Air Canada to use IBM apps on Apple mobile devices

Air Canada joins around 500 companies working with Apple and its enterprise partner IBM. This partnership was formed to help boost the stagnant sales of the iPad and to help make inroads in the enterprise market. Apple CFO Luca Maestri revealed details of this partnership during a call to discuss the company’s third-quarter earnings.

Maestri won’t divulge how many workers are using the apps. Although, for example, only a few Air Canada flight attendants could be using the Passenger+ app. This app lets them see passenger and flight information via an iPad. Other companies and even governments working with Apple and IBM include U.K. energy provider National Grid, Mexican bank Banorte, and American Eagle Outfitters. The companies are also working with the Japanese government for solutions to help care for its aging population. The partnership has yielded 35 apps and they still seem to be on track to meet the 100 apps they plan to release by the end of the year.

Source: ComputerWorld

Apple celebrates iPhone appreciation with new series of ads

iPhone is Apple's most important and profitable product, it is also the nerve-centre of various expanding ecosystems (i.e. HealthKit, watchOS, CarPlay, AirPlay, HomeKit). The latest series of ads titled 'If it's not an iPhone," celebrate iPhone ownership while possibly shooting missives at some rival devices that have copied aspects of the iPhone's look and feel. The new ads have a slick yet playful vibe, reminiscent of the classic iPod advertisements of years past.

Source: Apple

First Apple-designed packaging for third-party peripherals shows up at stores

There's a huge ecosystem of Apple and Mac peripherals ranging from MacBook cases to external hard drives and docking solutions to an endless assortment of iPhone and iPad cases, battery solutions and add-ons. Few of these products are lucky to be selected by Apple to be featured in the Apple Retail Store displays. 

Apple has apparently redesigned the packaging for many of these products so that they look more pleasing and also represent the products more accurately. There's a certain familiar Apple-ness to the way the above products are represented. 

Source: 9to5Mac

Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac is now available to Office 365 commercial customers

Office 2016 for Mac, which inlcudes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote is available for Office 365 consumer and commercial customers in 139 countries and 16 languages starting today! Featuring the familiar ribbon interface and powerful task panes, Office 2016 for Mac users will appreciate the integration of capabilities like Full Screen view and Multi-TouchTM gestures. Now with full Retina display support, Office documents look sharper and more vibrant than ever.

Based on feedback from the Mac Office community, Office 2016 for Mac delivers an improved cloud connected experience. Office 2016 for Mac has a familiar look and feel and works with Office for Windows, iOS, Android and Office Online.

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