Apple launches ResearchKit, 12-inch MacBook and Apple Watch

Apple has announced several products at the March 9 event, including a new 12-inch MacBook, the Apple Watch prices and a new ResearchKit for a fundamental leap in medical research.

Kicking the event off was HBO’s CEO Richard Plepler, announcing that the standalone streaming service HBO Now would be available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. It is part of a three month exclusivity deal, although HBO does state it will be available on PC on its website FAQ.
HBO Now will launch a week before the premiere of Game of Thrones on April 12, and will cost $14.99 per month.


Apple is launching a new software framework called ResearchKit, a follow up from the HealthKit launched in October; which already has 900 verified apps.
ResearchKit will allow Apple’s 700 million active iPhones to send health information to doctors, scientists and researchers, working on cures for common diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, breast cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and asthma, by taking a wide range of health information from all corners of the world.

The new 12-inch MacBook was announced at the event, featuring a complete redesign of the internals to create the thinnest and lightest MacBook ever. It is 13.1mm thin at its thickest point, and Apple claims the notebook is only 2 pounds light.
Apple has essentially scrapped anything deemed unnecessary internally, including the fan and several ports. Everything will go through the one USB-C port on the side of the device, capable of charging and supporting USB, VGA, display and other connectors.
The 12-inch MacBook features an edge-to-edge ‘retina’ display with 2304 x 1440 resolution. Apple has stuffed eight battery components into the MacBook, with a new technology allowing batteries to have layers, it will last 8 hours.
Internals include a 1.3GHz Intel Core M processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD, WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0. Apple is offering an upgraded version with more RAM and SSD storage, for $300 extra.
The original unit will be available for $1299.

We finally found out what the prices are for the Apple Watch too, starting at $349 for the Sport, $549 for the original and $10,000 for the Edition. The Watch Sport will feature an aluminium build, the original will feature a stainless steel build and the Watch Edition will feature an 18-karat gold body.