Will we see Macs with color choices? Maybe. Maybe not.
Tomorrow is Apple’s “One More Thing” event. If you’re a long-time Apple watcher, the “one more thing” idea probably holds a special place in your heart because of how the phrase was used in the yearly Stevenotes. At the end of a keynote, Jobs often paused and then teased, “One more thing.”
Apple Silicon
The first “one more thing” was the announcement in 1998 that the then-beleaguered Apple had returned to profitability. One of the earliest Wi-Fi routers, the AirPort, was introduced in a “one more thing.” Year after year, just as the keynote ended, Steve came out and used the magic phrase, “One more thing.”
Until now. This time, the entire event is titled “one more thing.” And, given Apple’s earlier announcement of plans to completely replace Intel in Macs with its own silicon, we can reasonably expect this announcement to be all about new Apple silicon-based Macs.
The good
Let’s start with the three vectors of goodness that should eventually come from Apple’s transition to its own processor architecture.
The first is battery life. Apple has put billions of research dollars into extending battery life for its phones and tablets, all of which live on top of Apple-designed chips. Apple designed its chips with battery life in mind, so they’re strongly optimized for energy utilization. All that research will be inherited by Macs running Apple silicon.
Next is speed. The Apple chipset is pretty impressive when it comes to speed. We’ve seen amazing capabilities in iPad Pros and we’re starting to see some early numbers from the new A14 Bionic chips in this year’s phones.
While you can get fast on Intel, heat and power consumption has always been an issue. Those issues will be less of a concern with Apple Silicon, so it might be possible to take the processor as far as it can go on Macs.
Finally, there’s price. Apple pays Intel for its chips. That includes a built-in profit for Intel. No one would ever say that Apple is going to forgo profit, but Apple Silicon chips will come to Apple at cost, which will definitely save Apple money.
Will any of those savings be passed on to consumers in the form of lower-cost Macs? Probably not. But Apple may well produce higher-performing and more feature-rich Macs at price points similar to historic norms.
So that’s the all good. Let’s move onto the possible bummers.
The bummer
While no tea leaves are required to tell you that Apple is likely to introduce an Apple Silicon-based Mac, the overall design is likely to remain the same.
Don’t go expecting a touch screen-based MacBook Pro, just because the iPad and the new Mac use the same chip architecture. While there’s a chance Apple might finally add touch screen Macs, they’ve never shown the inclination. (It differentiates the iPad and Mac.)
More to the point, it’s never a good idea to make too many changes in one release. Apple is already making a huge change with processors, which necessitates completely reengineering the internal hardware and adding all sorts of emulation capabilities. It’s therefore unlikely that the company would also change much of anything else.
That leaves out the possibility of a new look. Most likely, the Macs introduced at “One More Thing” will be of exactly the same design as we’ve seen before. On the other hand… well, see my guesses, further on in the article.
The ugly
The ugly, of course, begs the question: “How will they suck?”
Wait! Don’t start banging away “You suck, too!” comments and tweets. I’m not being negative just to troll y’all. It’s just that when an entire computer line transitions from one processor architecture to another very different architecture, there will be compromises and compatibility issues. Some stuff will suck, at least for a while.
Let’s start with the newest MacOS release, Big Sur. Big Sur is late. Normally, Apple announces a new OS release at WWDC in June and ships it right after the Apple event in September. Big Sur did not ship in September. It could be because of all the interruptions due to COVID, or it could be because Big Sur needs to support an entirely different architecture (as well as Intel Macs) and that’s a heavy lift.
There will also undoubtedly be software compatibility issues. Before I talk about that, let’s give Apple credit where credit is due. Apple has an amazing track record of OS migrations. Apple has done this twice before and built up tremendous institutional knowledge in the process.
But since there will be some combination of Rosetta 2 processor emulation along with newly compiled apps for the new architecture, expect some growing pains.
There will be some programs that just won’t work, some hopefully that will work just fine, and probably more than a few that are simply a little bit more cranky than you’d like — I’m looking at you, Adobe Premiere.
I am hoping that Apple will have ported and optimized a couple of showcase apps — Logic and Final Cut come to mind — that can demonstrate the benefits of Apple Silicon when optimized properly. It would be nice to see something blazingly fast along with what will undoubtedly be some somewhat clunky apps running in emulation.
Most of the event will be devoted to the announcement of new Apple Silicon Macs. The rumor mill seems to think those will be a 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, along with a 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can pretty much expect a renewed discussion of Big Sur’s capabilities, and possibly a new iPad.
But what’s the “One More Thing”?
It could be a new Intel Mac. Yeah, seriously. Apple says that the Apple Silicon migration will take two years and we’re only a few months in. That seems to imply that there will be more Intel Macs. My bet is on another Intel MacBook Pro or an upgraded Mac Pro. But I could be wrong. It could be the new 14-inch MacBook with small bezels, because if Apple were to innovate on design, it would be on a known quantity like Intel Macs.
It could be AR glasses but, no, it couldn’t. Let’s not kid ourselves. That’s not a this year thing.
It could be an upgraded iPad. Okay. Sure. But that’s not really exciting.
It could be something none of us suspect, like an Appleified self-levitating hover scooter. I know it’s not probable, but Apple might want to get in on the growing $41 billion scooter market. No, I’m not making this up. The scooter market is actually projected to grow that big. But yeah, I am making up the idea that Apple might be going there. After all, an iScoot would interfere with the Apple Car project (which is probably quite dead, to be honest).
No, I think I know what the One More Thing event’s “one more thing” will be. I think it will be Macs in multiple colors. After all, Apple has to differentiate the Apple Silicon Macs from the Intel Macs somehow. They use darker gray to indicate Pro gear. So why not blue or green or (PRODUCT)RED as colors?
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
