Apple launched its cheapest iPhone SE and other products at an online event on Tuesday.
Here are five takeaways from the event.
Green Apple
The new iPhone SE and iPad Air are designed in a sustainable manner, the company said.
The smartphone is made up of recycled materials, including 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements. Its redesigned packaging eliminates the outer plastic wrap, bringing the company closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging in the next three years.
iPad Air comes with a 100 per cent recycled aluminium enclosure and 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in both the enclosure and audio magnets.
Apple is currently carbon neutral for global corporate operations and by 2030, it plans to have a net-zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and product life cycles.
Centre stage comes to iPad Air
iPad Air’s ultra-wide 12-megapixel front camera comes with the centre stage feature. It automatically keeps the users in the main frame as they move around. When others join in, the camera detects them, too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the same frame.
With the addition of centre stage to the new iPad Air, all iPad models now feature this experience.
In addition, there is a 12-megapixel wide camera on the rear of the new iPad Air that lets users capture photos, record videos, scan documents and experiment with various augmented reality experiences.
M1 Ultra: Apple's most powerful chip yet
Apple unveiled the M1 Ultra, the next giant step in the chip industry. It consists of 114 billion transistors, the most ever used in a personal computer chip.
It can run up to 22 trillion operations per second, speeding through the most challenging machine learning tasks, Apple said.
The company launched its own M1 chip in November 2020 to reduce its reliance on other chip manufacturers such as Intel and to avoid supply chain-related disruptions. It launched the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in October.
Attracting baseball fans
Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US announced “Friday Night Baseball” - a weekly double header with live pre- and postgame shows that will be available in eight countries on Apple TV+ as soon as the regular season begins.
“Just like all baseball fans, we can’t wait for the season to open,” said Peter Stern, Apple’s vice president of services.
“Baseball has a special place in the heart of so many Apple customers — not just in the US, but in many countries around the world. We are proud to make Apple TV+ the home for great baseball moments throughout the season,” he added.
Apple might launch new iOS 15.4 on March 18
Though Apple did not disclose the exact date of the launch of the consumer-version of its latest operation system, iOS 15.4, it indicated the update might be available from March 18.
This is the same day Apple’s new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro with green finishes will become available to customers. In a media statement on Tuesday, Apple said these phones will be shipped with the latest iOS 15.4.
Apple recently rolled out the fifth beta of iOS 15.4. It will offer many new features, such as a Face ID facial recognition system that works with masks and can recognise unique features around the eyes for verification.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
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THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
