ed tech | design | music
This business card was from the Mall of America Apple Store. The card is white with black type using the San Francisco corporate font and features a metallic silver Apple logo.
This Apple Store is located at:
114 West Market
Bloomington, MN 55425
apple.com/mallofamerica
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is a meeting held annually in and near Cupertino, California, by Apple. The event gathers thousands of software developers to learn about and discuss the latest software and technologies for Apple operating systems and platforms. Attendees can participate in hands-on labs with Apple engineers and in-depth sessions covering many topics.
Attendees of the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference expressed their interest to attend by entering an online lottery. Those who were selected and attended were given this canvas bag and some of the items shown in this post.
Canvas Bag
One side of the black canvas bag features a stylized “WW” representing “Worldwide” and printed below are the words “[Apple logo] Worldwide Developers Conference 2024.” The text is printed in light gray in a stylized version of San Francisco, Apple’s Corporate font.
The other side of the bag features the letters “DC” in a bold font representing “Developers Conference.” At the bottom, the location and date of the conference is printed, “Apple Park, June 10–14.”
The upper edge of the bag features a royal blue tag embroidered with “[Apple logo] WWDC24”
The bag measures 15.5 inches tall, 14.75 inches wide, and two loop handles add an additional 9.5 inches to the height of the bag.
Picnic Tarp
Some attendees referred to this item in a cylindrical drawstring bag as a “picnic blanket,” but it is made from a nylon material that more closely resembles a tarp. The cylindrical drawstring carrying bag is dark gray and has the words “Worldwide Developers Conference 2024” printed in black. The bag measures 5 inches tall, 4 inches in diameter, and has a 10-inch drawstring.
Inside the bag is a neatly folded royal blue nylon picnic tarp with a black border, rounded edges, and the designs are printed in black. One side features a single large black WWDC logo and the other side uses the WWDC24 logotype repeated multiple times to create a pattern. Although I did not precisely measure this tarp, I estimate it to be over 6 x 6 feet.
Small Pin Package Folder
The smaller of two matte black cardboard pin packages is printed on the front in glossy black ink “WWDC24,” and on the back with “[Apple logo] Worldwide Developers Conference 2024.” This cardboard folder package measures 2.5 inches wide and 3.25 inches tall.
Inside is a single lapel-style pin with the year “2024” using a font design similar to the WWDC24 logotype. The back of the pin uses a butterfly clutch pin fastener.
Large Pin Package Folder
The larger of two matte black cardboard pin packages is printed on the front in glossy black ink “WWDC24” and on the back with “[Apple logo] Worldwide Developers Conference 2024.” This cardboard folder package measures 3.25 inches wide and 4 7/8 inches tall.
Inside is a collection of six lapel-style pins, all using a butterfly clutch pin fastener on the backs. The pins include:
The swag bag also included a black water bottle with a white WWDC24 logo, but I do not [yet] have this in my collection.
Sources: Wikipedia (butterfly clutch, Apple typography), 9to5mac, WWDCScholars, Susan Kare
The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 42 mm and 46 mm Apple Watch models (2024), and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200 mm wrists (38, 40, 41, 42 mm) and 145–220 mm wrists (42, 44, 46, 49 mm).
Beginning with the Apple Watch 10 iteration, the 42 mm description became arguably more confusing, as the larger model of the original Apple Watch (Series 0 and 1) was described as “42 mm,” and now the smaller model of the current Apple Watch (Series 10) is described as “42 mm.”
Beginning in Fall 2024, Apple began offering bands in the monotone colors—a design concept first available nearly 10 years ago with the original Apple Watch. This “Ultramarine” color is a shade of blue with a hint of violet. The connector and closure plastics also matched the Ultramarine color of the band (as opposed to using contrasting colors for the plastics).
Apple also began describing this band as “Carbon Neutral” and including a description of the environmental benefits along with the general product description:
“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. This weave is made with 82% recycled yarns, some of which contain material from discarded fishing nets. This band is carbon neutral. The Sport Loop contains 45% recycled content by weight, 100% of manufacturing electricity is covered by clean energy, and 50% or more of all carbon neutral Apple Watch products are shipped without airplanes.”
Sources: Apple, Bandbreite app
The iPhone 16 Pro Silicone Case was “Designed by Apple to complement iPhone 16 Pro, the Silicone Case with MagSafe is a delightful way to protect your iPhone. Made with a 55 percent recycled silicone material, the case has a silky, soft-touch finish on the exterior that feels great in your hand. And on the inside, there’s a soft microfiber lining for even more protection.”
The case also included MagSafe magnets that extended the functionality of MagSafe built into the iPhone through the case. Apple described the functionality:
“With built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone 16 Pro, this case offers a magical attach experience and faster wireless charging, every time. When it’s time to charge, just leave the case on your iPhone and snap on your MagSafe charger, or set it on your Qi2 or Qi-certified charger.”
Apple named the color of this case “Ultramarine,” one of my favorite colors released by Apple so far. The color is a shade of blue with a hint of violet. Other Fall 2024 Apple accessories in Ultramarine include an iPhone 16 Silicone Case with MagSafe, a Sport Loop for Apple Watch, and a Solo Loop for Apple Watch.
Source: Apple
These pens were made of metal with a black satin finish. They retracted by twisting the barrel. Near the clip, they featured an Apple logo and the words Education Community in metallic gold. The logotype was printed in Apple’s San Francisco corporate font, used since 2015.
The end of the pen featured a black stylus tip that can be used to tap or write on a touchscreen such as an iPad or iPhone.
The weight of the pen conveyed a feeling of quality, and it measured approximately 5.75 inches long.
This vinyl sticker is custom-die cut in the shape of a cartoon-syle “thought bubble” printed with the words Apple Education Community. The text is printed in three colors (orange, blue, and violet). The sticker is on a white background with a primary accent and outline color of blue. The font used is a bold version of San Francisco, Apple’s corporate font since 2015.
The design also includes hand-drawn stylized versions of various icons used on the Apple Education site and a QR code. When scanned, the QR code leads to the URL education.apple.com.
These stickers were available at educational technology conferences and distributed in person by Apple Education Leadership Executives.
The custom die-cut sticker measures approximately 4.5 x 3 inches.
This vinyl sticker is printed with the words Apple ♥️s Educators. The text is printed in a multi-color-gradient color spectrum (purple, dark pink, orange, gold, green, teal) and the ♥️ symbol is red with a white QR code. The font used is a bold version of San Francisco, Apple’s corporate font since 2015.
When scanned, the QR code leads to the URL education.apple.com.
These stickers were available at educational technology conferences and distributed in person by Apple Education Leadership Executives.
The custom die-cut sticker measures approximately 5 x 1.25 inches.
This black mug features a stylized rainbow logo in colors reminiscent of Apple’s original six-color logo and the words “US Education Sales” printed in white in the Apple Garamond font, Apple’s corporate font from 1984–2003.
The mug was sent to Apple Employees who were part of the United States Apple Education Sales team in 2024.
Source: Wikipedia
The iPhone 16 Pro Clear Case was released along with the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024. Apple described the case as “Thin, light, and easy to grip — this Apple-designed case shows off the brilliant colored finish of iPhone 16 Pro while providing extra protection.”
Like the previous versions of Apple’s clear cases, this case uses multiple materials that are molded together to provide protection, grip, and access to buttons, using “a blend of optically clear polycarbonate and flexible materials.”
In addition, this case adds a new button that works “seamlessly with Camera Control. It features a sapphire crystal, coupled to a conductive layer to communicate finger movements to the Camera Control.” Camera Control was a new feature introduced with the iPhone 16 lineup that added one-button access to the camera and its controls using a touch-sensitive side-button. On the Clear Case, the Camera Control button is white (not clear) and made of a conductive material to allow full functionality of the iPhone button.
Like its predecessors, this case has “built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone…[offering] a magical attach experience and faster wireless charging, every time. When it’s time to charge, just leave the case on your iPhone and snap on your MagSafe charger.”
Apple also mentions that “all materials and coatings are optimized to prevent yellowing over time,” a claim that, in my experience, has stood the test of time. I first purchased Apple’s Clear Case with my iPhone 11 in September 2019 and it, along with the iPhone 12–15 cases, shows very little evidence of yellowing.
Source: Apple
Apple announced the iPhone 16 lineup on September 9, 2024, and the phones were released on Friday, September 20, 2024. In a press release, Apple described the iPhone 16 Pro models:
“Powered by the A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence, the Pro lineup introduces larger display sizes, Camera Control, innovative pro camera features, and a huge leap in battery life.”
The iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and also the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Max were marketed specifically as “featuring Apple Intelligence.” However, no Apple Intelligence features were available at launch, and no release was was shared. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s name for Artificial Intelligence, was described as different than other versions of AI because it “harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks.” Further, Apple Intelligence “maintains the privacy and security of user data with Private Cloud Compute.”
The iPhone 16 Pro (and Pro Max) models were made from titanium with four available finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. The Pro iPhone options offered no colors, just “finishes.” This example is black titanium.
The iPhone 16 Pro featured a 48MP Fusion camera that could record 4K video at 120 fps. The camera was further enhanced with “a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio.”
Apple also touted the bezel of the iPhone 16 Pro by saying it had, “the thinnest borders of any Apple product” with sizes including a 6.3 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro and a 6.9 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro Max (“the largest iPhone display ever”). The display on the iPhone 16 Pro was described as the Super Retina XDR display and had 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution at 460 ppi. It used Apple’s “latest-generation Ceramic Shield material that’s two times tougher than any smartphone glass.”
The iPhone 16 line introduced a new Camera Control button on the lower-right side. When turned sideways, the button was positioned in the traditional location of a camera capture button. Pressing the Camera Control button gave immediate access to the camera, and sliding your finger across the surface of the button allowed access to “functions like exposure or depth of field, and toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot.” At release, the “two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure with a light press” was not yet available, but was announced as coming “later this year.”
In addition to advanced camera and video capture, a new Audio Mix technology was also included with three settings that allowed for adjusting the way voices were recorded. According to Apple’s description:
The iPhone 16 Pro measured 5.89 inches high, 2.81 inches wide, and 0.32 inch thick. It weighed 7.03 ounces. All iPhone 16 models used a form of the A18 chip—a major bump from the A16 chip used in the iPhone 15, and an increase from the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Notably, Apple never released an A17 chip (only anA17 Pro)—they apparently skipped it in favor of using A18 generation chips in the iPhone 16 models to power their yet-to-be-delivered-at-launch Apple Intelligence features.
Sources: Apple (Newsroom, product, Specifications)
