Google Chrome’s new slate of features will allow search even with a ‘bad’ network connection

Google just announced a trio of features for its Chrome browser to allow for “more helpful suggestions.” Some of these tools are for the smartphone app, while others work with the standard PC-based browser.

First up, desktop Chrome users are getting new search suggestions that pull from what others have been using the browser to look for. The browser will still remember your recent queries and auto populate related search suggestions, but you’ll also see user-generated options to the right of those usual autofill suggestions, under a tab marked “People also search for.”

Chrome users on iOS and Android will now see more images to accompany suggested searches. In the past, Chrome only displayed images for search suggestions in the address bar that exactly matched a specific query, with Google giving an example of “Isanti dining table.” Now, broader searches — say, “bohemian table” — will tie an image to each option from the pull-down menu. A picture’s worth a thousand words, right?

An image of the new Chrome image feature.
Google

Perhaps the most puzzling new feature is that Chrome for iOS and Android is getting an optimization tool that allows for search even when users have a bad network connection. Google hasn’t revealed how this works, simply stating that it's due to “improved on-device capabilities.” The company says search will continue to work with a “bad” connection, so it’s likely some level of connection will still be necessary.

All three of these features are available today, so have at it. These are just the latest tools for the search engine, as Google seems to be constantly tweaking the service. The company recently added a trio of generative AI features and a Gemini-based writing tool.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-chromes-new-slate-of-features-will-allow-search-even-with-a-bad-network-connection-181522574.html?src=rss

Google Chrome’s new slate of features will allow search even with a ‘bad’ network connection

Google just announced a trio of features for its Chrome browser to allow for “more helpful suggestions.” Some of these tools are for the smartphone app, while others work with the standard PC-based browser.

First up, desktop Chrome users are getting new search suggestions that pull from what others have been using the browser to look for. The browser will still remember your recent queries and auto populate related search suggestions, but you’ll also see user-generated options to the right of those usual autofill suggestions, under a tab marked “People also search for.”

Chrome users on iOS and Android will now see more images to accompany suggested searches. In the past, Chrome only displayed images for search suggestions in the address bar that exactly matched a specific query, with Google giving an example of “Isanti dining table.” Now, broader searches — say, “bohemian table” — will tie an image to each option from the pull-down menu. A picture’s worth a thousand words, right?

An image of the new Chrome image feature.
Google

Perhaps the most puzzling new feature is that Chrome for iOS and Android is getting an optimization tool that allows for search even when users have a bad network connection. Google hasn’t revealed how this works, simply stating that it's due to “improved on-device capabilities.” The company says search will continue to work with a “bad” connection, so it’s likely some level of connection will still be necessary.

All three of these features are available today, so have at it. These are just the latest tools for the search engine, as Google seems to be constantly tweaking the service. The company recently added a trio of generative AI features and a Gemini-based writing tool.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-chromes-new-slate-of-features-will-allow-search-even-with-a-bad-network-connection-181522574.html?src=rss

Windows 11 gets Microsoft Copilot plugins and more AI upgrades

Following the launch of Copilot Pro in January, Microsoft will start rolling out a slew of upgrades today to make its AI assistant more useful in Windows 11. The biggest addition is support for plugins, something that only worked with Copilot on the web previously. You could, for example, connect Copilot to OpenTable so you can make a reservation from within its chat window. If you're low on groceries, you could start an order using the Instacart plugin. Microsoft says that plugins from Kayak, Klarna and Shopify will also be arriving over the next month. The goal, of course, is to keep you locked into the Copilot window for as long as possible.

Microsoft doesn't even want you to leave Copilot to access system settings. With this new update, you'll be able to turn battery saver mode on and off, or view your system's hardware profile, from within the AI chat view. You could also request that Copilot turn on Windows 11's Live Captions, Narrator or Screen Magnifier. It can even display a list of available Wi-Fi networks to connect to. Mainstream users might end up loving the ability to tap into Windows 11's features without navigating through the Settings app, so Copilot's enhanced integration could end up being a usability win for Microsoft. 

Windows 11 apps that use AI-powered features, like Photos and Clipchamp, are also getting a few AI enhancements. Photos now has a Generative Erase feature that can help you remove unwanted objects and elements from a picture, while Clipchamp will begin previewing a Silence Removal AI tool to cut out awkward video moments.

Microsoft says it will begin rolling out these Copilot and AI upgrades starting today for users running Windows 11 with the 22H2 (2022) and 23H2 (2023) year-end updates. If you're eager to try out the new features, make sure you've enabled the option to "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available." The company expects to have most features available when it launches the optional March 2024 non-security preview update. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-gets-microsoft-copilot-plugins-and-more-ai-upgrades-180002527.html?src=rss

Windows 11 gets Microsoft Copilot plugins and more AI upgrades

Following the launch of Copilot Pro in January, Microsoft will start rolling out a slew of upgrades today to make its AI assistant more useful in Windows 11. The biggest addition is support for plugins, something that only worked with Copilot on the web previously. You could, for example, connect Copilot to OpenTable so you can make a reservation from within its chat window. If you're low on groceries, you could start an order using the Instacart plugin. Microsoft says that plugins from Kayak, Klarna and Shopify will also be arriving over the next month. The goal, of course, is to keep you locked into the Copilot window for as long as possible.

Microsoft doesn't even want you to leave Copilot to access system settings. With this new update, you'll be able to turn battery saver mode on and off, or view your system's hardware profile, from within the AI chat view. You could also request that Copilot turn on Windows 11's Live Captions, Narrator or Screen Magnifier. It can even display a list of available Wi-Fi networks to connect to. Mainstream users might end up loving the ability to tap into Windows 11's features without navigating through the Settings app, so Copilot's enhanced integration could end up being a usability win for Microsoft. 

Windows 11 apps that use AI-powered features, like Photos and Clipchamp, are also getting a few AI enhancements. Photos now has a Generative Erase feature that can help you remove unwanted objects and elements from a picture, while Clipchamp will begin previewing a Silence Removal AI tool to cut out awkward video moments.

Microsoft says it will begin rolling out these Copilot and AI upgrades starting today for users running Windows 11 with the 22H2 (2022) and 23H2 (2023) year-end updates. If you're eager to try out the new features, make sure you've enabled the option to "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available." The company expects to have most features available when it launches the optional March 2024 non-security preview update. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-gets-microsoft-copilot-plugins-and-more-ai-upgrades-180002527.html?src=rss

Layoffs and weird PR emails | This week’s gaming news

Let's all take a breath. Layoffs are still churning in the video game industry, even as the frigid winter air is beginning to thaw. Amid the turmoil of these past few months, there are still things to be excited about: new games and hardware, the evolution of established franchises, and plenty of small teams building surprises to shake up the status quo. Look at all of the rad things happening over at Playdate for just one example of positive momentum in video games (we'll talk more about this next week).

Breathe in, breathe out.

Now, let's dive back into the news cycle:

This week's stories

PlayStation layoffs

The layoffs crisis in video games isn’t slowing down, and the latest company to announce drastic staffing cuts is PlayStation. Sony on Tuesday fired roughly 900 people from its PlayStation division and fully shut down its London Studio, which had been building a co-op multiplayer game for PS5. Insomniac, Naughty Dog and Guerrilla all lost employees, despite being behind some of the platform’s most successful games in recent memory. First-party studio Firesprite was also hit by the layoffs, and it reportedly had to cancel a live-service Twisted Metal project. It’s barely March, but already more than 7,000 video game workers have been laid off in 2024; last year, more than 9,000 people in the industry lost their jobs to layoffs.

Happy Pokémon Day!

February 27 was Pokémon Day, and in celebration, Nintendo revealed two new games: Pokémon Legends Z-A and Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Pokémon Legends Z-A is set in Lumiose City, which you might remember from Pokémon X and Y on the 3DS, and it looks like it features Mega Evolutions. Pokémon Legends Z-A is due to hit Switch in 2025. The other title, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, is a mobile game that should land on Android and iOS devices by the end of the year. It’s exactly what it sounds like — Nintendo is putting the physical card-opening mechanic inside your phone, complete with flashy animations and addictive sound effects when you rip off the digital packaging. You’ll also be able to engage in quick battles. Nintendo has clarified that Pocket will not have NFTs, but it is described as “free to start,” so expect microtransactions.

Random PR roundup

It’s been a strange and slow week here in Engadget video game land, so I thought we’d have some fun this episode. As tech reporters, we receive ridiculous emails from startups and PR agencies literally every day, and even though we don’t end up covering many of the proposed products, some of the messages themselves deserve a moment in the spotlight. Many of the pitches we get are just silly or tone deaf, but some of them are outright dystopian. And honestly, I thought you all might enjoy seeing some of the weirdness that hits our inboxes.

This is all meant in good fun — I appreciate the communications teams who are just trying to sell their stuff in creative ways. The real enemy here, as always, is capitalism.

So, here are some emails that recently found their way into my inbox and made me go wut:

GameScent - New Groundbreaking Device Enhances Player Immersion by Releasing Gameplay Corresponding Scents

“As players dive into a game, GameScent’s patent-pending adaptor captures audio in real-time. These real-time audio cues are processed by GameScent's innovative AI to release scents that correspond with the on-screen action. Inhale the smoky aroma of battle, the exhilarating scent of speeding race cars, the calming fragrance of a forest, or the fresh smell of rain after a storm.”

Unsurprisingly, this little doodad comes with replaceable scent cartridges, though it's unclear how to actually buy those at the moment. Scents include gunfire, explosion, racing cars, blood, sports arena and other brotastic flavors.

Is this... cool? There's definitely a fun idea here about the future of immersion, right? Or I've completely lost the plot. Either could be true.


Seeking Products for Pickleball Stories? (Samples Available)

Ma'am, this is Engadget.


Deconstructeam Delivers a Valentine's Day Surprise of Cosmic Proportions

This was for the game The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and the surprise was a huge dildo. I thought the whole email was cute, actually — it was tasteful and coyly advertised a giveaway in partnership with a well-known adult toy company. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a sexy game and it stars a muscular behemoth the size of a planet, so it all made sense. It just didn’t fit in our general news feed, ya know?


(Story Idea:) Here’s Doom Running On A Robotic Lawn Mower: Yes, A Robotic Lawn Mower! (You Have To See It To Believe It!) (Video Included)

"I am reaching out with a great story that is sure to go viral… This spring, Husqvarna will make the iconic 1993 video game DOOM, available to play on the company’s robotic lawn mowers."

I find this email charming because it’s just a traditional, infomercial-style email with lots of unnecessary exclamation points and parenthesis. I respect it. But seriously, are we still doing this Doom thing? Next you’ll be asking me if this lawn mower can run Crysis and making jokes about Leeroy Jenkins, and I’m just here in 2024, begging for some new references.

The best part of this one is the fact that, after I added it to my list of silly emails, we actually hit this as news on Engadget dot com. Who's the joke now? (It's me).


Meet My Regina | PC Preview – Dickhead-Destroying Extravaganza Cookie Cutter

“I’ve got something to show you, Jessica.

She’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever held between my legs.

She’s small but tough and can take a beating.

And everyone knows she’s smart because she has a British accent.

She’ll giggle if you tickle her just right.

And she even glows in the dark!

Are you ready to meet her?

Well, are you?

Don’t be shy now.

Good. Well, here she is!”

I asked to be removed from this list.

Bonus Content

  • In more layoffs news, Until Dawn studio Supermassive Games fired about a third of its workforce, or roughly 90 employees, and the team is reorganizing. Also, indie studio Die Gut Fabrik, which created Sportsfriends, Johann Sebastian Joust and Saltsea Chronicles, has halted production amid funding issues and developers there are looking for other jobs.

  • Nintendo is suing Yuzu, a popular and long-running emulator that allows players to put their Switch games on other platforms. Nintendo argues that the app is "facilitating piracy at a colossal scale,” and says it illegally circumvents DMCA protections. Nintendo wants Yuzu shut down and the company is seeking damages.

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth finally comes out on February 29 and our review from Mat Smith is live now. He’s a really big Final Fantasy nerd, and he really liked Rebirth.

Now Playing

Home Safety Hotline is the perfect game to play at your desk, on the PC, so you can let the mid-90s computer interface fully engulf your senses. In this game, you take calls from people complaining about pests and paranormal creatures invading their homes, and using a detailed reference guide, you identify what’s going on and help them sort it out. Or, you get it wrong and get fired while a family of three screams for their lives on the other end of the line. There’s also a broader meta-horror unfurling in the background, and I’m having a lovely, spooky time sorting through all of it. Home Safety Hotline is out now on Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/layoffs-and-weird-pr-emails--this-weeks-gaming-news-173041054.html?src=rss

Layoffs and weird PR emails | This week’s gaming news

Let's all take a breath. Layoffs are still churning in the video game industry, even as the frigid winter air is beginning to thaw. Amid the turmoil of these past few months, there are still things to be excited about: new games and hardware, the evolution of established franchises, and plenty of small teams building surprises to shake up the status quo. Look at all of the rad things happening over at Playdate for just one example of positive momentum in video games (we'll talk more about this next week).

Breathe in, breathe out.

Now, let's dive back into the news cycle:

This week's stories

PlayStation layoffs

The layoffs crisis in video games isn’t slowing down, and the latest company to announce drastic staffing cuts is PlayStation. Sony on Tuesday fired roughly 900 people from its PlayStation division and fully shut down its London Studio, which had been building a co-op multiplayer game for PS5. Insomniac, Naughty Dog and Guerrilla all lost employees, despite being behind some of the platform’s most successful games in recent memory. First-party studio Firesprite was also hit by the layoffs, and it reportedly had to cancel a live-service Twisted Metal project. It’s barely March, but already more than 7,000 video game workers have been laid off in 2024; last year, more than 9,000 people in the industry lost their jobs to layoffs.

Happy Pokémon Day!

February 27 was Pokémon Day, and in celebration, Nintendo revealed two new games: Pokémon Legends Z-A and Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Pokémon Legends Z-A is set in Lumiose City, which you might remember from Pokémon X and Y on the 3DS, and it looks like it features Mega Evolutions. Pokémon Legends Z-A is due to hit Switch in 2025. The other title, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, is a mobile game that should land on Android and iOS devices by the end of the year. It’s exactly what it sounds like — Nintendo is putting the physical card-opening mechanic inside your phone, complete with flashy animations and addictive sound effects when you rip off the digital packaging. You’ll also be able to engage in quick battles. Nintendo has clarified that Pocket will not have NFTs, but it is described as “free to start,” so expect microtransactions.

Random PR roundup

It’s been a strange and slow week here in Engadget video game land, so I thought we’d have some fun this episode. As tech reporters, we receive ridiculous emails from startups and PR agencies literally every day, and even though we don’t end up covering many of the proposed products, some of the messages themselves deserve a moment in the spotlight. Many of the pitches we get are just silly or tone deaf, but some of them are outright dystopian. And honestly, I thought you all might enjoy seeing some of the weirdness that hits our inboxes.

This is all meant in good fun — I appreciate the communications teams who are just trying to sell their stuff in creative ways. The real enemy here, as always, is capitalism.

So, here are some emails that recently found their way into my inbox and made me go wut:

GameScent - New Groundbreaking Device Enhances Player Immersion by Releasing Gameplay Corresponding Scents

“As players dive into a game, GameScent’s patent-pending adaptor captures audio in real-time. These real-time audio cues are processed by GameScent's innovative AI to release scents that correspond with the on-screen action. Inhale the smoky aroma of battle, the exhilarating scent of speeding race cars, the calming fragrance of a forest, or the fresh smell of rain after a storm.”

Unsurprisingly, this little doodad comes with replaceable scent cartridges, though it's unclear how to actually buy those at the moment. Scents include gunfire, explosion, racing cars, blood, sports arena and other brotastic flavors.

Is this... cool? There's definitely a fun idea here about the future of immersion, right? Or I've completely lost the plot. Either could be true.


Seeking Products for Pickleball Stories? (Samples Available)

Ma'am, this is Engadget.


Deconstructeam Delivers a Valentine's Day Surprise of Cosmic Proportions

This was for the game The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and the surprise was a huge dildo. I thought the whole email was cute, actually — it was tasteful and coyly advertised a giveaway in partnership with a well-known adult toy company. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a sexy game and it stars a muscular behemoth the size of a planet, so it all made sense. It just didn’t fit in our general news feed, ya know?


(Story Idea:) Here’s Doom Running On A Robotic Lawn Mower: Yes, A Robotic Lawn Mower! (You Have To See It To Believe It!) (Video Included)

"I am reaching out with a great story that is sure to go viral… This spring, Husqvarna will make the iconic 1993 video game DOOM, available to play on the company’s robotic lawn mowers."

I find this email charming because it’s just a traditional, infomercial-style email with lots of unnecessary exclamation points and parenthesis. I respect it. But seriously, are we still doing this Doom thing? Next you’ll be asking me if this lawn mower can run Crysis and making jokes about Leeroy Jenkins, and I’m just here in 2024, begging for some new references.

The best part of this one is the fact that, after I added it to my list of silly emails, we actually hit this as news on Engadget dot com. Who's the joke now? (It's me).


Meet My Regina | PC Preview – Dickhead-Destroying Extravaganza Cookie Cutter

“I’ve got something to show you, Jessica.

She’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever held between my legs.

She’s small but tough and can take a beating.

And everyone knows she’s smart because she has a British accent.

She’ll giggle if you tickle her just right.

And she even glows in the dark!

Are you ready to meet her?

Well, are you?

Don’t be shy now.

Good. Well, here she is!”

I asked to be removed from this list.

Bonus Content

  • In more layoffs news, Until Dawn studio Supermassive Games fired about a third of its workforce, or roughly 90 employees, and the team is reorganizing. Also, indie studio Die Gut Fabrik, which created Sportsfriends, Johann Sebastian Joust and Saltsea Chronicles, has halted production amid funding issues and developers there are looking for other jobs.

  • Nintendo is suing Yuzu, a popular and long-running emulator that allows players to put their Switch games on other platforms. Nintendo argues that the app is "facilitating piracy at a colossal scale,” and says it illegally circumvents DMCA protections. Nintendo wants Yuzu shut down and the company is seeking damages.

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth finally comes out on February 29 and our review from Mat Smith is live now. He’s a really big Final Fantasy nerd, and he really liked Rebirth.

Now Playing

Home Safety Hotline is the perfect game to play at your desk, on the PC, so you can let the mid-90s computer interface fully engulf your senses. In this game, you take calls from people complaining about pests and paranormal creatures invading their homes, and using a detailed reference guide, you identify what’s going on and help them sort it out. Or, you get it wrong and get fired while a family of three screams for their lives on the other end of the line. There’s also a broader meta-horror unfurling in the background, and I’m having a lovely, spooky time sorting through all of it. Home Safety Hotline is out now on Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/layoffs-and-weird-pr-emails--this-weeks-gaming-news-173041054.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Fire Max 11 tablet drops to a record low of $140

Woot is selling Amazon's largest tablet, the Fire Max 11 for $140. That's $89 below the list price and $37 cheaper than it's selling for on Amazon right now. The price applies to the 64GB model with ads on the lockscreen and just the tablet alone — the magnetic case, stylus and keyboard case are all sold separately. The tablet hit $150 for the shopping holidays last year, so the Woot deal represents a $10 discount off the all-time low price. The sale should run through Sunday or until the tablet sells out. 

We had a chance to briefly check out a sample when the latest generation came out in May of last year and were impressed by how much you get for the money. There's an 11-inch LCD screen (Amazon's largest tablet screen) with a 2,000 x 1,000 resolution. Most of Amazon's Fire Tablets are built for casual use like browsing, streaming and for kids to play games on, but the Max 11 could be seen as the grown-up of the lineup. It's designed to handle a bit of work and multitasking with its octa-core MediaTek processor that Amazon says is 50 percent faster than the next fastest model. Just keep in mind that Fire Tablets rely on the Amazon Appstore, which does have Microsoft 365 apps, but you can't natively get Google's productivity apps without sideloading.  

Still, you get an aluminum build, support for Wi-Fi 6, 8-megapixel front and rear cameras, a fingerprint sensor and picture-in-picture capabilities. That last feature could be particularly useful for keeping tabs on your Alexa-enabled smart home cameras while you watch a show or flip through YouTube. In fact, when set up with a stand, it can go into "show mode" and act like one of Amazon's smart displays, providing you with Alexa's controls and interactivity. 

Even though it's perfectly suitable for adults who want to get some work done, Fire Max 11's claimed 14-hour battery life, comprehensive parental controls and access to an Amazon Kids+ subscription (currently $5 monthly) makes the tablet particularly well-suited for kids, too. Plus Amazon says the Max 11 is "three times as durable as the iPad 10.9 (10th generation)."  

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/amazons-fire-max-11-tablet-drops-to-a-record-low-of-140-171039269.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Fire Max 11 tablet drops to a record low of $140

Woot is selling Amazon's largest tablet, the Fire Max 11 for $140. That's $89 below the list price and $37 cheaper than it's selling for on Amazon right now. The price applies to the 64GB model with ads on the lockscreen and just the tablet alone — the magnetic case, stylus and keyboard case are all sold separately. The tablet hit $150 for the shopping holidays last year, so the Woot deal represents a $10 discount off the all-time low price. The sale should run through Sunday or until the tablet sells out. 

We had a chance to briefly check out a sample when the latest generation came out in May of last year and were impressed by how much you get for the money. There's an 11-inch LCD screen (Amazon's largest tablet screen) with a 2,000 x 1,000 resolution. Most of Amazon's Fire Tablets are built for casual use like browsing, streaming and for kids to play games on, but the Max 11 could be seen as the grown-up of the lineup. It's designed to handle a bit of work and multitasking with its octa-core MediaTek processor that Amazon says is 50 percent faster than the next fastest model. Just keep in mind that Fire Tablets rely on the Amazon Appstore, which does have Microsoft 365 apps, but you can't natively get Google's productivity apps without sideloading.  

Still, you get an aluminum build, support for Wi-Fi 6, 8-megapixel front and rear cameras, a fingerprint sensor and picture-in-picture capabilities. That last feature could be particularly useful for keeping tabs on your Alexa-enabled smart home cameras while you watch a show or flip through YouTube. In fact, when set up with a stand, it can go into "show mode" and act like one of Amazon's smart displays, providing you with Alexa's controls and interactivity. 

Even though it's perfectly suitable for adults who want to get some work done, Fire Max 11's claimed 14-hour battery life, comprehensive parental controls and access to an Amazon Kids+ subscription (currently $5 monthly) makes the tablet particularly well-suited for kids, too. Plus Amazon says the Max 11 is "three times as durable as the iPad 10.9 (10th generation)."  

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/amazons-fire-max-11-tablet-drops-to-a-record-low-of-140-171039269.html?src=rss

Apple’s self-repair program now covers M3-powered MacBook Pros and iMacs

Apple has been steadily expanding its Self Service Repair program since spinning it up two years ago. Starting today, you can access the tools, parts and repair manuals you need to fix the latest MacBook Pros and iMacs that run on the company's M3 chips. 

As of sometime next month, folks with M3 systems will be able to use Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair on their systems too. The web-based tool gives end users the same capabilities as the company's authorized service providers and independent repair shops to pinpoint parts that may need to be repaired, as well as to test for "optimal part functionality and performance," Apple says. The company debuted this tool for iPhone and Mac last year.

On top of that, Apple notes that it's trying to improve the Mac repair process and make it more efficient through tweaks to system configuration procedures. As of early March, you'll no longer need to contact its Self Service Repair team to carry out the final step of a repair. However, the team will still be available in case you need a hand.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-program-now-covers-m3-powered-macbook-pros-and-imacs-165109070.html?src=rss

Apple’s self-repair program now covers M3-powered MacBook Pros and iMacs

Apple has been steadily expanding its Self Service Repair program since spinning it up two years ago. Starting today, you can access the tools, parts and repair manuals you need to fix the latest MacBook Pros and iMacs that run on the company's M3 chips. 

As of sometime next month, folks with M3 systems will be able to use Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair on their systems too. The web-based tool gives end users the same capabilities as the company's authorized service providers and independent repair shops to pinpoint parts that may need to be repaired, as well as to test for "optimal part functionality and performance," Apple says. The company debuted this tool for iPhone and Mac last year.

On top of that, Apple notes that it's trying to improve the Mac repair process and make it more efficient through tweaks to system configuration procedures. As of early March, you'll no longer need to contact its Self Service Repair team to carry out the final step of a repair. However, the team will still be available in case you need a hand.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-program-now-covers-m3-powered-macbook-pros-and-imacs-165109070.html?src=rss