Technology

Tuesday Buzz: Apple’s Bold Product Refresh

The company offered redesigned versions of a number of its products, including the iPhone and Apple Watch. Also: What should you make of the Equifax hack?

Tuesday’s Apple event was full of activity—including the release of a new Apple Watch, an Apple TV refresh, and two new types of iPhone—one with an edge-to-edge screen and advanced face-scanning capabilities. (And a supersized price tag.)

The event had a few things worth discussing in the association space, including:

A new retail trend? With its latest updates to the Apple Store, the company seems interested in rethinking the larger locations as “town squares,” with more events going on and a focus on face-to-face interaction. Some thought the concept was a bit over the top, but it does suggest a blurring of the line between retail spaces and events, which might be worth keeping an eye on.

No wires, please. The company, perhaps a little later than some of its competitors, is going all in on wireless charging, with the goal of lessening our use of cables. Apple is using the Qi standard for its iPhone 8 and iPhone X, which gives event planners and venues interested in offering more charging options for attendees a starting point for making charging pads available for phones that support them. Beyond the new iPhones, the company’s AirPods and Apple Watch also support the technology.

Time for a watch app? With new cellular capabilities, the latest version of the Apple Watch will likely encourage more development for the device, which has grown in popularity in the years since its release. If you’ve looked longingly at the Apple Watch as a potential platform, the latest upgrades could prove to be a turning point.

One last thing: The event christened the company’s new Steve Jobs Theater, which is one of the centerpieces of the tech giant’s new Apple Park headquarters. If you like interesting architecture, it’s worth a look.

Avoid Your Own Equifax Incident

“The Equifax hackers got access to the personal information of 143 million Americans after exploiting a website application vulnerability. All it takes is one security hole.”

Over at DelCor, the company’s president, Dave Coriale, sees the situation with Equifax, which had the data of 143 million people stolen from its servers, as a warning for association executives not to be passive when it comes to security issues.

Coriale offers 12 steps that your organization should start with as it ponders its own security strategy. You can check them out over this way.

Other Links of Note

Slack is making some big changes. The company is now offering “Shared Channels,” which allow different companies to interact with one another through one channel. The group announced the feature at its new conference.

The customer service experience is evolving. A post on iamwire explains how new technologies are helping to shift that experience.

Does low engagement mean your members are unhappy? Not necessarily, writes Amanda Kaiser.

The new Apple iPhone X, announced Tuesday. (Handout photo)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments