Apple announcing new iMac & MacBook Pro’s Next Week

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Apple announcing new iMac & MacBook Pro’s Next Week
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Earlier this week, Apple sent out invites for a new virtual event happening next week. It’s happening on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 5PM PT. Which in itself is already quite strange. As Apple events are never on a Monday, and are always at 10AM PT. Apple also seems to be really leaning into the Halloween aspect here, as the next day is Halloween in the US. Using the tagline “Scary Fast”, which they also used on marketing images for the M1 chipset.

Now, ahead of Monday’s event, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has given us the low-down on what we can expect from Apple on Monday. Basically, it breaks down to a new iMac and new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros all running on M3. What’s surprising, is that Apple is planning to announce three chipsets on Monday – M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. Which is rather interesting, and unprecedented for Apple.

Starting with the new iMac, it’s expected to be a new 24-inch iMac. This one will include some internal design changes and a revamped stand. The colors are expected to remain mostly the same, but there could be a few more additions added. Apple has been testing the iMac with a M3 chipset, so it’s likely that it’s getting the baseline M3 chipset instead of a Pro or Max. Though, Apple could end up releasing it with an M3 Pro option, like the Mac Mini.

New MacBook Pros with up to 48GB of RAM

Gurman says that the new MacBook Pros are expected to be announced this week too. That’s the new 14- and 16-inch models, with M3 Pro and M3 Max processors inside. He also notes that Apple has been testing multiple versions of the M3 Pro processor, including a baseline version with 12 main processor cores, made up of six high-performance cores and six high-efficiency cores. And it also has 18 cores for processing graphics. That would be an increase of two CPU cores and two graphics cores over the current MacBook Pro with M2 Pro. There has also been M3 Pro chips with even more CPU and GPU cores too. Up to 14 main processing cores and up to 30 graphics cores.

Apple has also apparently been testing multiple versions of the M3 Max processor, which includes a top-end version with 16 main processing cores, and 40 graphics cores. On top of that, Apple has also been testing updated configurations for RAM, with new 24GB and 48GB options being available.

That’s not all. Gurman also gives us a preview of what’s coming in 2024. Apparently the MacBook Pro 13-inch isn’t done. It’s coming in 2024 with the base version of the M3 chipset. New M3-based MacBook Air 13 and 15 are coming in 2024, but are not scheduled for the first half of 2024.

Additionally, Apple is preparing M3-based iPads for 2024, which would include a new iPad Pro and iPad Air with M3. Apple is also preparing iPad MIni and a new entry-level iPad for 2024. Now for the bad news, AirPods won’t be updated until next year. The company is apparently working on new low-end models of AirPods Max headphones for late 2024 however, and AirPods Pro will be updated in 2025.


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Evolution of Twitter under Elon Musk’s Rule: the Everything app

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Evolution of Twitter under Elon Musk’s Rule: the Everything app
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In the realm of social media, where users are seasoned with constant updates, the past year has been particularly eventful for what was once known as Twitter. Under the guidance of Elon Musk, the platform transformed, rebranding itself from Twitter to “X, the everything app.”

Twitter or X introduced extended post lengths, video and audio calls. However, this transition also brought various limitations for free users, including restrictions on daily tweet and post readings. As we mark the first anniversary of Musk’s Twitter takeover, it’s essential to reflect on this journey and its implications.

Initially, enthusiasm surrounding the rebranded platform. But data reveals that X’s journey under Elon Musk’s leadership has been far from smooth. Analytics from Sensor Tower show that daily active mobile users on X dropped by approximately 15% in the year since October 2022. In contrast, competitors like YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook experienced growth during the same period.

The challenge of transformation from Twitter to Everything app

The transformation of Twitter into X brought forth a mix of changes that catered to different user groups. Premium users, who enjoy extended perks and features, are now three times more likely to stay engaged on the platform. The company incentivized creators with payouts amounting to $20 million. However, external research painted a less rosy picture. X claimed that advertisers were making a comeback, but a Reuters report contradicted this claim, stating that ad revenue was actually on the decline.

Another challenge that X faces is combating misinformation. Regulators in various parts of the world have expressed dissatisfaction with the platform’s efforts to fight the spread of false information. The EU, for example, found that X was struggling in this regard.

The Road Ahead for Everything app

As X completes its first year under Musk’s leadership, the company is looking to the future. It envisions itself as the “everything app,” with plans to develop a Payments feature for transactions and purchases. Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, hopes to make money flow as freely as information and conversation, aiming to create a global payment system with initial money transmitter licenses secured in multiple states.

The journey from Twitter to X has been marked by both challenges and aspirations. As the platform navigates this transformative phase, the next year will be crucial in determining whether X can regain the momentum it once had as Twitter and establish itself as the “everything app” envisioned by Elon Musk.


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Some have conflicting ideas about a new MacBook Pro M3 leak

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Some have conflicting ideas about a new MacBook Pro M3 leak
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In the tech industry, leaks are almost inevitable, and the coming MacBook Pro M3 has got its fair slice of the pie. This performance-oriented laptop will launch in the coming Apple Scary Fast event slated for October 30. Ahead of the launch event, netizens are now seeing leaks of the device’s retail box and this shows off its profile.

However, the new leak is getting different reactions from netizens on the internet, as certain things don’t add up. For one thing, the leak only shows off the front of the retail box, revealing the device wallpaper. The wallpaper on this box is the only thing that can make it claim to be the coming MacBook Pro from Apple in a few days.

In the leaked image of the retail box, netizens get to see a bit of the design of the laptop from its front. This image also brings some confusion as to the exact product that this box is actually for. If this leak is accurate, then Apple fans should not expect a design upgrade from last year’s Apple MacBook Pro, but there’ll be performance improvements.

Everything you need to know about the new MacBook Pro M3 leak that netizens are talking about

The new MacBook Pro M3 entry is meant to launch in a few days, but netizens are already debating over it. These debates are all spurning from a new leak that hit the internet about a day ago. This leak showed off the retail box of the coming laptop and fans started taking note of a few things.

The first noticeable feature on the leaked retail box is the wallpaper on the device displayed. This is the first time that netizens get to see this wallpaper on any Apple device. Also, the visible design cues on this box point to the fact that the retail box is a MacBook Pro.

However, some netizens are concerned that the wallpaper on the box is not from Apple. Some fear that it is just an edit that someone is trying to use for clout on the internet. Others are finding cues in this wallpaper to point out the M3 processor that’ll power the coming MacBook Pro device.

Still, others question the source of the leak, which is Weibo, and why it doesn’t show the box’s rear side. Regardless of all these conflicting ideas from fans, there is still a need to take this leak, as well as any other leak, with a pinch of salt. The available details on the retail box might change once the device launches and is available for purchase.

If you are hoping for more information on this coming MacBook, you should know that it’ll use the Apple M3 processor. It might also stick to the screen specifications of its predecessor from last year. Regardless, in a few days, the full specifications and details of this laptop will become available at the Apple “Super Fast” launch event.


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People appear to like the Disney+ ad-supported tier

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People appear to like the Disney+ ad-supported tier
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While people will likely be languishing over Prime Video bringing ads to the service in 2024, the Disney+ ad-supported tier appears to be popular. Or at the very least, subscribers are fine with it because it means they can spend less money per month to have it. The $7.99 per month tier of Disney’s streaming service saw a big increase in subscribers following its launch in late 2022.

Subscribers would probably prefer there wasn’t an ad-supported tier at all and Disney+ was simply less expensive. But streaming service ads are usually far and away better than commercials you see on cable TV. As a lot of the time they can be shorter and there’s not as many of them. Which is probably why Disney+ subscribers will deal with ads if it means less money taken out of their accounts every month.

Disney+ ad-supported tier is more popular than people realize

Whether or not people love the new tier, it’s gaining traction. So much so that half of the new subscribers Disney+ now has (since the ad-supported tier launched) went with the cheaper plan. That’s according to Disney who mentioned the metric in an official post on October 27.

Of course, there were probably subscribers who didn’t like the idea of having ads on the platform even if it was cheaper and decided to cancel. But it wouldn’t be surprising if some viewers had decided to sign up for the service because of the fact that Disney now offers a less expensive option with ads.

In short, ads on streaming services are the standard now. Not all of them have ads of course. Max doesn’t really have ads and only shows you clips from its own content. Similar to the way Prime Video does right now. Apple TV+ is the same way.


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Sonos is having a huge sale on its home theater bundles

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Sonos is having a huge sale on its home theater bundles
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Sonos is having a pretty big sale on its home theater bundles throughout the weekend, and these deep discounts are going to be worth a look if you’re going to be starting your holiday shopping. The sale, which Sonos says begins today, is going to be live until the end of the day on Sunday October 29.

Which means there’s only a few days before the prices go back up to normal. The “early Black Friday sale” as Sonos is calling it will be taking prices down on select home theater sets by up to 20%. And although that won’t be as good as half off, it’ll still shave hundreds off bundles that include things like the Arc soundbar and its pairing of the Era 300 speakers and an accompanying sub-woofer.

The Sonos home theater sale doesn’t include everything on the site

Sonos makes a wide range of different audio products for vastly different uses. Such as the new Sonos Move 2 speaker that’s perfect for portable Bluetooth audio. You won’t find the Move 2 in the sale, but there are some good options. The ‘Entertainment Set with Ray’ for example comes with the compact Sonos Ray soundbar and a sub. Because of the Ray’s size this set is fairly suitable for PC setups. Though it should work great for your living room as well.

There’s also a few sets meant to amp up the immersive experiences of your movies and TV shows, or your games if you have a console or PC hooked up to your TV. All sets will come in black and white colorways and are available directly from Sonos. Worth mentioning is that none of the bundles are available outside of the Sonos website. And the products that make them up are not on sale either. So if you’ve been considering a Sonos home audio setup, you might want to consider looking things over. That being said, you will find all of the same Sonos products at places like Best Buy and Amazon if you prefer to buy there.

Sonos Home Theater – Best Buy

Sonos Home Theater – Amazon


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These harmless-looking apps could be wreaking havoc on your digital life

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These harmless-looking apps could be wreaking havoc on your digital life
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When installing apps from the Google Play Store, we operate with the feeling that the Mountain View giant only hosts secure, vetted apps on its official apps marketplace, but often times, the company doesn’t realize until after an app has been downloaded several times that it’s actually malicious and needs to be removed. 
IT security solutions provider Dr.Web as published a list of apps that are not what they appear to be and have been downloaded by more than 2 million Android users (via Bleeping Computer).

Four of the apps, which are mentioned below, are actually HiddenAds malware. On the surface, they look like games, but once you download them, they try to become invisible either by using Google Chrome’s icon or using a transparent icon image. They silently run in the background and launch ads on your phone’s browser to generate revenue for their developers. Here are their names:

  • Super Skibydi Killer – 1,000,000 downloads
  • Agent Shooter – 500,000 downloads
  • Rainbow Stretch – 50,000 downloads
  • Rubber Punch 3D – 500,000 downloads

The next group of apps are a part of the FakeApp family and their aim is to make users go to investment scam websites. Here are some of them: 

  • Eternal Maze (Yana Pospyelova) – 50,000 downloads
  • Jungle Jewels (Vaibhav Wable) – 10,000 downloads
  • Stellar Secrets (Pepperstocks) – 10,000 downloads
  • Fire Fruits (Sandr Sevill) – 10,000 downloads
  • Cowboy’s Frontier (Precipice Game Studios) – 10,000 downloads
  • Enchanted Elixir (Acomadyi) – 10,000 downloads

Many apps belonging to the notorious Joker family also made it to Google Play. The main motive of these apps is to make victims sign up for premium paid services. Following are some of the Joker family apps that were found on the app store: 

  • Love Emoji Messenger (Korsinka Vimoipan) – 50,000 downloads
  • Beauty Wallpaper HD (fm0989184) – 1,000 downloads

Thankfully, all the apps mentioned above have been removed by Google Play but if you have already downloaded them, you’ll need to remove them from your phone. As a precaution, you might consider scanning your phone using Play Protect or a smartphone antivirus.

This is not the first and – much against our wishes –  probably not the last time that harmful apps were approved by Google Play. While it’s a good first step to download apps from a trusted source, you must never let your guard down and inspect an app yourself before downloading it by going through user reviews and ensuring the developer is trustworthy.

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Here’s how much Google paid to be the search default in 2021

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Here’s how much Google paid to be the search default in 2021
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Google paid large sums of money to be the default search engine on many different products. Namely Apple products like the iPhone. It’s a startling revelation for many that’s come to light in the past month as part of Google’s ongoing antitrust trial. Since the trial began in late September, Google has been grilled about its potentially monopolistic practices with online search. And as a result of that questioning, it’s now been made public that Google has spent well over a decade cutting exclusive deals to lock out competition in the search market.

For Google these deals were far more lucrative than what it cost the company to secure its place as the top dog in search. But the Department of Justice sees this as an illegal tactic. One that could cost Google more than money in the future. Apple isn’t the only company Google paid to lock in a search engine default. But it is the company that Google paid the most money to. And that’s understandable given Apple’s popularity. Not to mention Google’s desire to prevent Apple from creating its own search engine. For Google that was worth $18 billion (initially thought to be $10 billion annually). But the total sum from 2021 is actually significantly higher.

Google paid a total of $26 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine on devices

A new report from Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen details that while Apple may have gained the largest portion of Google’s payments, the entire amount Google paid to companies in 2021 adds up to $26 billion. As mentioned earlier, Google likely made that money back hand over fist from ads. Search is Google’s biggest money maker after all and being the default on so many different devices surely has its benefits.

The exact amount Nylen says is $26.3 billion. An amount that’s more than triple what Microsoft paid to buy Zenimax Media that same year. And all just so Google could be the default search engine on your phone or tablet.


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A lawsuit could keep Apple from importing Apple Watches in The US

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A lawsuit could keep Apple from importing Apple Watches in The US
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We all know the Apple Watch as the most popular smartwatch on the market.  It’s definitely a hit stateside, but that might change, as the Apple Watch faces a ban in The US. This is all because of a patent infringement lawsuit that the company is facing, according to the report.

What’s going on with the potential Apple Watch ban

We all know that smartwatches have had the ability to detect blood oxygen for a little while. This is something that 2020’s Apple Watch 6 can do. However, Apple is facing a patent infringement lawsuit over the light-based pulse oximetry technology that the watch uses.

A medical technology company called Masimo holds a patent for that technology, and it filed a lawsuit with the International Trade Commission (ITC). Well, the ITC ruled in favor of this case, and it could potentially mean that Apple will not be able to import Apple Watches into the country.

As you can imagine, the company is not too pleased about this. An Apple spokesperson commented on this situation.

“Masimo has wrongly attempted to use the ITC to keep a potentially lifesaving product from millions of U.S. consumers while making way for their own watch that copies Apple… While today’s decision has no immediate impact on sales of Apple Watch, we believe it should be reversed, and will continue our efforts to appeal.”

It’s up to the president

While the ITC ruled in favor of Masimo, it’s not going to go into effect right away. You can still put in your order for your Apple Watch 9. At this point, it’s up to the Biden administration to bring down the hammer. Right now, the US president has the power to veto the ruling, which is a rare occasion.

He has 60 days to make the decision. So, in the meantime, we know that Apple is doing what it can to keep the Apple Watch ban at bay. Also, we can’t rule out the possibility of Apple and Masimo communicating and coming to some sort of agreement or settlement before the 60 days are up. Only time will tell.


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Prime Video is getting a $3 price bump for ad-free viewing

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Prime Video is getting a $3 price bump for ad-free viewing
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Just about every streaming service has an ad-free version that costs money and that will now include Amazon’s Prime Video. The service currently doesn’t have ads other than quick little commercials for its own shows just before a show starts. These are usually about 10-30 seconds in length.

It’s also currently a free feature of Prime Video. Which for most people is wrapped in their Amazon Prime membership. But that’s going to be changing and users will eventually have to pay an extra $3 a month to keep viewing shows and movies with no ads. Even Disney+ has ads in its streaming content and Netflix started offering a cheaper ad-supported tier in late 2022. So, an ad-supported option is now the norm in the world of streaming.

The ad-free price bump will impact Prime subscribers and those who pay only for Prime Video. Basically, there’s no getting around paying for the opportunity to not have ads. You either pay for it, or you watch the ads. For those who subscribe to Prime, expect your monthly membership to go up by $3 unless you don’t want the ads. If you pay for Prime Video only, then your monthly price will be going up from $8.99 to $11.99.

Prime Video will charge for ad-free viewing in 2024

There doesn’t appear to be an exact date yet but the ad-supported Prime Video and the charge for ad-free viewing will be arriving sometime in 2024 according to The Streamable, which cites Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy from today’s Amazon earnings call. Interestingly, Prime Video is the number two reason that people sign up for Prime memberships, Jassy says.

The price for ad-free will be happening earlier in the year so it will most likely show up within the first few months. And now that the cost has been announced officially, people should expect to see emails from Amazon mentioning this change. And when it’ll arrive exactly.


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California DMV suspends Cruise’s permits to operate autonomous vehicles

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California DMV suspends Cruise’s permits to operate autonomous vehicles
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Almost everyone agrees that autonomous vehicles are the future. However, their implementation by companies such as Waymo and Cruise has been lackluster since, even after years of testing, they have not yet become mainstream. Now, adding to their difficulties, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has suspended Cruise’s permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state.

This decision stems from a slew of recent incidents that endangered pedestrians’ lives. In one such recent accident, a regular car struck a woman, causing her to end up in the path of a Cruise self-driving car. Although the self-driving car did come to a stop, it did so while on top of her. Subsequently, the car attempted a pullover maneuver while the woman was still underneath, dragging her approximately 20 feet at a speed of 7 mph before coming to a complete stop.

In response to this accident, the California DMV suspended Cruise’s permits, stating that the company’s vehicles are not safe for public operation and raised significant concerns about their ability to respond safely and appropriately in situations involving pedestrians.

Cruise’s response

Following this accident, Cruise has temporarily suspended driverless operations across all its fleets. According to the company, this suspension will provide the necessary time to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its internal processes, systems, and tools. However, it is important to note that the company will now deploy autonomous vehicles with human safety drivers in control to supervise the journeys.

“The most important thing for us right now is to take steps to rebuild public trust. Part of this involves taking a hard look inwards and at how we do work at Cruise, even if it means doing things that are uncomfortable or difficult,” says the company.

Part of a broader problem

While this incident serves as a reminder that autonomous vehicles still have a long way to go, it also raises concerns about the company since just a few days before the suspension, GM CEO Mary Barra stated that their self-driving vehicles were safer than human drivers, highlighting the company’s commitment to safety.


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