Tag Archives: author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

Apple may unveil an M3 MacBook Air in March alongside new iPad Pro and iPad Air models

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Apple is planning some big hardware drops for early 2024, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In the Power On newsletter, Gurman predicts the company will release the next generation of iPad Pro and iPad Air in March — each of which is expected to come in two sizes — and the new M3-powered MacBook Air. The Mac Studio and Mac Pro will likely be much later to the M3 party; Gurman writes that Apple won’t have these ready for release until at least the end of 2024, and they could even slip into 2025.

With the release of its new iPads, Apple is planning to make clearer distinctions between the models so the choices are less confusing for consumers, according to Gurman. The iPad Pro is expected to get Apple’s new M3 chip, an OLED display and come in two sizes: 11 and 13 inches. Apple will also release a new Magic Keyboard just for the Pro, Gurman says. The iPad Air, on the other hand, will come in a 10.9-inch version and a new 12.9-inch option, and use the M2 chip. The changes should make the differences between the high-end, midrange and standard iPads more obvious so people can more easily decide what fits their needs.

As for the M3 MacBook Air, Gurman says it’ll also likely come in March, in the usual 13- and 15-inch configurations. At that time, Apple may also kill off the 2020 M1 MacBook Air. Its higher-end models, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, will be last to get the M3 upgrade.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-may-release-m3-macbook-air-in-march-and-refine-its-ipad-lineup-with-new-ipad-pro-and-ipad-air-205425798.html?src=rss

Apple’s third-generation AirPods are back on sale for $140

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Apple’s third-generation AirPods are back down to their record-low Black Friday price. The discount on Amazon shaves $30 off the AirPods’ normal price of $170, making them just $140 right now. Given that this is the lowest we’ve seen these AirPods go for, they’re likely to sell out. Amazon is also running a deal on Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, or the latest version of the Pro earbuds, which are down to $200. The 20 percent discount isn’t the lowest they’ve ever dropped, but it’s still $50 off the usual price and only $10 more than the all-time low.

The third-generation AirPods were released in 2021 and completely refreshed the design. Apple shortened the stem, making the regular buds look more like the AirPods Pro, and tweaked the fit to make them more comfortable to wear. They’re lighter and angled in a way that’s meant to better hug the ear and deliver sound more effectively. In our review, we gave the third-gen AirPods a score of 88.

Apple’s third-generation AirPods also brought durability improvements to the non-Pro model. These AirPods and the charging case are IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance, which is especially helpful for anyone using them during workouts. They feature Apple’s H1 chip, offering Adaptive EQ — which Apple says “automatically tunes music to your ears” — and spatial audio for more immersive listening. The AirPods also support fast pairing, and automatic switching between Apple devices. There’s also easy, hands-free access to Siri using the “Hey Siri” command.

The third-gen AirPods also have better battery life than earlier models. On their own, the earbuds last about six hours before needing to be charged again, and up to 30 hours with the charging case. In Engadget’s tests, we found the AirPods’ battery could actually be pushed to seven hours. They offer quick charging too, with about an hour of battery life after just five minutes in the MagSafe case.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-third-generation-airpods-are-back-on-sale-for-140-174333053.html?src=rss

Apple’s third-generation AirPods are back on sale for $140

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Apple’s third-generation AirPods are back down to their record-low Black Friday price. The discount on Amazon shaves $30 off the AirPods’ normal price of $170, making them just $140 right now. Given that this is the lowest we’ve seen these AirPods go for, they’re likely to sell out. Amazon is also running a deal on Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, or the latest version of the Pro earbuds, which are down to $200. The 20 percent discount isn’t the lowest they’ve ever dropped, but it’s still $50 off the usual price and only $10 more than the all-time low.

The third-generation AirPods were released in 2021 and completely refreshed the design. Apple shortened the stem, making the regular buds look more like the AirPods Pro, and tweaked the fit to make them more comfortable to wear. They’re lighter and angled in a way that’s meant to better hug the ear and deliver sound more effectively. In our review, we gave the third-gen AirPods a score of 88.

Apple’s third-generation AirPods also brought durability improvements to the non-Pro model. These AirPods and the charging case are IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance, which is especially helpful for anyone using them during workouts. They feature Apple’s H1 chip, offering Adaptive EQ — which Apple says “automatically tunes music to your ears” — and spatial audio for more immersive listening. The AirPods also support fast pairing, and automatic switching between Apple devices. There’s also easy, hands-free access to Siri using the “Hey Siri” command.

The third-gen AirPods also have better battery life than earlier models. On their own, the earbuds last about six hours before needing to be charged again, and up to 30 hours with the charging case. In Engadget’s tests, we found the AirPods’ battery could actually be pushed to seven hours. They offer quick charging too, with about an hour of battery life after just five minutes in the MagSafe case.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-third-generation-airpods-are-back-on-sale-for-140-174333053.html?src=rss

Alex Jones and his conspiracy theories are allowed back on X

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Alex Jones is back on X five years after then-Twitter made the decision to permanently ban him and his show, Infowars, for violating the site’s policy on “abusive behavior.” Elon Musk — who last year said he wouldn’t unban Jones because of the conspiracy theorist’s insistence on calling the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax — created a poll on X over the weekend asking users to vote on whether Jones should be reinstated. 

The poll closed with a majority vote for “Yes.” As of Sunday, Jones’ personal account was once again active, and already retweeting Andrew Tate.

Jones is well known for pushing disturbing conspiracy theories, which in some cases have led to real world harm. He was sued by the families of Sandy Hook victims, who won close to $1.5 billion in legal judgments after testifying in court that they’d been harassed and sent death threats by his followers. But after Jones appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show on X last week, the conversation about his ban was reignited.

Responding to one user after the poll closed, Musk wrote, “I vehemently disagree with what he said about Sandy Hook, but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not? That is what it comes down to in the end. If the people vote him back on, this will be bad for X financially, but principles matter more than money.” The decision comes at a time when X is rapidly losing advertisers because of hate speech on the platform, some of which Musk himself has elevated. Walmart, Apple, IBM and Disney, among others, have recently pulled their ads from X.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alex-jones-and-his-conspiracy-theories-are-allowed-back-on-x-160419044.html?src=rss

Alex Jones and his conspiracy theories are allowed back on X

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Alex Jones is back on X five years after then-Twitter made the decision to permanently ban him and his show, Infowars, for violating the site’s policy on “abusive behavior.” Elon Musk — who last year said he wouldn’t unban Jones because of the conspiracy theorist’s insistence on calling the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax — created a poll on X over the weekend asking users to vote on whether Jones should be reinstated. 

The poll closed with a majority vote for “Yes.” As of Sunday, Jones’ personal account was once again active, and already retweeting Andrew Tate.

Jones is well known for pushing disturbing conspiracy theories, which in some cases have led to real world harm. He was sued by the families of Sandy Hook victims, who won close to $1.5 billion in legal judgments after testifying in court that they’d been harassed and sent death threats by his followers. But after Jones appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show on X last week, the conversation about his ban was reignited.

Responding to one user after the poll closed, Musk wrote, “I vehemently disagree with what he said about Sandy Hook, but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not? That is what it comes down to in the end. If the people vote him back on, this will be bad for X financially, but principles matter more than money.” The decision comes at a time when X is rapidly losing advertisers because of hate speech on the platform, some of which Musk himself has elevated. Walmart, Apple, IBM and Disney, among others, have recently pulled their ads from X.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alex-jones-and-his-conspiracy-theories-are-allowed-back-on-x-160419044.html?src=rss

Amazon asks court to dismiss FTC lawsuit that accuses it of ‘monopolistic practices’

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Amazon filed a motion on Friday in the Western Washington district court asking a judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust lawsuit against it. The FTC along with 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon in September, alleging the company uses monopolistic practices that are unfair to both its competitors and consumers. Amazon is now arguing that the FTC did not provide evidence that its practices have driven up prices or harmed consumers, according to Bloomberg.

The FTC’s lawsuit claims Amazon uses illegal tactics to crush its competition — like punishing sellers who list their products for better prices elsewhere by burying them in search results, and coercing sellers into using Amazon’s own fulfillment service by tying it to Prime eligibility. It also accuses Amazon of inflating prices from 2016-2018 using an algorithmic tool codenamed Project Nessie. These increases added up to more than $1 billion, according to the suit.

In Amazon’s motion for dismissal, per AP, Amazon said it’s only engaging in “common retail practices” that “benefit consumers and are the essence of competition.” Amazon attorney Heidi Hubbard wrote that the suit “implausibly, and illogically, assumes that Amazon’s efforts to keep featured prices low on Amazon somehow raised consumer prices across the whole economy,” according to Bloomberg.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-asks-court-to-dismiss-ftc-lawsuit-that-accuses-it-of-monopolistic-practices-220546149.html?src=rss

Amazon asks court to dismiss FTC lawsuit that accuses it of ‘monopolistic practices’

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Amazon filed a motion on Friday in the Western Washington district court asking a judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust lawsuit against it. The FTC along with 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon in September, alleging the company uses monopolistic practices that are unfair to both its competitors and consumers. Amazon is now arguing that the FTC did not provide evidence that its practices have driven up prices or harmed consumers, according to Bloomberg.

The FTC’s lawsuit claims Amazon uses illegal tactics to crush its competition — like punishing sellers who list their products for better prices elsewhere by burying them in search results, and coercing sellers into using Amazon’s own fulfillment service by tying it to Prime eligibility. It also accuses Amazon of inflating prices from 2016-2018 using an algorithmic tool codenamed Project Nessie. These increases added up to more than $1 billion, according to the suit.

In Amazon’s motion for dismissal, per AP, Amazon said it’s only engaging in “common retail practices” that “benefit consumers and are the essence of competition.” Amazon attorney Heidi Hubbard wrote that the suit “implausibly, and illogically, assumes that Amazon’s efforts to keep featured prices low on Amazon somehow raised consumer prices across the whole economy,” according to Bloomberg.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-asks-court-to-dismiss-ftc-lawsuit-that-accuses-it-of-monopolistic-practices-220546149.html?src=rss

Controversial AI image platform Civitai dropped by its cloud computing provider after reports of possible CSAM

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OctoML says it has ended its business relationship with Civitai days after an investigation by 404 Media revealed the text-to-image platform was being used to generate images that “could be categorized as child pornography.” Civitai previously relied on OctoML’s OctoAI for image generation. While OctoML initially indicated it would continue working with Civitai and introduced new measures to curb the creation of harmful images, 404 Media reported on Saturday that it has now decided to cut ties with the platform altogether.

According to 404 Media’s December 5 report, internal communications showed that OctoML was aware some Civitai users were creating sexually explicit material that included nonconsensual images of real people and pornographic depictions of children. In a followup report this weekend, the publication noted that OctoML rolled out a filter to block the generation of all NSFW content on Civitai before announcing its decision to pull out. Civitai also added new moderation methods in response to the investigation earlier this week, including a mandatory embedding called Civitai Safe Helper (Minor) that bars the model from generating images of children if “a mature theme or keyword is detected,” according to 404.

Andreessen Horowitz-backed Civitai has previously come under scrutiny for its “bounties” feature that challenges users to generate realistic images of real people for rewards. In November, 404 Media found it was being used to make nonconsensual deepfakes of celebrities, influencers and even a private citizen that were, in many cases, sexual in nature. The subjects were primarily women. According to 404 Media, Civitai has since added a filter to prevent the creation of NSFW content featuring “certain” celebrities.

Nevertheless, OctoML — which uses Amazon Web Services’ servers — no longer wants to be involved. In a statement to 404 Media on Saturday, OctoML said, “We have decided to terminate our business relationship with Civitai. This decision aligns with our commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible use of AI.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/controversial-ai-image-platform-civitai-has-been-dropped-by-its-cloud-computing-provider-195530538.html?src=rss

Controversial AI image platform Civitai dropped by its cloud computing provider after reports of possible CSAM

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OctoML says it has ended its business relationship with Civitai days after an investigation by 404 Media revealed the text-to-image platform was being used to generate images that “could be categorized as child pornography.” Civitai previously relied on OctoML’s OctoAI for image generation. While OctoML initially indicated it would continue working with Civitai and introduced new measures to curb the creation of harmful images, 404 Media reported on Saturday that it has now decided to cut ties with the platform altogether.

According to 404 Media’s December 5 report, internal communications showed that OctoML was aware some Civitai users were creating sexually explicit material that included nonconsensual images of real people and pornographic depictions of children. In a followup report this weekend, the publication noted that OctoML rolled out a filter to block the generation of all NSFW content on Civitai before announcing its decision to pull out. Civitai also added new moderation methods in response to the investigation earlier this week, including a mandatory embedding called Civitai Safe Helper (Minor) that bars the model from generating images of children if “a mature theme or keyword is detected,” according to 404.

Andreessen Horowitz-backed Civitai has previously come under scrutiny for its “bounties” feature that challenges users to generate realistic images of real people for rewards. In November, 404 Media found it was being used to make nonconsensual deepfakes of celebrities, influencers and even a private citizen that were, in many cases, sexual in nature. The subjects were primarily women. According to 404 Media, Civitai has since added a filter to prevent the creation of NSFW content featuring “certain” celebrities.

Nevertheless, OctoML — which uses Amazon Web Services’ servers — no longer wants to be involved. In a statement to 404 Media on Saturday, OctoML said, “We have decided to terminate our business relationship with Civitai. This decision aligns with our commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible use of AI.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/controversial-ai-image-platform-civitai-has-been-dropped-by-its-cloud-computing-provider-195530538.html?src=rss

Beeper Mini team says a fix is ‘coming soon’ and promises to extend users’ free trials

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The Beeper Mini team has apparently been working around the clock to resolve the outage affecting the new “iMessage on Android” app, and says a fix is “very close.” And once the fix rolls out, users’ seven-day free trials will be reset so they can start over fresh. Beeper Mini was released earlier this week, and seemed an especially promising entrant due to its unique approach to bridging the iMessage-Android gap. The app, reportedly the result of a 16-year-old’s work to reverse-engineer iMessage, routes messages directly through Apple’s own servers, making it more secure than some of the other options out there.

But, only days after its release, Beeper Mini users on Friday found that they could no longer send and receive messages, sparking questions about whether Apple intervened and put a stop to it. In an update posted on social media, the team said it’s deregistered users’ phone numbers from iMessage while it works to fix the issue. That may not be the end of the immediate headaches caused by the outage, though. “Annoyingly, the iPhone Messages app ‘remembers’ that you were a blue bubble for 6-24 hours before falling back to SMS,” the Beeper Mini team wrote, “so it’s possible that some messages will not be delivered during this period.”

While Beeper says a fix is coming soon, it may still have a greater struggle ahead if Apple actually was behind the shutdown. The chat app costs $2 a month after the seven-day free trial and offers end-to-end encryption for messages sent between Android and iMessage users. In a statement to Engadget yesterday, Beeper co-founder Eric Migicovsky said, “If it's Apple, then I think the biggest question is — if Apple truly cares about the privacy and security of their own iPhone users, why would they try to kill a service that enables iPhones to send encrypted chats to Android users?”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beeper-mini-team-says-a-fix-is-coming-soon-and-promises-to-extend-users-free-trials-171310651.html?src=rss