Your Genius Bar experience could be changing as soon as next month.
According to the rumor mill, Apple Retail is reportedly in the process of overhauling its Genius Bar experience. In a bid to better serve customers, starting from the week of March 9, a new initiative dubbed “Concierge” will be rolled out to replace walk-in appointments. The program involves Apple Store employees using an algorithm-driven iPad app to provide priority-assessed wait times for a customer’s query.
Western Union’s always been useful and Apple Pay support can only make it better.
Per 9to5Mac and BusinessWire, Western Union announced today that it’s now accepting Apple Pay, Apple’s new iPhone-based NFC payment service, across all of its flagship locations in the US.
That means you can now use the contactless payment service to send money and pay bills through Western Union stores as well as kiosks in around 7,600 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores.
Launched at Western Union’s flagship 1440 Broadway in New York City—with more participating Western Union Agent locations to follow—customers will be able to use their iPhone 6 to fund a Western Union Money Transfer transaction or bill payment.
It’s never a bad thing when a payment type gains additional support.
Per 9to5Mac, following the addition of eight additional card issuers and banks earlier this month, Apple has updated its list of supported institutions and card types to include 15 more credit unions and banks.
These new banks are listed as supporting Apple Pay as of today:
It never hurts to have a companion.
Per 9to5Mac, Apple is currently developing an application called the Apple Watch “Companion” app for iPhone. This application manages settings for Apple Watch applications, as well as settings for iPhone/Watch interactivity. The Companion app’s settings reveal some novel new functions that are coming to the Apple Watch.
Users will be able to manage and organize applications on the Apple Watch Home Screen via a virtual view on the iPhone Companion application.
There might be a kernel of truth here.
Per 9to5Mac and DigiTimes, Apple will begin production of its 12-inch MacBook Air in the first quarter of 2015, as production ramps at manufacturer Quanta. The device is expected to be razor-thin with just one USB Type C port doubling as both power and connectivity.
The price point of this device is not yet known. Interestingly, Digitimes reports that the device will usurp the 11-inch Air in the lineup, perhaps suggesting that the 12-inch Air will be in the same ballpark as far as price is concerned.