SmartKeyboard
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One's Smart Piano helped me play, but not understand
As a kid, I was given a book about a famous doctor who may or may not have been Albert Schweitzer. The first chapter is how he, as a young boy, learned the value of practice from his music teacher. It was a lesson he learned early enough to become not only a virtuoso musician but also a physician and philosopher. I suspect I was given the tome as a way of encouraging me to practice the piano in the hope of becoming as good as ol' Albo. That didn't quite happen.
Apple offers free Smart Keyboard repairs for up to three years
It's been about a year and a half since Apple's iPad Pro hit the market, which means the laptop-ditching early adopters have had plenty of time to mash the keys and put Apple's Smart Keyboard through some rigorous paces. Unfortunately for some users, however, those keyboards have started experiencing some "functional issues" like sticking or unresponsive keys and shoddy connections that make it difficult to actually get some work done. According to an internal memo circulated to Apple Stores and service providers last week, the company plans to address these issues by offering free repairs on any Smart Keyboard within three years of the purchase date.
iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard is available in your local language
The iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard is arguably its main selling point, but it hasn't been much good if you aren't North American -- you've had to rely on a US English layout so far. Thankfully, you won't have to go through hoops to type in your native language after today. Apple has released versions of the Smart Keyboard in numerous languages, including many European languages (such as British English, French, German and Spanish) as well as Arabic, Korean, Thai and others. The keyboards you can buy depend on the store you buy from, so you can't just get one in the language of your choice. Even so, it beats having to use the on-screen keyboard to express yourself.
Apple is reportedly launching a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March
9to5Mac is reporting that Apple plans to unveil a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at an event on March 15th, rather than the rumored Air 3. The new iPP would join its larger, 12.9-inch predecessor and incorporate support for both the Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil. Of course, with a smaller screen, Apple will have to resize the Smart Keyboard cover accessory to make it fit. 9to5Mac also reports that the smaller iPad Pro will come with the same color and storage options as the 12.9-incher.
Apple isn't the only one making an iPad Pro keyboard
If there's one company that has experience building iPad keyboards, it's Logitech. The accessory maker has made countless typing tools for Apple's tablets, so unsurprisingly, it's also working on one for the iPad Pro. It's called the Create Keyboard Case and, like Apple's own Smart Keyboard, connects through the new three-pronged Smart Connector. That means there's no need to pair or charge the attachment, because it draws all of its power and data directly from the tablet. Logitech says it was developed closely with Apple -- the first teaser image (above) hints at a full QWERTY layout and an exterior covered in a "tightly-woven premium fabric." Why choose the Create over the Smart Keyboard? For one, the Create has plastic keys -- rather than the fabric covered set found on Apple's offering -- and if you've seen the Smart Keyboard folded up, well, it doesn't look all that attractive. Logitech says it'll be available in the US and select parts of Europe and Asia when the iPad Pro goes on sale in November -- there's no word on pricing just yet, however.
A comic predicted Apple's iPad Pro keyboard 3 years ago
Humor writers are inadvertently prophetic at times -- just ask The Onion, whose joke about five-bladed razors was all too prescient. And apparently, that translates to the world of tech-themed comics. Hijinks Ensue and Sharksplode creator Joel Watson drew a comic in 2012 that predicted the iPad would get a Microsoft Surface-like keyboard cover in 2015... which it did, in the form of the iPad Pro's matching Smart Keyboard. The only real gaffe was imagining that the iPad keyboard would show up at WWDC, not a special event later in the year.
