In this week’s top stories: Sleep tracking with Apple Watch, expectations for Apple’s March event, WWDC wallpapers, the forgotten history of obscure Apple accessories, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s biggest stories…

Sylvania HomeKit Light Strip

This week, Zac outlined everything we could see at Apple’s education event next week. The event is expected to focus on a new entry-level iPad with Apple Pencil support, as well as new software features for educators and students alike.

Furthermore, Apple itself leaked the official release notes for macOS 10.13.4, highlighting iMessage Business Chat on the desktop and eGPU support. Notably missing from the notes, however, is a mention of Messages in iCloud.

Popular app Sleep++ was updated this week with support for automatic sleep tracking, a morning sleep summary, and more. Heres’ how Zac described it in his coverage:

This works because Sleep++ can analyze data automatically captured by the Apple Watch like calories burned, steps taken, and heart rate to determine sleep hours and quality without any input from the user.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Apple is building its own MicroLED screens with a secret manufacturing facility in California. While we are still several years away from seeing MicroLED in Apple products, the technology will reportedly come first to Apple Watch.

Lastly, Apple announced a range of new Apple Watch bands with “vibrant colors for spring,” including new Nike, Woven Nylon, Sport Bands, and more.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below…

iOS | macOS | tvOS | watchOS

iPad, Mac, & Apple Watch |

iPhone | 

HomePod & HomeKit |

Apps |

Accessories |

Commentary |

AAPL Company |

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This week’s top video |

Happy Hour Podcast #165 |

This week Benjamin and Zac discuss Apple’s plans for microLED displays in future Apple Watches and iPhones, the new iPhone X Face ID ad and lingering bugs in iOS, the behind-the-scenes video showing how the HomePod ad was created, 9to5Mac’s new HomeKit Weekly series, new features recently added to Alexa, what we expect from Apple’s education event next week, new Apple Watch bands that were announced, and the roll out of GymKit workout equipment.

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

9to5Mac Daily |

Welcome to 9to5Mac Daily, a podcast bringing you the latest in Apple news and top 9to5Mac stories every Monday through Friday. 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.

Making The Grade |

Making The Grade is a new weekly series from Bradley Chambers covering Apple in education. Bradley has been managing Apple devices in an education environment since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing 100s of Macs and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple’s products work at scale, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for students.

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Featured in top image: Dell 38-inch Curved Monitors, Grovemade’s Desk Shelf System, Nixie Tube Clock, Apogee Quartet, KRK VXT6 Studio Monitor speakers.