Michael is a Creative Editor who covered Apple Retail and design on 9to5Mac. His stories highlighted the work of talented artists, designers, and customers through a unique lens of architecture, creativity, and community.
Contact Michael on Twitter to share Apple Retail, design, and history stories: @MichaelSteeber
As Apple continues to work through a shrinking list of classic retail stores in need of upgrades, customers in Reston, Virginia may be next in line to receive an improved in-store experience. According to Reston Now, new building permits filed with Fairfax County indicate Apple’s plans for an imminent store expansion.
Following nearly 9 months of renovation and expansion work, Apple’s retail store in Natick, Massachusetts will reopen on February 16th at 10:00 A.M. local time. The updated location is expected to more than double the width of the previous storefront as a Forum and Video Wall are added.
For creative professionals, the prospects of a new artistic tool are incredibly exciting. New tools mean new workflows, and new workflows mean new opportunities to work free from the constraints that hold back creativity. One of the most promising new artistic tools on the horizon is Adobe’s Project Gemini, a bold new drawing and painting app arriving on the iPad later this year.
Shaping the future of iPad creativity are the Gemini 10, a small group of artistic professionals given exclusive access by Adobe to work with and provide feedback on Project Gemini prior to release. We talked with illustrator and Gemini 10 member Tracie Ching to learn more about the new app and how the iPad has transformed her work.
Yesterday, Apple announced that 30-year company veteran Deirdre O’Brien has been named senior vice president of Retail + People at Apple, a newly created role that merges employee relations responsibilities with retail experience management. Angela Ahrendts, the company’s current senior vice president of Retail, will depart in April after five years at Apple.
News of Ahrendts’ departure came as a surprise to the industry, leading Apple watchers and enthusiasts to speculate on the terms of her departure and Apple’s retail health. As the most senior member of leadership directly connected to Apple’s service and support channels, Ahrendts’ decisions are often analyzed through the emotional lens of customers frustrated by technical difficulties with their products or a stressful trip to the mall. But Apple makes decisions for long-term growth, not based on short-term impulses. So what does this executive shakeup say about the future of Apple retail?
Update: Apple has refreshed its Leadership webpage to reflect O’Brien’s new role in retail.
After 5 years leading Apple’s retail initiatives, Angela Ahrendts will be stepping down as Apple’s senior vice president of Retail in April, according to Apple. In her place, Deirdre O’Brien is taking on the role of SVP of Retail + People.
Update: The Eve Light Strip is now available to order for $79. It communicates to HomeKit over WiFi, no bridge required.
Connected home company Eve (formerly Elgato) is back again at CES with an update on its previously announced Eve Energy Strip and Eve Light Strip. Last year at CES the company introduced the Eve Room and Button and later restructured its focus exclusively on smart home devices.
Apple may be planning a significant upgrade to its retail store in Vancouver’s Pacific Centre shopping mall. Plans unearthed by Daily Hive Vancouver reveal an expansive, multilevel glass pavilion destined to replace the mall’s rotunda entrance.
When it comes to FaceTime chats and video conferencing, it can be difficult to position your device in a way that creates a flattering and professional representation of yourself. It’s even tougher to compose a properly lit scene in rooms that may have limited lighting. Video accessory maker Lume Cube is hoping to change that with its new Lume Cube AIR VC, a video lighting solution that mounts right on your devices.
Between work and hobbies, I spend a significant amount of my time online. While some of my most enriching discussions have begun over the internet, online life can also make it easy to fall into an exhausting echo chamber of negativity and homogenous thought. That’s one reason I’ve been such a vocal supporter of Today at Apple. The program of free creative sessions hosted at every Apple store worldwide helps me broaden my horizons through positive thinking and understand the perspectives of people I would’ve otherwise never met.
Adobe today is rolling out January’s update to XD, its Creative Cloud-based prototyping and experience design tool. The latest additions build upon popular features introduced to XD last year at the Adobe MAX Creativity Conference.
Today at Apple is about to change in a big way. Starting January 31st, Apple Store visitors will be greeted by a whole new set of more than 50 creative sessions to explore. Apple has collaborated with experts in disciplines ranging from video to health and fitness to develop compelling content that will help you explore the topics you’re passionate about.
Ahead of the launch of a new schedule of Today at Apple sessions and the upcoming grand opening of Apple Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., Vogue Business checked in with Apple Retail SVP Angela Ahrendts to learn more about the company’s thoughts on the future of brick and mortar stores and the importance of experiential retail.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Irazabal
Apple’s permeating iPhone upgrade promotion continues to gain momentum. After extending the limited time offer in Japan yesterday, Apple has now revised its U.S. trade-in deal, offering customers a new attractive monthly payment option if you make the upgrade in an Apple Store.
Photo via @takoyaki_motoya
As the day came to a close in Sendai, Japan, so did another chapter in Apple’s retail history. Today marked the permanent closure of Apple Sendai Ichibancho, one of the world’s smallest standalone Apple stores. To say farewell to the well-loved location, fans and customers gathered in and around the store all day to make their final purchases and attend the last Today at Apple sessions offered inside.
As the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland continues, Apple CEO Tim Cook today met with Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Amidst discussion of progress in the Czech economy and advancements in artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister suggested Apple establish an official retail location in the country’s capital of Prague.
Since opening in October 2017, Apple Michigan Avenue on the Chicago River has become a must-see destination for Apple fans, architecture enthusiasts, and creative professionals. The Foster + Partners-designed store draws visitors from the Magnificent Mile shopping corridor, offering stunning views of the river and a glass-wrapped performance space like no other. The site’s popularity and visibility have now earned it a pricey real estate deal.
Each year, the American Institute of Architects highlights just a few carefully considered spaces to win its Interior Architecture Awards. Each project selected is deemed an innovative and spectacular interior space that makes a mark on the places we live and work. For 2019, New York City’s Apple Upper East Side has been awarded, adding to store’s impressive list of design accolades.
If you’ve visited any Apple store over the past few years, you’ve probably observed the tiny Sphero robots that often zoom around, piloted by children testing out iOS-connected accessories. Depending on the visit, you may have also noticed elaborate patterns constructed from blue painters tape on the store’s floor. These mazes are used as a course for the Sphero Maze Challenge Kids Hour, a popular Today at Apple session. While the mazes began with rudimentary layouts serving as obstacle courses for the robots, an increasing number of stores have turned the maze designs into a new art form that adds an extra dash of creativity.
Last week I attended CES in Las Vegas to help bring you 9to5Mac’s coverage of the latest tech products and Apple accessories going into 2019. While hands-on videos are one of the most effective ways to share the news, they can also be the most challenging to create amidst the chaos that is the show floor. This year, I decided to take my video workflow iOS-only and see what I could learn along the way.
Changes are in store for one of Apple’s most significant retail spaces in Spain. Apple Passeig de Gràcia will soon close its doors temporarily for renovation work. Upon reopening, the store is expected to be updated with a Forum, Video Wall, and all of Apple’s latest store features.
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.
Earlier this week at CES 2019, Signify expanded its Philips Hue line of outdoor lighting products with a new outdoor motion sensor and a variety of wall-mounted fixtures. 9to5Mac went hands-on with the new products to get a better look.
When it comes to using your iPhone as a mobile video rig, you’ll find a variety of products from stabilizers to lenses to external lighting. Few solutions, however, put a strong emphasis on audio. Microphone manufacturer Shure hopes to change the status quo with its new MV88+ Video Kit, a collection of accessories designed to help you create professional videos with great sounding audio.
Nanoleaf’s colorful light panels have long been popular with HomeKit fans looking to add a little bit of visual interest and ambiance to a wall or a room. After introducing the Canvas Light Squares at CES 2018, Nanoleaf is expanding its lineup again this year with hexagonal light panels. We took a hands-on look.