What to expect at Apple's WWDC 2018

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple has announced that the WWDC 2018 Keynote will be livecast out of the McEnery Center in San Jose so the world can tune in to their Safari browsers (or Edge, Chrome or Firefox) or Apple TVs to see the announcements unfold. WWDC kicks off on June 4.

What's expected this year aside from the yearly updates to iOS, watchOS, macOS and other surrounding operating systems and ecosystems is more focus on Machine Learning, possibly a Siri redux hopefully making the pioneering but stunted smart assistant more of a player in the market.

Apple hasn't had a major event for 2018 but it has had various OS 11 and 11.3  issues as well as growing dissatisfaction with aspects of its hardware products like the keyboard on the MacBook Pro, reports of iPhone performance throttling due to sub-optimal batteries on older devices as well as a number of products announced but never shipped (AirPower, AirPods charging case).

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Apple offering $50 refund for out of warranty iPhone 6 or later battery replacements

Apple Canada announced an iPhone Out-Of-Warranty Battery Replacement Credit for customers who paid for an out of warranty battery replacement as a result of the performance throttling issues on older iPhones with sub-optimal battery life.

Apple is offering a $50 credit to customers who paid for an out-of-warranty battery replacement for iPhone 6 or later devices between January 1, 2017 and December 28, 2017.  Eligible battery replacements were completed at an Apple authorized service location — Apple Store, Apple Repair Center, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

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Apple could possibly ship blue, yellow, and pink iPhones later this year according to analyst

Colour has always played a part in Apple's product strategy with certain colours being sold as exclusive or limited editions at a premium, as well as new colours, preferably red, to inject more interest into older or plateauing product lines.

For 2018, some analysts believe Apple will focus its more affordable iPhone line into more colourful blue, yellow and pink models. This will be for the possible replacement of the iPhone SE, which is the current more affordable basic iPhone which is almost two years old. StreetInsider speculates the coloured iPhones will resemble the iPhone X, but will have more affordable LCD displays,

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Apple makes strides in advancing carbon-free aluminum smelting, brings $188 million investment to Canada

Apple has played a crucial role in an international joint venture that could forever change global manufacturing of aluminum. A key component used in the production of Macs, iPads, iPhones and Apple Watch products, many technology companies like Apple prefer aluminum because of its strength and lightness as well as the various ways it can be treated.

By using aluminum in its products at scale, Apple has been able to find ways to make production more effecient and less wasteful as well as develop new processes.

Leading aluminum manufacturing companies Alcoa and Rio Tinto have developed, "a revolutionary process to make aluminum that produces oxygen and replaces all greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional aluminum smelting process. The technology represents the culmination of decades’ worth of research and development," Apple's statement said. 

According to the news. Alcoa, Rio Tinto, the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec and Apple agree to provide a combined investment of CAD $188 million, which is a large investment in Canada, where the smelting will take place.

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