Tech Talk

You'll find most of this week's best deals at Amazon thanks to its new Big Spring Sale, including low prices on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C and M1 iMacs. There are also notable discounts on Anker and Jackery accessories during this event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Amazon's Big Spring Sale What's the deal? Save sitewide during this Springtime Prime Day Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here SITEWIDE DEALS Amazon's Big Spring Sale Amazon this week kicked off the "Big Spring Sale," which is set to run all weekend and end on Monday, March 25. Similar to past Prime Days, there are hundreds of deals to be discovered during this sitewide event, and many of the deals we're highlighting in this post are from the Big Spring Sale. For more specific in

Apple has held discussions with Baidu about using the Chinese company's generative AI model to power some of the iPhone's rumored generative AI features, according to The Wall Street Journal . As previously reported, Apple is also said to have held similar discussions with Google and OpenAI , the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot. If these partnerships move forward, it is likely that Baidu would power some of Apple's generative AI features in China, while other companies like Google or OpenAI would serve as partners in the U.S. and other countries. China requires generative AI models to receive local regulatory approval, and Baidu's Ernie chatbot is on the approved list, but Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbots are not available in the country. Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year , and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features

An unpatchable vulnerability has been discovered in Apple's M-series chips that allows attackers to extract secret encryption keys from Macs under certain conditions, according to a newly published academic research paper (via ArsTechnica ). Named " GoFetch ," the type of cyber attack described involves Data Memory-Dependent Prefetchers (DMPs), which try to predict what data the computer will need next and retrieve it in advance. This is meant to make processing faster, but it can unintentionally reveal information about what the computer is doing. The paper finds that DMPs, especially the ones in Apple's processors, pose a significant threat to the security provided by constant-time programming models, which are used to write programs so that they take the same amount of time to run, no matter what data they're dealing with. The constant-time programming model is meant to protect against side-channel attacks, or types of attacks where someone can gain sen

Apple is currently offering its Major League Soccer Season Pass free for one month , which normally costs $14.99, or $12.99 for Apple TV+ subscribers in the U.S. The MLS Season Pass allows access to every live Major League Soccer match, including Leagues Cup, All-Star games, and playoffs. The offer is being promoted on Leo Messi's Instagram account : The season is just getting started. Sign up using the link in my bio and get a One Month Free Trial of #MLSSeasonPass on Apple TV. The offer must be redeemed by April 5, 2024. One subscription is available per TV and Apple ID . Both new and qualified returning customers of MLS Season Pass can sign up. The MLS Pass renews at your region's price per month, so make sure to cancel it if you decide you do not want to commit. An MLS Season Pass is available in the TV app on iPhones running iOS 16.2 or later, iPads running iPadOS 16.2 or later, Apple TV 4K or ‌Apple TV‌ HD with tvOS 16.2 or later, macOS Ventura 13.1 or later, App

A former UPS worker located in Winnipeg, Canada has been accused of stealing Apple products valued at more than $1.3 million, and reselling them for profit. According to Canada's Global News and the Winnipeg Free Press , UPS worker Orville Beltrano stole approximately 866 Apple devices from the warehouse where he had worked since 2013. Beltrano served as a supervisor at the location, and he was selling the products that he swiped on Kijiji. Between September 2023 and January 2024, Beltrano deposited more than $232,000 in his bank accounts. He was fired by UPS on January 22, and arrested the same day. In his home and vehicle, investigators found $9,000 in cash, a Mac laptop, and jewelry valued at over $9,000. Beltrano admitted to stealing Apple products and jewelry from UPS, and said that he used the money to purchase a home worth $680,000 and to pay off a $60,000 Audi hatchback purchased in 2021. He has been charged with theft over $5,000, theft under $5,000, possession of

Designer Kevin Noki recently spent months creating his own homemade, functional Macintosh built from the ground up, which he dubbed the "Brewintosh." Designed to look like the Macintosh Plus, the machine Noki crafted features a 3D printed exterior and components, and it works like the real deal. In a 47-minute video, Noki walks through the process that he used to create the device. As Ars Technica points out, Noki went completed more than 29 complex steps, each of which was a major task on its own. He started out by measuring every single surface and angle of a Macintosh Plus, modeling it in AutoDesk Fusion 360, and then printing the parts, putting them together, filling gaps, sanding, and texturing. He modified a 10-inch thrift store screen to have LED backlighting and a dimmer knob, he crafted a power assembly, built in connectors, speakers, and other hardware, and designed a Mini vMac emulator using Linux. The whole process is fascinating to watch. The Mac Plus is

The United States Justice Department is preparing to sue Apple for violating antitrust law as soon as Thursday, reports Bloomberg . The lawsuit will be the culmination of an investigation that initially started in 2019 as an antitrust review of major technology companies. U.S. regulators have already sued Google, Meta, and Amazon. Over the last several years, Apple officials have met with the DoJ multiple times, and the investigation has covered everything from iMessage to ad practices. Some of what the DoJ has looked into: How the Apple Watch works better with iPhone than other smart watches do. How Apple locks competitors out of iMessage. How Apple blocks financial firms from offering tap-to-pay services similar to Apple Pay . Whether Apple favors its own apps and services over those provided by third-party developers. How Apple has blocked cloud gaming apps from the App Store . How Apple restricts the ‌‌iPhone‌‌'s location services from devices that compete with

Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models will be offered with a matte display option for the first time, according to the Weibo leaker known as " Instant Digital ." The Weibo user explained that the ‌iPad Pro‌'s new matte display option will be offered in addition to the standard, glossy glass finish. It apparently features -4° to +29° of haze and may tout some kind of blue-light blocking technology to help protect the eyes. Matte screen protectors for the iPad have become popular, so it is possible that Apple is trying to offer such an option at the point of purchase for those who want it. It is not known if the matte display option will be "nano-texture" glass like on the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display, but it seems plausible. Nano-texture glass is effectively a matte finish that scatters light to minimize glare, which is ideal in environments with bright light sources. While matte screen coatings effectively reduce reflections, they also make th

Key parts of Apple's compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are set to be investigated by European regulators based on developer feedback, the EU's antitrust chief warned on Tuesday. In an interview with Reuters , the European Commission's Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said that Apple's introduction of new fees was already being looked at as a potential attempt to dissuade developers from using alternative app stores. "There are things that we take a keen interest in, for instance, if the new Apple fee structure will de facto not make it in any way attractive to use the benefits of the DMA. That kind of thing is what we will be investigating," she told Reuters. Apple enabled alternative app stores in the EU earlier this month , allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers' apps as well as the marketplace developer's own apps. Apple also has a new fee structure as part of the change that has already co

Back at CES in January, Alogic introduced its new lineup of 32-inch 4K displays, following up on 27-inch models launched last year. I've now had some time to put the high-end Clarity Max Touch model from the 32-inch family through my daily grind, and I've found it offers some nice features for those looking for a larger canvas to work on. To recap, there are three models in each of the 27-inch and 32-inch Clarity display lineups, with varying features. The base model in each is a fairly standard 4K display running at up to 60 Hz that can connect over USB-C, HDMI, or DisplayPort, and it includes a few extra USB-A ports on the rear to serve as a mini-hub for accessories that don't demand too much in the way of power or data speeds. The middle-tier model of each size adds a retractable 8-megapixel webcam at the top of the display, while the high-end models offer both the webcam and touchscreen support that works on Windows and Mac. For the 32-inch family, I've o