MacBooks with M1 is a leap forward for PCs. Now bring on the 5G | Canada News Media
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MacBooks with M1 is a leap forward for PCs. Now bring on the 5G

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The MacBook Pro will get the M1 treatment in a new update.

 


Apple/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

 

Apple on Tuesday spent 45 minutes breathlessly describing the benefits of the custom-designed chip, the M1, powering its newest Macs. Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, talked up the power-saving benefits, which allow for the longest battery life ever for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. He also talked up how quickly the computers would boot up and run programs, such as on the Mac Mini.

Yet it’s what Apple spent no time on that could hold the most promise for this new line of Apple silicon-based Macs: 5G.

Cellular-connected laptops have been around for years, but they’ve largely been a niche category serving corporate road warriors. Then along came the coronavirus, which has changed, like so many other things, the way we’ve seen connectivity and how we all work. Pair that with a 5G network that’s starting to mature, promising higher speeds and better coverage in the coming years, and the idea of a constantly connected MacBook Air or Pro sounds attractive.

“Given that remote work is going to be a permanent fixture in enterprise in one way, shape or form, 5G notebooks could become an enterprise mainstay,” IDC analyst Linn Huang said.

Because Apple’s chips are based on the Arm architecture of mobile processors that power all smartphones and tablets, they’re already extremely comfortable with cellular radios. Specifically, these types of processors know how to balance the power management issues that come with a persistent cellular connection, so adding these radios is a snap.

So why no 5G MacBook yet?

This marks the first generation of Macs running on Apple silicon, and the company likely didn’t want to take a flyer on relatively new technology since it had so many other fundamentals to take care of, like processor speed, app compatibility and power management. The hardware and feature set are identical to previous Macs, so Apple wasn’t taking any chances.

An Apple spokesman wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Adding 5G — a feature that customers aren’t clamoring for yet — makes little sense at this point.

“Apple’s stellar Mac results last quarter certainly suggest that the lack of cellular connectivity is not holding Apple back,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential.

The company’s sales of Macs accounted for 7.7% of the total market for PCs, a notch up from a year ago, according to Gartner.

Apple also just finished unveiling its family of iPhone 12 handsets, where 5G plays a marquee role. The company was more than a year and a half behind the competition when it came to putting out a 5G phone, so it likely isn’t in a rush to add it into yet another category of devices.

With 5G networks still in their nascent stage — nationwide coverage is disappointingly slow and the super-high speeds are only found in small pockets of major population centers — the immediate tangible benefits of connectivity are still pretty limited.

But analysts believe 5G will play an increasingly important role in laptops at some point — think one or two generations from now. Carriers will be keen to offer yet another product they can connect to their networks. And while you may loathe the idea of yet another addition to your wireless bill, it could be an option for your employer outfitting you with a connected laptop.

 

The idea of opening up your laptop virtually anywhere and getting a connection without searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot, after all, is pretty appealing.

While Apple uses Qualcomm modems for its iPhones, the company has been quietly working on its own modems. The company, after all, spent $1 billion to acquire Intel’s cellular radio business and talent.

Your IT manager probably likes the idea too. A 5G connection is more secure than a public Wi-Fi network. Paying for 5G service on a Mac is a lot cleaner than trying to figure out how much a company should chip in for your home broadband connection, Huang noted. With the coronavirus lockdown forcing companies to rethink how and where their employees work and as being remote becomes an enduring norm, 5G could offer your corporate IT a lifeline.

Apple’s event to show off the new Macs is its third big product unveiling in as many months. Going that route, rather than announcing them in a press release or quiet briefing with the media, shows the company thinks these Macs, and where it wants to drive their evolution using Apple silicon, are a big deal.

There’s a strong likelihood that evolution will take a path that finds its way to 5G in the coming years.

Source: – CNET

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Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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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.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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