build more iPhones and raise services. The developer training program won’t help with the first, but it will definitely help with the second, as App Store revenue is booked under services.

Apple says iPhones with third-party batteries now eligible for repairs

Written by

MacRumors:

iPhones with aftermarket batteries installed by third-party repair shops are now eligible for service at Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers, according to an internal Apple document obtained by MacRumors from three reliable sources.

And:

The updated guidelines went into effect Thursday and should apply worldwide. Apple will still decline service for iPhones with third-party logic boards, enclosures, microphones, Lightning connectors, headphone jacks, volume and sleep/wake buttons, TrueDepth sensor arrays, and certain other components.

Good news and a small step towards right to repair.

To save the sound of a Stradivarius, a whole city must keep quiet

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What an incredible undertaking. I know nothing about violins or their sound and couldn’t tell the difference between a Stradivarius and a Nova Scotia fiddle but I love that these people are undertaking the effort to capture the sound of these magnificent instruments.

Apple’s very first retail store, at Tysons Corner Center, and a rumored closure/move

Written by

Michael Steeber, 9to5Mac:

Apple’s historic Tysons Corner store could be preparing to see an inspired move. Recent plans indicate that construction of a significantly larger and more modern replacement space may soon begin at the nearby Tysons Galleria.

This is big news. The Apple Store at Tysons Corner was the very first one in the world. It was the store that saw the first massive lineups waiting for the chance to buy an iPhone. It was Steve’s brainchild, a plan that would upend the entire concept of retail success.

I love this store. It’s my go-to store, and continues to be massively busy, even when the mall in which it lives is relatively empty (which is rare – it’s a very busy mall). It is a true cornerstone for the mall, a shopping destination for many.

Michael’s article is a good read, with lots of useful links. I would add a few clarifying points.

First, the existing Apple Store is in a mall called Tysons Corner Center, an extremely large, almost always busy, indoor mall. It is on the second floor of the mall, with massive glass doors that allow entry from the mall, into a relatively large rectangular space. No trees, no staircases, just a big retail rectangle dotted with typical Apple Store fixtures and furniture.

It carries none of the architectural details of the later Apple Store evolutions, but it is what it is. The space is boxed in by other retail stores and there are no real options to expand or upgrade the space in any significant way.

The second location referred to in the article is in a nearby mall called Tysons Galleria (to us locals, it’s called Tysons II). Tysons Corner Center is a mall for the people, with typical chain shops, affordable (at least for the region). Tysons II is notably upscale, with high end jewelers, boutique clothiers and pricy kitchen shops. Tysons Corner Center has massive amounts of parking, well managed, and Tysons II has limited parking, with lots of driving around looking for a space.

There is a metro stop between the two malls. Notably, the metro stop has a pedestrian bridge designed for access to Tysons Corner Center (the one with the existing Apple Store), and no trivial way to get to Tysons II (short of walking along busy roads, dodging traffic).

Lots to process here. I would love to see another Apple Store open in the area. I would hate to see the historic first Apple Store close in favor of a new location that is in a high end boutique center, with relatively little foot traffic, that is harder to get to, and far less pedestrian/parking friendly.

As far as I can tell, no formal announcements have been made. Clearly, the retail pieces are moving, rare anchor space being opened up. So it does seem likely that something will happen here. Following with bated breath.