All posts tagged: Featured

‘MacBook Ultra’ Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

‘MacBook Ultra’ Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Published by skeptic

Apple’s first high-end MacBook redesign in five years is expected to arrive in the near future, bringing a run of firsts to the Mac. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman expects the laptop to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027, with the later window now looking more likely owing to the global memory chip shortage. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects mass production to begin by late 2026. Apple last redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2021 with the M1 Pro and M1 Max models, so this would be its first new high-end laptop design in at least five years. Here is everything rumored about the device so far: “MacBook Ultra” branding: Apple has reportedly decided to market two new “Ultra” products over the next year, the foldable iPhone and this laptop, which would establish a tier above the ‌MacBook Pro‌ for the first time. The name is not confirmed and Apple theoretically could still use “‌MacBook Pro‌” branding, but for now, “MacBook Ultra” seems highly likely. OLED display: The ‌MacBook Ultra‌ is expected to be the first Mac with …

iOS 27: All the New iCloud Features

iOS 27: All the New iCloud Features

Published by skeptic

iOS 27 includes new iCloud capabilities across several apps like Apple Home, Siri, Photos, and more. There are some direct ‌iCloud‌ improvements like upgrades to photo uploads and sharing, along with some indirect new features. HomeKit Secure Video Cameras (iCloud+) If you have HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the Home app in ‌iOS 27‌ has a couple of useful new Apple Intelligence features. You can get text-based summaries of what’s going on, sent as notifications. So when you get a notification for movement, it will say something like “Someone was seen,” or “Animal seen.” The text descriptions are also shown in the video playback timeline, and you can search for specific events. Events that take place across two cameras, such as the same person walking from room to room, are paired together to give an overview of action across the home. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in the Home app require a 2TB or higher iCloud+ plan, which is priced starting at $9.99 in the United States. The 2TB plan is also the plan required for an unlimited …

The MacRumors Show: Can OpenAI Really Beat the iPhone?

The MacRumors Show: Can OpenAI Really Beat the iPhone?

Published by skeptic

This week’s episode of The MacRumors Show covers OpenAI’s move into hardware and the trade secret lawsuit Apple filed against the company earlier this month. Apple sued OpenAI in the Northern District of California on July 10, alleging a months-long scheme to obtain confidential information about unreleased products. The complaint centers on OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Tan, a 24-year Apple veteran who previously led iPhone product design, and former Apple electrical engineer Chang Liu. Apple claims Tan coached recruits on evading its exit-interview security procedures and told at least one employee to bring hardware components to an interview, and that OpenAI persuaded a supplier to apply a proprietary metal-finishing technique to an OpenAI device by falsely stating it had Apple’s permission. The filing describes OpenAI’s hardware business as “rotten to its core.” The suit follows a souring of the 2024 partnership that brought ChatGPT to Siri, with OpenAI itself weighing legal options against Apple in May. More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, including Vision Products Group leader Paul Meade, and …

First federally funded EV chargers go online in Illinois

First federally funded EV chargers go online in Illinois

Published by skeptic

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) cut the ribbon on the state’s first federally-funded EV charging station this week, after energizing new high-speed chargers at a Phillips 66 Mach 1 station in Casey, IL. The first chargers funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program in Illinois were electrified last week at a Mach 1 station on Illinois 49 near Interstate 70 in Casey, IL. The four new DC fast charging ports are operating on the Electrify America network, and are capable of delivering up to 350 kW each. Their deployment was made possible through a $854,641 competitive grant awarded to Phillips 66. “These new chargers are an important step forward in making [Governor JB Pritzker’s] EV goals a reality, while creating economic opportunity by connecting Illinois communities to a national network of stations,” explained Transportation Secretary, Gia Biagi. “Some of the strongest interest we’re seeing for EVs charging is coming from rural areas that see the benefit of having travelers stop in their towns to charge up and spend their dollars at local …

In a first, Chinese woman wins the prestigious Fields Medal : NPR

In a first, Chinese woman wins the prestigious Fields Medal : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Wang Hong is the third woman—and first from China—to be awarded the world’s most prestigious mathematics prize. Simons Foundation hide caption toggle caption Simons Foundation For the first time, a Chinese woman has been awarded the world’s most prestigious mathematics prize, the Fields Medal, bringing the total count of Chinese-born medalists to three, as two mathematicians from the country clinched medals this year. Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, Fields Medals are awarded every four years to between two and four mathematicians under 40, recognizing both achievement and potential. This year marks only the third time a woman has ever won the coveted award in its 90-year history. The recipients, whose medals were presented at the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia on Thursday, included Chinese mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng, American John Pardon and Canadian Jacob Tsimerman. “All four mathematicians have made tremendous contributions to their respective fields,” Ulrike Tillmann, vice-president and incoming president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), the institution responsible for organizing the …

12th-Generation iPad: Everything We Know About Apple’s Next Budget Tablet

12th-Generation iPad: Everything We Know About Apple’s Next Budget Tablet

Published by skeptic

Apple is working on a 12th-generation iPad, and plans to update the most affordable tablet in the ‌iPad‌ in 2027. It’s not going to be a major update, but if you’re planning a purchase, you might want to wait for the newest model. Design There are no rumors of an updated design for the 12th-generation ‌iPad‌, so it will likely have the same 11-inch edge-to-edge display with Touch ID Side Button and thick bezels. Apple last updated the ‌iPad‌’s design with the 10th-generation model, giving the device a more modern look to better match the designs of the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The low-cost ‌iPad‌ is only available in a single screen size, and it is Apple’s thickest tablet at 7mm. It features a Retina LED display with no ProMotion support, no P3 wide color, and no lamination (display technology that allows for improved visuals) compared to Apple’s other tablets. Apple makes the low-cost ‌iPad‌ in several fun colors, and we could see some new shades in 2026. Current colors include blue, pink, …

Second iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Public Betas Now Available

Second iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Public Betas Now Available

Published by skeptic

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, allowing anyone with a compatible device to download and test the new software. The second betas come a week after Apple seeded the first betas. You can get started by signing up on Apple’s beta website and then opting in to the public beta by going to Settings > General > Software Update and choosing the ‌iOS 27‌ or ‌iPadOS 27‌ Public Beta option. ‌iOS 27‌ introduces Siri AI, a more capable version of ‌Siri‌ that can search the web, access your personal information, see what’s on your screen, and take actions in and across apps. ‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 27‌ is more similar to Claude or ChatGPT than the prior version of ‌Siri‌, with a dedicated ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations. You can use ‌Siri‌ AI if you have a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Apple updated the Liquid Glass design that debuted last year, adding a slider to adjust the transparency level and refining its look. There are new AI features …

Hands-On With Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8, the Closest Thing Yet to a Foldable iPhone

Hands-On With Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8, the Closest Thing Yet to a Foldable iPhone

Published by skeptic

Samsung today debuted its latest foldable devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip8, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and the new Galaxy Z Fold8, which has a design similar to what we’re expecting from the foldable iPhone coming this September. We were able to take a look at the new Samsung foldables ahead of launch. The Galaxy ZFold 8 Ultra has a 6.5-inch cover screen when closed, and an 8-inch display when it’s unfolded. Both displays are OLED with 120Hz refresh rates. The device is just 4.1mm thick when open. Samsung included a three-camera setup with a 200-megapixel wide lens, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and 30x Space Zoom. There are also two selfie cameras, one on the cover screen and one on the main display. Samsung’s Z Fold8 has a 7.6-inch display when open and a 5.5-inch display when closed, and it looks like Samsung read the foldable iPhone rumors and beat Apple to it. It has a passport-style form factor, so it’s not as tall as …

EastEnders airs horrific Joel Marshall twist in early BBC iPlayer release

EastEnders airs horrific Joel Marshall twist in early BBC iPlayer release

Published by Daniella Wilson

Joel Marshall’s fate has been left in peril in EastEnders on Wednesday. The BBC One soap aired a shocking twist in the storyline of the controversial character, played by Max Murray, as Joel continued to face a backlash following his return to Walford last week. Despite the concerns of stepmother and victim Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and his beleagured father Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw), Joel had been set up in Peacock Palace after being left on the Square by his mum Cleo (Mazz Murray). Frustrated that no one was keeping the radicalised youth away from Walford, the teens, led by his victim Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), decided to take matters into their own hands. Amy and friend Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) invited Joel to their end-of-term celebrations in the park, under the guise of putting the past behind them. Despite his misgivings, Ross agreed to let Joel attend with the pair, who insisted there was no ulterior motive. (L-R) Aaliyah James as Avani Nandra-Hart, Jaden Ladega as Denzel Danes, Lewis …

Best Buy Offers 0 Off All iPhone Air Models During Black Friday in July

Best Buy Offers $160 Off All iPhone Air Models During Black Friday in July

Published by skeptic

Best Buy today is offering customers a chance to get $160 off every model of the iPhone Air during its Black Friday in July event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the 256GB iPhone Air for $839.99 ($160 off), and this is an unlocked model available in all colors. The retailer is also offering the 512GB model for $1,039.99 and the 1TB model for $1,239.99, both $160 off. Additionally, Amazon is back with an all-time low price on the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery, available for $59.00, down from $99.00. The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is only compatible with the iPhone Air, and it can add up to 65 percent additional charge to the smartphone. The MagSafe Battery supports up to 12W of fast wireless charging, and it sports a thin and light design similar to the iPhone Air. If you’re on the hunt for more discounts, be …