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HomeKit Weekly: Using Automation to put sensors to work
HomeKit Weekly is a new series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
In our third installment of HomeKit Weekly, we’re going to explore how to make HomeKit-enabled sensors more useful through automation in Apple’s Home app. 9to5Mac has also teamed up with FIBARO to offer a HomeKit bundle giveaway, so this week we’ll highlight ways to put those products to work.
YouTuber demos new TrueDepth face tracking features in GarageBand on iPhone X [Video]
During its education event yesterday, Apple announced updates to its iWork apps for iOS that add support for the Apple Pencil. Afterwards, the company also quietly pushed an update for GarageBand for iOS that adds support for facial tracking via the TrueDepth camera on iPhone X…
Toyota expands its standard CarPlay offerings with 2019 RAV4 and Corolla Hatchback
What is Ecommerce? [Quick Guide]
Ecommerce, short for “electronic commerce,” is the process of buying and selling physical or electronic items online.
In 2018, ecommerce is more popular than ever before. For many people, it has replaced brick-and-mortar stores as the preferred way to shop. Mobile devices have greatly contributed to the rise of ecommerce: it’s estimated that mobile will account for 70% of all ecommerce traffic by the end of this year alone.
Social media sites like Facebook have further helped ecommerce gain popularity. Facebook reported an advertising revenue of $9.16 billion in the second quarter of 2017 (which is a 47% increase since the second quarter of 2016), and 87% of Facebook’s overall advertising revenue comes from mobile devices. As social media sites merge with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, more people will begin integrating ecommerce into their daily shopping habits.
Ecommerce isn’t going anywhere, and it’s only going to keep getting bigger: According to Digital Commerce 360, ecommerce will account for 17% of all retail sales by 2022.
What is ecommerce?
Ecommerce is short for “electronic commerce,” and is any business or commercial transaction conducted electronically. Ecommerce is most well-known as the process of buying and selling physical or electronic items online. Examples include online retail shopping, auction sites like eBay, trading goods and services between corporations, and online banking.
Types of Ecommerce
There are three primary types of ecommerce transactions:
- Business to Business (B2B), in which one business sells directly to another business.
- Business to Consumer (B2C), in which a business sells directly to consumers.
- Consumer to Consumer (C2C), in which one consumer is selling to another via auction or social media (eBay and Craigslist are good examples of this, but so is Facebook marketplace).
Although online shopping is the most obvious form of ecommerce, online banking is technically also considered ecommerce.
Benefits of Ecommerce
Ecommerce is beneficial for businesses in a few major ways: it can reduce costs by limiting the expenses of owning and running a physical store. It’s faster and more convenient than most traditional business transactions, and it can reach consumers in areas where geographical barriers would have prevented the expansion of physical retail locations.
Investing in ecommerce can also increase revenue: it allows businesses to reach more customers than physical locations alone, and also has big potential to influence more in-store purchases.
For consumers, ecommerce reduces costs by offering you more options. For example, if you go to Best Buy, you must pay Best Buy prices for a TV. Online, you can compare Best Buy TV costs to Target TV costs, or you can check out identical TV brands on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and countless other sites. Essentially, ecommerce lets you compare prices with the entire world, rather than just your geographical region, which can afford you the luxury of choosing the best brand for your budget.
As ecommerce evolves, it’s important to keep an eye on ecommerce trends. Even if you’re a brick-and-mortar shop, you can still benefit from learning about ecommerce, since ecommerce is a good indicator of what consumers expect and want from their shopping experience.
Tim Cook schools Facebook on privacy, talks upcoming campus and education strategy in new interview
Apple’s Tim Cook sat down today with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and Recode’s Kara Swisher for an interview following the company’s special education event yesterday. Cook shared more details about Apple’s vision for how tech and education will complement each other, the future of jobs, his ideas and some advice on privacy, and some choice words for Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Making The Grade: Why Apple’s education strategy is not based on reality
On Tuesday, Apple laid out its clearest vision of their education strategy to date. That strategy revolves completely around the iPad in classrooms. Apple is keeping the iPad at the center of everything it does in education. Read 9to5Mac‘s recap for a rundown on everything Apple announced yesterday, and read on for my take from a classroom IT management perspective.
The best HDD/SSD solutions for Logic Pro X users, content creators and more
Today we are going to be taking a look at some of our favorite options for storing our sample libraries and other files for content creation. No matter what it is we are creating, at some point or other, storage is a must, whether it’s for project assets, backups or archival purposes. While this particular roundup will be focusing mainly on music producers and their sample libraries, many of our suggestions will work with other applications as well. more…
iOS 11.3 suggests new pride face coming to Apple Watch
Apple just released a new build of iOS 11.3 for the new 9.7-inch iPad announced yesterday. This build looks like it’ll be the final or golden master version of iOS 11.3. As is usual with GM or final builds, Apple tends to keep some new features secret until then, redacting them from developer and public betas.
Win a HomeKit bundle from FIBARO & 9to5Mac [Giveaway]
To celebrate the launch of our new Homekit Weekly series, we’ve teamed up with FIBARO to give away a HomeKit bundle to turn your house into a Siri-controlled smart home. HomeKit Weekly is a new series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
Our giveaway bundle includes The Button, the company’s new HomeKit-compatible micro-sized hardware switch that goes up for preorder in the US this week. Check out FIBARO’s newest HomeKit line up and the four products we’ve packaged (a total value of $250+ USD) to give you the ultimate HomeKit experience below:
1Password 7 beta for Mac debuts with new coat of paint, nested tags, pop-out items, much more
9to5Toys Lunch Break: HomePod $330, Best Buy Apple Event, new iPad pre-order deals w/ gift cards, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. more…
DOJ report concludes that the FBI inadvertently misled Congress about the San Bernardino iPhone
A Department of Justice investigation has concluded that the FBI inadvertently misled Congress when it said that it had exhausted all attempts to access the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers.
The FBI claimed in a court filing that it had no means to access data stored on the iPhone without Apple’s assistance, a claim later repeated to Congress. A report covering this statement concludes that while it was technically true, it gave a misleading impression …
How to pre-order Apple’s latest iPad: $25 Best Buy gift card offer, tax benefits, more
Yesterday, Apple took the stage at Lane Tech in Chicago to unveil the newest 9.7-inch iPad along with a host of other accessories and education-focused initiatives. Now retailers are beginning to offer pre-orders on Apple’s latest release, and we’ve rounded up all of the best offers below. That includes a free $25 gift card to Best Buy, potential tax savings and more. Head below for the full list.
9to5Mac Daily 052 | Apple Education Event Takeaways
In this special (extended) episode of 9to5Mac Daily, Zac Hall discusses Apple’s education event in Chicago with Bradley Chambers who attended the keynote. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Sponsored by Setapp: Get a 100+ high-quality Mac apps for thousands off retail with Setapp’s 50% off Education pricing.
Venue for yesterday’s education event will become hub for Chicago teacher training for Everyone Can Code initiative
Apple last year announced a major expansion of its Everyone Can Code initiative, aimed at making the Swift-based coding curriculum available to half a million Chicago students.
In support of this program, Apple has today revealed that Lane Tech College Prep High School – the venue for yesterday’s education event – will become a hub for teacher training in the curriculum …
