Apple’s got a great stocking stuffer in the new Apple Pencil, and Digital Citizen Day in Canada.

New Apple Pencil makes it easier for iPad users to add a stylus

Here’s a fantastic stocking stuffer idea for those iPad owners in your life. In November, Apple’s releasing a new Apple Pencil that costs less. It’s only $109 CAD.

This new version works with any iPad with a USB-C port for charging and when used with an iPad Pro with M2 Apple Silicon, the new Apple Pencil can use the hover feature that is so popular with artists.

The Pencil charges with USB-C and it’s designed to go into hibernation when it connect magnetically to the side of an iPad.

The second generation Apple Pencil is $169 CAD and includes additional features like pressure sensitivity and wireless charging.

It’s Digital Citizen Day in Canada

Digital Citizen Day, part of Media Literacy Week, is a campaign by “Canada’s Centre for Digital Media Literacy,” Media Smarts.

In a release to promote the initiative, MediaSmarts executive director Kathryn Ann Hill said, “As citizens online, we’re exposed to the best and the most challenging sides of our digital world. Our social media feeds can sometimes feel like they’re filled with insults and negativity, but they can be used for good. Digital Citizen Day is an opportunity for us all to consider the role we play online and to engage positively.” 

They suggest:

• Pushing back against hate and prejudice online and reporting it 
• Sharing a kind or positive comment 
• Sending a funny message to brighten someone’s day 
• Making your voice heard about an issue you care about (in a constructive way) 
• Amplifying marginalized voices 
• Checking reputable sources before sharing info 
• Respecting other people’s privacy when sharing things online 

Events yet to happen this week include a virtual youth gambling awareness webinar at the YMCA of Greater Toronto, a hybrid event on how to fact check online presented by the North Vancouver City Library, and an online workshop from MediaSmarts to help youth recognize online hate.

And because digital things can also be positive, Canada Learning Code is hosting a virtual event to teach how to create generative art projects using JavaScript coding.