News - page 321

Apple thinks five pieces of antitrust reform legislation could undermine innovation and competition in tech, as well as creating a “race to the bottom” for security and privacy. Apple laid out its concerns in a letter sent ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the House Judiciary Committee to discuss the proposed laws.

The letter — sent to chairmen Jerrold Nadler and David Cicilline, and ranking members Jim Jordan and Ken Buck — lays out Apple’s arguments for why the government needs to reconsider the five bills.

San Diego-based accessories manufacturer Elago has added two useful, multiple-device charging hubs to the Cult of Mac Store: MS Charging Hub Duo Watch and MS Magsafe Charging Hub Trio 1.

Apple’s none too keen on sideloading, the process of allowing apps to be installed on iPhones and iPads from outside of the App Store. While some critics take issue with this as an example of Cupertino’s uncompromising monopolistic tendencies, Apple — unsurprisingly — has a different take.

In an interview with Fast Company, timed to coincide with publication of a white paper on the subject, Apple’s head of user privacy, Erik Neuenschwander, explains the company’s take.

Spoiler alert: It’s all about security.

It’s somehow been 30 years since Sega’s rapid blue hedgehog mascot, Sonic, first speeded his way onto the Genesis and into video game history on June 23, 1991.

To celebrate the occasion, Minecraft has released an official DLC pack that lets you play through recreations of some of Sonic’s most iconic levels from the original Sonic the Hedgehog inside, well, Minecraft. It even includes blocky rings to collect.

If you’re a fan of Sega’s iconic spiky mammal, it looks like it’s well worth checking out. This 3D endless runner is all yours for 1,340 coins — or, approximately, $8 in real world terms. Check out the trailer below.

Tim Cook reportedly got in touch with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in addition to other members of Congress, to voice his worries about possible antitrust legislation, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The Democrats are currently circulating drafts of antitrust bills that could affect the likes of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google. If passed, these bills could impact Apple’s ability to own and operate its own App Store marketplace in the way it currently does.

A public beta of a privacy-preserving search engine from Brave debuted Tuesday. It doesn’t track users, their searches or their clicks.

It is, of course, entering into a David vs. Goliath fight with Google, which dominates the search business with a more than 90% share.

Apple previewed its newest retail location at the historic Tower Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. The company announced the store’s Thursday opening in conjunction with the launch of the Today at Apple Creative Studios global mentorship initiative for young creatives.

And wow, the new store looks like a real beauty. Apple called it “one of its most significant restoration projects to date.” That’s saying something. Just look at Rome. Or Bangkok. Or even the long-established Grand Central Station store in New York.

Amazon’s Prime Day brings bargains on a range of accessories for your Apple devices. There are cases, keyboards, chargers, SSDs… lots of options and all below the regular prices.

There are savings on gear for iPhone Mac and iPad, but most of the deals expire on Tuesday. Don’t wait around.

Apple announced a new global initiative today called Today at Apple Creative Studios. It aims to provide career-building mentorship, creative-industry skills training, resources and access to Apple products to workers from underrepresented communities globally.

The Mac mini got a serious upgrade when Apple put in an M1 processor. And you can save up to $120 on this macOS desktop during Amazon’s Prime Day. Pick one up for less than $600.

But don’t dawdle. These deals are only good through Tuesday, June 22.

Facebook debuted its Clubhouse-style Live Audio Rooms and new podcast platform Monday, giving users two new ways to engage with the social network — and hopefully keep them hooked for longer.

Public figures and select Facebook Groups in the United States can create Live Rooms on iOS. They can then invite friends, followers, public figures and, well, anyone else who wants to tune in and contribute to an audio session. There can be up to 50 speakers, with no limits on listeners.

If the stark aluminum chassis of the new Siri Remote leaves you cold, a stylish new silicone case from Elago could warm your heart.

It’s not only about making the Apple TV remote more comfortable in your hands, though. The R1 Intelli Case packs a trick or two. And it comes in any color you want — as long as that color is “black as Steve Jobs’ turtleneck.”

It’s iPhone production season, and that means that Apple manufacturers need to recruit enough workers to build them. While this seasonal demand happens every year, in 2021 it’s heightened by the worldwide labor shortage coming out of the pandemic.

As a result, Apple’s manufacturers are working hard to offer bonuses to tempt people to spend a few months on the production line. According to a report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily paper, manufacturer Pegatron is offering extra paychecks for both workers and those who recommend their friends for jobs.

Between the iconic Ridley Scott “1984” ad and ahead-of-their-time campaigns like “Test Drive a Mac,” the original Macintosh wasn’t exactly short of memorable marketing materials. But what would an ad look like for the OG Macintosh if it came along in 2021?

Designer Thibaut Crepell put a concept together and, frankly, it’s pretty darn awesome. While it’s not going to dislodge either of the two previously mentioned campaigns, it’s neat to see a video that could convincingly fit in as part of one of today’s Apple keynotes, but showing a piece of Apple tech that’s now approaching 40 years old.

Check it out below.

There’s a global semiconductor shortage, but Apple’s got a leg up on some of its rivals. According to a Tuesday report from Digitimes, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chip fab, says it will prioritize Apple orders.

TSMC builds the A-series chips for iPhones, as well as the M1 chip for Macs and the latest iPad Pro. The company is currently working on the new A15 chips for this year’s iPhone refresh. Beyond that, it’s gearing up to produce next year’s A-series chips, which will be made with either a 4-nanometer or 3-nanometer process.

To the surprise of roughly no-one, Apple doesn’t like the spate of anti-Big Tech antitrust bills being proposed in the United States.

In a letter sent Monday, a number of nonprofits — including ones connected to Apple, such as TechNet, the Consumer Technology Alliance, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation — urged the House Judiciary Committee to reject the bills.

It’s Amazon’s Prime Day but Best Buy wins for the best deal on the Apple Watch Series 6. The retailer took as much as 17% off the cost of the powerful wearable from Apple.

Apple TV+ scored two wins and two nominations in the third annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, announced Monday.

The Critics Choice Association – better known for the Critics Choice Awards — and the nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT present the honors. The awards recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

It’s time to stop procrastinating about getting an MacBook Air with the powerful M1 processor — Amazon has the svelte Mac notebook for $100 below the regular price.

Don’t delay further as this deal is only good for a couple of days.

This MagSafe adapter from Elago is a reusable sticker that makes any phone MagSafe compatible — including the new iPhone 16e.

This MagSafe sticker allows you to use the growing number of MagSafe accessories. That includes MagSafe chargers, battery packs, storage drives, car mounts, and more. If you’re looking for the best mag safe solutions, check out this guide on the Elago MagSafe sticker to make any device compatible with magnetic accessories.

Starting today, fans can buy all sorts of merchandise associated with Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso and its fictional English soccer club, A.F.C. Richmond.

This comes as yet more upbeat news-for-a-Monday from the relentlessly cheerful franchise. Earlier today, Apple TV released the Ted Lasso season 2 trailer. Also earlier today, the sitcom won a Peabody Award for countering “the enduring prevalence of toxic masculinity.” The show’s star and executive producer, Jason Sudeikis, accepted the prize.

AirPods are truly outstanding headphones, especially for iPhone users. They aren‘t cheap, though. But it’s Amazon’s annual Prime Day, and both AirPods and AirPods Pro are on sale for 25% below the regular price. That’s as much as $60 off.

And there are smaller savings on the recently released AirPods Max.

The Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso was awarded a Peabody on Monday. The show offers “a charming dose of radical optimism,” according to the jury, along with “the perfect counter to the enduring prevalence of toxic masculinity.”

If you hoped Amazon’s annual Prime Day would bring a bargain on the 2020 iPad Air, you’re in luck. The online giant dropped the price of this 10.9-inch tablet by 13%.

The iPad Air 4 borrows so many features from the iPad Pro series that it’s all the tablet lots of people need.

Quasim Zafar’s neatly laid out computer setup serves as his filming area for YouTube product reviews, his general workstation using a 2020 M1 Mac mini and his Xbox Series S gaming station where he plays Call of Duty.

But that’s only incidental to what you’ll probably love about it and want for your own setup.